Real Estate

Owning a home is often considered one of the American dreams, but obtaining that dream requires proper financial planning and management. Learn about the factors that go into deciding to buy or sell a home, how mortgages work, and how real estate as a source of income might be right for you.

Mortgage Fundamentals and Research

Is 2014 Your Year to Refinance?

By James O'Brien. March 22, 2014 For homeowners looking to refinance, recent years have represented a remarkable run of low interest rates and special programs for leveraging new mortgage terms -- even if your home value plummeted during the recession. This year, in a new report, Freddie Mac predicts that borrowers who refinanced in 2013 will save a net of approximately $21 billion in interest during the first 12 months of their loans. Can you get a piece of those... more

Legal Issues in Real Estate Investments

The Institutional 1031 TIC Exchange

Since the 1920's savvy real estate investors have taken advantage of the evolving 1031 exchange rules promulgated by the IRS. Many of you are probably familiar with this concept, if not veterans of the procedure. The ability to defer capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes, as well as the opportunity to "trade up" to larger properties, has benefited property owners for decades. Recent conditions in the real estate market, however, have made it difficult to find good values on replacement... more

Buying or Selling a Home

Increase Your Home's Value So You Can Sell It For More

If you're interested in selling your home, it's important to try to improve it so that you don't have to reduce its price, as 22 percent of homeowners have had to do at least once. It's valuable to know what potential buyers are looking for and how you can increase your home's value so that you get the most money from selling it. Did you know that most homebuyers want a laundry room? According to the National Association of Home Builders, this is important for 92 percent of people who consider... more

Real Estate Investment

How to Hold Real Estate In a Self-Directed IRA or Qualified Plan - Part 1

Introduction This article is meant to be an introduction to the topic and not an exhaustive guide. The topic is complicated, and I recommend that anyone interested in pursuing this type of investing seek the advice from the appropriate professionals so that you may be advised on the particulars of your individual situation. This article is written in two parts. Part I covers basic information on real estate, and Part II explains how to use retirement plans to buy, sell and hold real... more