Whether it’s your first or tenth time finding a place to rent, there are a laundry list of things you want to look for when it comes to finding a rental that not only indulges you but one that you don’t need to call maintenance staff because the sink is leaking every week.

Check all sources to make sure you don’t miss a dream apartment. – Most of the time when looking for rentals you might browse through the typical online classifieds like craigslist or look through online apartment search engines. The multiple listing service real estate agents use also has an inventory of available rentals that may not be advertised anywhere else.

Ask to talk with a current tenant of the building. – Leasing agents will give you plenty of information but at the end of the day it is still their job to help you into a rental in their building. Before arriving be sure to ask the leasing agent if they know of a tenant you could speak with about living in the building. If not just ask a tenant who is walking through the building what they think about it. Tenants are the best source of raw information on management and building maintenance.

Do they allow subleasing? – Things happen and if you think you may not be able to complete your full rental term (typically 12 months or more) then you’ll want to find a rental where the landlord/management company allow subleasing. Subleasing basically means that the landlord leases the home to you and you then lease the home to another person. It’s not too common anymore but it can be a saving grace if you need it so keep the possibility in mind.

Are there any major developments going up nearby? – It doesn’t get much worse than finding a gorgeous rental property with a panoramic view of the river and then five months into your lease you see a new tower developing right in front of your window that’s blocking your view. Find out about any new construction going on in the area before signing on the dotted line.

When was the building last renovated? – Unless the building you are considering is new construction you want to make sure that you aren’t renting an apartment in the early to mid stages of a full building renovation.

How safe is the area? – This might seem like an obvious one but take the full scope of safety into consideration: Will your car insurance be much higher because the the apartment building is in a high crime area? Will you be a prisoner in your own apartment after the sun goes down? Safety statistics can be found on numerous websites including the Census Bureau and City-Data.

Are there any ongoing incentives being offered? – In areas of high competition management companies will offer incentives to renters to choose their building over those of their competitors. Popular rental incentives include one to two months free, no pet deposit or free garage parking.

Thorough research will help you save a ton of money and get you into an apartment rental where you won’t be kicking yourself in six months because you’re miserable. While searching for the perfect apartment be sure to pick up local newspapers and check the paper classifieds. It’s becoming an antiquated approach now that online classifieds are beginning to dominate but you might find an amazing deal on a rental from a local landlord who won’t use online classifieds to market their rentals.



Quick Property Sale

Selling your car can be surprisingly tricky, particularly if you want to receive the best possible price. Buyers have a huge choice so it’s vital to make sure that your car stands out from the crowd. Some simple tactics, such as making sure you set a fair price, ensuring that your car looks great and using clever negotiation tactics, can be the difference between making a quick sale or being left with an unwanted car on your hands for months.

Setting the Price

Ensuring that you’ve valued your car correctly is the most important aspect when selling a car. Set too high a price and you could end up with a car stuck on your hands for months, whilst setting too low a price will result in a quick sale but knowing that you could have done better. Parkers.co.uk has an excellent used car guide section, where you can quickly receive a reliable price estimate.

Also, take a look through the local classifieds to get a feel for prices. Take into account the number of miles that you car has traveled and whether any extra features have been installed over the years, such as air conditioning or a stereo system.

Preparing the Car

On average clean and polished cars sell for 10% more than the same cars when they are filthy because buyers like to know that the car they are buying has been cared for. Dealers will also pay more for clean cars because it saves them time and money cleaning the car themselves.

For the outside of the car use a good quality car shampoo before polishing the car to create that ‘new car’ shine. Then power spray the tyres and clean alloy wheels. This clean and shiny car exterior will create an excellent first impression.

Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any dust and dirt from inside the car. Dashboards should be cleaned with a ‘low-gloss’ dashboard cleaner. When cleaning the windows remember to be careful around the heater elements in the rear window. Finally, ensure that the car smells nice. In particular remove any cigarette smell.

Where to Advertise

As a generalization when selling a car there are two options available – sell it yourself or sell direct to a dealer. Selling direct to a dealer is a quick and easy way of getting the car off your hands as you don’t have to advertise, deal with buyers, or take the risk of being unable to sell your car for months, during which time your car continues to devalue. Companies such as webuyanycar.com will provide an instant quote online for the majority of used cars.

The downside with selling to a dealer is that you’re unlikely to receive the best possible price. Advertising and selling the car yourself is more time consuming but can also be more profitable. eBay Motors has become one of the most popular ways of buying and selling a used car, so much so that a car is now sold every 2 minutes through the site. When selling through eBay make sure that you include a lot of information about the car along with a couple of photos.

Negotiating the Price

When potential buyers take a look at your car and decide that they are seriously interested in purchasing it the chances are that they will attempt to negotiate the price. This is to be expected because buyers like to think that they are getting a good deal as well. Therefore have a target price and lowest acceptable price in mind before you enter negotiations. If the two offers are some way apart then a moment of silence is often the best tactic. People find silence uncomfortable and awkward, often resulting in them making a compromise offer half way between the two valuations. It’s at this point that you can propose meeting half way between your offer and the new offer, gaining yourself a better deal.

Completing the Deal

Once a price has been agreed the deal still needs to be completed. Ask the buyer for their ID, address, and landline number because sometimes things go wrong in which case it’s good to have a way to contact them. If paid by cheque only let the buyer drive the car away once it has cleared. Finally, write a receipt stating that you are selling the car, and include the details of the car, yourself and the buyer. Write on the receipt ‘accepted as tested and seen’ to cover yourself against any future claims for damages. Then have the receipt signed by both yourself and the buyer, after which a successful sale will have been achieved.



Rent Back

As the news stories about the woes of the property markets continue to pile up in the media, more people are tempted to put their homes on the market in the present climate to see if they are able to sell ‘at the top of the curve’ and take advantage of the capital gains they have made in the past years of the property bubble.

While experts disagree over the size of the market ‘correction’, or the length of any downturn in the market that is likely to take place over the next few months or even years, there is little doubt that more people will be in a position where they feel under pressure to sell their property as quickly as they can. The danger is that in putting your property up for sale you will be tempted into taking a much lower offer than you should, as well as the stress of dealing with demanding buyers.

On the other hand, being unrealistic about the value of your property, the motivation of your potential buyers, and the market conditions could lead to being stuck in a situation with a property that has been extensively marketed and still does not sell, despite discounts to the price.

Some of the situations you may encounter over this period of toughening market conditions are explored here, along with some possible strategies to help you sell your property at the right time and for the right value.

Be Objective – This is particularly important when you are selling your own home, rather than any kind of investment property, but it is vitally important that you are realistic and able to take the fact that agents or buyers may suggest you sell your property for less than you think it is worth.

This does not mean that you should just give in without a fight to the first offer that comes along, when you are convinced that the property is worth far more, but make sure your position is backed up with solid facts. In market conditions as they are at present, research in the local area is even more important, and can be the key to making your sale successful. Check estate agents’ windows regularly to see what at price similar properties are on the market, as well as how quickly they move.

Also, try to compare your property to other similar ones for sale in the same area, and be as objective as you can. Essentially, these similar properties are your competition for buyers, and you need to know where your property stands in relation to them. Think about things like proximity to schools, shops and leisure facilities on the positive side, and main roads, traffic black spots and industry on the negative.

Knowing all of this, and listing where your property is stronger than most of the other similar properties on the market at the time, will allow you to price your property effectively and realistically, as well as helping in its marketing. The knowledge that your property has the best gardens of the type, or has an extension as a utility room should allow you to bring out the advantages in the details as supplied by the agent, as well as helping you to sell the property when you are conducting viewings.

Aggressive buyers and tactics – One of the biggest problems with selling with the current turbulent market conditions is that buyers will feel they are in a true ‘buyer’s market’. This means they will feel emboldened by the prospect of being more sought-after than the property they are considering buying, a situation that has not occurred in the UK for example, in at least five years. Given this fact, buyers are taking up some practices that have not been seen by vendors for a few years – some of which are just a shift in the landscape and relationship between buyer and seller, other which are a degree more unsavoury or even immoral.

One of the biggest differences that sellers will notice in the current climate is the time factor. Buyers are now far less likely to be rushed into making an offer, or improving an existing offer as they will have the impression that you need them more than they need you. While this can be true, it pays to be prepared to wait for offers and responses to come in.

Of course, this is a legitimate buying tactic in the same way that in a rising market sellers are able to make buyers wait for their responses to try to make sure they would be prepared to move their offer upwards. Buyers will feel that by holding out on making their first or follow-up offer, they are sowing the seeds to make sure that you are ’softened-up’ for a lower offer than would otherwise be normal.

Be aware in this situation of the research you have done on the right price for your property, and be prepared to stick to your guns – but not too much. While it is quite fair to ask for a fair price in negotiation, if you are completely inflexible in the money stakes, you will scare off legitimate and fair buyers.

Once you have accepted an offer for the property, there are other things that buyers may now feel emboldened to do given the market conditions. For one thing, the agreements for fittings and fixtures may go on longer and be more intense that you might expect. Again, buyers will feel that they are in a stronger position to demand that some of the items you would have taken with you remain in place or are prepared to pay less than you want for them.

In this situation you would be well-advised to try to keep the two issues separate, while the buyer may be keen to suggest that unless you move on the fixtures and fittings the whole deal could fall apart. If they continue to be stubborn on this point, and you feel that they are close to pulling out of the sale, there may come a time to make a difficult choice. If you give in to their demands, can you be sure that this is the only issue on which they will be aggressive, or will it be a signal to them that they can push you into a corner in any of the negotiations? Would you prefer to keep this sale, no matter how much you have to smile through gritted teeth, or are you confident in finding a buyer? There is no blanket answer to this, and each situation can only be judged upon your feelings at the time.

One of the more worrying trends in recent weeks has been the idea of buyers gazundering sellers. Gazundering is a process by which buyers agree a sale price and put the wheels of the sale in motion, only to demand a hefty discount on the property price at a very late stage, often just days before completion. The discount demands can be anything up to 20 per cent off the agreed price, and sellers are left with the option of either giving in to the demands of their buyers or risking losing their sale, the house they want to buy and causing the rest of the chain to collapse.

Some websites are deliberately promoting gazundering as a legitimate bargaining tool in the house buying process, and even go so far as to say buyers should have offers accepted on three different properties to maximize the chances of one of their gazundering attempts being successful. Most people will see this as a morally-questionable way of entering into a sale, but be aware that there may be some people out there who are willing to try it.

Make the most of what you have – Many of the properties that are coming on to the market at the moment are quite similar – in some areas there are so many two-bedroom apartments for sale at the moment that sellers are dropping their prices by up to £100,000 (approx $200,000) in order to attract attention from a smaller pool of potential buyers than has been seen for some years.

In this situation, the best thing you can do is to make sure that you have maximized the features of your property that are going to attract buyers and make it stand out from all of the other properties of the same type they will have viewed already. If you have a huge kitchen, make sure it is clean and tidy but that people can see you enjoy spending time in there, if the garden is 30 yards longer then the neighbouring properties, make sure it is tidy, the lawn mowed and some colour and life are evident. You may even want to demonstrate the its lifestyle possibilities by putting out garden furniture to show how it can be used.

A recent survey also suggested that spending a small amount of money on refurbishing and remodeling parts of your property can not only get you back almost the same amount of money as the investment you put in, but will also help to make the property stand out to buyers. Purely on a monetary basis, it is said that a minor remodeling of the main bathroom in a property is the best way to spend on the interior of a property, with up to 100 per cent of the investment being made back on the property sale.

Making your property ready for viewings is also important. Some say that brewing fresh coffee or baking bread in the kitchen is the best way of making an impression on people viewing the property, but nothing will stick in their minds more than a well-presented, well cared-for home. The much-vaunted ‘kerb appeal’ factor is very important in creating the right first impression and setting the tone of the viewing. Pets and clutter should both be banished for the duration of the viewing, and if possible and necessary, you may want to send the children and partner to the park for an hour while people are viewing the property.

What you really want to create in a competitive market like we have at the present time is a lasting impression on potential buyers. If you can let each of your viewings leave with a sense that they want to be in your property, and can see themselves happy there, you have won half of the battle and will have a better chance of sticking in their minds.

Think differently – Don’t be afraid to do something a little different in marketing your property to the buyers that are out there. Remember that there are always people who are looking to buy property, even if there aren’t as many as there were, or as many as you might want to see. In fact, many buy-to-let investors are looking to expand their property portfolios now as they see it as a perfect time to buy the properties they want, as well as a time when there will be more people who have to rent instead of buying themselves and getting on the property ladder.

Some sellers will see this as the right time to look into selling their property on their own, and not using an estate agent. Certainly the fees that will be saved on any purchase are a welcome bonus, and perhaps that will allow you to be a little more flexible on your pricing than someone who also has to pay their agent a commission at the end. Selling without an agent is not something that should be tackled without careful thought and preparation however, as doing things wrong will waste time and money, and will ultimately make it difficult to sell the property later through an agent if the independent route fails. Many agents will be reluctant to take on a property that has been on the market independently in the recent past, as they will feel that it has been overexposed to the market, and their chances of success are therefore diminished.

Even if you are using a real estate agent to sell, you can still get creative with your own marketing strategy. There are some wild and interesting ideas of how you can bring attention to your property sale, from having bumper stickers made up and taking out advertisements in local papers on your own. One of the more targeted approaches works very well if your property is in the catchment area of a well-regarded school. Some sellers have been known to hand out flyers at the time when parents are arriving to collect their children, as they often know someone who wants to move to the area.

If your property is particularly attractive and stands out from the crowd, you may want to consider holding an open house for potential buyers to come along. This is a particularly good idea for desirable properties – it brings in interested parties to have a more leisurely look around the property and even to take a little more time to discuss finer points with you personally, and if you are lucky it will also mean that they will see other interested potential buyers arriving to look around and spur them into making a good offer.

Don’t panic! – Despite some of the media stories to the contrary, there are still properties that are being bought and sold across the country, so there are buyers out there. They may not have the huge and easily-accessible finance options that were available a year ago, and they may not be as willing to enter into a bidding war to get your property, but they are still out there. A well-presented, loved, realistically-priced property will sell, as there will be a buyer out there who wants it.

Try to be patient in waiting for viewings, offers and negotiations – not only will you find it stressful; you will also transmit a kind of desperation to the buyer that they can use to drive your price down.

It is also a good idea to have a set of limits and a back-up plan if the market turns out not to want to buy your property in the timeframe you have in mind. Set a lower limit for offers that you will accept, a time limit that you want to lave the property on the market. Should a sale not happen, or the price you are offered is too low, consider updating and improving the property you already have – either for you to continue to enjoy, or for a fresh assault on the market.

If you need to sell quickly – Should you get to the point where you need to sell your property quickly, there are a couple of options that should at least allow you to escape from a sticky financial situation. Sometimes these options are looked down on by many in the industry, and while they do offer opportunities to those involved to make money from buying your property cheaply, they can offer sellers a way out and still give them some equity to play with.

Auctioning property in the UK has not really taken off significantly, despite numerous efforts to promote it as a good way to buy property. Some properties are auctioned, and it is often repossessed or probate properties that make up the lots. This can be a good way to make sure that you achieve a reasonable sale, so long as you don’t put an unrealistic reserve price and are prepared to accept a slightly below market value price. If you are lucky enough to have two or more bidders who are keen to get hold of your property you may get a higher price than you imagine.

Another option is to go to one of the quick sale companies in the UK market, who offer a range on service to allow you to sell your home quickly and get your money out in a short space of time. Backed by the fact that they have cash reserves, these companies are able to offer cash within days to most sellers. They make their money from buying properties below the true market value, but that is the price you pay for being able to get your hands on a significant amount of capital in a short space of time. For people who are in more dire financial straits, these companies also offer ‘sale and rent back‘ schemes to allow them to get their capital out of the property and still have their home to live in.



Passive Income

At one time, selling a home was best left to professionals. Today, there are many tools to assist a home owner sell a house on their own. And they often do it faster and better. Turn on the television and you will see a plethora of programs dedicated to the art and science of selling your house. Homeowners are beginning to realize that they have the power to sell their own homes and keep more money in their pockets.

If you’ve decided to sell your house, one of the first things to do is make it market-ready. Many homeowners believe this means fixing drywall dents, painting, replacing carpeting and such. While these things are important, there are other aesthetic considerations to consider. Some are less expensive and may help sell your house quickly without undertaking a major renovation project.

Many home buyers have their own ideas about things like floor coverings. Unless there is structural damage or the carpeting is in bad repair, money sunk into a floor renovation may not be the best use of your assets. Instead, it makes more sense to direct your financial efforts into changes which will improve the aesthetics of your home, “dress it up,” but won’t alter it.

Changes such as:

* Painting. A new owner will probably come in and paint again anyway. But a new coat of paint can go a long way to improving the appearance of a home’s interior. Look for bargains on paint, like mis-tints, overstock sales, etc. Don’t worry as much about picking a color that appeals to you personally. Rather, pick a color that is modern, but not garish and most of all, cost efficient!

* Curtains. Curtains are a great way to dress up a room. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, make curtains out of secondhand fabric or even old sheets. If you don’t sew, purchase some very basic and inexpensive curtains. Dress those up by adding decorative pulls or tie-backs.

* Consider renting furniture. If your own furniture is sparse or worn, consider renting some furniture for a month or two. Furniture rental is relatively inexpensive and nice furniture can really change a prospective buyer’s perception of your home’s interior. Spending $50-$150 on furniture rental is better than letting your home languish on the market for several months.

* Move your furniture. Maybe your furniture isn’t arranged to highlight your interior’s best aesthetic appearance. Practice a little bit of amateur feng shui and try different arrangements. Move things closer together or further apart until you get a look that is no longer stagnant.

* Embellish with things that you have on hand. Remember those paper fans that Aunt Gertie brought you from her trip to China? They can be turned into a decorative, Zen-like display when combined with a clear glass vase of water, rocks and a Siamese fighting fish to fill a wall alcove or grace a table top.

* Enlist the help of a friend. Sometimes when you’ve lived in a home for a long time, you no longer see it through the eyes of an outsider. Chances are that amongst your friends and acquaintances, you have at least one friend who is creative and visionary. Let this friend be your objective eyes. Invite him or her over to give you a perspective on your home. They will likely spot things that you don’t. Together you may come up with ideas that will dress up your home and help you sell your house faster.

The key is not to spend money but rather to spend a little time looking at your house in a new way. Put yourself in the shoes of a prospective buyer. Take an afternoon to visit other homes for sale in your area if you need a little bit of inspiration on how to dress up your own home. It really doesn’t take much money or even time to prepare your house for sale and to sell it quickly.



Rent Back

In the United Kingdom, thousands of students are about to leave the university setting to head into the professional world. Among their many considerations is deciding where to live and how much they are willing to pay for rent. Finding the right apartment, whether for one person or a group of people, can be a tough proposition for the uninitiated. However, students and graduates in the United Kingdom can find the right rental for them after considering a few factors.

The first, and most common, criterion for finding the right student apartment rental is price. Monthly payments, deposits, and utilities need to be considered by signing any rental agreement. Students and new graduates do not have a lot of money so they should consider living with other people to defray costs. However, students need to first build a realistic budget before heading into the rental market. The standard budget for a UK student apartment should include between 25 and 33 percent devoted to rent, to ensure that bills and debts can be paid off.

Another standard necessary for students looking for apartment rentals is the lease terms for a specific unit. Students and graduates who find the right place need to look for long term or automatically renewing leases for the duration of their studies. However, many students in the United Kingdom need to remain flexible and should seek out shorter lease terms or flexible rental agreements. Students do not want to be stuck with leases during overseas travel or a detour into the working world.

Many students look at these two factors alone in their initial search for apartment rentals. However, students in the United Kingdom also need to determine if their apartment is close enough to work and entertainment for easy transit. Students and graduates need to either be close to public transportation so they have access to easy transit from one point to another or have an apartment close enough for easy travel by car. The right geographical location is critical for the student on the go.

Finally, students looking at UK apartment rentals need to use their intuition as the final arbiter of the right apartment for them. The factors mentioned above, as well as others like the right amenities, are great to eliminate a long list of apartments. However, UK students need to look through apartment rentals and feel comfortable in the place that will be their home for a significant period of their young lives.



Quick Property Sale

When you decide to sell your home, there are one or two things that you should be ready to deal with. The first is the emotional stress that will undoubtedly happen if you are especially attached to the home as most of us are. The second thing is the work that is concerned with getting the home in the right shape to sell. Even in the most obsessively clean home, there will still be a thing or two that needs to be done to make it ready for the market. They can take a bit of time and effort so set some time aside to make sure that your home is ready for viewers.

Step one is to clean like a pro. Or to make it even easier, hire a pro then simply maintain the job that they did. But one thing is for sure, the clutter needs to go. Now what is defined as clutter may not be what you are expecting. Try thinking about it like this: do you use it on a daily basis? Weekly? If not it might be suspect. Besides, you are selling your home. This implies moving. So it might be a good idea to start your packing early and save some time.

Step two is to take care of the home’s exterior. A clean and quick sale hinges on first impressions and a buyer’s first impression is largely formed by the exterior impact of your home. If the front of your home is not attractive then the possibility of a sale is exponentially lowered. A good way to gauge the impact of your home is to take some pictures from the street. Now, compare those pictures to some pictures in home & garden magazines. Then compare them to other homes for sale in your area. These homes are your direct competition. So be sure to do what is necessary to set your home apart from your competition.



Rent Back

Real Estate investors are flooding back to the market, buying residential pre-foreclosures at a 20-30% discount. Single family homes are the focus of most investor portfolios and residential properties seem to get all the media attention. Naturally, investors feel more comfortable buying what they know and avoid seemingly different or more complicated products. Fortunately for savvy investors, apartment buildings don’t get the press they deserve and common misconceptions scare main-stream investors away from these cash-flow monsters. Here are 6 of the most common misconceptions people have about investing in apartment buildings and the money-making truth.

Misconception #1: You need highly specialized knowledge – Just like with residential investing, it pays to surround yourself with a good team of professionals that can help make good decisions. What most people don’t realize is that residential real estate professionals are rarely investment experts. In an apartment transaction, commercial real estate professionals strictly view the property as an investment. If a deal doesn’t make financial sense, both the buying agent and the lender should stop the transaction.

Misconception #2: You need good credit – When applying for an apartment loan, banks look much less at the borrower and more at the property. If the property cash-flows adequately, you can get financing with a 600 credit score. Loans are available up to 90% of the purchase price and some lenders don’t require verification of income or assets, making it easy for first-time investors to get in the game.

Misconception #3: You need a lot of time – In most cases, the time spent acquiring an apartment building is equal to that of a single home purchase. However, when you consider that you can purchase 30 units in a single apartment building transaction versus the time (and additional costs) it would take to purchase 30 individual homes, apartment buildings have superior economies of. Keeping everything under one roof also makes maintenance of an apartment building relatively easier. There is only one roof that can leak, one yard to maintain and one pool to fix. So the economies of scale save you not only time, but also money.

Misconception #4: You need experience – No experience is required and a good real estate team can make buying an apartment building simple. Financing is available for first-time investors and streamlined loan processes make approvals quick and inexpensive.

Misconception #5: The deals are harder to do – A commercial real estate contract is written a little different than a residential contract but the differences are subtle. Because apartment buildings are rental properties, data is available from the current owner to support the net income and determine the cash flow of the property. Additional time is provided to complete due diligence and secure financing.

Misconception #6: There are a lot of tenant problems – Rule #1 in becoming an apartment building investor is to never directly manage the property. Hire a property management company that gets paid on a % of the gross rent received to handle filling the property and managing tenants. If you set things up right, you will never have to meet a tenant or deal with a problem.

When shopping for an apartment building, some unique terms are used to describe the investment opportunity. Investors buy and sell properties based on Cap Rates. Cap Rate = Net Operating Income/Sales Price. The resulting percentage is usually disclosed by the selling agent and used to determine if the property is producing income above or below market value. If rents in the area are increasing, the Cap Rate % will be higher assuming the sales price stays equal. Cap rates in more upscale communities are typically in the 5-6% range but cap rates can be 11% for discounted properties that still have average rental income.

With lending guidelines tightening on residential properties and personal income increasing for Americans, rents are expected to climb in growing markets. This will make apartment buildings an even more attractive investment over the next 3 years.



Rent Back

When a homeowner faces the threat of repossession, finding a way to make those monthly mortgage payments jumps to the top of their priorities list. Their first port of call should really be their mortgage lender, who may let them reduce or reschedule their payments until they can get their finances under control again.

There are, however, other places they can turn to. Often, people can’t pay their priority bills (such as their mortgage) because their non-priority bills (credit cards, personal loans, overdrafts, etc.) simply take up too much of their monthly income. In cases like this, they may have a wide range of debt solutions available to them, from debt consolidation to IVAs (Individual Voluntary Arrangements).

Helping them reorganise their non-priority payments, these debt solutions can free up the money they need for their mortgage payments. Different debt solutions are right for different people, so they should start by seeking debt advice from a professional debt specialist, who can help them decide which debt solution (if any) is right for them.

Debt consolidation

A debt consolidation loan may be a simple idea, but it can really help people with multiple debts. If they take out one new loan that’s big enough to pay off all their unsecured high-interest debts, they’ll have just one repayment to make per month, rather than many. This can greatly simplify their finances as well as reducing the interest they’re paying on their debt.

A debt consolidation loan can be an effective way for someone to reduce the amount they have to pay every month, as they can arrange to repay the consolidation loan more slowly than the original debts, although this could well mean they end up paying more in total.

Depending on their situation, they might consider consolidating their debts by  remortgaging – taking out a larger mortgage and using the cash to pay off their unsecured debts. Even if this increases their mortgage payments, it can still reduce their overall monthly expenditure, as they won’t have to make any payments to other debts. Of course, it’s always important to think carefully before securing any debt against property.

But debt consolidation isn’t always the best way forward, and some people may be better off with an alternative debt solution, such as a debt management plan – or an IVA.

IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement)

For homeowners with significant debts (over £15,000, in most cases), an IVA could be a good way of reducing their monthly payments, freeing up cash for mortgage payments and writing off a portion of their debt. Normally lasting five years, an IVA is a legally binding agreement between an individual and their unsecured creditors:

· The individual agrees to make regular fixed payments throughout the IVA – basically, the maximum they can afford once they’ve taken their living expenses into account. They may also have to free up some equity in their home towards the end of the IVA, so they can pay their creditors more of what they’re owed.

· If enough of the creditors accept the terms, they’ll agree to write off any outstanding debt once the IVA has been successfully concluded. They also agree not to take any (further) legal action, as long as the individual keeps making the payments.

An IVA is only an option if the individual genuinely can’t make their normal payments to their unsecured creditors – but can commit to making those reduced payments for the duration of the IVA.



Quick Property Sale

Think of different means when you are in a situation where cash is ’short’ on your hands. There are many options you can avail of to get access to quick cash. None perhaps is as quick-serving as quick house sale. Selling your house is a way of liquidation of your assets.

Financial crisis brings with it its set of challenges. It can create a lacuna in your standard of living. Loans is one way out of it. This is a common means. At times, situations can be more desperate and urgent to be handled by loans alone. Quick house sale is then the right way to go about it. And the good thing is that there are special schemes devised for the same. These schemes ensure that you are able to overcome the hurdle of cash shortage as soon as possible.

It is true that although selling house is often the best way to gain quick access to cash, it is not easily done. It involves the usual paperwork which is, in fact, tedious. And apart from that, even if you hire a real estate agent, there are many time-consuming steps in between. Potential buyers come and have a look at your house, and somewhere along the way, your privacy is disturbed.

But with the quick house sale option, you are able to bypass those lengthy formalities. Furthermore, the special agencies that provide this special service also give you free advice to guide you through the entire process. You can visit the websites of these special service providers who can ensure that you are able to sell house fast with minimum of hassle, and that you get the deserving price for your property without having to negotiate much. The deal turns out to be easy in the end, with professionals committed to bringing you a quick sale.



Repossession

our family are relocating to Bangkok, Thailand and have finally found a place to rent. What do you do next and how can you secure that property before someone else does?

The first thing you should know is that properties change hands fast in Bangkok. I believe the same applies for all major cities where there is a considerable expat population. So, when you have finally found that one property you like, try to stop yourself from wanting to see more “just in case there is something else out there” because from my experience, people always come back to the first one they like. Those who are decisive move in weeks after, excited while those who hesitate too long end up settling for second best and sometimes, may even cost them more in rent.

Call your agent immediately and tell them about your decision. You then need to decide what extras you need in the property and the price you are happy to pay. Then the agent can go off and negotiate on your behalf. Once the rental price and extra items are settled, you need to arrange for an initial deposit, or what we call a “booking fee” to secure the property. Putting down a booking fee guarantees you the property, so you can go off and start organising the move. Without it, there is always that chance that someone else might come along and take it from you. Basically, whoever puts down the money first, gets the property! To prevent that from happening, the initial deposit required here is usually equivalent to one month’s rent with the remaining to be paid at the signing of the contract. This can be done once the contract is approved on both ends.

If you are renting an apartment, which is owned by a single entity or business, chances are the contracts are not going to vary very much since these are very standard, thus you can quite confidently put down the deposit and then have the contract sent to you later. Most apartments are flexible on simple clause changes (within reason) but if you require a diplomatic clause included, it’s best you settle that before you put down the booking fee.

The standard security deposit in Thailand is two months rent, plus a month’s rent in advance. Therefore, you pay three months upfront when you move into a new premise. You are entitled to have that security deposit returned to you at the end of your lease term, provided the property is handed back to the owner in good condition, taking into account normal wear and tear. Should you break lease before the end term of your contract, the landlord can rightfully forfeit your despoit unless a diplomatic clause is applicable. However, a diplomatic clause is only applicable in cases of overseas job transfer, termination of work or political crisis, and requires company supported documents as proof. It does not cover situations when you’ve suddenly decided you need a bigger place and wish to move.



Quick House Sale