Build A New House Or Buy An Existing One? Use Your Head And Your Heart.

I am living in living in the fourth house I have purchased during my 23 years of home ownership. To some that may seem like a lot of houses, to others it may seem like I’ve just started. The simple fact is we Americans move a lot… 11 or 12 times in a lifetime depending on whom you consult. Chances are you are going to purchase a house during quite a few of those moves and somewhere along the line you may have the opportunity to build a new home.
Should you?
Everyone has fantasized at some point about his or her dream house. You may want closets big enough to live in; a bathroom that doubles as a spa; a kitchen in which you could produce programs for the Food Network But, as in most fantasies, there is usually some epic journey required to achieve the goal. And building your dream house follows that plot line all too closely.
But isn’t it the dream that makes the quest worthwhile? Yes, if you can weather the storms and battles along the way. And the determination to keep moving forward is usually a function of a strong will and a big heart. But it helps to use your head before you set off on your personal version of “The Lord of the Rings.”
It is likely that you have options when you begin the process of buying a home. There may be existing homes in the area that are affordable and that meet your needs. But there are always things about any property or house that don’t exactly meet with your approval. The basement may not be finished or the yard may be too small or the interior décor may have to be entirely redone. It is virtually impossible to buy an existing home without making compromises.
Building new allows you to imagine, design and build the home that accommodates needs and amenities that are important to you… within a budget of course. And that is one thing that must be considered. A new home will be more expensive, on a cost per foot basis, than an existing one. That is due to the cost of land, the price of building materials and labor expense. You might also find that taxes are high as a new area is developed and the municipal authorities factor in the required infrastructure for a growing population and the need for services like education, law enforcement and recreation. You may find yourself subsidizing some of these costs as an area develops.
The ongoing costs associated with an existing house are more predictable. However, there will likely be more maintenance expense than for a new house and energy costs tend to be higher with older properties because newer homes are more energy efficient.
Commuting costs may be an issue. Developers must go further and further out to find enough land to accommodate a new subdivision. That may mean higher costs for commuting to work and to access other businesses and venues that may be closer to the nearest major population center. You should consider this from both a monetary perspective and to determine if you are comfortable with an additional investment of time.
If your new house is built in a subdivision there may be ongoing fees required. In addition, there may be covenants that are designed to protect property values that may apply serious restrictions on your ability to enhance your home and/or your property down the road.
A new home needs new landscaping. This may be included in the price of the home but there will likely be a limit to what is covered under the agreement. To landscape the property in a way that is truly satisfying may require an additional outlay.
Beware of construction delays! Building contractors are notorious for setting deadlines they miss and making promises they can’t keep. Make sure you do some thorough research about the builder and his track record before you commit. Weather is always unpredictable and may have an effect but that should be factored in from the start.
A new subdivision can be a hornet’s nest of building activity.  If you move into your home early in the process be prepared for hammering, sawing, trucks, mud and general chaos for quite a while as the subdivision progresses. This is a lifestyle issue and is a temporary inconvenience. But some have found this level of activity disconcerting and disruptive especially when they are settling into their “dream home” and trying to savor the experience.
If you build new be prepared to stay for a while. With new construction all around you it would be difficult to compete with the rest of the properties available for others who want to build a house from the ground up. You would have to make it worth their while and that usually means a compromise in price.
All this being said (and trust me there is more that could be said) there is nothing quite as satisfying as showcasing the house to family and friends that you designed and built and that reflects your unique vision and personality. If you survive the journey, you will likely have turned your fantasy into reality.
Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted with Bryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college station properties that satisfy what you need and what you want.

Budget For Closing Costs – Property Taxes, Legal Fees And Such

You probably spent a good bit of time getting disciplined to save money for your home purchase. You need to carry this financial discipline through the escrow period or you could run into problems.
Budget for Closing Costs – Property Taxes, Legal Fees and Such
When you decided it was time to purchase a home, you went through a number of steps to get your finances in order. You probably reviewed your credit report, cut down on credit card balances and reigned in your spending. A monthly budget was probably also an item you stuck to, probably with some aggravation. Once you have an offer for a home accepted, it is important that you keep budgeting for the closing costs associated with the purchase. Here are a couple of odd little fees that can show up and drive you nuts if you are not careful.
Being required to pay property taxes can be a nasty little surprise. After all, you do not even own the home yet! The requirement, however, comes because of the nature of how property taxes are paid. They are not paid every month, so the seller has prepaid the taxes beyond the period they will own the home. They will want that money back! You can negotiate this point as part of the purchase, but you need to be aware it is out there.
In some states, it is a legal requirement that you have a lawyer represent you in a real estate transaction. This requirement primarily exists in the East. Regardless, attorneys are expensive and you need to have money set aside to pay their fees. In truth, retaining a lawyer is a good idea since they tend to sniff out any questionable issues in the transaction. Fees can run you from a couple hundred bucks to thousands of dollars.
In addition to the above, there are a lot of small fees associated with closing. They can run from several hundred dollars paid to the escrow company to $20 or so for notary fees and so on. If you do not keep an eye out, they can add up quickly to a few thousand dollars.
Closing on a home can be aggravating with all the costs you have to pay. It will all be worth it when you walk into your new home the first time.
Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted with Bryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college station properties that satisfy what you need and what you want.

Budget For Closing Costs – Prepaid Loan Interest And Home Insurance Premiums

Entering into escrow on a home can be both exciting and stressful. The excitement comes from knowing you are close to moving into the new home. The stress comes from issues that will arise.
Budget for Closing Costs – Prepaid Loan Interest and Home Insurance Premiums
As part of any closing, you need to go through certain steps to make sure you are both getting what you think you have purchased as well as paying for it. Each of these steps has an associated cost, known as closing costs, and you have to pay them before you can take possession of the home. If you do not, the deal will not close and you will lose the home.
When going through escrow, costs associated with closing can accumulate quickly. Here is a closer look.
Prepaid loan interest is an ugly little surprise for many first time homebuyers. The lender will often require you to pay the interest that accumulates between the day the loan is funded and the day you are actually scheduled to make your first loan payment. Many people mistakenly believe they have roughly a month before they have to start paying. This is rarely the case, and the sudden requirement to pay a hundreds or thousands of dollars can be a nightmare. If at all possible, you should try to get the lender to fund the loan as close as possible to the actual closing date, even on it. Try to avoid closing the loan on a Monday. The lender will have to fund the loan the previous work week, which means interest will be growing.
Homeowners insurance is something you are going to need and most people expect as much when buying a home. If you are not informed, however, you will be surprised at closing when you find out you have to pay the full premium for the first year of the policy. Depending on the value of your purchase, this can add a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars onto your closing costs. Again, it is important to budget for this cost when putting funds together prior to purchasing a home.
If you are going to purchase a home, you are going to have to pay these two items at closing. Make sure you budget for them to avoid running into cash flow problems.
Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted with Bryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college station properties that satisfy what you need and what you want.

Benefits of Having a Real Estate Agent Website

There are thousands of individuals who rely on selling real estate to make a living.  These individuals are known as real estate agents.  The majority of real estate agents work for an existing real estate agency; however, there are a number of agents who work on their own.  Whether you have your own real estate business or work for an existing company there are number of benefits to having a real estate agent website.
Real estate agents are trained professionals that many individuals go to when they need help to sell their existing home or to purchase a new one.  A large amount of trust is needed to do business with a real estate agent.  New home buyers or sellers want the reassurance that they are doing business with an individual who is working in their best interest.  Since it is often hard to develop a sense of trust with an individual that you hardly know a real estate agent website could come in handy.
A real estate agent website is not guaranteed to prove that a real estate agent is legitimate or offering the best service around; however, it is still helpful.  A real estate agent website will give you valuable insight into the personal life and professional training that a real estate agent may have had.  A real estate agent website will common have information on the agent in question.  Common information may include their age, where they live, any children, any community ties, where they went to school, or any relevant real estate training they may have had.
If you are a real estate agent and you currently do not have a real estate agent website you should consider having one made.  When making a real estate agent website there are two options that you should consider.  You can develop your own website or hire a professional to do it for you.  Hiring a professional will cost money; however, professional websites are more likely to increase your website traffic and possibly your real estate sales.  The end result would make this money well spent.
If you are a real estate agent working on your own then it may be easier to make the decision to have a real estate agent website developed.  If you are a real estate agent who is employed by a larger company you may have to have company approval before having a real estate agent website developed.  If this is the case you should not be afraid to approach your supervisor.  It is highly likely that having a real estate agent website will increase the number of clients who obtain their services.  It is possible that your supervisor may even wish to have all of their real estate agents develop their own website.
Since there are a large number of benefits to having a real estate agent website you should not be without one any longer.  Developing a real estate agent website is easy to do.  Why lose potential sales just because you do not have a website?
Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted with Bryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college station properties that satisfy what you need and what you want.

Bellingham Real Estate Investing Can Be Profitable

With its beautiful shoreline, lush fir forests and stunning Cascade Mountains Bellingham, WA real estate is certainly outstanding property to consider investing in.  Prices on land and homes have risen in the Bellingham Bay area during the last several years making it a little more difficult to find affordable housing for the average person.  Because of this, many first time homeowners as well as investors sometimes turn to the foreclosure market in Bellingham, WA.  
Although the Bellingham real estate market has not been hit with an unusual amount of foreclosures compared to many other parts of the nation, there are still an abundance of opportunities to find that steal of a deal.  Everyone should realize that investing in Bellingham real estate or foreclosures is not "amateur night."  It can be risky.  You must do a tremendous amount of homework and know what you are doing.  It’s usually best to have a qualified real estate broker or real estate attorney represent you in this endeavor.
You can minimize your risks in the Bellingham real estate market
If you want to buy foreclosure properties in Bellingham, WA, you must know how to find the potential property and access its value.  You must know how to carefully research and inspect the property, so you don’t get stuck holding a money pit - or ever worse, a totally worthless piece of paper.  You must also learn how to deal with home owners, how to bid on property and how to buy well below the market value so that you can sell for maximum profit.
Do your homework and learn how to:
-Research property titles, mortgages and deeds
-Obtain financing
-Avoid the most common pitfalls
Good and bad candidates for buying foreclosures
Investing in foreclosures in Bellingham, WA is not right for anyone who is currently having financial problems and is hoping a foreclosure will bail them out.  This is not easy money regardless of what the late night infomercials may say.
Foreclosures in the Bellingham real estate market can be very right for a person who has a ton of cash, a steady job, a reliable cash flow or a financial backer.  A backer can be anyone from a business partner to your grandmother.  If this is something you really want to do, you can always find sources for investment capitol.  
What kinds of things do you look for as a Bellingham real estate foreclosure investor?
Lots of things, from top to bottom and inside and out.  Look at cracks in concrete, windows, roof, and doors - look at everything.  Foreclosures aren’t always in top-notch condition.  The owners may not have been able to afford to keep up maintenance.  If you can’t hire a professional home inspector in Bellingham, WA, do what you can by inspecting the property yourself from all angles outside.
Things to avoid when investing in foreclosures in Bellingham, WA
Buying from long distance, in a distressed neighborhood, preconstruction projects and avoid buying from anyone that promises you cash back at closing.  This is totally illegal.
Types of Foreclosures in Bellingham real estate
Many aggressive investors go after foreclosures when there is a downturn in the housing market.  Foreclosures are homes that people have lost because they didn’t pay their mortgage payments or property taxes.
Pre-foreclosure: The owner has missed three or more payments and the lending bank has started foreclosure proceedings.
Foreclosure Auction: The home is released to the mortgage company and they can arrange an auction.
Real Estate owned properties (REOs): Real Estate Owned by the lender, this status indicates the lender or bank now owns the property as a result of a foreclosure .
Each of these types of foreclosures offers its own particular unique opportunity for the investor.  In Bellingham real estate, the homeowner can still list the property as a "short sale."   This is where the bank will consider offers that will not pay off the mortgage in full.  The bank will forgive the difference owed because it will be less of a loss than if the bank had to go through all of the steps of foreclosure --- foreclose on the property, prepare it for a sale and then resell it at a later date.
Most Bellingham real estate investors know they can often buy these homes for 15-20% less than market value.  If the property goes through full foreclosure, the bank will either place it up for auction or list it with a good real estate agent.  If the property goes to auction on the courthouse steps, bidding is usually extremely competitive, but it is here that investors often have the opportunity to make the largest profit.
The earlier you buy in the process, the better the opportunity of making a good profit.  You must know the current value of the property, the elements of time and market cycles.  If you have to make repairs, you must know how to figure your rate of return and in what time frame.  If you have the necessary skills and qualities it takes for investing in Bellingham real estate and foreclosures, it can indeed be a very profitable investment.

Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted with Bryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college station properties that satisfy what you need and what you want.

Bank Foreclosures

Bank foreclosure real estate, also referred to as REOs (Real Estate Owned), is foreclosed real estate that is owned by the bank due to an unsuccessful foreclosure auction. There are several reasons the home may have not sold at the auction. The most common reason is negative equity- the bank foreclosure real estate is worth less than the amount owed to the bank. Of course, the bank seeks to receive the outstanding balance of the original loan; therefore, the minimum bid for the bank foreclosure real estate is usually the amount of the outstanding balance of the original loan, plus interest and any additional fees. No smart investor or buyer will consider bidding on such a property.
Nevertheless, an unsuccessful sale will not stop the bank from trying to make an attempt to get the bank foreclosure real estate sold. The bank will consider removing some or all liens and fees on the bank foreclosure real estate in order to get it on the real estate market and resell it to the public. The resell process may be retrying an auction or working through a Realtor.
This is a hot market for real estate investors. Real Estate investors take an eager interest in bank foreclosure real estate property. The market of foreclosed homes may be large; but, not always suitable for some investors. The foreclosed property may not meet some important needs. Nowadays home buyers and investors alike are scrambling through the market of bank foreclosure real estate looking for better deals. Though, most bank foreclosure real estate property is in poor condition, the low sale price of the home highly compensates for the property poor condition.
Investing in bank foreclosure real estate property offers a great return for investors. Bank foreclosure real estate by far offers greater deals than typical foreclosed homes. As an investor you must consider all your options. Make sure you get the bank foreclosure real estate property at the best price. Hopefully, the bank foreclosure real estate that an investor chooses to invest in will give the investor rewards; such as a larger return in profit, either through renting the home out or through selling the home.
There are several ways to search for bank foreclosure real estate property.  You can search the Internet, magazines, and newspaper listings. The Internet can lead you to thousands maybe millions of connections. Here you can view listing by state, banks, county, and much more.
You should also invest time in finding a good real estate agent.  If they know what you are looking for, they can save you a lot of time and work.  They can also help you determine the true market value of the home you are considering investing in.

Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted with Bryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college station properties that satisfy what you need and what you want.

Bangkok Rental Market Thrives

Thailand Property Report by Dawn Ferguson  –  With housing allowances in the range of  Bt70,000 to Bt100,000 a month, Bangkok’s  high-paid expatriates have money to burn - and they want homes with all the Western-amenities they’re accustomed too.
For condominium and apartment owners, this segment of the market is a potential gold mine, particularly given most of these expects are here on a short-term basis. The statistics certainly are promising, but as competition grows, it’s not an easy market to enter.
CB Richard Ellis Thailand executive director James Pitchon told Property Report Thailand that demand for high-end rentals increased in 2006 and the number of expatriates in Bangkok with work permits grew to 67,412 in 2006, a 12.5% increase year on year according to statistics by the Alien Occupational Control division of the Department of Employment. The largest segment of this market is Japanese - 22% - as the so-called “land of the rising sun” is the largest foreign direct investor in Thailand.
Pitchon noted that the rental market is in actuality even higher, as those numbers exclude diplomats and agencies such as the United Nations. They also exclude foreigners without work permits, but Pitchon says they consider most of these to be part of the retiree market, who traditionally buy their units.
“The good news is that demand increased. Last year there was only a limited amount of new supply in apartments, and there were only about 330 units completed last year. But the number of condominium units grew by over 4,000 units. That will continue to be the case in the next two to three years,” he said, but added this figure excluded serviced apartments, which are considered a very different product – somewhere in between a hotel and an apartment. Many now have a hotel license, so they’re operating on a more short-term basis.
“From a supply point of view, the big question is, how many of these apartments are expat quality, and how many owners of these new condominiums will want to lease them out?” asks Pitchon. ”Recently a new supply has appeared in the downtown area, and there’s been a greater focus on small sized units, many of them aimed at the Thai market, so not all the new condo supply will be of a standard that appeals to expats, but there are a lot of condo units.”
Pitchon says the proportion of owner occupation and units purchased by people on a buy-to-lease basis varies from building to building: “Of the developments that are just coming up to completion, the number that will be available for rent ranges between 30-50% at the moment. So, although demand has risen, there will be quite a lot of condominium supply coming on.”
This means that competition is going to be tight in the coming year. Generally, expats given the choice would prefer a single ownership apartment, says Pitchon, because the owner is able to service all their requirements whereas in a condo the owner might not even be in Thailand. And in many cases the owner has not put in place a local manager to look after his apartment. So the challenge for condominium owners who have bought to lease out is how to manage their units because tenants will have questions.
“So if the air conditioner breaks down, who’s going to fix it? It will not be the staff looking after the common areas of the condominium, because their responsibility is not private property. So owners must think about how they will manage and maintain the units.”
This includes implementing pest control contracts, regular A/C maintenance contracts, and, most importantly, there has to be a clear understanding between the owner and the tenant of who’s responsible for doing what.
The most popular area for expats is still Sukhumvit, followed by Central Lumpini and the Sathorn area. There are two satellites, one being around the International School of Bangkok and there is also a smaller cluster around Bangkok Pattana School. As for the up-and-coming riverside, currently there is limited demand from expatriate tenants, generally because of access issues. A small segment of expats are heading to other areas, such as Thonglor. “Again you’ve got access to the skytrain but in a slightly lower density environment,” said Pitchon.
The expat rental market is driven generally by housing allowances granted to employees and employees generally spend all of their allowances, but not put their own money in. “The biggest change in the market has been that Japanese with families now receive higher allowances than they did previously,” says Pitchon. “Some will give Bt70,000 or Bt75,000 for a three-bedroom apartment. The Japanese tend to be at the lower end of the market but they are a significant level of demand.
“What’s happened is that much of the existing stock is over 10 years old. We’ve seen very few apartments built since the financial crisis over the last 10 years, more condominiums, and what has been happening is that new supply, with smaller units, is actually getting higher rents because it looks better. Modern design.”
As for housing rentals, Pitchon says the market is small because there a limited supply of homes in central areas, including in the Sukhumvit area. “Sansiri on 67 had rented well, but there is a limited market for people with over Bt100,000 a month to spend,” he said. “There are few companies that pay that kind of housing allowance.”
As for two-tiered pricing for Thais and Foreigners, there really isn’t a Thai rental market. Given that Thais have the freedom to buy and sell what they choose, unlike foreigners, those with high salaries and incomes just won’t go out and rent 75,000 a month apartments. So there is no Thai market above Bt15,000 a month.
“The rental market is efficient in terms of transparent pricing, information on products and a regular turnover,” said Pitchon. “So if a building doesn’t maintain its standards, then new expats will not move in.”

Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted with Bryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college station properties that satisfy what you need and what you want.

Bakersfield California Real Estate

Bakersfield, California, is located in Kern County, 100 miles NW of Los Angeles, California. Bakersfield has a population of 247,057. It has become a popular place for visitors en route to and from Las Vegas and Los Angeles, who stop for outdoor adventures such as whitewater rafting on the Kern River or hot air ballooning over the San Joaquin Valley.
Agriculture is king in Bakersfield. The region grows over 250 types of crops, with about 30 types of fruits and nuts, 40 types of vegetables, and over 20 field crops. Lumber, livestock, poultry and dairy products are also big industries here. The area is also home to the California State University, and Bakersfield College, and numerous museums and galleries.
Bakersfield Homes
Bakersfield properties pool is 83,428 residential properties including Bakersfield new homes. The median age of real estate in Bakersfield is 1979. The average household size is 3.41 people. 3% are one bedroom homes, 14% are 2 bedroom homes, 56% are 3 bedroom homes, 22% are 4 bedroom homes, and 2% are 5+ bedroom homes.
Bakersfield Mortgage Statistics
Homes With No Mortgage 18%
Homes With Mortgage 82%
First Mortgage Only 63%
First & Second Mortgage or HELOC 19%
Bakersfield Area Real Estate Tax
Bakersfield Real estate Tax: Median Real Estate Taxes (2000) were $1,422 comparing to 1999 Median Family income $ 45,556. Compare to USA median yearly Real Estate Tax $1,300 and USA median Family Income $42,000 (1999).
Bakersfield School District: Children make up 32.7% of Bakersfield population. Bakersfield has 80,683 under 18 years old residents, or 0.81 kids per one worker, or 0.97 kids per one household.
Bakersfield Real Estate & Bakersfield Homeownership
There are 18354.16 or 22% one person households, 23359.84 or 28% two person households, and 14182.76 or 17% three person households in Bakersfield, California. Median residents age is 30.1, Senior citizens (65+) make up 21,681 or 8.8%% of Bakersfield population.
There are 99,769 workers (over 16 years of age) in Bakersfield. Of these, 92.68% drive to work. Approximately 1.73% of workers in Bakersfield take public transportation. An estimated 1.32% walk to work.
Median Bakersfield homeowner's housing expenses are 22%
Crime in Bakersfield (2003), crimes per 10,000 residents per year
Violent Crimes 61.28
Robberies 17.77
Aggravated Assaults 40.88
Property Crimes 570.8
Burglaries  109
Larceny-Thefts 381.09
Motor Vehicle Thefts 80.71
Invest in Bakersfield Properties
When making a decision about buying real estate in Bakersfield California area, you should consider the following statistical data:
Near Medium City        
Near Large City  Los Angeles, California
Bakersfield Zip Codes  93301, 93304, 93305, 93306, 93307, 93308, 93309, 93311, 93312, 93313, 93314
Bakersfield Area Codes 661
White population  61.87%
African-American population 9.16%
Asian  4.33%
American Indian & Alaskan
Hispanic (of any race) 32.45%
Median Family Income (1999)  $ 45,556%
Population Below Poverty Level  17.72%

Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted withBryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college stationproperties that satisfy what you need and what you want.

Real Estate Services India

India's real estate market is getting very, very warm.
 It still may be a fragmented industry with high transaction costs and an absence of transparency, but it is whetting the appetites of domestic and overseas investors. In India, changing government policies and a focus on infrastructure are driving up the demand for housing developments, malls and offices.
"For investors seeking the high returns that are no longer possible in the mature European and North American real estate markets, India and China are hot," said Prakash Gurbaxani, the chief executive of TSI Ventures in Bangalore, a joint venture of Tishman Speyer Properties of New York and ICICI Bank, based in Mumbai.
"Every foreign investor group, including pension funds, high-net-worth individuals and private equity funds, are all looking at this sector," said Gurbaxani, whose company has planned to invest more than $1 billion in the industry in the next few years.
 In the past, investors were wary of the opaque business practices in Indian real estate. The land laws were archaic, mortgage financing was expensive and the quality of the developments was poor.
But these days, India's $12 billion real estate market is expanding at a 30 percent annual rate. Analysts at Merrill Lynch predict that the real estate market will grow to $90 billion in 10 years.

 Foreign and domestic investors are eagerly scouring this market, but only recently has real estate begun attracting meaningful amounts of capital, said Rajesh Khanna, managing director in India of the private equity firm Warburg Pincus. In the past year, Warburg Pincus has dedicated a third of its resources in India toward creating and evaluating real estate investment opportunities.
 Next month, the real estate developer DLF Universal will have a public offering that is expected to raise more than $3 billion in what is billed as India's biggest share sale. It tops earlier public offerings such as the $2.3 billion share sale of the government's Oil and Natural Gas Corp. two years ago.
Kushal Pal Singh, the chairman of DLF and one of India's richest men, is credited with turning a sleepy New Delhi suburb into a bustling zone of fancy malls and offices. DLF has projects in 18 cities but plans to expand to 36.
Last year India's government eased restrictions on foreign ownership of real estate, construction and housing companies. Foreign developers can have wholly owned subsidiaries in India if they invest $10 million. Foreign companies can build commercial and residential buildings if the projects exceed 50,000 square meters, or about 538,000 square feet.
Last month, the California Public Employees Retirement System invested $100 million in a real estate fund floated by IL&FS Investment Managers of India. In March, Morgan Stanley's real estate investment arm said it would pay $68 million for a minority stake in an Indian property firm, Mantri Developers.

1.       Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted with Bryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college station properties that satisfy what you need and what you want.

Real Estate Search Engine Marketing Options

Search Engine Marketing: Options for Real Estate Agents
Using search engines has become one of the most popular activities on the Internet, second only to email. But with millions of websites and billions of web pages, potential homebuyers need a tool that can sift through this clutter to find the realtor websites relevant to their search.
Thanks mostly to the techniques pioneered by Google, search engines have become remarkably effective at providing results that are highly relevant to the term or phrase the user searches on like
Homes for Sale. But to be relevant, you have to be found, and this is where search engine marketing comes in.
What is Search Engine Marketing?
You may have great inventory, a fantastic local clientele, and a high-end new website, but if that website doesn't show up on the first two pages of Google (or Yahoo, MSN, or Ask Jeeves), you're not getting the exposure you need to remain competitive.
Why aren't you showing up? You may have overlooked search engine marketing. Effective search engine marketing is about more than just optimizing your website or submitting it to the search engines for indexing. When hundreds or thousands of your competitors are competing with you on your service and keywords, just one Internet marketing technique won't give you high rankings.
Studies have proven what most Internet users know already - people usually do not look past the first two pages of search results. And with over 71% of homebuyers initiating their home search on the Internet (according to the National Association of Realtors), you can't afford to miss out on all of those active buyers. And if your site isn't ranked high, it probably isn't pulling in leads either - leads that translate to more sales and more commissions.
How does it work?
Unlike organic search engine optimization, which you (or your webmasters) can do yourself, search engine marketing requires a little financial investment to generate results. It's pay to play, but the rewards are worth it.
Generally speaking, search engine marketing is the advertising that appears on top of or along side the "natural" or organic search results on search engine sites such as Google, MSN, Yahoo and many others, usually under the heading of "Sponsored Links" or "Sponsored Sites." These links can also show up on many consumer and industry-specific websites, depending on the keywords used like Fort Myers Beach Florida Real Estate.
The copy that you see in the advertisement is usually written by the site owner, who will also come up with the keywords and keyword phrases trigger the ad. The site owner also determines how much she is willing to pay for each click as well as daily maximum limit, giving total control of targeting and spending. Advertising charges are only incurred when a visitor clicks on the ad, not when the ad is shown.
Although sponsored listings are a popular way to conduct your search engine marketing, there are other ways to get great results. Many real estate agents are finding that having the time and expense of a good search engine marketing service done for them by a third-party is a great way to go.
Getting traffic to your real estate website
In addition to buying sponsored (paid) listings, lead tracking, and email marketing excellent strategies for drawing relevant real estate leads to your real estate website. All of these methods work quite well and give you a high return on investment, when done properly that is. If you do not have the time or energy to invest in creating your own real estate marketing campaign for search engines, you can always leave it to the experts to create a custom-designed solution for you.
But let's look at each of the above methods in more detail.
Sponsored (Paid) Listings
As mentioned above, sponsored, or paid listings are a great way to get fast visibility on the major search engines.
Google AdWords is by far the most popular sponsored listings program, mainly because the Google network is used by 80% of all Internet users. The AdWord program allows you to create your own ads based upon the keywords most relevant to your business. You can also choose to have Google write the ad for you for an extra fee.
Lead Tracking
Sponsored listings and SEO can help attract leads, but to truly get the most out of SEM, you will want to develop a lead tracking system to target the customers and prospects most likely to be interested in your services.
Lead tracking brings both short- and long-term benefits to your company - giving you instant access to information about each sales prospect while also helping to streamline and manage the sales process.
Lead tracking not only helps you attract more customers, it also tracks your return on investment, so you know exactly how much each lead is worth, how many leads convert into transactions, and your overall return on investment in your advertising dollars.
Email Marketing
So now you have high rankings on the search engines and lead tracking is bringing in numerous high-quality prospects. Now what? Email marketing is the icing on the SEM cake - it impresses your prospects by allowing you to send them valuable information on the market and it helps you to stay fresh in their minds.
Relevant Real Estate Website Traffic
At Fidelity Assets we have a better way. We charge you a flat fee every month for the number of visitors you want sent to your site from the search engines. That's it. Your costs are fixed, and your traffic and quality is guaranteed. You can start with as few as 30 visitors a month for a flat $59.95/month fee. You can buy more traffic as your business grows over time.
Fidelity Assets was created and is staffed by search engine marketing experts. Our company manages online advertising for real estate agents, and our employees are veterans of companies such as NBC Internet, Xoom.com, Infoseek, CNET and other pioneering advertising and e-commerce companies. We know the online ad space better than anyone.

1.       Gordon Pate is a 5^th generation resident of Bryan-College Station, his extensive knowledge of the area and its culture helps you get acquainted with Bryan-College Station Real Estate. He offers various homes for sale college station properties that satisfy what you need and what you want.