Most Underrated College Town: Logan UT

Kudos to my home town! Logan Utah is officially the most underrated college town in the country, according to nextgenjournal.com.

Big deal?  Yes.  When you take a look at some of the other heavyweights that rounded out the top 10, you realize that this was legitimate.

Here’s the irony.  I hate that I’m blogging about this, because the very thing that keeps Logan such a great place is the fact that there aren’t many people who know about this fantastic city.  Logan is a gem of a city that’s off the beaten tracks of the interstate, so unless you intend to travel straight to Logan, you aren’t going to end up here.  That’s why it’s such a well kept secret.

Now to be fair, Logan is a place that does have its downsides.  For example, if you are a student, parking is a nightmare.  And USU is following the course of many universities, where you get the feeling that academics is beginning to fall second to athletics.  In many departments, they are crippled by a lack of funding while the football team is granted funding for yet another practice building while their other two are still facilities which can be envied by just about any sports enthusiast.  Yes, I understand that donors make these facilities possible, but it’s still a sad reality that sports get the money in a university that is suppose to be about learning.

To put a plug in for Logan regarding real estate (because that’s what I do, even though I’m no realtor).  Logan is an area that will always have a steady demand for housing, especially investment properties, as there will always be a need for students.  The value of real estate here has been steady, even through the housing crisis.  While job opportunities are bleak here after graduation, many people are beginning to create jobs and industry in Logan.  The city is one of the safest in America, year after year, and it is a wholesome environment to raise a family.  Logan Utah is a great place to buy some real estate.  Now I may be bias, because I’ve grown up here… but I’m also bias in thinking that Logan is the best college town, and look who was right according to this article!  So check out some Logan Homes For Sale!

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Phoenix Homes For Sale

If you were to Google that term above, you’d come to this website Phoenixhomesforsale.info. Who created that website? Kirk Salisbury. I can’t take all the credit, this website was actually purchased a long time ago and had been developing some ago for a while, and other metrics have been developing during this time.

Like wine that gets better with time, we are aging over 600 websites right now, which means that if we replicate the success we’ve had with this site on that large of a scale, we will have hundreds and thousands of visitors every day to our websites. This is one of the most important things to do when trying to rank well in Google. So if you’re thinking of making a website, the best time to start is a few years ago. Really, it’s never to late, but don’t wait any longer… or just have us do it for you!

In just a few short months, this website has gone from a website which you accidentally stumble upon, and then push the back button, this site has grown to become a central hub for thousands of people who are looking for a home in the Phoenix metro right now.

Let’s check out the stats.

  • In July we began tracking the statistics, and they are as follows:
  • July 2011 – 65 visitors a day.
  • August 2011 – 95 visitors a day.
  • September 2011 – 121 visitors a day.
  • October 2011 – 177 visitors a day.
  • November 2011 – 218 visitors a day.
  • December 2011 – 282 visitors a day (on average, so far)

What’s even better, is how much these people are viewing! So far, there are on average 72,250 page views this month, and we’re only two weeks in. That means that there are over 5,000 page views per day from this website. People are soaking in information from Phoenixhomesforsale.info and they are finding their homes right from the internet! This is a gold mine for those who we are lining up these potential home buyers with. This site is continuing to gather traffic exponentially.

Visitors Here Are Home Shoppers

One of the best ways to tell how great the traffic is, is where it comes from. All over the country people are interested in moving to Phoenix, but the most people who are looking for a home in Phoenix, are the people who already live in Phoenix. Check out the density of searches coming from this state!

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Reasons To Purchase Real Estate and Where To Purchase Real Estate

Wherever you purchase real estate is a completely personal choice, and there may be dozens of different reasons to purchase. This article emphasizes a few of the top choices to purchase real estate in an area according to your priority. So we’ll cover it all, from the best weather to the smartest investment areas.

Buying Real Estate as an Investment

The best places in the United States to purchase real estate as an investment are those who have drastically dropped in home prices, but have some good things going for them in the near future. For example, Atlanta Georgia home prices are far lower than what they were at just ten years ago, but the city is showing great signs of new growth which will reflect on new homes and more real estate purchases. So if you buy there now, that investment will increase in value in the very near short months.

Investing in real estate right now is probably the best investment that an investor could make. Interest rates are low, home prices are low, demand for rentals is up. There’s no question that buying a rental property will benefit you a ton!  So check out investment properties in Atlanta here!

Buying Real Estate for great Weather

This one is almost entirely up to you. If you want a home in a hot, dry climate, then Phoenix is your best choice. Real estate in Phoenix is cheap right now, and this city is a great area for people to love. Residents report that they love the atmosphere, and there are a variety of things to do here at all times.

If you are looking for a beautiful area that has four seasons, including an entertaining winter then Utah or Colorado are great choices. These areas provide entertaining activities year round – but getting into these activities can be expensive.  This site will be your perfect place to look for Homes in Colorado and around Denver.

Looking for real estate for top jobs

This category is more personal than perhaps any other, because it almost all depends on what type of profession you want. Of course, certain metro centers have their niche, but just about every profession is in every area. So if your job is in low demand, go where you are offered. If your job is in high demand, then go where the weather best suits you.

Consider this though, many of the people who make it big have some of their work roots in places like New York City, the economic capitol of the world, or Washington DC, the political capitol of the world.  Check out homes in Washington DC here.

Real Estate That Resembles You

Each one of these areas are diverse… so if you’re looking for something that will match your lifestyle, you’ll find it in any of these areas. So if you’re an artsy person, laid back, high strung, whatever, you’ll be able to find it in any of the above mentioned areas.

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The Mortgage Process Checklist

Get Ready For a Fun Ride!

Getting a Mortgage Can be a Pain!Unless you’re sitting on a huge pile of cash, chances are you’ll be needing a mortgage. There are several steps along the way when getting your mortgage, so you may want to start months before you actually purchase a home. Below is an outline of steps that you should take when getting a mortgage for you and your family.

First of all, get to know the people who are in a position to offer a loan, and get to know some realtors. By doing this, you will get to know who you trust, feel good about, and those who come highly recommended.  This process may change from state to state, but it’s generally the same from Utah to Washington DC

Here is your mortgage checklist:

  • Proof of income during the last calendar year
    This can be difficult if you have changed employment and no longer work at a place.  Whatever ledger you can get stating how much you made from your previous employer will help you.  Usually HR or payroll will be your best assistant.
  • Bank Statetements
    Two different account is usually good, and only two months back will be fine.
  • IRS tax documents dating back to up to the last three years.
    Your 1040 form will be sufficient. In some cases, the W-2′s will actually need to assist the tax document.  If you were married within that three year time span, then you will both need to provide your individual documents.  So if you got married last year, then you need to bring the 1040 that you filed jointly, and then to complete the prior year requirement you will need to bring the previous year or two taxes will need to be submitted from each of you.
  • Government Issued Forms of ID
    Your drivers license is usually most convenient.
  • Social Security #
    You don’t need to bring your social security card, but you will need to have this number at least memorized.  This shouldn’t be a hassle, as most everybody has this number memorized.
  • 401K and IRA Statements
    This isn’t always the case, but if you’ve got them then be prepared to hand them over!

Those are just the material things that you need to provide. After that, get ready for inspections, second guessing yourself, making new plans, having remodeling vision for your house, realizing that vision isn’t realistic, and then realizing that you can do it after all!

These symptoms are common when going through the mortgage process:

  • Heartbreak
  • Disappointment
  • Gratitude
  • Anger
  • Frustration
  • Overwhelming joy
  • Stress
  • More gratitude
  • Relief – you’re finally done!

And then take the keys to your new place, lay flat on your back in the empty front room, and then you realize – this is where the work begins!  Home ownership is the best!

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Strategies of Buying a Condo

Good Condo Deals

This Is a Buyers Market!

For one reason or another, you’re looking for a new place to live. So you get onto Craigslist and check out all of the rentals around town. None of them really speak to you, and for the price that you’re going to pay you realize – this isn’t a renters market. You say to yourself “These places cost way to much for what I’m getting.” So instead of renting why don’t you just buy something and put the money which would have gone into a rent check, into a check which will built your asset.

The reality is that it isn’t a renters market, it’s a buyers market. If you thought it was a buyers market 6 months ago, you’re wrong. Compared to right now, it is moreso than ever before a buyers market. If you’re like the rest of us, you aren’t making a ton of money so qualifying for your dream home just isn’t realistic, but you can’t miss this window of opportunity – you want to capitalize on the great opportunity that purchasing is.

And there’s no doubt about it, purchasing is the smartest thing that can be done right now! Interest rates are low as they’ll ever be (unless a great depression happens), and home prices are also as low as they’ll ever be. This is the perfect storm for real estate buyers.

Condo Purchasing Strategy 101:

Go check out one of the condo complexes around you. There are tons of places with huge condo complexes, like Washington DC Condos. You’ll notice that any one of these will probably have about 10% of their condos for sale right now. Each one of those people are trying to sale their condo now, so they keep lowering their prices to draw buyers attention.

If you’re smart, don’t go for the most expensive one which is “the nicest.” The differences between condos are so subtle that you shouldn’t be drawn into that trap. For example, somebody may want to charge $10,000 because they have new carpet. People try to raise the prices of their condos all the time, especially for Condos in Orange County. Think of this, you can put new carpet in for a fifth of that cost. So don’t fall for the “home improvement traps” just do it yourself!

So instead, offer on the cheapest condo there is (it may not need the most TLC anyway), and then offer lower. Have them pay closing costs. You can offer lower because you already know that the place needs some work anyway, so the seller need to take that into account. They may have already tried to take that into account, so if they counter, don’t hesitate to go to the next one.

Avoid making an offer on a place that has renters. These guys have more leverage in the bargaining process. If they don’t sell it, they’re not out a ton because they’re continuing to get money for it. So if their asking price isn’t met, they aren’t sad about it. Offer to the people who are paying HOA fees and a mortgage, and aren’t getting anything back for it.

One last tip – offer in the winter. People may start looking at homes in the winter, but nobody is making house offers until the spring and summer. It’s because moving is a pain during the cold winter months. This makes sellers anxious, so when they get an offer they’re likely to bite.

Your real estate agent will then have more power to say to your next offer that you had a counter offer on a previous one, but you just wanted to see what you can get out of this one. Who wouldn’t bite on that? In They’d be silly not to in this buyers market, because chances are that they won’t get another offer for a while! So wherever you’re looking for condos, whether it’s Condos in Colorado or elsewhere, you’ll pay less than anybody else with this strategy… less than what you’d pay for rent!

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