Real Estate

Are Zero-Day Inspections the Business Killers in REO Investing?

Typically, a real estate buyer had the seller give them an inspection period in which the buyer will have a professional inspect the property to see if there is anything they missed. These inspections are very inexpensive insurance for the buyer and should always be done when purchasing a personal residence. For investors, inspections are just as important, but investors often carry them out themselves.

A growing trend in REO (bank owned) properties is for the addendum that comes back from the asset manager or real estate agent to have a short inspection period. The usual inspection period for REOs varies depending on the area of ​​the country where the Reo is located. In some badly run down areas, it is not uncommon for there to be inspection periods of 15 to 20 days. In active markets, inspection periods are typically 5-10 days.

The inspection period is very important to investors because it allows them to market the property to their buyer list and resell the property at a profit. If the only advertising outlet selling REOs were MLS, many would not sell as the average investor does not have access to MLS and the best buys are REOs that do not sell within the first 30 days on the market (DOM). ). Investors then put the properties under contract, provide proof of funds or letter of credit, and make a deposit to the closing agent chosen by the asset manager or real estate agent.

However, REO brokers and agents may have trouble closing these deals because the investor hired you at too high a price. He knows it now because he can’t resell it to another investor who will rehab it or keep it as a rental. Therefore, the investor uses the inspection period to get out of the contract and recover the money from him. This usually infuriates real estate agents as they have to put the property back on the market again. If this happens too often, the real estate agent will not only lose this listing, but may also lose the asset manager (bank) as a client.

There is a trend happening in REO hiring that gives the buyer a zero day inspection. This means that as soon as the buyer signs the contract, he can no longer get away using the inspection period as a legal loophole. We’re even seeing real estate agents’ addendums saying zero-day inspection, while asset manager addendums allow 5 days. Obviously, this is a move led by real estate agents because the result is detrimental to the final sale price of the property. These investors who are returning properties are doing so because the price they paid was too high. The result is that the asset manager has to lower its price to attract more buyers.

While a small group of investors are wholesalers who use the inspection period to abandon an offer, the vast majority of investors do not and these are the ultimate buyers who should be bidding on the properties. Because of this onerous zero-day inspection requirement, inexperienced investors are paying more money than experienced investors, often for the same properties. This profit differential could be going into the accounts of asset managers, but they may not even know this anomaly is happening, since their only input is the listed real estate agent.

In short, in an attempt to have fewer failed deals, real estate agents have tightened the inspection period requirement and often the deposit amount. Most REO deposits are in the range of $500 to $1,000, but some realtors require the greater of 10% or $5,000. The net result is fewer bidders willing to buy the properties and larger price drops when the properties are finally sold.

Real Estate

Foreclosures and Wholesale

A foreclosed home could offer a lot, so check out discount foreclosed homes. According to the National Association of Realtors, there will be more than 1 million foreclosures in the next two years. Before you consider buying a property on the foreclosure market, be sure to do your homework. Buying a home in foreclosure can be easy, but it is not without risk. (You may consider using a reverse mortgage product to finance your real estate investments.)

You can usually buy one through the state process. It is usually held at the local courthouse in the clerk’s office or in front of the foreclosed home. Buying a property at auction probably represents the highest potential return, but also the riskiest.

You might consider buying a home before foreclosure. You can find a home before foreclosure by studying public notices about homes in default. The information is available from Internet companies such as Home Foreclosures.com, HomeForeclosure.com, and RealtyTrac.com. However, you will pay a fee for their services.

There probably won’t be much, if any, competition because the house is usually not for sale. It’s a private deal. You offer a price below market value but above the amount owed on the bank loan. What makes it difficult for people is the idea of ​​approaching an owner who has not yet put up a record for sale.

One of the best ways to make a deal is by buying a property wholesale and selling it retail. The idea of ​​flipping isn’t very popular these days, but in essence, that’s what wholesale is. All you are doing is buying at a discounted price and then reselling it in a short amount of time. There are different types of people involved in wholesale such as scouts, distributors, and retailers. If you need cash to finance your project, you might consider refinancing your mortgage.

A scout dog or bird, if you will, is someone who gathers information, locates potential deals, and then sells the information to other investors. When you become an explorer, very little knowledge or money will be required. The scout will locate distressed properties, collect the information, and then present it to another investor for a fee. A headhunter is paid from $500 to $2,000 for each lead they provide to an investor, depending on the price of the property and potential profit.

A dealer will locate a distressed property and sign a contract with the owner. Dealers sometimes buy properties wholesale and then sell them at retail or sell the contract to another investor. Being a dealer is riskier than being a scout because dealers put up their own money to secure the deal. A merchant does not have to deal with tenants and can earn more income without having to fix up the property.

What a retailer does is buy properties from dealers. Retailers fix up properties using their own money, therefore taking the most risk, but also receiving the most profit.

Real Estate

What you should know before planning your estate

What is estate planning?

In short, estate planning is the transfer of your wealth and wealth in the most cost-effective and efficient manner. The living trust becomes a comprehensive tool for doing this, as no other planning device offers the same level of flexibility, control and management while you are alive and when you are gone.

In 2015, $2.6 billion was lost in probate courts across the country. This is because people did not understand what they had to do to prevent their relatives from being trapped in the system. It only takes about 4 Core™ documents to keep the family safe and out of court.

Good estate planning should be

1). effective cost and

2). Efficient.

Nationwide, 55% of Americans are not planning for the inevitable and are not allowing their families to fight in the Probate Court system while losing money and time.

The 2 most important questions Americans ask are:

1. Do I need a will or do I need a trust?

2. Do I have enough to plan?

The probate or judicial system is where our loved ones end up going to liquidate our assets if we have not planned it. Whether or not we have a will, our estate must be probated in court. If our gross estate (before deductions) is more than $150,000 in assets or more than $50,000 in real estate in some states and much lower in other states, such as $20,000 and above, then the estate must go through Probate. Probate comes from the Latin word “I will try” gold “proof“to prove, probe, prove, or prove something and, in this case, someone is trying to prove the validity of your will or manipulating to get the position of trustee of your estate so they can distribute your property. The average cost of this is $26,000 and up on a small gross estate of $500,000 and if you own more by virtue of your home the cost can easily rise to over $50,0000 become the steward of your estate (including over family) and the court could support them whether to validate your debt until your debt is fully satisfied, which puts a freehold on the assets that are supposed to be distributed to loved ones or to a charity.

There are really 2 wills.

Succession #1

Your first encounter with probate occurs while you are alive and is referred to as the “living probate.” This is when life throws you a curveball like a stroke (800,000 people have one annually and 35% are 45 or younger), heart attack, dementia, or Alzheimer’s. You now have to go to court for a proceeding called a guardianship so that people can sign for you in a legal capacity. The court proceeding averages $20,000 in cost and many exceed that due to the need for the court to see the person (they will take you to court in this condition), make sure the person requesting the appointment is trustworthy ( many are not). and leads to elder abuse). There is a simple document that is part of a simple estate plan that avoids this scenario entirely and is easy to implement as you select the person to act as your agent today while you are healthy and clean.

Sequence #2

The second encounter with Probate is when he passes away with a will or without a will; it doesn’t matter if they both end up in probate court. This can be expensive, time consuming, and open to the public with merchants using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to access court documents so they can market services. The court will not allow the full distribution of the estate for at least a year in many states so that creditors may have an opportunity to file suit in court. You have to ring the dinner bell on a post that says, “come and get it.” A claim could then be filed with the Probate Court to become the Administrator of the Estate (if there is no Will) or a possible petition to become the Executor (where there is a Will) so they can use leverage to satisfy their debt. . Imagine this third party coming to court and asking the court to become controller of your deceased loved one’s estate; it happens every day.

You can eliminate both problems for your loved ones by having a Living Trust and a Durable Power of Attorney to cover any situation that may occur. It is also strongly recommended that you draw up an Advance Health Care Directive (called a Living Will in some states) that outlines what you want if you are facing a vegetative state or coma and doctors have not given much hope of recovery from a coma . meaningful way of life. If we don’t let others know what we want, they’ll fumble while we’re incapacitated and we may needlessly be left behind while family members fight in court and medical bills mount, draining the life of their estate that belongs to our family. family; after all our life’s work to accumulate it.

In conclusion, there are two plans you can choose from:

A. The Government Plan (Probate generates 2.6 Billion per year), or

B. Your plan that takes more of your wealth to your loved ones or to the charity of your choice.

Real Estate

Entrata ‘SiteTablet’: Features and Best Practices for Leasing Professionals

SiteTablet is an iPad and Android enabled tablet app that is fully integrated with Entrata’s property management software.

You will find the complete SiteTablet administrator’s guide on the Entrata website. I recommend downloading the PDF and saving it for your reference.

SiteTablet has great native features and can be customized to the individual needs of leasing professionals in the multi-family industry. It is intended for a user experience that is shared between the prospective tenant and the leasing agent. Intuitive navigation and smart design reflect this key feature.

Leasing consultants and other staff members can use SiteTablet to access important resources, images, floor plans and property maps, just as easily on a tour of the grounds as in the office.

SiteTablet allows prospective residents to:

  • create a guest card

  • start an application

  • pay reservation fees

  • select your preferred unit from a list of available floor plans

  • upload the necessary documentation to your accounts

and lately…

  • sign your lease!

The app works on the tablet differently than Entrata works on a desktop computer. However, important information and schedules are synced between the Entrata control panel and SiteTablet immediately.

All familiar tasks exist both on the computer and on the tablet. The property manager or leasing consultant can view availability, enter a work order, send blast emails, set up the Resident Portal, and more.

SiteTablet also acts as a kiosk, where residents can access community information and perform tasks like signing packages and requesting maintenance. SiteTablet can be quickly converted to “Kiosk Mode” for functions that residents can use for themselves while restricting access to Entrata for more than the specified services.

Their app is worth taking a look at if you haven’t already. It’s a wealth of information and, with practice, it can become an invaluable everyday tool – particularly for floating lease consultants who visit several properties a week.

In fact, the SiteTablet has all the potential to be the float’s best friend. Because it houses all of the community’s information, the leasing process is easy, even for someone who has never been on the property before.

The necessary facts are made accessible and provable at the touch of a finger. Floaters can forget digging through binders and “cheat sheets” for current and future availability, pricing, leasing requirements, and answers to common questions about utilities, square footage, and breach-of-lease penalties.

SiteTablet can bring an apartment community to life for a prospective resident and keep the manager, leasing consultant or floater ready at all times.

Why not take a photo of the pool taken in the height of summer to evoke a sun-soaked afternoon with the family? Or show a service that was overlooked on the tour? Prospects can even enter a virtual apartment and decorate the floor plan with scalable furniture.

If the administration does not use SiteTablet but does has an app-enabled iPad, floaters would do well to explore it and see how it might be useful to him or her.

Good luck!

Real Estate

Broker Price Opinion BPO and REO Course Review

Broker Price Opinion BPO & REO Course Mastery was registered in September 2007. This real estate training course was launched by Anthony Aires and Heather Lazzaro, two successful real estate investors from Orlando, FL. REO stands for Real Estate Owned in case you didn’t know. This course was written around the philosophy that the current real estate market is not doing very well right now.

And right now, with the state of the economy, it’s becoming very difficult to sell property. However, there are secrets that will strategically appeal to bank asset managers and BPO firms, so you can get the advantage of getting assignments, as well as bank REO listings you can run with. You can also make a small fortune short selling and thousands of people across the country are already doing it.

But if you learn the secrets from Broker Price Opinion’s BPO & REO course, and they’re not really secrets more like guidelines to follow, you can break your learning plateau much faster than if you tried to do all of this yourself. Making money with Short Sales and REO is not about luck. Like everything, it’s all about educating yourself and following a proven system. Earning money in Real Estate is like everything else. You master the process, then you implement it over and over again to become rich.

In the Broker Price Opinion course you will receive an example of BPO so that you become familiar with the process. You will also receive insider information about foreclosure listings before others know about them. This course also offers a Quick Start Guide that will show you not only how to get a lot more BPOs, but also how to get the ones that will end up paying you the most.

You will also receive, as part of this course, a list of the top 400 Broker Price Opinion and Real Estate Owned contacts. You will be able to go directly to their websites through direct hyperlinks. Not only this, but you will also receive full contact details including physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.

One of the dynamics of this course that I like the most is the fact that you will receive a Real Estate Own Asset Manager Prospecting Script. You will also receive an education and know how and where to meet with some of the most educated and successful people in these fields. If you’ve ever wanted to become a short sales expert, you’ll learn how to keep a listing for yourself after the bank has already executed it.

Not only this, but you will also receive forms that will allow you to document things like interior and exterior damage to the property. Also included is a BPO Entry Translator form that will allow you to complete these transactions almost at lightning speed. And they also explain the 5 things you need to know that will make you successful much faster than the traditional methods used, as well as how to properly follow up with people.

Finally, they cover gaps like cell phone marketing tricks that will give you a much better chance of making a profit and how to get bigger deductions on your taxes, as well as what mistakes to avoid to ensure you don’t get blacklisted. And they didn’t forget to teach you how to make awesome listing videos and how to advertise correctly on Craigslist.

Real Estate

Wealth Creation – Part 1 – Keys to Investor Success and Wealth Creation

“SUCCESS IS EVOLUTIONARY” – Get Educate

It stands to reason that the more knowledge you gain about investing, the more successful you will be, and it is the first of the three criteria necessary to build wealth.

I’m talking about devouring books, articles, and audios (anything you can find on the subject) and then applying what you learn. Knowledge alone will not make you rich. Taking appropriate actions based on your willingness to know.

My suggestion to new investors is to learn as much as you can on the subject of success. Read what successful people did to become rich, especially those successful in their chosen area of ​​interest. Find out what they did wrong so they don’t repeat their mistakes, and find out what worked for them so you can implement those actions.

Understand that dedicated focus is very important to success, but first learn all you can about building wealth and success in general. I can tell you that with all the different ways out there to make money, it will be hard for new investors to focus on just one or two.

New investors may be tempted to try several different investment opportunities at the same time. But if they have forgotten to develop an understanding of how to invest, they may be setting themselves up for failure.

Let’s take real estate investing as an example.

You can become extremely wealthy by investing in today’s real estate market, but where do you start? Do you start by doing short sales or are wholesales, lease options, and “tied too” offers more profitable? Are you concentrating on tax lien reversals or buying property to get out of bankruptcy?

Are you launching into commercial properties like apartment buildings, mobile home parks, office buildings, storage properties, or senior facilities or are you more inclined to want to earn passive income with triple net leases or hard money loans?

If real estate is your chosen field of investment, I suggest you learn about all the investment methods I just mentioned, and when you find one that fits your investment criteria, become an expert in that type of investment, and then watch how fast wealth grows.

Once you’ve mastered one type of investing, you can begin to master a second, a third, and so on. Education is a fundamental ingredient for the success of an investor.

Real Estate

Simple Tips for Low Cost Home Improvements

Have you been thinking about remodeling your home? Keep in mind that you can often achieve your goal without a huge expense. Small improvements made to almost every room, including the exterior of the house, can make all the difference.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

Keep it clean and simple!

A clean and tidy house is attractive and attracts attention. You can start to improve the appearance of your house simply by clearing away the debris. Try to make your garden look like a sweet spot with a bit of weeding and clearing up of flower beds. Paint the front door to give your home a more welcoming feel.

Decluttering is also part of cleaning, so get rid of things you don’t need to make room for new ones. The first glance is often enough for a selective buyer to quickly estimate a home.

Does the exterior of your house need to be repainted? Is there a catwalk that you can highlight by introducing some flowers? Remember to keep it simple. Focus on making things neat and tidy.

Two hot spots of each home:

The two most inspected rooms in a house are the kitchen and the main bathroom. If you’re looking to zero in on two hot spots, these are the interior rooms where the most value can be added during a sale, so make them look their best to increase your ROI.

Could your kitchen need an update? A well-updated kitchen will dramatically increase the value of your home, so focus on bringing this room to life to grab the buyer’s attention. Renovating your kitchen with a modern décor will instantly improve the value of your home. Many times a buyer will compromise on other rooms and buy a home just because its kitchen is well-maintained and cozy.

The same goes for the bathrooms, especially the master bathroom. You’ll charm open house attendees with modern upgrades like dual vanities and soaking tubs in your master bathroom. Replace the faucets and wipe down the bathroom counter. We would again emphasize simplicity because it makes maintenance easier.

What to invest in?

So, you’re done decluttering, cleaning, and upgrading. Whats Next? Well, if you are willing to invest in improvements, it is recommended to divide your renovation plan into four parts to achieve impressive improvements in your home. Here are the four areas where you can seriously consider upgrading:

Turning on: If you’re not happy with your home’s lighting system, replace it.

This would involve purchasing lighting fixtures and other equipment to make each room look consistent and attractive.

Plumbing: Many older homes have rusty pipes and some plumbing leaks that need attention. Your home won’t sell fast and at the price you have in mind if you haven’t updated your plumbing system yet.

Floor: Most people today are looking for hardwood flooring or alternatives that are easy to manage and provide health benefits over carpet. Tile floors are also quite acceptable. If you believe that this improvement will bring you greater profits, make the investment without delay.

HVAC Replacement: Today, new energy efficient HVAC systems are being introduced to the market that incur a one-time cost and help you save huge amounts of money on utility bills. You can add a unique selling point to your home by making this replacement part of your home improvement strategy.

What is really worth repairing?

Remember that not all things are worth repairing; some need to be thrown away and some need to be replaced. This is a good principle to follow when organizing a house.

Inspect every aspect of your home, then come up with a budget-friendly plan to give your home a fresh, clean look. You may want to replace outdated appliances in the kitchen with new modern models. Repairing old appliances is not an option. If your budget won’t allow you to update your appliances, simply add a touch of color to the ones you use to improve their appearance.

If you already have hardwood floors installed at home, check for scratches and be prepared for some touch-ups. Hardwood floors are highly desirable, even if they are old and worn. Give them a little push to make them more attractive and eye-catching.

Today, energy efficiency has found its way into many of our systems, including windows. Homebuyers look for the latest windows and other systems that are designed to save energy, as they provide a number of economic, environmental and health benefits. Replace your old windows with new energy efficient windows to improve your home’s value.

If your bathroom floors are tiled, look for flaws or cracks, especially if the tiles are white or light-colored. These kinds of flaws are hard to hide, even if you arrange everything else very neatly. So before you invest in other bathroom fixtures, replace a cracked floor tile.

Real Estate

Muxe – The innovative platform for all your real estate needs

MUXE is a comprehensive platform that makes it easy from buying your DREAM HOME to earning RENTAL income from your extra space, inspired by the latest INTERIOR DESIGN tips, finding the best MAINTENANCE contractors for your property and the HOME IMPROVEMENT order to fix up your current deck.

This is an easy to navigate MUXE interactive platform that can help even average users meet their needs by embracing the latest technology in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality applications. With these tools, you will help the user to make better important decisions on a secure P2P platform.

Muxe has full transparency, outlandish research, a revolutionary blockchain, delivered with maximum security. Beautifully stabilized that is fully encrypted with unlimited accessibility. A wonderful technology unique in its class. Completely complete and, without a doubt, completely flexible. And in the end, it suits your choice.

On May 17, we were invited to speak about Blockchain and Crypto at an Ondernemen event in Bedrijf and Pakhuis met Pit. During this day we share an advanced workshop on Blockchain and Crypto. The main topic we talked about was “The Impact of Blockchain”, Ondernemen in Bedrijf have organized several sessions on Blockchain and Crypto in different places in the Netherlands. According to various specialists, Blockchain will change the world as the Internet has.

Much is being written about blockchains, bitcoin, and related technologies, and for many real estate professionals, this is part of a brave, new, and confusing world of technology. Like the original Internet, the blockchain is a revolution in technology that will affect every person and every business. So people are paying attention, but many still don’t understand what blockchain is.

Imagine that you and your best friend Bob are standing on stage in an auditorium and there are 1,000 people in the audience. In front of these 1,000 people, you give Bob your car keys, and Bob hands you his watch. You declare, “Bob, you now own my car.”

Bob replies, “Now you own my watch.” There are 1,000 witnesses who can each testify, without a doubt, that your car now belongs to Bob, and the watch belongs to you. If someone in the audience later tells a conflicting version of who owns the car or the watch, the other 999 people will refute it. And, if you take a spare set of keys and try to give that same car to someone else, all 1,000 audience members will confirm that Bob owns the car, since they each witnessed the “transaction.” This is the essence of how the blockchain works.

We are pleased to introduce the innovative Real Estate search engine. Search results from http://www.searchestate.net are carefully selected by our team. When you’re looking for a home or service, Search Estate’s help will help you find what you’re looking for in no time.

Search Estate is the innovative search engine for all your real estate needs. Whether you’re looking to buy a new home or find the latest demands in the real estate industry, you can find it all at Search Estate.

We are only adding the best real estate websites to the engine to ensure the highest possible quality of search results. Search Status currently offers 3 ways to search. That includes web results, photos, and videos.

searchstate.net

But you can also visit searchprofession.com searchmaintenance.com or http://www.searchexchange.net We plan to introduce more of these search engines over time.

UI and user experience

Our user interface features will allow the user to quickly search, view, locate and track their preferred or future favorite products and services.

references It will have a clean, user-friendly and simple design to cater to the broad age group of users. Recommendations, Guides and Tips

It is essential to place a system of recommendations, guides and tips that can be activated or deactivated when users wish during their

navigation, search or transaction. These components can assist the user in their decision making and optimize their experience in the

platform. updated technology

MUXE will offer new and updated technologies and plugins such as AR and VR applications to help our users choose paint colors, interior designs, furniture, view an apartment, compare new layouts and layouts, which the traditional method would not have. been possible

The MUXE platform allows its users to quote for rent, purchase or sale of properties, hire services, schedule moves, buy home improvement equipment. The MUXE token is the cryptocurrency for all transactions on the platform. Our blockchain technology is based on the Ethereum ERC20 platform.

The community of MUXE token holders helps create the value and relevance of the token. The business that we are building on blockchain and cryptocurrencies provides a great opportunity for growth and expansion for the various industries that support real estate. This is how MUXE can revolutionize and evolve with the ever-changing demands of the consumer world.

Being a transparent hub for buyers and sellers to interact and work together. Our goal is to improve the crypto market as a whole,

incorporating one more cryptocurrency that is genuine.

The last 2 months a lot of changes happened within the MUXE project. The nucleus had to meet with many people and great alliances were established. We have talked to many interesting people including #jameskeddie #mikemorrit #kingsleyennis #andreledoux #silvanosoares #rutgerjanse and many other great people and companies operating in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. Many of them are showing great faith in our project and mentioned that the potential of the project is huge.

The last 2 months have been all about finalizing our Whitepaper and Roadmap. We are proud to say that we have finished our public and investor whitepaper and a 3-year plan roadmap.

To learn more about what we’re building, visit our website.

Home

Real Estate

Greentailing: 10 tips for retailers to go green

I won’t spend much time here hitting you over the head with WHY you need to get serious about green retailing, or greentailing as it’s known. The implications of ignoring the green movement are pretty clear, especially if you intend to retail to anyone born after 1980.

There is no shortage of good editorials on the WHAT and WHY behind the green movement. Where there seems to be a shortfall, especially for small and medium retailers, is HOW to migrate to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible business platform. Does it sound like we need to spend more time helping retailers start planting the seeds, if you will, of sustainability in their business?

I couldn’t hope to cover everything in a short article, but here are some important steps to get you started.

Green Investigation: I think I just heard you grow up. Look, I realize time is ticking but it’s extremely difficult to support let alone believe in something you don’t fully understand. It is particularly important because today the term “green” has implications beyond the environment. It also covers issues of fair trade in manufacturing countries, consumer health and business ethics in general. I am not suggesting that you become an expert, just that you become very comfortable with the subject and, more importantly, with your position on it.

Create a policy – ​​This doesn’t have to be a lengthy exercise, but including your greentailing practices in the policy will make managing them much easier. Articulating the policy will give you and your staff a point of reference when in doubt. And like all beliefs, putting them in black and white shows an honest commitment to them. As more and more companies start to jump on the green bandwagon, consumers will become increasingly wary of suitors. Having your policy implemented and perhaps even displayed in your store will give you added credibility.

Know the standards: As the green movement gains momentum, consumers will be looking for reliable standards and reliable measures of sustainable practices. Having attended my share of large retail gatherings, I can assure you that certifications like FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) are top of mind for buyers. In the future, consumers will be increasingly attentive to these types of trusted brands. Depending on what you sell, the key certifications may vary, but take the time to learn what they are.

Start Big – Usually we are told to start small, but in this case, look for the big wins first. Focus on the big three. Products, Paper and Energy:

Products – Make sure you sell green products or at least offer green alternatives where it makes sense. Let’s hope their green alternatives aren’t prohibitively priced or of lesser quality. Make an effort to convert customers to the green option whenever possible. To top it off, do everything you can to make sure the people who make your products are treated fairly, wherever they live.

Paper: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that, in the course of their work, they’ve been processing a form for years that no one looks at or seems to need. Maybe you can remove some forms from your business process? On small sales, ask your customers if they need a receipt. Do you ever really use that third carbon copy you have on your packing slips? If not, move to a two-copy system. Do you use direct mail? If so, are you correcting the address before mailing to ensure each piece is shipped to a valid address? Are there opportunities to reuse paper in your business? These are just some of the questions you can start asking.

Once you have matched the volume, make sure that the paper to be used is FSC compliant.

Power: In most of the stores we visit, the lights in the warehouse, office or bathroom are on all day. Install motion-sensing switches to automatically turn lights off when not in use. Have someone look at the type of light bulbs you are using. There are some really amazing lighting systems on the market today, like metal halite or compact fluorescents that can not only reduce operating costs but also improve the look of your merchandising. You may not be able to put the entire store back at once, so take it one section at a time if you must. Have someone check the efficiency of your HVAC system. There may be great long-term savings available to you or your landlord by upgrading or replacing the unit.

Set realistic goals: Don’t promise yourself or anyone else that you’ll do more than you really can. Set a series of manageable goals over a 5-year period with clear milestones. Plan the steps you will take each year to reach your goals. Above all, stick to the standards you set.

State your policy: Calmly but clearly inform customers of your commitment to the environment and responsible business practices.

Offer small discounts for helping your cause: As little as 10% off if customers bring their own bags or bike to your store can be enough to influence behavior.

Finally, don’t view greentailing as a threat to your business. Treat it as an opportunity to reduce operating costs, improve profitability, and do the right thing. If anything, it could represent a clear advantage for smaller retailers over larger competitors. After all, it’s easier to run any practice in one or two places than a thousand.

The fact is that responsible, healthy and ethical products and business practices are becoming gambles and savvy retailers will seize the opportunity to get ahead of the curve. It’s just smart business.

Real Estate

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s intervention in the property market and how it affects homebuyers

Earlier this year we published an article about affordable housing in New Zealand and how Auckland, in particular, is one of the least affordable cities in the world. In this article, we look at a Reserve Bank intervention in the housing market, due to the housing shortage in Auckland and the ongoing housing problems in Christchurch, and how it will affect first-time homebuyers in New Zealand.

As of May this year (2013), the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has decided to intervene in the overvalued property market. The reason for the overly inflated prices in the New Zealand property market is due to housing shortages in two major cities: Christchurch and Auckland. The housing shortage in Auckland is due to population growth outpacing housing supply. In Christchurch, the problems have been the result of a major earthquake that destroyed many suburbs and a high demand for housing from the city’s new residents arriving for subsequent rebuilding.

The intervention will result in New Zealand’s big four banks now being forced to hedge against high ‘loan-to-value’ lending and holding on to more of their own money to guard against any future downturns in the property market. First-time homebuyers are seen as the target of Reserve Bank intervention, with higher interest rates introduced by banks for those who borrow more than 80 percent of a home’s value.

This will mean that it won’t be very easy for many first-time homebuyers to get into the market, making it even more difficult for them to get a loan and could push them to look to riskier lenders just to get started. “property ladder”. Many real estate investors will also feel the intervention, as it will be more difficult for them to obtain large bank loans to invest in multiple or large properties. Unfortunately the impact will be felt nationwide, and not just in the two big cities that are having housing problems.

However, one good result of such a move is that hopefully fewer people will experience financial difficulties as a result of borrowing too much money. Many real estate agents have seen a huge increase in mortgage sales as a result of low-equity loans, where homeowners borrowed 90-95 percent of their homes. Now homebuyers will be forced to financially plan for a new home, and possibly not overextend themselves on a property that is truly beyond their means.

So we’ll wait and see over the next year what impact this intervention has had and whether it has helped or hindered the housing problems in this country.