If you are new to the world of real estate, you may be feeling a bit confused by all the taxes that are assessed. To many people, the words “property taxes” and “property taxes” sound like the same thing, but there are some significant differences. Let’s take a look at them.

Property taxes are taxes based on the appraised value of the property. They are appraised on privately owned properties and funds are raised by local governments. Property taxes are the ones we often hear that fund schools and pay for road repairs.

Property taxes have two subcategories. Certainly there are real property taxes that are real property taxes, but there are also personal property taxes. Think of real estate as something that cannot be moved. These are things like the house, an outside garage, a storage building, or a barn.

Personal property is defined as things that can be moved, such as furniture. These taxes are sometimes called excise duties. Your car is also personal property. Believe it or not, but that license fee you pay for your car is a type of personal property tax. If you have a business that repairs items or sells merchandise, that inventory is personal property. In many cases, you are exempt from tax on the first $ 50,000 or $ 100,000 of inventory, depending on your state.

If you own an RV, this is counted as personal property because you can move it, even if you live in one full time. If you are on land that you own, you may have to pay real estate taxes on that land, but not in conjunction with the RV.

So what is the assessed value that these taxes are based on? Each local government has a department that analyzes what the real value of a property is. They look at the structure and value of the land itself. Sometimes they calculate these values ​​separately and sometimes they are examined together. The appraisal rate is a lower percentage of the appraised value. For many areas, the appraisal rate is 70% to 80%, which then reduces the value of the home and therefore the amount against which the tax rate is calculated.

It should be noted that Homeowner’s Association or condo fees are not the same as real estate or property taxes. Those fees go directly to the association to cover common area repair and maintenance costs.

Personal property taxes are assessed as a percentage of the value of the item. Each state and county will have its own regulations on how to calculate personal property taxes. Additionally, each state, as well as the federal government, allows a tax deduction on personal income tax forms for real estate taxes that have been paid in a given year.

There are also exemptions that certain homeowners may qualify for that help reduce the tax burden. These exemptions are often for the wounded, disabled, and elderly military.

Hopefully this has helped clarify the differences between property taxes and real estate taxes. Although they sometimes overlap, they are also quite different. It just depends on the item that is taxed.

The latest cell phone tower leasing trick we’ve come across is tower companies using “Letters of Intent” as a tool to get owners to unknowingly sign what they think is a harmless letter. Some people are led to believe that this is “just a way to fix these terms with our bosses” or “just a letter of understanding so that we can investigate the use of the site.” Well these letters are not simple but I can tell you what they are in many cases … legally binding!

One of the people who fell in love with this cell site leasing tactic was not naive in the way they did business. In fact, they were very smart real estate developers who assumed they could trust the lovely young woman who was taking care of things for the cell phone tower company. They signed a very detailed document that locked them into an agreement in which the carrier could impose its will on the owners. I’m sure Ms. Charming got a good financial incentive for taking advantage of this over-confident landlord. This error cost them more than $ 250,000.00 in lost income, over a thirty-year period, that they would have earned had they been properly informed before executing their cell tower lease.

Why would you have to sign some kind of agreement before seeing the terms? When you go shopping for a car, would you sign a letter saying that you will buy a car for $ 40,000.00 and give them your money in the hopes that they will give you a brand new BMW when they deliver a 1975 Pinto? No, of course not.

Here you have another question. Why would someone try to get you to sign something unless it is binding and can be used against you in a court of law? There is no other reason … this is why they are trying to get you to sign this. The only person who is locked into something is you and usually in a very one-sided way and it only benefits shippers and tower companies.

The cell phone tower leasing consultants you hire are charming and friendly and may remind you of your brother, cousin, or son. Some are good people who are just doing their job. Many of them are sharks that smell a quick buck and would shove you down a flight of stairs for a penny. They don’t work for you either way … They’re hired guns that work for carriers and tower companies.

If you are a property owner or owner and a cell phone operator or cell phone tower developer has approached to install a cell site on your property, this is the rule of thumb for dealing with tower companies or carriers trying to make you sign a “Letter of Intent” ……. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING !!!!!!! Call your attorney or, better yet, call a qualified wireless consultant who can guide you and fight for your rights and needs. Carriers have experts … why shouldn’t you?

If you are renovating your home or perhaps building a new one, you should seriously consider placing your laundry room next to the bedrooms on the same floor. It seems that about 90% of clothing is generated at that level. Bedding and laundry are the most frequently laundered items and a rug can always be brought upstairs from time to time if needed.

In a two-story house, it is especially desirable, since many housewives can also attest to it. Walking up and down stairs carrying baskets of heavy laundry can be a killing on your back and legs. Placing a laundry room in the basement that builders made for years is out of the question today.

A five foot by seven foot room is just a large closet, but it can accommodate both a washer and dryer, side by side, or stacked units. This leaves plenty of room for a nice set of wall hanging cabinets and a folding table. If you iron clothes, the room can be slightly larger, or you can use a wall-mounted ironing board that folds away when not in use. There are also wall planks available today that save space and can be left on a wall bracket when not in use.

Although not essential, a window is always desirable, but with or without a window an exhaust fan is essential. Excess moisture can cause mold to form on the walls, causing both a health hazard and mold stains on painted walls. I use smooth faced mylar panels which is easy to clean and takes a lot of abuse over time. The floor also needs something easy to clean. Using twelve-inch or twenty-four inch vinyl tile makes floor installation easy and floor care quick and easy too.

Any clothing that is installed today should have a plastic drain pan placed under the washer. These trays come with a drain outlet that can be connected to a sewer line. In the event of an accidental overflow from the washer, the water is sent safely down the sewer line and not onto the floor surfaces. A sewer trap should also be installed to prevent sewer gases from flowing back into the home. Pans are inexpensive and can save thousands of dollars in water damage.

Another need is the use of metal-lined shatter-proof hoses. Old rubber hoses can and usually will break when you’re not at home, of course. Explosion-proof hoses are a bit more, but the added peace of mind they provide is well worth it.

Cabinets – It can be as stylish or as simple as you like. Open shelving is also a possibility, but clutter quickly turns unsightly. Good solid cabinets with a melamine finish offer long life and also very easy to clean surfaces. A simple cleaning keeps them looking new. I suggest using as light a color as possible to keep the room light and airy. Soap, fabric softener, lint removers, etc. They can be stored out of sight, and if you can afford a larger cabinet, toilet paper rolls, tissue boxes and towels, etc. can also be stored there.

Lighting: People often skimp on lighting as it is “just” a laundry room. A good quality dual tube four foot fluorescent fixture provides low cost lighting that will light up a five by seven room quite well. Incandescent or recessed lighting can be used, but the additional cost is not really necessary. Fluorescent lamps last a long time and the cost of operation is lower than incandescent bulbs. In any case, make sure accessories are positioned so that they do not cast or create a shadow when you are working in the room. It is often overlooked, but it will be quite apparent if you are trying to iron or classify clothes in a dark shade. There are also many CFL devices available now that are small (less than 3 inches in diameter) and cost very little to operate. A sixty watt CFL provides sixty watts of light, but consumes only 12 watts of power, for example. Many are also directional for task lighting. Take a good look before you buy and think about long-term savings.

Outlets – All your laundry outlets should be of the Ground Fault Interrupter type. You’ll need one behind the washer and dryer units, one next to the ironing board, and at least one additional outlet at standard eighteen inches above the floor for vacuuming or other cleaning tasks. With a little care when brushing, you should be able to cross between cabinets, washer / dryer, and ironing board without crossing a power cord. It’s no fun accidentally pulling a hot iron off the ironing board and throwing it on the floor or on your foot.

If you have a large family and a large amount of laundry and ironing, installing a cable TV outlet can also provide additional downtime while you work. Standing in a laundry room for an hour without a television or radio can be a drag, to say the least. You can also consider purchasing a rubber mat to stand on while you work. There are many specialty mats available and they can save a great deal of stress on your legs and feet.

Laundry Baskets: Keeping laundry baskets open within sight of the door helps train children (and your husband) to throw dirty laundry in a basket and not on the bedroom floor. This, of course, helps Mom or whoever is in charge of the laundry to get the job done faster and easier. You can expect colored clothing and a basket of linen, but that may be well beyond the abilities of the children (or again the husband). At least all the dirty clothes will be in one place.

Keep your paint colors bright and cheerful for walls and ceilings. A good quality washable paint with added anti-mold can again help to provide long life to your new laundry room.

Pete
Your friendly building inspector
http://www.Wagsys.com
BICES-Building code application and inspection system software

When looking for office space for rent, calculating the total cost is crucial. Many business owners take a look at square footage and calculate the cost based solely on this number, which can be a costly mistake. While many corporate space leases clearly define what is included and what is not, others are deliberately confusing or contain fine print that is difficult to interpret. Before signing any lease, be sure to ask about common hidden costs that can quickly add to your monthly costs.

Remember the cost of furniture

While you may intend to move most of your current office furniture to its new location, it is inevitable that there will be some pieces that you will need to buy new or rent for the long term. You may also find that some of your furniture will not work well in the new office, so be sure to measure everything and determine what you will need to replace and what new parts you will need to invest in. If there isn’t enough ambient lighting, even the cost of new task lighting can quickly add up.

Security and services

Do office rental contracts in your area usually include extras such as cleaning and security services? If it is not included, you will have to pay a premium to third party service providers to ensure that your property is properly maintained and protected against theft, vandalism and other security risks. In some cases, a homeowner may even make payment for these additional services mandatory, which could add several hundred dollars to their monthly budget. Ask the owner if cleaning and security are included. If security is included, make sure you know what it includes. Is there a night watchman? A security officer on duty during business hours?

Public services and Internet access in offices for rent

Commercial owners with office space for rent generally do not include utilities in the listing price of the space because there is no way to determine precisely how much electricity each tenant will use and a uniform division is not fair to businesses that maintain the use of electricity and internet. to the minimum. But this does not mean that you cannot have a general idea of ​​what your utilities will cost. Ask to see examples of utility costs for the past six months for a comparable unit for an approximate number you can work with.

Sometimes a landlord may include the cost of electricity in the office space rental agreement based on the load (the amount of energy used). If this is the case, make sure the figure used is the “demand load”, which is the actual amount of energy you use each month. Some will use “connected load,” which calculates a figure based on whether accessories are connected. In other words, as long as your computers are connected, you will pay for energy even when you are not using the machines.

Maintenance requirements

If you find office space for rent that includes reasonable maintenance fees, you might be in luck. If your fees are minimal, you could save yourself a lot of trouble down the road when you need to perform routine maintenance. But what you perceive as reasonable may not be the same for your landlord. Your definition of “routine” may also be different. You probably want to include snow removal, but not change the bulbs or you could end up paying a maintenance provider $ 50 or more each time you need to change a bulb.

The cost of ending a lease

Office space for rent in popular urban areas can usually fill up quickly, but most landlords include a penalty clause for early termination of a rental agreement. This can be from the first and last month’s rent to the full cost of the remaining time of the lease. You may also need to return the space to its original condition, including patching and repainting the walls, removing added fixtures, and replacing anything (like window blinds) that you removed when you took possession of the property. .

When looking for an office space to rent, make sure you are equipped with the right questions so that you can determine not only the obvious but the hidden costs as well. This can protect you from unexpected expenses that could give your business additional financial headaches that you don’t need when you move out.

When bidding on a home, be sensible and start at the lowest level. There are numerous buyers for these activities and you must be cautious enough to approach them wisely. Property rates should not be disclosed prior to bidding.
When the available foreclosed home is purchased, you should inspect the legal documents for this home. All payments must be made in written documents. Make sure payments are made to an attorney who will keep legal records.
In the event of a foreclosure Homes for sale in briar gate Colorado Springs, you will find 3 branches available: the pre-foreclosure home available, the REO, or even the homeownership available after the lender’s foreclosure and home available in the foreclosure period. . In the case of the pre-foreclosure point, there is a short sale. The cost is kept low and the home environment is simple. There are no exemptions related to all REO units, however there may be a small price increase. In an attempt to get rid of the large number of foreclosed homes, banks are offering substantial discounts. Buyers can discover a variety of houses on the real estate market that are available.
In most nations, it is vital that an apartment has sleeping, cooking and bathing facilities. A condo has a few places shared with each of those studios. 1 living space that is full of demand is your studio or stag attic with a room along with a small kitchen and a bathtub.
The following software is the point where the available home is up for auction while the mortgage is foreclosed. Several of these houses are bought by banks to qualify for the land, while others are bought by investors.
The next plan is to get the available repossessed houses that are owned by the banks. This is the easiest way to have a home available because everything is solved in advance.
It is crucial to do your homework well and understand everything about the property and also be sure of getting a beautiful home on your own. The homeowner’s inability to cover the amount of the mortgage is the main reason his house goes up for sale in the foreclosure market. If this practice is completed, the damage done to the credit report also prevents the landlord from not buying on credit for a while.
That’s a good amount of cash, but it’s not outrageous when the real estate agent actually does his job. There is fantastic news. What many don’t understand is that you can actually negotiate the terms of a contract with a real estate agent. Why do they want to do it? One fantastic reason will be that you are not a 1 trick pony. Not only does he have a piece of land, he has many houses available. Commissions, even on a slightly lower sum, are likely to add up pretty quickly, aren’t they? This is similar to bundling a purchase.
Another strategy that you can use, or that the real estate broker you select can use, would be to hire a Home Stager. Lack of staging can also be one of the biggest mistakes many homeowners make when trying to sell their own property. Generally, whenever a parcel of property is put on the current market, the house is spruced up a bit, carpets are washed a bit, paint is put in here, but generally things remain a mess.
The impression this gives to a potential buyer would be to squirm a bit, go through the screen ASAP, and then move on to another property. This can be completely changed with an experienced organizer. They are masters at configuring available homes. When someone walks through the front door of your house, what do they visit? They visit the porch, the landscape, the front entrance, and the brick or paint of the house. Most likely, many of your homes for sale need a little facelift in this region. The stage manager may want to wash bushes, counter driveway, and wash and wash brick to give the front of your house that fresh new look and texture. This can be completed throughout the house in each room. The end result is that more potential buyers will fall in love with your home.

Are you interested in baby food jar crafts? There are many ideas for recycling those baby food jars. This would have to be my all-time favorite use of those baby food jars. I have shared this idea with many of my friends and they have also said that it was a total success with their baby. It is so simple.

• Simply collect each lid from each jar, be it a baby food jar or the lid of the pasta sauce jar.

• Put them in the dishwasher and sterilize them.

• Then fill a large plastic jar with those lids. I buy my rice in a large plastic jar and it is perfect for scooping up the lids.

When my baby was less than 7 months old he loved to hold his eyelids and hit them. He found that they rolled and then he started stacking them. They were perfect for her little handshake.

At around 7 months he started putting them one at a time in the plastic jar.

At around 11 months, she loved to tip over the plastic jar and try to open all the lids and of course put them back on.

When he was about 14 months old, he started using the lids for cooking.

Now 21 months old, she still plays with the lids on baby food jars.

We once borrowed a toy from a friend, as Jamie loved to play with it at home. When I asked him if there was a toy that Jamie had that he wanted to borrow, he said, “Actually, could I have some of the lids from the baby food jars.”

The funniest toys are usually free and in our house all the time.

How much should I budget for the annual general maintenance expenses of my house?

Where most people ‘take it for granted’ until they need to replace the windows at $ 300 / pc or the roof at $ 10 / sqft. And if you are retired and most of your money is in your IRAs, now we have to add taxes on top of the cost.

While teaching one of our retirement planning classes here locally, one of our students had an interesting question about how much he should budget for general house maintenance. This is a question that usually comes up when we are putting together an income plan for a couple to retire successfully. It also happens when we are developing an estate plan and the trustees want to set aside money specifically for the maintenance of their home so that their beneficiaries do not have to sell the home before they are ready. They understand that anytime you “have to” sell anything, especially a high-value item, the buyer wants a good deal.

There is a general rule of thumb of 1% of your purchase price (current market value) or about $ 1 per square foot of living area. The living room should include your basement, attic, and garage in this calculation. For example: Colonial 2 story with attached two car garage and full basement. If the estimated size of your home is 2400 square feet. foot so it’s safe to assume you have 1200 square feet on the top floor, as well as the main floor and basement. Realistically, you are looking at a potential 3,600 square feet of living space. A two-car garage is typically about 440 square feet. So if you add it all up, you have a little over 4,000 square feet that should be included in this calculation and not just the square footage that your home originally purchased.

Therefore, the range in which to implement your budget is from 1% of the purchase price to $ 1 of the full square footage of the house. In our example, assuming the houses are selling for $ 100 square feet and you bought your house for $ 240,000. The lower limit of your home maintenance budget should be $ 2,400 and the upper limit should be $ 1 of total square footage or $ 4,000.

Now let’s talk about the $ 100 per square foot. If we put this as a value, we can simply research what houses are currently selling for in our neighborhood to see if we are above or below that factor. For example, if we find that a similar 2,400-square-foot house sold for $ 220,000, then we will immediately know that it is undervalued (22/24 = $ 91.67 square feet). Then we would budget at 91.67% (2400 * .9167) which is $ 2200 or (4000 square feet * 92 cents) which is $ 3680. Of course, our budget would work the other way around if we find that our house is currently valued above. For example, a similar home is selling for $ 300,000 or 125% above par, so our lower end of the range is $ 3,000 while the upper end is now $ 5,000.

So why the difference? How does the market value per square foot have an effect on my cost of ownership? When considering a budget for your home, the geographic cost of living, the quantity and quality of products and services, and the level of outside influences are the main contributors to how current market fluctuations affect your home’s daily maintenance costs. Wealthier neighborhood stores sell products at a higher premium compared to lower-income neighborhoods. Those same stores have more specialized products versus more generic brands to choose from. More affluent stores have better opportunities to buy in bulk compared to lower-income demographic stores, where the premium is put into smaller packages that get less investment from the customer. Larger homes often have more amenities, landscaping, and building material changes that add higher ongoing maintenance cost.

Other considerations that will affect your long-term budget when you bought the home:

– Age of the house, roof, windows, additions, etc.

– Age of electrical appliances, air conditioning, plumbing, electricity.

– Home construction, vinyl siding, brick, stone, etc.

– Ongoing maintenance before purchase

– Proactive maintenance, protective paints and seals and waterproofing

– Guarantees of electrical appliances, maintenance.

– House topography, high ground or valley, windy without trees or surrounded by trees

– City water or well

– Extreme weather

Doesn’t it seem like it should cost so much to maintain a home? You’re right, it doesn’t seem like it, but let’s see the list:

Age of life for

– Roof: 20 years at approximately $ 9 / square foot, or $ 22,800 ($ 1,140 / year)

– Oven: 15 to 20 years old and will cost around $ 2,500 in today’s dollars ($ 125 / year)

– Hot water heater – 10 years at approximately $ 500 ($ 50 / year)

– Water softener (if applicable) – 10-15 years at approximately $ 500 ($ 35 / year)

– Central Air – 20 years at approximately $ 4000 ($ 200 / year)

– Sprinkler system 30 years at approximately $ 2,500 ($ 85 / year)

– Entry 30 years at approximately $ 9000 ($ 300 / year)

That’s a total of about $ 1935 in today’s dollars and with an inflation rate of 2.5%, most of these costs will be slightly higher. In 20 years, this monthly maintenance fee will be approximately $ 3,100. When budgeting for long-term maintenance, daily maintenance now has a range of approximately $ 465 and then peaks at $ 2,065. It’s silly to take over and stick to a budget, especially when there is a chance that you may never need it. But as my mother always told me while making fun of the umbrella walking out the door, it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Rent, rent, rent

Lord Harold Samuel, a real estate mogul, coined the phrase: “There are three things that matter in a property: location, location, location.” No other factor is as important to the success of your business as the location you choose.

Location is not the only consideration. You also need a quality product, a clean booth, and friendly employees. You also need signs that are bright and visible from the main road and hallways. None of this will do any good if you can’t attract customers to your area. Careful determination of new sites is critical for most retail businesses. I can give you some general guidelines and things to consider when making this decision. It’s time to put the location at the top of your to-do list. Below are some of the things to consider.

Demography

For a basic snow cone stand, a little common sense is the main component in making decisions. There are software tools that will give you traffic patterns, demographic information and other data, but you should put your booth not only in your city, but in the neighborhoods you know. Just by living there, you need to know the main areas to look for locations.

You should look for an area with young families and children or high school students who can drive. Elementary, middle, and high schools are good areas. Children’s parks, swimming pools, and sports complexes are also good indicators of the correct demographics. High-traffic areas like malls, restaurants, and stores are another good indicator. Depending on your city, foot traffic or vehicle traffic will be much more important. Another indicator is whether there are other kid-friendly businesses in the area. Do you see an area with a concentration of ice cream parlors, toy stores, galleries or other similar businesses? If these companies are successful in this area, chances are you are.

Once you’ve decided on the areas to consider, you need to test your locations to see which one works best. The easiest way to check is to just go outside and observe the area. Park where you are interested and watch the traffic. Are there many children running around the local park? Do you see as many cars as you expected? Are families moving in and out of local businesses? Sitting and watching on both a weekday and Saturday can be the best way to really get to know an area.

Leasing and renting

At this point, there is more to do for your snow cone stand. Just because you’ve found your dream parking lot or store front doesn’t mean the job is done. Hopefully there is more than one place that you think will work for your business. If this is the case, you should start contacting the business owners to sign a lease. Your rental agreement is almost as important as the location itself. A good owner can make your business run much better, but a more difficult one can cause you a substantial amount of trouble and stress.

Generally, there are 2 types of business owners you can work with: small business owners and large chain stores. Small business owners are much easier to work with. You can usually deal with the landlord in person and the business owner will appreciate the rental income. The corporate headquarters typically takes care of renting the parking space for a major chain of stores. In this case, you can’t just walk into your local Wal-Mart, Target, or Best Buy and sign a lease. Trying to deal with a corporate office means spending a lot of time on the phone trying to find the right person to talk to. Even when you find them, you have to hope that they care enough to call you back. The person on the other end of the phone will not see any of your rental income, but has to go the extra mile to help you. There is no incentive for this to happen. There are also a number of chains that have a general policy of not dealing with small businesses or renting parking spaces.

The amount you must pay for rent will vary considerably from city to city and location to location. In my experience, $ 250-400 was an average rental range, but this may not be accurate for your situation. I suggest asking other snow cone and concession stand owners for a range of the current rate. Be sure to indicate if the lease includes electricity for your booth and how you get power. Other problems that are easy to forget are where you can empty your dirty water tanks and throw out the trash. You also need to make sure there are places for your customers to park and the hours that you can keep the booth open. This may seem obvious, but you need to make sure that you and the owner are on the same page. If you don’t explain it clearly, a different set of ideas can cause you a lot of trouble.

Take into account all the costs associated with the initial opening of your business and the location. This information is crucial to properly budget and plan your opening. When it comes to starting a business, underestimating costs and the time involved is one of the most common and dangerous mistakes new entrepreneurs make. It is also one of the easiest to avoid.

Conclution

The best advice I can give someone is to be thorough in your research. There are no perfect or simple answers. Know your city, area, and particular location. Test your assumptions and do the groundwork to make sure the place is actually as crowded and kid-friendly as you thought. Good luck!

As a real estate agent, you cannot count on any financial bailouts to save your business during this recession. These seven tips from an active real estate broker will help you cut your costs and make your business more efficient and productive:

1. Control your expenses.

While this sounds obvious, you would be surprised how many agents have no idea how much they are spending or what they are spending it on. No wonder: Realtors are often social animals, and delving into a heavyweight accounting program like Quickbooks is downright painful. For personal finance, I recommend a company called Mint. You can link your accounts in about five minutes, and since they only keep track of your finances (you can’t transfer or withdraw anything), they’re very secure.

2. Instead of advertising, try picking up the phone.

I learned this idea from Larry Kendall’s “Ninja Selling” course. His big tip: make 50 short calls to people you know each week and offer them valuable real estate information (sales in your neighborhood, market update, etc.). This costs you nothing and is probably the most effective thing you can do to generate more business. Try it for a month.

3. Use free online office software.

A relatively new phenomenon, several companies are now offering free software that can essentially replace Microsoft Office and other expensive office software. You can spell check, cut and paste, format your text, and do everything else the average writer would need online. As a bonus, your documents are automatically saved and stored online, so you never have to worry about backing up your files or what happens if your computer is lost or stolen. My favorite is Google Docs, which is part of Google’s web applications.

4. Use free or low-cost online transaction management software.

If you are looking for a quick way to differentiate yourself and provide excellent service to your customers, try using free or low-cost online transaction management software. There are several programs available and most allow you to add tasks, milestones, messages, upload documents, etc. Best of all, your customer can log in and view their listing or purchase status at any time. You save money by not needing a transaction coordinator, your clients love the transparency, and you save time because there will be fewer emails and calls back and forth.

5. Use free / low-cost online CRM software.

Most customer relationship management software, especially that designed for the real estate industry, is very difficult to use. Are some custom fields worth hundreds of dollars and hours of syncing and tech headaches? If you don’t think so either, try one of the many online-based CRMs that let you manage up to 250 contacts for free, with more powerful plans available for just a few dollars a month.

6. Use low cost online marketing instead of printing.

If you want to win more ads, you’ll need to differentiate yourself during the ad presentation. Consider creating free single property websites and creating free profiles on sites like Trulia, Zillow, etc., and posting your ads on Craigslist. These low-cost methods can help you get the word out while spending much less than a classified ad in a newspaper.

7. Consider working from home.

If you are an experienced agent and you are not yet doing so, consider working from home. You’ll save on transportation costs, those occasional lattes, and going out for lunch. Keep in mind that working from home is not for everyone, especially new agents or those who have trouble concentrating. New agents need the interaction and expertise of their coworkers, and those who can’t focus will lose more money than they save on lost productivity. Real estate is a great career, and the steps you take now can not only help you get through the recession, but can also put you in a prime position for the next recovery. Best of luck!

If you have a membership site where you charge a monthly fee or upfront fee, you are always leaving money on the table because many people are willing to hire you to do the work for them. Whether we are talking about the real estate niche, the self-help niche, a technical niche, whatever it is, people are always willing to pay you money to do the work for them.

When you are making this price, the work done for you at a price that you think people will not pay. Use this as a way to keep your ear to the ground and figure out what exactly clients want, once you’ve done a lot of these jobs for yourself or completed the coaching jobs, think about selling them on a recurring monthly coaching program. .

If you are against the idea of ​​someone paying you money and being able to hire you to complete a task, consider it a bogus offer. Here’s what that means, make the price for you so high that the membership training someone just bought is very very low in comparison. I’ll give you an example, let’s say you had a training course on how to set up a Facebook fan page. He charged $ 200 for this course, for many people $ 200 may seem like a very high price at first. If you had a button within your membership site that charged $ 5,000 to set up a Facebook fan page, now that $ 200 to learn how to do it themselves seems cheap.

There will always be people who want to see how the process is done, but want someone else to do the heavy lifting. This is where you come in, charging someone $ 200 to figure out how to set up a Facebook fan page and then charging you $ 5,000 to set it up for them. At worst, your customers just say no and don’t buy from you. If some people buy from you, you can talk to them one on one and find out exactly what all of your customers need. For example, if they hire you to set up someone’s Facebook fan page and they ask you for Facebook graphics, they ask you to set up specific tabs, they ask you for a way to connect it to an email autoresponder. These are all the things you can add to your package so that they pay a price and you deliver ten items in return.

It really helps to be attentive to your clients because this will help you with your coaching offerings and you can add this as additional training within your membership site.

Finally, if you get tired of always waiting for someone to buy done for your training or get tired of having to follow up to see if someone needs any work completed this month, get an automatic monthly payment. After all, it only takes a few seconds to set up a single payment button in PayPal, and the same goes for a monthly button.

Just find out how much you are willing to charge per month and then set it to pay you once every thirty days forever and as long as someone pays you month after month, you are providing the agreed service. For example, you can set up someone’s WordPress blog and for them pay you month after month, add content for them, a certain number of blog posts, a certain number of comments, a certain amount of traffic. You do the work every month and get paid every month, it’s pretty simple.

So, add a coaching buy button to your site, treat it as a bogus offer, find out what your clients want, and then think about a monthly coaching upsell.