Archive for the 'Finance' Category



Home Equity Increases $1 Trillion in Five Years - Is the Market Peaking

Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:33 pm

A new survey reveals that in the last five years, the equity in the California real estate market has increased by more than one trillion dollars. A trillion dollars is a large number to ponder, but put in concrete terms, it can be represented by a stack of one hundred dollar bills that is six hundred thirty one miles high! This astronomical increase in California home values isn’t all that unique, however. Prices on the East Coast, particularly in the Washington, D.C. area, are increasing just as rapidly. There are areas on both coasts where home prices have tripled during the last five years. This, along with the dramatic increase in interest-only mortgages among homebuyers, suggests that home prices may be peaking.

In California, 35% of all mortgages written are interest-only mortgages. In Washington, the figure is a whopping 48%. With an interest-only mortgage, the homeowner pays only the interest on the home loan for the first few years of mortgage payments. After the agreed-upon period of time ends, the amount of the payment is adjusted to include a portion of the principal. This typically increases the amount of the payment by about one-third. Interest-only mortgages have gained in popularity as home prices have increased, mostly because buyers otherwise would not be able to afford to buy homes. The problem with these mortgages is that for the first few years of payments, the buyers aren’t actually paying anything for the home itself!

What these statistics tell us is that in California, more than one third of buyers cannot afford a mortgage that allows them to actually contribute to paying for the home when they move in, and in Washington, the figure is nearly one half. Experts disagree on exactly when the hot real estate market will collapse, but it would seem to the casual observer that when half of all buyers can’t actually afford to make payments on the home they’ve just purchased, the collapse may be near.

What does this mean for potential buyers? Anyone considering purchasing a home in the red-hot markets in California or on the East Coast should carefully consider whether or not they can actually afford to purchase a home. Qualifying for a loan isn’t good enough if you can’t actually make payments that will reduce your principal. If may be wiser to buy in a cheaper outlying area and commute. Others may wish to rent in the short term in hopes that the prices will soon decline. It is always difficult to predict which way the real estate market will go, but a market where one-third to one-half of buyers can’t actually reduce their principal should set off an alarm for anyone considering a real estate purchase.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a Website devoted to debt consolidation information and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information on home equity loans.




Debt Consolidation - Options for Reducing Your Debt

Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:31 pm

Studies show that Americans are now saving less than ever before. Along with that, Americans are carrying a heavier debt load than ever. It’s easy for a home loan, a car loan and a few credit card bills to get out of hand, and many people are struggling with more debt than they can easily pay. To make matters worse, new bankruptcy legislation will make it harder than ever to file bankruptcy for those who simply cannot pay their bills.

There are a number of solutions available that allow most people to reduce their interest rate on their debt, reduce their total monthly payment, or both:

  • Ask for a lower rate on your credit card. If you have been making payments regularly, and you haven’t had a history of late payment, you may be able to lower your interest rate on your credit cards simply by calling your credit card company and asking them! It doesn’t always work, but the market for credit cards is pretty competitive these days, and many lenders would rather lower your interest rate than lose you as a customer. It’s worth asking.
  • Get a new credit card. If your lender isn’t willing to lower your rate, shop around for a credit card with a better interest rate. There is no reason to be paying 20% or more in credit card interest if you don’t have to. The interest on credit cards is not tax deductible, but if you can get a credit card with a lower interest rate and you move balances from other cards to that one, you can save quite a bit.
  • Take out a traditional bank loan with collateral. You can probably obtain a simple installment loan from your bank by putting up cash or investments as collateral for the loan. Like credit cards, the interest isn’t tax deductible, but the interest rate may be better than credit cards, and if you consolidate several payments into one with a bank loan, you will lower your monthly payment.
  • Take out a home equity loan or home equity line of credit. If you have equity in your home, you can borrow up to 80% of your equity in either a lump sum or a revolving line of credit. Interest rates are still quite low on home loans, so this one could be a good way to consolidate your debt. As a bonus, the interest is tax deductible. A minor downside is the fact that these loans usually have application fees and/or closing costs.
  • Most people can utilize one of the ideas above to help them reduce their debt. If none of these options work for you, you should consider speaking to a credit counselor, who can outline other options that may work for you. Many credit-counseling agencies are non-profit, so it may be worth your while to talk to a credit counselor if nothing else will work.

    ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information regarding home equity loans.




    Identity Theft - Don’t Be A Victim!

    Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:31 pm

    Moments after stepping out of the taxi, Rachel plunged through the entranceway of the hotel lobby eager to put behind what had been a terribly exhausting day. Flight delays due to weather had caused her LAX-MDW-BWI trip to take nearly eleven hours to complete. All she could think of was taking off her shoes to relieve her aching feet and dipping them into soothing, warm bath water.

    The line at the front desk was mercifully short. One clerk caught Rachel’s attention and signaled her forward she gave him her reservation information and then dug out her American Express card for payment. As he stepped away to verify its authenticity Rachel’s eyes surveyed the lobby. “They’ve updated everything since I was last here”, she thought. Her concentration, clouded by fatigue, was now on the mission style tables, chairs, and light fixtures, which had replaced the heavy, wooden furniture previously occupying the lobby. “Here is your card and room key, ma’am,” the clerk interrupted minutes later. Quickly, Rachel stuffed her card back into her wallet, gathered her bags and whisked away to her room.

    Rachel was a victim of identity theft that night, but did not know it at the time. Had she kept a watchful eye on what her clerk was doing instead of studying the lobby, she might have noticed him switching cards on her. At the very least, she would have seen that the card handed to her beneath her room key was not her own.

    Identity theft is an exploding problem that has increased exponentially in this technological age. Particularly since the early 1990s thieves have been taking advantage of what we would consider every day transactions: writing a check at the grocery store, ordering merchandise via the internet, applying for a credit card, using your cell phone, and more. Each transaction requires you to share personal information: your bank and credit card account numbers; your income, your Social Security Number (SSN); and your name, address, and phone numbers.

    An identity thief will lift some piece of your personal information and appropriate it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. One of the most common methods is when the identity thief uses your personal information to open a credit card account in your name.

    The Federal Trade Commission is the arm of the federal government tasked with overseeing the problem of identity theft. A special hotline number (1-877-IDTHEFT) was created for consumers to call to place your information in a database which is accessible with other law enforcement agencies and private entities, including any companies about which you may complain. Additionally, an ID Theft Affidavit a form you can use to alert companies where a new account was opened in your name can be filled out and given to the company. This affidavit is available online to consumers.

    Identity thieves can get your personal information in a number of ways:

    * They steal wallets and purse containing your i.d. and credit and bank cards.

    * They steal your mail, including your bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, telephone calling cards and tax information.

    * They complete a “change of address form” to divert your mail to another location.

    * They rummage through your trash, or the trash of businesses, for personal data in a practice known as “dumpster diving.”

    * They fraudulently obtain your credit report by posing as a landlord, employer or someone else who may have a legitimate need for and a legal right to the information.

    * They get your business or personnel records at work.

    * They find personal information in your home.

    * They use personal information you share on the internet.

    * They buy your personal information from “inside” sources. For example, an identity thief may pay a store employee for information about you that appears on an application for goods, services or credit.

    Identity thieves will then take the personal information they have obtained about you and use it in a number of different ways:

    * They will call your credit card issuer and, pretending to be you, ask to change the mailing address on your credit card account. The imposter then runs up charges on your account. Because your bills are being sent to the new address, it may take some time before you realize that there is a problem.

    * They open a new credit card account, using your name, date of birth and SSN. When they sue the credit card and don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report.

    * They establish phone or wireless service in your name.

    * They open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.

    * They file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they have incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction.

    * They counterfeit checks or debits cards, and drain your bank account.

    * They buy cars by taking out auto loans in your name.

    Fortunately for Rachel, American Express covered her losses. Although she didn’t find out about the theft until she reached her home in California, American Express suspended her account when a number of suspicious charges appeared and she couldn’t be reached by them to verify the charges. Their fraud department left a message on her phone answering machine instructing her to call them and, when she did, Rachel was notified that someone else was using her card. When she explained that she had the card in her possession, she checked her purse and found a card for someone else instead.

    Visa, MasterCard and American Express absorb the cost of fraud as long as they are notified by the consumer [certain restrictions may apply check with your card issuer for specific details]. Had Rachel used a debit card, the story might have been much different. Unlike a credit card, the debit card takes a direct hit on your bank account, meaning that you will have to absorb the loss.

    So, all is well with Rachel, right? Sure, American Express overnighted a new card with a new account number for Rachel to use on her next trip, but the problem could very well have continued and deepened had she not taken three more steps recommended by the Federal Trade Commission:

    First, contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus. Tell them that you are a victim of identity theft. Request that a “fraud alert” be placed in your file, as well as a victim’s statement asking that creditors call you before opening any new accounts or changing your existing accounts. This can help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in your name.

    At the same time, order copies of your credit reports from the credit bureaus. Credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your report if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, and you make that request in writing. Review your reports carefully to make sure no additional fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or unauthorized changes made to your existing accounts.

    Second, contact the creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Creditors can include credit card companies, phone companies and other utilities, and banks and other lenders.

    Third, if possible, file a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the police report in case the bank, credit card company or others need proof of the crime. Even if the police are unable to catch the thief, the report can be helpful when dealing with creditors.

    In summation, identity theft is a problem that is causing businesses and consumers billions of dollars per year. As a result, higher interest rates and an increase in the cost of goods and services is passed on to consumers. So, do not be a victim protect yourself from identity theft by remaining alert especially when a third party is handling your personal information.

    Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful web design and marketing company based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at http://www.corporateflyer.net and the Aviation Employment Board at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.net This article originally appeared in the Summer 2002 issue of the Flight Attendant News.




    Tax Jokes and Quotes

    Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:29 pm

    Do you realize that some tax forms ask you to check a box if
    you are BLIND?

    Quote: “Two years ago it was impossible to get through on
    the phone to the IRS. Now it’s just hard to get through.
    That’s progress.”
    -Charles Rossotti, former IRS Commissioner

    Disappointed that you never had time to write the great
    American novel? Don’t fret, just go dig out your past tax
    returns.

    Quote: “The Eiffel Tower is the Empire State Building after
    taxes.”

    Under the Freedom of Information Act, a man with a small
    business sent a request to the IRS asking if they had a file
    on him. The IRS wrote back, “There is now.”

    Quote: “It would be nice if we could all pay our taxes with
    a smile, but normally cash is required.”

    Q: Who audits IRS agents?

    Quote: “Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is quite
    as satisfying as an income tax refund.”

    Q: How do you drive a CPA insane?

    A: Fill out Form 1040EZ.

    Quote: “The government deficit is the difference between the
    amount of money the government spends and the amount it has
    the nerve to collect.”

    Why is it that when the IRS loses a tax return, it is
    considered a mistake, but when you lose a receipt, it is
    considered tax evasion?

    Quote: “The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes
    are taken out, it’s just sort of a tired feeling.”

    Q: How do you humble a person that flaunts their wealth?

    A: Have them fill out a tax return.

    Quote: “Even when you make a tax form out on the level, you
    don’t know when it’s through if you are a crook or a
    martyr.”

    Q: Why is a tax audit like a tornado?

    A: There’s a lot of screaming and you end up losing your house.

    Quote: “When are we going to be allowed to list the
    government as a dependent?”

    People often say death and taxes are the same, but this
    is wrong. Death is a taxable event, but taxes never
    die.

    Richard Chapo is CEO of http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com -
    Obtaining tax refunds for small businesses by finding
    overlooked tax deductions and credits through a free tax
    return review.




    What You Need to Know About Interest Rates

    Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:29 pm

    For all people shop around for the best rate, there are few who have taken the time to sit down and add it all up. After all, why would you bother? The answer is that understanding just how interest rates work can help you see how important small differences in rates and payment amounts can be.

    Interest Rates are Compound.

    It is important to remember that what you owe is compounded - that means you pay interest on the interest you owe from the month before. That means that if you’re paying 2% per month in interest, you’re not paying 24% per year - you’re actually paying 26.82%. Charging interest monthly instead of yearly is a trick to make it feel like you are paying a very low price for your borrowing.

    A Thought Experiment.

    Here’s a question: would you rather have $1 million, or $10,000 in a savings account earning 20% per year in compound interest?

    Well, let’s see how that $10,000 would grow. After 10 years: $61,917. 20 years: $383,375. 30 years: $2,373,763. 40 years: $91,004,381. 50 years: $563,475,143.

    So after fifty years, you’d have over $500 million?! Well, not so fast. Of course, you have to take inflation into account - if we say inflation is 5%, then that money would have the buying power that $10,732,859 does today. Still, that’s not a bad return on your investment of $10,000, is it?

    That’s the power of compound interest, and the way the credit card companies make their money (it’s also the way pensions work, and the reason the prices of things seem to rise massively as you get older). Be very, very afraid of compound interest. Or, of course, you could start saving, and be very glad of it

    Compound Interest Adds Up.

    Let’s work through an example on a more real kind of scale. Let’s say you have an average unpaid balance of $1,000 on a card at 15% APR.

    You will owe $150 in interest for the first year you borrow. However, this amount is then added onto the balance, and interest is charged on that. The second year, you’d owe another $172.50, for a total of $1,322.50. It goes on, with totals like this: $1,520.88, $1,749.00, $2,011.35.

    After just five years at 15%, you’d owe double what you borrowed. And after 10 years, you’d owe four times what you borrowed! Bet you weren’t expecting that. If you let something like that carry on for long enough, you’ll end up paying back that credit card for years afterwards, paying back what you borrowed many times over and still not clearing the debt. Most people don’t work this out, and feel that the payments must simply be their fault for spending too much money to begin with.

    One Percent of Difference.

    One more thing. You might think there’s not that much difference between a card that charges 15% APR and one that charges 12% APR. Let’s see the difference the lower rate would make to that $1,000 borrowed for five years. Remember, after five years at 15%, you owed $2,011.35.

    At 12%: $1,120, $1,254.40, $1,404.93, $1,573.52 $1,762.34 after five years. So you’ve saved $249.01 from that 3% difference in APR - in other words, you’ve paid almost 25% less interest.

    Ken Austin is the webmaster at Debt Consolidation Solutions and Credit Relief Solutions




    Should You Sell Your Structured Settlement

    Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:28 pm

    The courts have just awarded you a settlement in the amount of $1.3 million dollars for injuries you sustained while using the Widget Corporation’s product. However, the terms of the settlement require that Widget pay you a small amount right now, with the remaining funds to be dispersed over the next 20 years. This “structured settlement” works fine for some people, but you have medical bills that need to be paid now. What can you do about it? Answer: you can sell your structured settlement and receive additional cash now.

    So, exactly what is a “structured settlement?” The Center for Justice and Democracy describes it as follows:

    Also called “periodic payments,” structured settlement laws either mandate, allow defendants to request, or allow courts to require that some or all payments awarded by a judge or jury be made to the injured consumer over a long period of time. In other words, the injured consumer is prohibited from receiving payments in a lump sum. These provisions increase the hardships of the most seriously injured consumers who are hit soon after an injury with large medical costs and must make adjustments in transportation and housing. Often, the law allows insurance companies to pocket the money upon the plaintiff’s death.

    There are companies whose primary source of business is to purchase your structured settlement and give you a lump sum payment instead. Of course, you must pay a significant fee to gain access to money now instead of waiting. Still, it is an option for some people especially if they need the money now.

    Lawsuit settlements are not the only structured settlements that you may receive. In addition, you could receive a settlement for:

    1. Royalties.

    2. Inheritances.

    3. Lottery Winnings.

    4. Annuities.

    5. Mortgages.

    6. Leases.

    7. Life Insurance Policies.

    8. Business Notes.

    When deciding whether to sell your structured settlement or not, you need to consider that your proceeds — if taken over time — have a tendency to be eroded by inflation. $1.3 million today could be worth half that in 20 years! In addition, you may not live long enough to receive all of the proceeds, although in most cases the remaining unclaimed funds would go to your estate as an inheritance.

    So, should you cash your structured settlement in? Good question! Sit down with a calculator and determine what fees you are willing to pay and what expenses need to be addressed immediately. If you have immediate pressing needs, then contact a settlement company today for more information.

    Matt Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of business, human interest, advocacy, and family issues. Please visit http://www.thearticlewriter.com for more information.




    Real Estate Negotiation Secrets

    Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:27 pm

    When you bought your home, you offered less than you were willing to pay, right? That’s the most common negotiation technique. For experienced investors, however, that’s just one little secret among the many more powerful ones. What else can you do?

    How To Make An Offer

    1. Offer an odd amount, like $161,793. This gives the impression that you know something the seller doesn’t. They may think you have a good reason for that particular price.

    2. Play dumb. Ask questions, talk slow, ask for help, and never show off your real estate expertise. Sellers are afraid to budge if they think a smarter person may be taking advantage of them.

    3. Use the “limited authority” ploy. Say “I’ll have to check with my wife (or partner).” It’s easier for sellers to accept that you can’t do something, rather than the idea that you won’t.

    4. Refer to precedent. “My father bought his house this way.” If the offer is at all unusual, sellers will feel more comfortable if they know it has been done that way before.

    5. Ask for things you don’t want. This lets the seller win concessions when negotiating. If you can say, “I guess I don’t need the refrigerator, if I can get my price,” you’re more likely to get your price.

    6. Be reluctant. “well, I don’t know…” Reluctance gets the seller looking for ways to motivate you, and lets him feel like he’s won something when you settle the point.

    7. Make the offer their idea. “Are you saying you’d like a later closing, and more earnest money? Well let’s do it your way, then. I just need…”

    8. Get a yes before the offer. “What if I paid your price, but got my terms? Would that work for you?” Even with a few changes, it will be hard for the seller to say no to an offer he more or less already agreed to.

    9. Flatter the seller. Flattery has been proven to be worth an average of $1962 in real estate negotiations. That’s a joke, by the way, but you know if he likes you, you’ll probably get a better deal.

    10. Pass over problems, and return to them later. Agree on every agreeable point first. It will feel like the house is sold then, and it will be difficult for a seller to lose the deal over an issue or two that you need to go in your favor.

    You can spend a lot of time looking for cheap houses. Why not spend a little time learning how to purchase every home for less, with some smart negotiation?

    Steve Gillman has invested real estate for years. To learn more, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com




    Class Action Lawsuits

    Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:26 pm

    First of all, let me say that anyone who has been in any way hurt or injured by any other party and settled through a class action lawsuit, disregard this article. I am more interested in the little frivolous lawsuits that award pitiful amounts to offended parties who most likely had no idea they were offended.

    There are habitual class action participators and then there are the lucky ones who find themselves on the receiving end of a check to settle a dispute they were most likely never aware of in the first place. And the best part is the size of the checks, often in amounts less than the stamps used to mail them. Nothing like getting a check for fourteen cents in the mail says L. Matthews, whose settlement check in the landmark case against American Express Centurion Bank just arrived.

    Sometimes the amount isn’t the issue as much as the stipulations surrounding the acceptance of the settlement. In Los Angeles, a judge approved an agreement calling for Sony Pictures Entertainment to pay $1.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the studio of citing a fake movie critic in ads for several films, an attorney said Tuesday.

    Moviegoers who saw the films “Vertical Limit,” “A Knight’s Tale,” “The Animal,” “Hollow Man” or “The Patriot” during their original theater runs must file a claim to be eligible for a $5 per ticket reimbursement, said lawyer Norman Blumenthal, who represented a group of filmgoers who sued Sony Pictures in 2001. What do they do when the 1.5 million runs out? You have to assume more than 300,000 tickets were sold between the four movies.

    I have been awarded three ridiculous checks as settlement for things I wasn’t truly injured by. I am proud to say those checks; totaling $7.41 were not and never will be cashed. Cashing them would be condoning the practice, where consumers get the pittance, and the attorneys pushing the cases get the nice cars. Me? I’m hoping for a direct hit by a dominoes delivery driver.

    Jason Rigler
    Settlement Advocate” and consultant for Prosperity Partners Customer Service Department.




    A Summary of the Fair Credit Reporting Act

    Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:26 pm

    This summary of the Fair Credit Reporting Act will explain what you can legally do if you want to repair your own credit report. No matter what you hear, you can dispute credit information on your credit report if you understand the legal rights you have under this law.

    The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act was enacted by the United States Congress in 1971. In summary, it says that the credit bureaus must investigate a consumer dispute if they want to challenge credit information on his or her credit report.

    It also states that credit bureaus are required to complete the investigation within a 30 day period. If the credit bureau finds that the disputed information is inaccurate or cannot be verified, they must promptly delete that information.

    But there are some cases when a consumer dispute can be ignored by the credit bureaus. If you challenge a negative credit listing on the basis of things like health problems, divorce or job loss, the credit bureaus are entitled to ignore those kinds of disputes. The information you dispute must be either old or incorrect.

    You must file a valid dispute where the credit bureaus can contact the creditor and confirm that the new information you gave them is accurate and can be verified. If the credit bureau does not receive verification from the creditor within 30 days, the Fair Credit Reporting Act says the credit bureau must promptly delete that credit listing.

    Even though the process sounds simple, the credit bureaus make it more difficult than you can imagine. The credit bureaus don’t like the credit repair companies or anyone offering instruction on how to repair your own credit report. Why? Because it means more work for them.

    The credit bureaus blast credit repair companies in the media and warn people against using credit repair services. The bureaus openly deny that any information can even be removed from your credit report.

    It is reported that 79 percent of all credit reports contain some type of errors, and up to 25 percent of these errors could result in credit denials, hiked interest rates, and even lost employment opportunities.

    If you have any amount of negative credit on your credit report it will cause the interest on all loans you apply for to be much higher. It will even become a barrier to your credit approval. That will cost you a fortune in unnecessary higher interest resulting in higher payments on anything you buy.

    How you decide to address or dispute credit information is entirely up to you. But regardless of what you may hear in the news, thousands of people have restored their credit. You can choose to repair your own credit report or hire a professional service to do it for you.

    The truth is you do not have to endure bad credit for seven to ten years if you want to challenge the accuracy of your credit report. This summary of the Fair Credit Reporting Act shows you it is possible for you to repair your own credit report and the sooner you start the better.

    Copyright © 2005 Credit Repair Facts.com All Rights Reserved.

    This article is supplied by http://www.credit-repair-facts.com where you will find credit information, debt elimination programs and informative facts that give you the knowledge to correct your own credit and credit report. For more credit related articles like these go to: http://www.credit-repair-facts.com/articles_1.html




    Get To Know About Building Codes & Town Planning Applications, If You Want To Build A House

    Tuesday 12 February 2008 @ 6:26 pm

    These are real building questions that I received from readers of my e-book, “Residential Development Made Easy” with answers from me, Colm Dillon, and a major USA Construction Master operating in 48 States.

    Question 1.

    Are there mandatory common national building codes that every state IN THE USA must abide by?

    Reply

    Unfortunately, the answer is no. But if so, would it make my job would so much easier if there was. Every county, township and city has its own codes.

    We simply call each one and get the local codes and build from there. Can you imagine the inefficiency and therefore costs that this process adds to the cost of doing business from a
    builders and customers point of view.

    It would be logical and wonderful if there was a common code for all States with separate list of Variations issued by each authority for things like climatic conditions.

    By that I meanin cold climates we want codes to reflect minimum conditions for “retaining ‘heat’ inside the house” and the reverse for tropical climate.

    However the basic code for building houses to be the same as to structural soundness etc. Unfortunately there is no “one” website to gain access to this information, you have to contact
    each individual authority.

    Question 2.

    When looking to develop raw land whom is the best person to start with to determine what you can
    actually build on it?

    Reply

    I have written lots of information on this subject on my web site Blog at:
    http://www.realestatedevelopmentcoach.com/emailblog
    but the start point is to determine the zoning of the land in question - from there everything flows.

    I mean if you are looking at land that is zoned industrial (and you don’t know this) any thought you may have of building a house on it is a waste of time, OK?

    Next - if it is land for creating a residential subdivision, go and see an engineer, if you live in the USA; or a Land Surveyor in other countries like Australia, New Zealand or the UK.

    If the land is zoned for units, apartments, condos or any higher density development, you should see an architect if you want to develop the property yourself.

    Question 3.

    I have seen Hearing Notices placed on recently purchased land in my area. It seems to take months before the hearings in our area of P.G. County, Maryland actually happen.

    Reply

    Well, just as there are building codes for each area of the country, so too there are development codes set out in the Town Plan for each town, city etc.

    The Town Plan sets out the development rules, such as building line set-backs from each boundary; height restrictions; material standards and lots of other things.

    In addition to that you usually have to advertise to the Public by newspaper, as well as a sign on the property, that you have lodged a Development Application.

    You will have been told by the Town Plan, how many times the advert has to appear and how long the sign on the property has to stay erected on the land - oh yes, it has to be erected on the front boundary, not on the rear boundary behind a bush.

    All this takes time - advertising alone can be a month, then you have time if Objections from the Public are lodged - then time for it to be checked by authority officers - then it has to get on the Council’s agenda. Oh sorry, you missed that meeting. You have to wait another month. So yep, it is a
    long process.

    Anyone who has an interest in the property or will be directly affected by what you propose to develop can attend these meetings.

    Some people may not want you to build because of the noise, or the traffic your development will add or because they once saw aliens there. You get all kinds of people who reject change.

    Question 4.

    As a member of the public how do they make their concerns or support be heard?

    Reply

    If you’re a citizen attending the hearing, the chairperson will ask anyone who wishes to speak to approach the podium and state their objections or comments.

    If you are better organized, you can lodge an objection in writing, setting out your reasons and referring to similar cases that support your position.

    Question 5.

    If you are the developer what action is required of you? What team of people do you need to be with you?

    Reply

    If the fire in your belly tends to come out of your mouth, when provokes, don’t attend - someone will find your ‘hot button’. Result - lose your cool, you lose the argument.”

    If you’re proposed development is contentious, then I would engage a professional Town Planned to represent you.

    As a professional, they are independent; can argue on the basis of town planning principals; will know the weaknesses of the local town plan; and will put your case in language and temperament far better than you can.

    Author & $1.2 Billion Developer, Colm Dillon, Has Written The Best Selling ‘How-To’ E-book,
    “Residential Development Made Easy,” With Readers In All States Of The USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland and 79 Other Countries. His Independent Web Site is:
    http://www.realestatedevelopmentcoach.com/ez




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