Six Tips for Fixing Up an Investment Property

Investors everywhere are finding great opportunities in real estate, which is why investing in real estate has increased substantially over the past few years. Low-cost properties offer the opportunity for investors to buy low and flip the property for a healthy profit, if done right. There are a few guidelines for fixing up these kinds of investment properties in order to maximize their appeal to the buyer while maintaining a healthy profit margin. Finding the right balance here is key. Let’s talk about some strategies you can use when fixing up an investment property to maximize the margin.

Six Tips for Fixing Up an Investment Property

Do your homework on the neighborhood.

You want to make upgrades that bring the property in line with others in the neighborhood. If it doesn’t meet the standards of the average property in the area, you won’t attract buyers. The same goes for upgrades that are high above the standards of other properties in the area. A good example is the home’s cooling system. If window units are the standard in the area, you won’t earn back the money you invest in central air conditioning. On the other hand, if central air is the standard, anything less than this is going to turn buyers off.

Out of sight? Not out of mind.

While you’ll want to focus on making the house look as attractive as possible to the buyer, make sure to place the same amount of effort into what goes on behind the scenes. Plumbing, heating, cooling, electricity, and wiring are essential components of a home that you don’t want to skimp on. If any one of these systems needs work, the best thing to do is to hire a licensed contractor. This ensures the work will be done correctly and to code.

Give high-traffic rooms plenty of attention.

The two most used rooms in the house are the kitchen and the bathroom, so devote plenty of time and resources to bringing these rooms up to the standard of the market in the area. A good way to find out what similar homes in the area look like on the inside is to attend a few local open houses.

Sweat the small stuff.

With investment properties you want to make improvements that will return at least twice what you put in. Expensive upgrades like new windows aren’t likely to do this. But small upgrades will. Things like fresh coats of paint, new doorknobs, new cabinet pulls, and new faucets can help you get the return on investment you’re looking for.

Don’t forget the flooring.

If the flooring is carpet, it’s most likely seen the best of its days and is worth replacing. If carpeted floors are the standard in the area, then go with carpet. But, you might find there’s a nice hardwood floor underneath the old carpet that’s worth refinishing. Hardwood floors are always in demand, and refinishing an old hardwood floor can help boost the value of your home.

Boost curb appeal too.

Before a potential buyer even walks in the door, their first impression of your house will be of the outside. Put your best foot forward by cleaning the siding, mowing the grass, and taking care of a neglected landscape.

Source

http://www.frontdoor.com/real-estate/7-tips-to-fix-up-a-foreclosure-without-breaking-your-budget

How a Fast Home Sale for Cash in the Tri-State Area Can Help You

Do you find yourself in a situation in which you need to sell your home fast and for cash in the tri-state area? Grays Home Solutions can help. No matter what kind of situation you may be facing, we can act fast to get you the solution you need. As a home buyer in the tri-state area, we buy homes fast and for cash to help homeowners. If you are:

Facing Foreclosure?

We can help. Foreclosure is something that no homeowner wants to face, but if it does happen, you want to find a way out that is fast but also makes sense. We will buy your home within 7 days and pay for your home in cash. When other options just aren’t working, selling your home fast and for cash could be the answer you’re looking for to deal with foreclosure.

Inheriting a Property?

Maybe you’ve recently inherited a property that you don’t want or don’t need. What could be easier than selling it fast and for cash? If you barely have enough room on your plate as it is, inheriting property can be a big extra hassle. Take care of it fast and easily by selling it for cash.

Behind on Repairs?

Maybe you’re behind on repairs on the property and it’s starting to show, or maybe it’s becoming a big inconvenience. The costs for repairing a home can quickly spiral out of control, even if you attempt to do it yourself. And if you can’t do it yourself, contractors will surely charge you a lot. If your home needs more repairs than you’re able to provide, we can help. We make an offer on all properties, no matter what condition they’re in. Leave the repairs to us, we’ll take care of them once the transaction is complete.

Making a Quick Move?

If you find yourself needing to move fast, you probably don’t have time to sell your home by traditional means. With us, you can sell your home in a week, and get the cash you need to put towards your move. Don’t let your property hold you back from making the move you need to make. Sell your home fast and for cash in the tri-state area with Grays Home Solutions.

For more information on selling your home fast and for cash, contact Grays Home Solutions today. We are a free service and we are here to help.

Sell Your Home Fast and For Cash in Martinsburg

How can you sell your home fast and for cash in Martinsburg? Some would say it can’t be done, but Grays Home Solutions isn’t among them. We specialize in fast home sales for cash in Martinsburg and throughout the tri-state area. How can we help you? Read on to find out.

Your Martinsburg Home Buyer: Grays Home Solutions

As a home buyer in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Grays Home Solutions has experience with buying homes fast. How fast? We’ll purchase your home in 7 days or less. That’s not an estimate, it’s a guarantee. And another guarantee we make is that we’ll pay for your home in nothing but cash. No checks, just one lump sum of cash for your home.

So you can sell you home fast and for cash in Martinsburg? There must be a catch right? No. We are here because we recognize that many homeowners are looking for a solution that can’t be found from traditional real estate outlets. We purchase your home fast and for cash because we know that there are situations in which this is the only solution that will work for you. We’re a free service, and we’re here to help.

Our service also features a few additional benefits that we offer to make the process of selling your home for cash in Martinsburg as easy as possible. First of all, we charge you no fees. Second, you don’t have to make any repairs on your home before selling it to us. No matter what shape your home is in, we will make you an offer. We’ll take care of the repairs on our time after the transaction is complete.

Sell Your Home Fast and For Cash in Martinsburg

No matter when or why you need to sell your home, Grays Home Solutions is a home buyer in Martinsburg who can make it happen, and make it happen fast. Whether you’re facing foreclosure, selling off an inherited property, going through a divorce, or behind on repairs, it doesn’t matter. Don’t wait. Talk to us today to find the solution you’ve been looking for.

How Can I Sell My Home for Cash in West Virginia?

If you’re looking for a way to sell your home for cash in West Virginia, you should know that you do have options. There are many situations in which a homeowner might need to sell their home for cash in West Virginia. Take foreclosure, for example. A traditional home sale is much too slow for a homeowner in a foreclosure situation. Even a short sale might not be fast enough depending on the situation. Fortunately, there are options available that can help you deal with this situation and walk away from your home within 7 days with cash in hand.

How to Sell Your Home for Cash in West Virginia

As a home buyer in West Virginia and the tri-state area, Grays Home Solutions is your solution to the issue of how to sell your home for cash in West Virginia, and how to sell it fast. As a homeowner, you can access the value in your home fast and quickly convert it into liquid assets with our help. We’ve conducted transactions with homeowners throughout the tri-state area in order to get them access to the liquid assets in their home with a turnaround of 7 days of less. So why should you work with us?

Five Reasons to Work with Grays Home Solutions

Speed

We can turn your home into liquid assets in a week’s time or less. Not many home buyers in West Virginia and the tri-state area can say that. If you need to sell your home for cash in West Virginia, we can do it fast to create the solution you need

Cash-in-Hand

What could be simpler than getting cash-in-hand for your home? With Grays Home Solutions, you don’t need to wait for a check to clear, and you don’t need to have a portion of your money deducted from a check cashing service. We pay 100% in cash because we know this provides the optimal solution for you, and we’re here to make sure you find that solution.

No Fees

In addition to our speed and cash policies, we also have a policy of charging you no fees. Now that’s a smart deal.

No Repairs

No matter what kind of shape your home is in, we’ll make you an offer. Whether it needs a little work around the edges or some major repairs, you can leave all the repairs to us.

Experience

As a home buyer in West Virginia and throughout the tri-state area, we have experience with conducting fast transactions and providing solutions to homeowners. For more information or to get started and sell your home for cash in West Virginia, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

And don’t forget that if you know someone who needs to sell their home, refer them to us and you can get a referral fee if we buy their home. Our services are 100% free and we are here to help.

Fast Cash: Sell Your Home for Cash in Hagerstown, Maryland

Do you need to sell your house for cash in Hagerstown, Maryland? Your house is your most valuable asset, but this doesn’t mean this value is tied up and inaccessible to you in the short term. You can sell your house for cash fast with the help of Grays Home Solutions.

Grays Home Solutions is a home buyer in Hagerstown and throughout the tri-state area. We work exclusively in fast home sales for cash, for buyers who need immediate access to the value in their home. If you need to sell your home for cash in Hagerstown or anywhere in the tri-state area, we can help.

Why Should You Sell Your Home with Grays Home Solutions?

Fast

Time is money, and no one knows this better than we do. We complete our home sales fast. How fast? Within 7 days. As a home buyer in Hagerstown and the tri-state area, we take care of home care sales fast so you can get access to the value in your home when you need it, now.

Cash

We pay for all of our homes in cash. No waiting for endless paperwork, no waiting for checks to clear, no deductions from check cashing services, just cash in hand.

No Fees

We don’t charge you any fees. This helps speed up the sale, and is convenient for you.

No Repairs

Does your house need repairs? No matter the extent of the damage, we’ll buy it. As a home buyer in Hagerstown and the tri-state area, we’ll make an offer on your home even if it needs extensive repairs. We take care of all the repairs ourselves after we purchase your home.

You can access the value in your home fast for a quick sale. If you need to sell your home for cash in Hagerstown or the tri-state area, contact us today to get started. By this time next week, your house could be sold, and you could have cash in hand.

Even if you don’t need to sell your home, you may know someone who does. How would you like to get paid to help out a friend? Help your friend sell their home with us and we’ll pay you a referral fee. Everyone wins!

Please don’t hesitate to call us with questions or concerns. Our services are 100% free and we are here to help. Contact Grays Home Solutions, your Hagerstown home buyers, today.

Why You Should Invest in Real Estate

In today’s world, the road to financial freedom is traveled by those who are willing to make investments of time and money, and willing to put in the work necessary to realize the potential of these resources. Real estate is one of the areas where this combination can pay off. And with the state of the real estate market being what it is today, investors are finding that it is easier than ever to get into the market and turn a profit.

Real estate investing is often thought of as a game for large-scale commercial investors, but the truth is that even individuals with a little capital can easily get their foot in the door. After the market crash of the late 2000’s, the number of foreclosed and rundown houses on the market skyrocketed. The market has slowly recovered since then, but has a long way to go to reach pre-crash levels. While it’s on its way back up, investors are getting in at the bottom and riding this wave to its crest. Real estate investors everywhere are buying rundown homes at a low cost, fixing them up, and turning them around to put on the market. Many investors are also choosing to fix up these properties and rent them out as opposed to flipping them. This provides investors with a fixed stream of income once the house has been fixed up.

In Maryland in particular, this investment strategy is gaining popularity and yielding substantial results. In 2011, about 1,000 homes were flipped in Maryland. In 2013, this number jumped to 3,522. As for earning potential, in 2013 the average gross profit for a flipped property in the state was $98,122. Nearby in the D.C. metro area, real estate investors realized an average profit of $112,000 on flipped properties. USA Today ranked Maryland as the 3^rd best state in the country for buying and flipping homes in 2013.

If you’re interested in learning more about this real estate investment strategy, Grays Home Solutions can help. As a home buyer in Maryland and the tri-state area, we offer properties with lots of potential for investors looking to get their start in the real estate market. Contact us today for more information on investing in real estate and getting on the path to financial freedom.

Source

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/02/02/6-best-states-to-flip-a-house/5115321/

How to Sell Your House for Cash in Frederick, Maryland

If you need to sell your house for cash in Frederick, Maryland, you need to ensure you’re working with the right person. There are a several benefits to selling your home for cash, but there are also things you need to watch out for. Unfortunate as it is, unscrupulous home buyers aren’t uncommon in this line of business. We’ve put together a list of things to watch out for when looking for a home buyer in Frederick, and help you sell your house for cash knowing that you’ve picked a reputable service you can work with.

When Selling Your House for Cash

Does the buyer want to see the property?

Any reputable buyer will take a look at the property in order to assess its condition and make you an offer. If a buyer says he doesn’t need to look at your house, this should prompt you to think twice about working with him.

Watch out for check scams

A common scam in this kind of transaction involves a buyer who renders a check for the property, and then says they changed their mind and want a refund after the seller had deposited the check but before it cleared the bank. The seller writes a check and refunds the buyer’s money, only to find that the buyer’s check never cleared the bank, leaving the seller out for the whole amount.

No negotiating?

If the buyer says there’s no need to negotiate, this is another problem. It’s in the best interest of both parties to negotiate, so a lack of interest in negotiations means something is off.

Does payment seem suspicious?

Many buyers who pay in cash have reputable sources for their money, but some use cash from illegal sources such as money laundering. If you feel this may be the case, contact law enforcement. If you don’t, you could be involved in an unwanted legal situation, even losing your home.

As you can see, the saying “let the buyer beware” applies here, but that shouldn’t dissuade you from selling your house for cash. If you’re smart and know what you’re getting into and who you’re working with, you can enjoy the many benefits of selling your house for cash.

Why should you sell your house for cash in Frederick?

Cash

It’s worth repeating: a cash sale means cash in hand. From there, it’s yours to do with it what you want.

Fast

Cash sales are much faster than other methods of selling a house. If you need to sell your house fast to avoid foreclosure, for example, a cash sale may be exactly what you need.

Convenience

A fast sale that ends with cash in hand? What could be more convenient than that?

If you’re interested in selling your house fast and for cash in Frederick, consider Grays Home Solutions. As a home buyer in Frederick and throughout the Tri-State area, we conduct fast home sales and helping out buyers who need to sell their house fast. Contact us today for more information.

Source

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/things-watch-selling-house-cash-7279.html

What are the Benefits of Working with a Real Estate Agent?

The majority of real estate transactions are done with the help of a real estate agent, and many consider their assistance money well spent. Navigating the complex world of real estate can be difficult for both buyers and sellers, and the experience of an agent can really help simplify this process. Though buying or selling without a realtor has the allure of not having to pay commission, many people in the market still choose to work with a realtor for all the benefits that this entails.

What are the Benefits of Working with a Real Estate Agent?

Time Management

You have a job, and so does a real estate agent. If you choose to work without a real estate agent, suddenly you are essentially working two jobs: your job and the job of the agent. This takes up a lot of time, and can be very stressful. Working with an agent allows you to pass off many of the responsibilities of house-hunting or selling to the agent, and overall can make the process a lot less stressful, and leave you with time to do the things you enjoy.

Access to the Market

As an outsider, you only have so much access to the market. You can use public listings and attend open houses on your own, but you’re not exposed to the full range of properties that are available. Agents use the Multiple Listing Service, which gives a complete picture of properties for sale in your area. Agents also have industry contacts and a network which gives them much greater access to the real estate market. If plenty of options is what you’re after, an agent can help.

Market Knowledge

It’s not reasonable to expect someone who’s not involved in the real estate market to know the ins and outs and keep up with local trends in their area. A real estate agents makes it his or her job to do exactly this. Working with someone with this insider knowledge can help you in a number of ways. From knowing the real value of a property to advertising to determining your buying power, buyers and sellers stand to gain a lot from the insider knowledge of an agent.

Experience

In a similar vein, agents have a lot of experience doing what they do, whereas the average person doesn’t. This is especially important during the more difficult or complicated parts of buying/selling such as negotiation. An agent knows how to negotiate and how to get close to the price you’re looking for. Agents also know how to guide you through the complicated and paperwork-filled process of closing.

Customer Service

Due to the nature of their line of work, agents have great people skills, and know how to provide good customer service. Working with an agent who is a good communicator and enjoyable to be around can make the process of buying or selling a home much less stressful.

Grays Home Solutions is not a real estate agency, but we do work with many talented agents in the area. We are very fortunate to have some of the best real estate agents right here in the tri-state area. For more information about local agents or our services, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

New Deficiency Judgment Rules in Maryland

Deficiency judgment rules in Maryland are about to change, thanks to the passage of a new law in the recent legislative session. A deficiency judgment is the process by which a lenders seeks payment for any funds that weren’t accounted for in a foreclosure sale. As an example, if a home is valued at $100,000, and sells for $75,000 in a foreclosure sale, the lender can seek a deficiency judgment to file for the additional $25,000 in value that the sale didn’t bring.

Previously, the lender had up to 12 years to file a deficiency judgment and collect this outstanding mortgage debt. This extended timeline made it difficult for homeowners who had been through foreclosure to move on, as they could never be sure if the lender would seek a deficiency judgment 5, 10, or even 12 years out.

The new law shortens this timeframe significantly, reducing it from 12 years to 3 years. The new law also makes a deficiency judgment the only method by which a lender can seek payment on an outstanding mortgage. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2014. Another bill which would have put a halt on all foreclosures in the state for 6 months did not pass.

Finding a buyer for your home doesn’t have to be a difficult process. We’re looking for properties of all types across the Tri-state area. It doesn’t matter if your house is in pristine condition or if it has seen better days, we buy it all. Best of all, in addition to our speed, you pay no fees or commissions when we buy your home. Now there’s an offer that you can’t refuse.

Even if you’re not looking for a buyer, you can participate in our sellers referral program. Here’s how it works. Send us the phone number and property address for a For Sale By Owner or vacant property. We’ll take a look, and if we buy the property we’ll pay you $250 as a thank you for providing the lead.

Are you interested in learning more about selling your home fast? Our ebook has a ton of great information for you. We also have an ebook with information on how to avoid foreclosure, available for download here. They’re both free, so give them a look. You can also connect with Grays Home Solutions on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn for more real estate made simple.

Sources

http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=3873dc88-1dca-429c-9fba-fef5f101b244

http://www.wbaltv.com/politics/compromises-fail-on-several-highprofile-md-bills/25398598

Maryland 3rd Best State For Home Flipping

Maryland is the 3^rd best state in the country for buying and flipping homes, according to 24/7 Wall St. and USA Today. So what makes Maryland a great place for investing in and flipping real estate? It has a lot to do with the state’s foreclosure rate. Maryland has ranked in the top 5 states with the highest foreclosure rate for many consecutive months now. Just two months ago in February there were 2,210 foreclosure starts in the state, and in March the state ranked as the second highest in the nation for foreclosure rates behind Florida. In March, 1 in every 527 units received a foreclosure filing in Maryland compared to 1 in every 1,121 nationally.

At Grays Home Solutions, our goal is to provide solutions for those on both sides of the foreclosure coin. If you’re facing foreclosure, we offer a fast solution that provides an alternative to foreclosure and some of the consequences associated with foreclosure. If you’re a real estate investor, we offer these homes as an opportunity for you to use affordable real estate as a means for wealth-building and earning potential.

So what kind of earning potential is there in Maryland? According to 24/7 Wall St. the average gross profit for a flipped property in 2013 in Maryland was $98,122. Home flipping has significantly increased in popularity over the past few years as well, with 3,522 homes flipped in 2013 compared to about 1,000 in 2011. Maryland’s proximity to the highly desirable D.C. metro area also bodes well for flippers. “On average, flipped homes in the D.C. metro area were sold for $372,792 at a profit of more than $112,000 last year, more than in most other metro areas.”

If you’re looking to invest in low-cost properties with lots of earning potential, we can help. Gray’s Home Solutions has properties of all types across the Tri-state area. Click here for a full list of properties, and contact us for more detailed information. Even if you’re not looking to buy right now, you can participate in our sellers referral program. Here’s how it works. Send us the phone number and property address for a For Sale By Owner or vacant property. We’ll take a look, and if we buy the property we’ll pay you $250 as a thank you for providing the lead.

Sources

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/02/02/6-best-states-to-flip-a-house/5115321/

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/state-foreclosures-maryland/