Is there anyone who doesn’t know about the real mess that housing has been in lately? The values of homes has been declining at a rapid, steady pace for almost three years. That has not been good for our economy. There is nothing good that comes out of it for current homeowners.

But if yo are considering buying your first home, there is no better time than now. With home prices bottoming and mortgage rates at all time lows, this is a real opportunity to get in at a great savings.

People who purchase in 09 will even receive a generous tax bonus from the Fed. Put it all together and you have yourself one heck of a home buying opportunity on your hands.

And forget what you have been hearing on the news about needing 20% down, yo can buy with as little as 0% down payment. With the help of Uncle Sam who is offering easy mortgage money as well as grants, there is no need to put much if any money at all as a down payment

Bad credit however, will no longer be tolerated. Make sure that your credit report is in good shape. By keeping an eye on it, you can insure that there are no issues that make borrowing a problem. Another piece of advice is to get rid of as much personal debt as possible. The less debt on your balance sheet, the more quickly you can get your mortgage approved. Try to buy a home that will have payments that will be no problem for you to make. Some banks may be willing to give your mortgages for more than you can easily pay. Even if they do, I recommend staying within a budget that you can handle with no problem. I do not recommend fixer uppers for first time home buyers. The cost of repairs usually far exceeds what your original estimate was.

I repeat, this is the best time in many many years to buy a house. Do your homework before you make any moves. Owning your own home is still a great investment.

The US real estate market is changing a lot and a lot of investors do not understand how to be successful in today’s falling real estate market. It used to seem like everyone was involved in real estate and making money. In today’s market you need to be utilizing strategies that are effective and limit your risk.

Resources

Before you jump into the real estate investing game you need to do your due diligence and arm yourself with the proper tools, resources and knowledge. Some of this can be done online for free but inevitably you should do your homework and invest in some resources and tools. Could be how-to articles, courses, programs, etc.

The key here is to locate a reliable source, do your homework on that source to ensure that they are experienced in investing. Crazy as it sounds there are a lot of self professed gurus out there that have no experience and have never done the hard miles. Even some famous people like Donald Trump sell information on how to get rich with houses… but you have to ask yourself how much money has Donald Trump made with Single Family Residential Houses. Not much… so why would you listen to him on houses since it is not what he does?

If you are looking for sound advice, tools, tips, resources and even a free newsletter they can all be located at www.kickassrealestate.com. A word of warning… the information can be very direct and too the point.

How To Limit Your Risk:

In the end real estate comes down to supply and demand and no matter the state of the economy people need a place to live, a place to call home. The question now becomes what type of home will have the highest demand? Will it be a luxury house? A condo? A home in the ghetto? Or a blue collar 3 bedroom 2 bath house?

Hopefully you answered the 3 bedroom 2 bath home will have the highest demand and this makes it a great home for an investor because it is easy to sell or rent in good or bad times thus limiting your risk.

Successful Investing Strategies:

As a real estate investor there is a credo you should adapt: “Know your exit before you are in the deal!” In other words you want to have a clear plan on how you are going to get out of every deal before you even make an offer.

One of the best methods is flipping houses and it can be done in both good and bad markets. In fact, in a risky market this can be the best strategy because of the amount of time you hold the property could be as little as a minute or two using a double or simultaneous closing.

Sadly lots of people believe flipping is profitable only in rising markets. False. In a rising market you might buy at 75% of value and sell at 85% of value. In a plummeting market, you can purchase at 50% of the value and sell at 58%. It’s just a function of math and how you look at things. The bottom line is that there will always be a bargain price that somebody is willing to pay… and you just have to buy at a lower price and make the difference between the two prices.

Another successful real estate investment strategy in the current falling real estate market is purchasing rentals. It’s hard to talk dress this up as some sexy type of investing since you or your property manager are dealing with tenants and toilets. Sexy it is not but profitable it can be.

Let me give you a very simple formula for investing in rental properties. Aim for a twenty-percent Cash on Cash return. This means that after you total all of your income and expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance, vacancy, repairs and upkeep, advertising, interest, etc) you are making a 20% return on your investment. In simple math that means if you put out $10,000 TOTAL to purchase the property at the end of the year you netted 20% which equals $2,000. Sounds simple and will keep you out of trouble.

In conclusion you want to have and use great investing resources, limit your risk, and follow proven successful real estate investing strategies.

About The Author:

Gerald Romine is a nationally recognized real estate expert that has been featured across North America sharing the stage with political leaders, film stars, and business leaders. Since 1989, Gerald has been involved with real estate as a real estate agent, broker, rehabber, investor, and builder and has been involved with everything from houses to apartments. For more information about Gerald’s products or services visit www.kickassrealestate.com

Diversity and Variety are the keywords to describe Boise, Idaho. It is not difficult to find Boise real estate that is appealing, however, choosing which area you will enjoy most as your home may require a little more contemplation.

Just a short trip from Oregon and Nevada, and conveniently situated in the southwest of Idaho, Boise real estate is plentiful and offers any lifestyle the comforts of home. Forbes magazine instills this point by calling Boise ‘one of the best places to live’ and one of the Hottest cities for entrepreneurs by Inc magazine. It was also voted the #1 Most secure places to live by Farmers Insurance.

Activities and events abound year round for owners of Boise real estate. Rafting, swimming and fishing at The Boise River in the summer, while the splendid winters include cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing at places like the Bogus Basin Mountain Resort. Your spring and fall calendar can be filled with a visit to the Hyde Park Street Fair in Boise’s North End neighborhood or the Julia Davis Park Zoo, with more than 200 animals representing over 80 species from around the world, including an African exhibit boasting lions and giraffes.

If choosing Boise real estate near the downtown, you will have at your disposal a cultural center that is home to many small businesses, complete with a multitude of shopping and dining choices.

If tree-lined drives and quiet neighborhoods are your choice, you may want to look at some of the older homes in the Boise real estate market of the North End. Close to the downtown area, yet secluded in a one of the 10 greatest neighborhoods as designated by the American Planning Association in 2008.

You can choose from Boise real estate’s prime areas in the Warm Springs Ave neighborhood. Where early 20th century Victorian homes are prevalent and housed some of Boise’s wealthiest of that era, you will find the most elegant houses and the priciest. All centered around a natural hot spring and tree-lined streets.

You could also select excellent Boise real estate in the 8th street district. This pedestrian-zone neighborhood offers plenty of street cafes and restaurants as well as clubs and activities for a great night on the town.

Finally, if the Urban sprawl is not your forte, take a look at the southwest Boise real estate offerings. Here you can enjoy the country life just outside of the city with the one acre plots and sparse population.

Whichever your choice, Boise real estate has the convenience of offering many options for virtually any lifestyle and any personality