Financing

Lending trends and plans to make far more loans are already being seen on the ground level in San Diego. One California trust, specializing in jumbo mortgage loans, forecasts their lending volume to soar from $2.5 billion last year to $8 billion this year. Another San Diego mortgage banker, from Guild Mortgage, told UT San Diego that they expect to do a record $7 billion in loans in 2013. This coming after already seeing their portfolio rise 5 times to $10 billion in the last 5 years.

New data suggests that mortgages are easing in the housing sector, but does it even matter anymore? According to the new Mortgage Bankers Association ‘Mortgage Credit Availability Index’ by Inman News, mortgages are easing, making it easier for anyone to get one. Consumer mortgages inched up in May from April and stood almost 9 points higher than the benchmark point in March 2012. Now is the optimal time for buying a home, and there is plenty of cash out there for creative homeowners and home buyers willing to their put minds to it. Explore the alternative options that are currently made available.

No one may like dealing with taxes, especially those flipping San Diego homes with the intentions of living an entrepreneurial lifestyle. To many, taxes are an annual burden that should be done away with. However, all of your hard work will mean nothing if you lose your profits to the IRS for neglecting to have the required paperwork. Good records make the tax process a lot less stressful and time consuming. Accordingly, good bookkeeping facilitates maximized deductions and write-offs. Perhaps even more importantly, well-kept records protect you during an audit. If you do get audited, and especially if you have been slacking on filing income taxes, you will likely lose the opportunity to claim all of those deductions.

Sadly, many homeowners have slacked off on finding a solution for stopping the foreclosure process. Many are misinformed, as they think they will have plenty of time to find a solution. Remember, that while they may have held back on sales, they haven’t necessarily stopped the paperwork on the foreclosure process. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the foreclosure process and what you can do to prevent it from happening to you.

IRS and title company mistakes can cost real estate investors a lot of money. Watch out for these blunders and protect your wealth. Imagine calling the IRS to find out where your tax refund is, only to be told that they applied it towards a $404,000 tax bill you didn’t even know you had! Real estate investors must at least have all their paperwork handy. If you get audited by the IRS they wont simply take your word on all of the potential write-offs you claimed.

Practicing large scale real estate investing can result in exponential rewards. However, how do real estate investors accomplish buying and financing dozens of homes at the same time? The U.S. housing market is full of incredible real estate investing opportunities, especially as we enter the peak summer season. There is huge potential to ramp up volume and take out large portfolios of single family homes to either flip or manage as rentals. The market is ripe for large scale real estate investing.

Does a new report really reveal that mortgage loans are becoming easier to get, or is it all just more hype? Ellie Mae, a mortgage origination software firm has released a new report suggesting that mortgage credit is becoming more accessible for those buying a home. So how much easier has it gotten since last year and where should you turn to for a mortgage loan? The survey shows that the average FICO score for approved mortgages last month stood at 743. While high, this is down about 5 points since last year; a step in the right direction.

Does your real estate business have a plan to ensure business continuity? Having a business continuity plan is critical to the ongoing success of all real estate related businesses from real estate investing companies to brokerages, especially as we are fast heading into hurricane season again with expectations of an extremely active year. Whether you are a real estate investor or broker, being prepared is about far more than protecting individual properties or listings. The biggest threat is interruption of income.

Writing a will and last testament is often one of the last things on a new real estate investor’s mind. There is so much to do and there is already enough paperwork floating around to re-stock an Amazonian rain forest. However, not having a will often means putting your wealth and the future of your heirs into the hands of lady luck.

Failing to pay your property taxes could cost you a lot more than you think. Homeowners and real estate investors must be aware of the extreme penalties of not paying their property taxes. Many strive to pay cash or own properties free and clear today but there are always annual property taxes to be paid too.