Before you cut the first piece of wood, knock in the first nail, or apply the first coat of paint I highly recommend you take a free home improvement class.  These free home improvement classes can cover a wide range of topics and generally will be a very good tool for you to get your home improvement skills up.  There really is no secret to becoming good at doing work around the house, it all comes down to practice and hard work.  If you are willing to put in the time and go to the free home improvement class then it is almost guaranteed that your projects will go smoother and turn out better.

Examples Of Free Home Improvement Classes

The first class I took was on how to paint a room.  They showed me the proper technique for taping and painting.They also went into the basics of mudding and taping with classes showing me a variety of trix to repair and smooth out any wall.  These techniques lead me to repaint the entire interior of my home with confidence.  At first I was a little nervous about how things were going to turn out, but after taking the free home improvement class I was able to get the job done with no fear.

You can also find home improvement classes on setting floors, installing tubs, putting in sinks, make home improvment project, setting up cabinets and variety of other topics.  These classes are usually taught in a group atmosphere to maximize the learning potential of the class.  Instructors are often volunteers, although in some cases they may be paid. 

The next question I am sure you have is where you can go to take these free home improvement classes.  Most times you can find free home improvement classes at the local hardware store.  You may wonder why they would offer these educational classes to you for free when the information is so valuable.  Well the stores hope is that by taking the class you will buy all the materials from the store to complete the project.

By sponsoring the class a manufacturer can also try to bend you towards purchasing their products, so many times a class will not only be paid for by the store but a manufacturer as well.  A good example was my painting class was sponsored by Glidden.  All the paints used in the class were from Glidden and in the end I did end up buying their paint. 

So while a free home improvement class may seem like just a boon to you, it is also in fact a subtle way to market and increase sales from the manufacturer and the store.  Hopefully this has given you some insight into how these classes work.

Do you want to sell your house fast? Do you need to sell your house fast? Whether you simply want to avoid a bunch of hassle when you decide to sell or have fallen into economic circumstances that are forcing you to sell, there are options available to you that can help you sell your house fast.

There are now dozens or companies that understand what you need and can help you get out from under your mortgage payments with a quick purchase. Generally, these companies are made up of one or more real estate investors who can afford to hold onto a piece of property for a while to sell it later, fix it up for resale, or change the zoning of the property to use it for another purpose.

Sometimes a home buying agency would probably by your house if you really want to sell your house fast. Most offer cash purchases without any fees to sellers, even if your house is in need of repairs. And most can buy within a few days to a couple of weeks if need be.

You may have to settle for a lower price than you might otherwise get; after all, these are investors who offer the convenience of allowing you to sell your house fast in exchange for the opportunity to make a profit on your home after a refurbish or repairs are made. This really should’nt be an option for you. There’s no shame in wanting to sell your house quickly and wanting top dollar.

You may want to look into finding a professional to assist you. There’s nothing wrong with working with someone that will list your house for you. Because we are in a rather slow real estate market, this is not the best time to try to sell your house yourself. But don’t let that stop you. A professional realtor will be able to help you properly price your home, bring in potential buyers, show you how to optimize the appearance and staging of your home so it is appealing to buyers, and market your property for you.

On top of using a realtor you should also use unconventional methods to sell your home. After all the traditional way of listing and selling your home is set up for a sellers market. Since you are in a buyers market you need to get involved and think out of the box a little bit if you want to sell your house fast.

They say it’s a buyers market and you’re just plain out of luck if you try to sell your house let alone quickly sell your house. You can quickly sell your home, for the price you want no matter what the market is.

Go here for more information on how to sell your house fast: http://quickly-sellhouse.blogspot.com/2008/12/quickly-sell-house-review-of-sold-in-21.html.

There are many more than five kinds of residential rental properties depending on how you classify them. But from the perspective of basic investment differences, there are five types that come to mind, each with their own problems and advantages. The first type is single family homes.

Single Family Rental Properties

Houses are appealing to investors for a few basic reasons. First, they provide the easiest way to get into real estate investing, because of the financing options and possibility of a low down payment. Second, they can build equity fast during times of rising prices – even if rents are not rising. Third, they can be sold to other investors or home owners. These two markets make the eventual sale easier.

Of course they have problems too. First, it is very difficult to find houses that can produce cash flow after all expenditures are considered. Also, as a single unit, if you lose your tenant, you lose 100% of your income until it is rented again. If you own multiple homes, it can be a lot of work to collect rent and maintain them versus an apartment building with a similar number of units.

Apartment Buildings

The primary advantage of apartment buildings is that the prices are based on income, because unlike houses, only investors are buying them. This means decent cash flow is normal (otherwise why buy?). Also, because the prices are based on net income more than anything else, if you can find a building with low rents, you can quickly increase the value just by raising them. Of course, the primary problem with apartment buildings is the greater difficulty in financing them, and the larger down payment normally needed.

Small Multiple-Unit Residential Rental Properties

Between single family homes and apartment buildings are the duplexes, triplexes and four-plexes. As long as you stay under five units, you can finance these like a home. Though this is an advantage, it is also the reason it is tough to make this type of rental produce cash flow. There are many people out there buying them to live in one unit and get the equity gains from the whole property. Most of them are not thinking of cash flow, so they push the prices too high. It is convenient to live where your rentals are, though, so if you can come close to breaking even, the eventual gain from equity build-up may be worth it.

Low Income Housing

Mobile homes and small houses in need of repairs get their own category because this low income market has unique advantages and problems. Normally you’ll have more late rent payments and other issues with tenants. You also will have more repairs. In general, investing in low income housing means more hassles and more time invested.

What makes it worth it? Cash flow. Suppose a normal three-bedroom house costs $130,000 and rents for $750 per month. You may find a three-bedroom mobile home on a lot nearby for $45,000, and get $600 per month in rent. Repairs, though more frequent perhaps, are cheaper, as is insurance and property taxes. You can see that there is greater potential for cash flow.

Low income housing is all about cash flow. As for the added hassles, there are ways to deal with that. I know a man who has forty rental properties with low income tenants (mostly mobile homes with real estate), and he gives free rent and a small salary to a handyman/manager who does everything from fix toilets to collecting rent.

Other Residential Rental Properties

This “other” category includes the less common residential rentals. Since these properties often don’t have the advantages that the ones above have, people invest in them for one reason: cash flow. For example, a large house that would lose money every month as a normal rental might do well as a boarding house, where you rent rooms out individually. This can be very profitable in a college town.

Even less common, but still potentially profitable, are rentals of RVs, or recreational vehicles. You’ll see this more in the southwest than in other areas (it’s almost common in Arizona). Conversion of old motels into residential rental properties is another way investors create cash flow. Certainly there are a few I have missed as well. Probably houseboats are rented by the month somewhere.

It just isn’t much fun to buy a new home and then discover that snakes are regular visitors in the living room.  And you don’t want to move into a house with a leaky roof or a wet basement. Or discover that you picked the worst neighborhood in town – after you buy. To avoid surprises like these when buying a new home, you have to learn about the town, the neighborhood and the house. Here are some ways to do that – before you make that offer.

Your New Town

An online search by city and state (Fresno California) will usually lead you to an official city site, or a chamber of commerce website. These sites can provide a lot of useful information, but they are “selling” the city. For the good and the bad, find a local newspaper online as well. See what going on in town, and check the classified advertising section to get an idea about home prices too.

Detailed statistics on almost every town and city in the U.S. can be found at city-data.com. Click on a state, then find the city you want on the list (it covers towns of 6,000 people or more). You’ll find more statistics than you can possibly use, ranging from population, average income, crime statistics, maps, photos and much more.

Visit weatherbase.com for climate information on almost every city in the U.S. Click on a state, choose the city you want, and see how many inches of rain or snow they get each year, how hot or cold it gets, etc. You’ll also find a link to the current weather forecast for the town.

Call somebody from the Chamber of Commerce or a local real estate agent. Their phone numbers can be found online at realtor.com or a Chamber Of Commerce website. Make a list of questions, and ask about stores, libraries, jobs, crime and anything else that is important to you. We asked many people in many towns, “Do you own a snow shovel?” before choosing to move to Tucson, Arizona.

Your New Neighborhood

Once you have a local realtor or city official on the phone, ask about the various neighborhoods in town. If they hesitate to label areas as “good” or “bad,”, ask more specific questions, like where older parts of town are, and where the most rental units are. If you listen well and read between the lines you should learn something about where you might want to buy a house.

Visit the town before buying a house, of course, and visit a good local bar. Residents there will tell you which employers are about to move in or out of the town, how fast or slow homes are selling, whether there are criminal gangs, and more. But verify what they tell you, since people do sometimes exaggerate a bit. For best results, choose a bar with customers who are most like you (income level, interests, etc.), to get the information most relevant to your needs.

Drive around town. It will help you get a good feel for where you might want to live. Stop to ask questions when you see people out in their yards, and take notes.

Your New Home

Realtor.com has a lot of information on the homes they list. You can search for other real estate listing sites. They won’t mention things like whether a house is in an area with scorpions or street flooding, but answers to these questions can also be found on the internet. Google the name of the town and “forum,” and if there is one, sign up (they’re usually free). Read the posts, and ask about the specific area you are thinking of moving to. People usually respond, as they did when we visited a community forum and discovered that a good cat will take care of scorpions.

When you have a good idea of the problems which might be associated with a certain neighborhood, you know what to ask when you start looking at houses. Carry a home inspection checklist with you when you do look at homes, and work your way through it. Pass on your notes to the professional inspector once you decide to buy a house.

When you’re sure you like a home, walk around the area. Find a person or two out in their yards, and talk to them for a few minutes. Ask about noisy neighbors, recent crime and other things that will help you decide if this neighborhood is the right one for you. Do this and take the precautions above and your New Home shouldn’t have too many unpleasant surprises for you.

Copyright Steve Gillman. To see a photo of the house we bought for $17,500, get a free ebook on how to buy Cheap Homes, and a free real estate investing course, visit Houses Under Fifty Thousand .com.

Upside down has become a new buzz word for many Americans that hold mortgages.  If you find yourself in this position there is a solution. You can reduce the principal balance of your mortgage with hope 4 home owners. Your monthly payments will also be reduced.

It is possible to obtain a new loan with a current appraisal.  The upside down balance on your current mortgage will be forgiven.  90% of the current value of your home will be the amount of the new mortgage.

This will result in a major reduction in your monthly payments.  You may see your payments cut in half.  This will help many homeowners stay in their home.

The new loan will be an FHA loan.  It will be insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

I’m sure you can imagine how many home owners will be helped with this program.  If you are upside down on your home, take the time to research this program.

You will have to document your income.  Most of the standard mortgage guidelines will apply.  The reduction of your balance will be advantageous when calculating your new payment.

July 30th 2008 the H4H was passed.  This is only available on owner occupied homes.  It is set to expire on September 30th, 2011.

This program does have guidelines.  The FHA has sent limits on the loan amounts as well.

This is a great program for home owners that have been having trouble with their mortgage. The situation that you are in can be improved dramatically.

There is an equity sharing element to the hope to homeowners program.  Moving forward the FHA will also share in the profits if you build equity in your home.  Some of your equity will be returned to the original lender when you sell your home. The scale changes and is based on how much time has passed.  The FHA will also share in your home’s equity moving forward.

Find out more on  hope 4 home owners.