There are many people who call themselves appraisers but who are not accredited and have no formal training. It is important to hire an appraiser who is accredited by a reputable valuation organization.

Make sure the real estate property appraiser is licensed or certified by the state to perform real estate appraisals. Some states do not require licensing to perform real estate appraisals. It is not recommended to use the services of any appraiser who is not licensed or certified. Don’t be afraid to ask an appraiser for a copy of their license. Appraiser's will readily provide this documentation.

Ask how much of their work is not done for lenders. A high number is a good indication that they are not simply spouting back predetermined values. If all their work is done for lenders, ask how many times they came in below the sale price. If the answer is never - find someone else. The law requires that appraisers remain impartial.

Real estate appraisers carry a professional designation. The most widely known industry designations are SRA (residential appraiser) and MAI (generally commercial appraiser) and SRPA (senior real property appraiser). These designations are issued by the Appraisal Institute. These designations demonstrate an appraiser's commitment to continuing education and ethical standards.

Professional designation may or may not be a good test of quality but the Appraisal Institute designations of SRA, MAI and SRPA are deservedly the most respected in the profession. Many of the very best appraisers are designated. Unfortunately, a few poor appraisers are designated as well.

Knowledge is power, so arm yourself with knowledge before you search for your next Commercial Appraiser, Residential Appraiser, FHA Appraiser or VA Appraiser.

A good place to find your next Real Estate Property appraiser is www.appraiseruniverse.com

Mortgage market commentary

By Lou Barnes
Inman News

Copyright 2006 Lou Barnes

The credit markets are this morning in a precise replay of the first week of October: surprising strength in the job market has overnight blown mortgages from the 6.125 percent low back to 6.375 percent.

"Precise" is a big word, but it fits. For the second month in a row, the Department of Labor has appeared in its Clarabelle suit; last month with squirting lapel flower and honker, today with one of those neat Halloween pranks involving a paper sack filled with something unmentionable and set on fire on your front porch.

Last month's squirt was the huge upward revision to payrolls over the last year; this morning ... mercy: August payroll gains were revised up by one-third, and September by triple. In a total surprise, unemployment fell to 4.4 percent.

You always hear about people who made their fortunes investing in the stock market, and you also hear about other investors who lost their shirts playing the same game. But you hardly ever hear about real-estate investors who go bankrupt, and that's because it doesn't happen often. That's right, those individuals who invested wisely in real estate many years ago are living a very comfortable lifestyle. Investing in real estate wisely can garner lots of money, so if you're just getting started, or have considered investing in real estate, the information that follows is invaluable.

Continues at: AskMen.com

Article Continues. Click "Read More..."

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) residential foreclosures are available throughout the United States. The sales process for purchasing a HUD home isn't quite the same as you'll encounter when buying a home from an individual, so take a few notes before you go home shopping.

What is a HUD home?
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is a part of HUD--the part that provides federal mortgage insurance. If a foreclosed home was purchased with a loan insured by the FHA, the lender can file a claim for the balance due on the mortgage. FHA pays the lender's claim, then transfers ownership of the property to HUD, which sells the home.

Article Continues. Click "Read More..."

If your income doesn't come from a paycheck or you don't want to reveal all to some lender, you can still get a home loan, but you'll pay more. Here's how.

By Bankrate.com

Most homebuyers work for a steady paycheck and are willing to divulge details of their finances in exchange for the best available mortgage loan.

But a lot of buyers don't draw a steady paycheck from a boss. They own businesses, make commissions, live off investments, get their income in cash or live a life of crime. Others don't want to give up their financial privacy. Limited-documentation mortgages are available for these people.

Continues at: MSN Money

Please Note: LLC Partnerships do not have the following disadvantages by default, election or planning. On the legal side, the limited liability company, LLC, gives the corporate shield of limited liability and on the tax side, partnership tax law gives very favorable tax benefits; a great combination for real estate.

1. S Corporations are on the IRS hit list and audited much more than partnerships.

2. S Corps are designed for active (ordinary income) businesses. Thus, using an S Corp for flips is a blatant admission of costly dealer status and impairs dealer-avoidance planning.

3. An S Corporation is subject to more payroll filings because S Corp shareholders are employees and must receive a reasonable salary.

4. An S Corporation is subject to more IRS scrutiny and controversy over the issue of paying reasonable compensation to shareholders.

5. S Corps have limits on fully deducting rental property tax losses because such losses are limited to the shareholders basis in the S Corps stock, which does not include third party debt, such as a mortgage. Result: A loss of current tax savings.

Continues at: RIEP

How many true success stories happened overnight? Most successful folks will share with you their story of a long road to success that had many obstacles along the way. Find out how to invest your way into the financial freedom you desire and learn key strategies along the way.

First, let's begin with the basic foundation for making any career move. Open a savings account dedicated strictly to investing in your future. This is a savings equal to 6 to 12 months of your living expenses. Warning: even if you have that much saved now, do not quit your fulltime job and pull from the savings account without first becoming as educated in real estate as possible. And you should begin to invest on a part-time basis, regardless of what part time looks like to you right now.

Once you have up to one year of expenses saved, then you can seriously consider quitting that fulltime job. Let's assume that you currently earn $36,000 gross per year. That equates to $3,000 gross per month. Once you quit your current job, you can begin full time devotion to real estate investing. Earn as much as you can with the cushion of being able to pull as much as $3,000 each month to pay your bills.

Continues at: RIEP

Strategy as defined here would be the science of planning and directing exactly how you intend on proceeding to maximize your profit potential through investing in real estate. Without a sound strategy and consistently executable tactics you may find that the result of the long, hard efforts have only led you to frustration and a less than sought after result.

Continues at: REIDepot

Still working a fulltime job and trying to figure out how you can begin investing in real estate despite your current situation?

Most beginning investors find themselves in this very situation. How can you possibly quit your current job and still support your family, pay your bills, etc. if your new real estate investing career doesn't payoff immediately? You're right's wouldn't be wise to do that without proper planning. If you are passionate about investing in real estate and don't think that you can start today for various reasons, then let me show you how you can.

Continues at: RIEP