Kentucky Real Estate Business

Archive for April, 2010

SLC Office Suites:

Searching for the ideal executive suite or commercial office space to lease that fits your company’s needs can be a long and drawn out process. As the Great Recession has continued to get worse, it’s become a necessity for any business (or individual like an accountant, investment administrator or sales rep, etc) to find the optimum office space. Officespaceheaven.com provides a free service and we have a proven track record to help you succeed with your search for office space in Salt Lake City. The city of Salt Lake City, Utah is the most populated in the state and it is also the state capital. At the city center, the estimated population is 181,698 and ranked the 126th largest city in the United States. The metropolitan area reaches upwards of 1,115,692 and has been gaining a lot of interest from many different people as a good place to live and work. The city was founded in 1847 by a group of Mormon travelers looking for religious freedom. With its strong history of Mormonism, it is no wonder that Mormons account for 50% of the greater population of Salt Lake City. Areas within the Salt Lake local area that we service are Bountiful, Capital Hill, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Garland, Sandy and Provo. We also have office spaces for rent in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, and Boise.

Office Space Rates:

The employment in the Salt late City area offers a range of options from all different types of industry. The unemployment rate is also at a low 4.8% despite the economic downturn. Salt Lake City has a great amount of paths to move forward with a career. However, there is also a vast amount of opportunity for those looking to start, grow and develop a business. For those looking for office space and commercial real estate development, you’ll find that opportunities and vacancies start around $1 a square foot to less than ½ of that for 1,000 square feet. Rental rates can be negotiated especially in these tough times. When shopping around, many will find office space in Salt Lake City to be very affordable. There also many different types spaces available. Office space in Salt Lake City include those of retail, executive suites, warehouse and wholesale developments, full service offices and furnished suites. These types of space coupled with aggressive business plans create investment opportunities for all walks of life. Research more about the local office space market (availability and pricing) in our office space articles section.

Salt Lake Economy:

The economy of Salt Lake City is mainly service oriented in modern times but in previous years was a great mining community. Modern industry has created a larger sense of opportunities for those looking to further their career path. There are several major companies that call Salt Lake City home including Delta Airlines, the LDS Church, Sinclair Oil Corporation, Overstock.com, Arctic Circle Restaurants, Kentucky Fried Chicken and more. The service industry, health care and others also have deep roots in the greater Salt Lake City area. There are many colleges to learn from and be challenged at in the Salt Lake area. The colleges that call the greater Salt Lake City area home include LDS Business College, Westminister College, The University of Utah, Stevens-Henager College and other regional and state colleges to take advantage of. You don’t have to have a religious background to take part of these educational options.

Salt Lake Culture:

The Salt Lake City area is home of many sports clubs and franchises supported by some of the most die hard fans in sports today. You can enjoy championship level sports by supporting teams such as the Utah Jazz, MLS Soccer Club Real Salt Lake and many others. So if you are on the search for office space in Salt Lake City then please visit our website. We have a page dedicated to commercial office space in Salt Lake and we offer a free service. We even search and find the commercial office that you company needs.

Many real estate investors simply do not pay enough attention to their marketing. You don’t have to have a huge budget to start a marketing plan. But if you don’t market, it will definitely cost you money.Here Are My Top 4 Marketing Strategies to Create 6-Figure Income Real Estate Investing Businesses in 6 Months:

1. Direct mail campaign – A mail campaign is one of the best ways to market your real estate investing business. And, it’s very easy and cost effective. Besides the cost of acquiring the names, you will only have to pay for copies, envelopes and stamps. Here are a few things to remember when starting a mail campaign:

Dallas is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the province of Untied States. Every year, thousands of individuals and families in search of better living options, shift to the Dallas apartments, which are available at a wide range of choices.

Often people shifting to or relocating in Dallas are confused whether to buy an apartment or take up Dallas apartments available on rent. If you plan to stay in the city only for a few years, it will always be a better idea to take up an apartment on rent, rather than buying one. If you buy a Dallas apartment, no matter how big or small it is, you will have to pay all the property taxes and also spend money on the repair and maintenance works.

When you take up a Dallas apartment on rent, you are not only relieved of the extra expenses, but you can always shift to other apartments whenever required, without having to worry about the sale of the present apartment. Moreover, there are thousands of apartments available on rent, on a wide range of Dallas rentals. Therefore, you will definitely find an apartment matching your requirements and preferences within your budget.

During your search for apartments on rent you will find that these are available on month-to-month rent basis and also on long term leases which are for 6 months or a year. Apartments on rent are available in almost all the locations of Dallas. If you want to find out the perfect Dallas apartment on rent for yourself with ease, you can take the help of an apartment finder in Dallas.

To ensure that you are taking up the perfect Dallas apartment on rent, you need to consider several factors such as your budget, your preferred location so that commuting is not a problem for you, the type of apartment you are looking for, the size of the apartment, the amenities you require to be available with the apartment and other preferences.

While planning your budget, you should always remember that the rent of an apartment will depend on the other factors. For example, if you want an apartment in the heart of the city, it will definitely be costlier than the Dallas apartments on rent available in the suburbs. Also, the larger and well equipped an apartment; more will be its rent price.

If you are new in the city, you should definitely seek the help of an apartment finder in Dallas and find out the most suitable apartment on rent for yourself, without wasting money, time and energy.

Redemption rights in foreclosure actually only come after the homeowner’s property is lost through judicial sale or foreclosure. The owner can redeem by paying the lender the outstanding principal and interest due, plus the lender’s costs in foreclosure. Once the home has been lost, some states allow the homeowner the right to “reclaim” his home for varying periods.
Because of the power the banks have for foreclosing, some states decided that that homeowners should likewise have the right to reclaim their home if their personal circumstances turnaround within a given time period. The homeowner will have to petition the court for a hearing to get his home back and show “proof of funds” that he is able to repurchase his home for what is owed plus all the associated costs of the foreclosure.
Proof of funds can either be cash in the bank or a pre-approved letter from another lender that is willing to fund his purchase. The new lender does not have to be a bank, but can be a “hard money lender” who will charge the homeowner a much higher interest rate and closing points and will only carry the loan for year or so.
These hard money lenders are sometimes called “predatory lenders”. The amount they will lend is based on the “quick sale” value of the property. That gives them an equity cushion in case they are forced to again foreclosure upon the property to recoup their loan money.
The homeowner who lives in one of the states that has long redemption periods, can solicit local hard money lenders or real estate investors to exercise his redemptive right if there is equity in the home that can be retrieved by fixing the property and selling it in the retail market.
These are called Equity Agreements and are common in the real estate business. Equity Agreements stipulate who gets how much of the proceeds from the sale, who pays what expenses and who will be dong the work. Remember, if it isn’t in writing in the Agreement, it isn’t going to happen. If you have a question, ask an attorney before you sign anything.
Here are the states that have no redemption period: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. While these sates have no redemption privileges, it is possible to bring legal action against the bank with regard to deficiencies in the foreclosure proceeding or mortgage irregularities. This is seldom worth the effort.
States that have one year redemptive rights include: Alabama, Idaho (either 6 or 12 months), Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, North Dakota (6 or 12 months), and Wisconsin (possibly to 12 months).
The other states vary greatly because of specific terms in the mortgage or deed of trust contracts but range from 10 days to 240 days. It is imperative that become familiar with your local foreclosure laws because they vary greatly from state to state, and the sale or auction practices vary from county to county.

A few weeks ago a secretary telephoned me in absolute desperation. She was desperately searching for accommodation in central London for some VIPs from abroad. She stumbled onto my website, not really understanding what the service was about. I think the words ‘free service’, ‘apartments’ just helped her to figure out that Quality London Apartments had something to do with accommodation. Apologies for my long opening, but it is a prime example of how little travelers in the UK and Europe know about the serviced apartment industry. After explaining the concept of serviced apartments and helping her find an apartment, I realized that I needed to share this knowledge further afield. Thus, this article is my contribution to open up this elusive industry and offer tips to travelers.
What is a serviced apartment?
A serviced apartment is a flat in a block, which has a separate bedroom, sitting room/lounge, fully equipped kitchen, your own private keys to own door. Serviced apartments can be in the form of a studio flat (all in one room with a kitchenette), one, two or three bedrooms.
All apartments enjoy maid service, utilities and a management team to help….just like a hotel. Guests only pay for a nightly rate and can live in a flat with everything they would have in their own home.
Pros: Serviced London Apartment vs Hotels
 More value for money and cheaper. In a hotel, no matter which star rating, you pay per night for one room which will have a TV, bathroom, sofa and a bed. This is similar to a studio apartment! In an apartment there is a separate bedroom, kitchen, sitting room, bathroom and dining table (exception is studio)
 Pay per apartment and not per person. An example would be paying £250 per night for a two bedroom apartment, which could accommodate up to 4 people, that works out at £62.50 per person.
 Freedom and privacy. An apartment is like being in your own home and there is plenty of space. You have your own keys to your own door.
 Booking is easy, just like hotels. The majority of apartments require a credit card to guarantee, pre-payment before you arrive and that’s it. No deposits, no tenants’ contracts.
Cons: Serviced London Apartment vs Hotels
 Apartments lacks the buzz and services of a hotel such as restaurants and Room Service. Albeit some apartments are owned by hotels and offer you the use of their restaurants and other services.
 No 24-hour service around the clock. The apartments are ran by a small team who work Monday to Friday 9:00am – 6:00pm, so you are on your own during the weekend. There are emergency numbers to call should you suffer an electric cut, but no 24-hours hotel Duty Manager to run to your room.
 No pool, massages, saunas like hotels
What to look out for when booking a serviced London apartment?
1. Quality of the apartment – make sure you find out if they are clean, well furnished and well maintained. How? Check the photos, and ask if you can book an appointment to view the apartment. This is very important if you are staying over a long period of time.
2. Do they have a friendly and efficient management team? If you need the comfort of a welcoming face to greet you on arrival, then ask for an apartment with a reception. Some apartments provide key boxes, so you can arrive any time, but there is no-one to meet you. A friendly and small team will be able to give you a very personal touch.
3. Opening time of the apartments office – doesn’t sound important? Well it is because the majority of apartments’ operations team open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm. If you arrive at your apartment during office open hours, then fine, but any other time and weekends will mean that you will need to pick up the keys from a different location.
4. Key delivery by car at the airport? – If you are flying from abroad to London, and do not fancy traipsing throughout London at night to pick up keys, the majority of apartments will hire a taxi to deliver your keys to the airport upon your arrival. Convenient for a small charge.
5. Payment procedure and cancellation policy – every apartment vary in their guest terms and conditions. All will accept a credit card as a guarantee of reservation, some will ask for 100% pre-payment at least 7 days prior to arrival and cancellation can range from 12:00pm on the day of arrival to 28 days. So, before you confirm the reservation, be very clear about the terms and conditions. Ask your apartment agents to explain the procedure to you and read the terms and conditions on your confirmation emails. It will save you a great deal of trouble and headache later.
6. Apartments are always allocated on arrival. This policy is the same as any hotel, so unless you are a regular guest to a specific apartment, apartments are on allocations. In the same breath, some apartments only have a small number of flats, so if you are reserving the only 3 bedrooms penthouse in their collection, then you are guaranteed that specific apartment.
7. Rates become more competitive the longer you stay. In this, we mean you have more bargaining power if you are staying for one month or longer. This is when your apartment agent can really help you by negotiating with a variety of apartments to get you the best deal.
8. Using an apartment agent will also save you time searching, but most importantly they will work with your budget and negotiate a great deal for you. Of course, you also need to be realistic about what you can book, don’t expect to spend £80 per night for a luxury apartment. For example, one of our clients had £300 budget per night for a two bedroom apartment and he wanted something luxury. For those readers who know London well, also understands that this budget is actually very small. Despite that, we booked him and 3 friends into the Victoria Park Plaza luxury apartment (£150 per night less than the usual price) for £300 per night with free breakfast, gym and access to the executive lounge. Any apartment agent worth their salt can and will move mountains to help you.
What if I don’t like the apartment when I get there?
If you really feel that you have been hard done by, tell the apartment management team and ask to be moved to another apartment. All of the apartments that we work with are very customer focussed and try to help guests enjoy their stay. If this does not work, talk to your apartment agent, if that is how you booked. Best advice though, is to ask all the right questions before you book an apartment.
Your appetite for apartments is now whetted – how do you find London apartments?
1. As already explained, you can choose a free search and book service of an apartment agent or go direct to a specific apartment that you know. Both methods are absolutely fine, dependent of your knowledge of London apartments. Using an agent will mean that they will search far across their portfolio and present you with a variety of choices…all within 10-15 minutes. Agents are impartial and will only (good agents anyway) recommend the quality apartments for your needs.
2. You can use search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN to find apartments. Type in keywords like ‘London serviced apartments’ or ‘quality London apartments’ and so on.
3. Stating the obvious but, ask for a recommendation from friends and acquaintances.
4. Check on Tripadvisor and other customer review websites.
Summary
If you have read this far, then thank you for your time. I have tried to make this article clear and as helpful as possible, but I welcome your comments and any further information that you feel is very important.

Compared to the European and the US real estate business, Panama real estate prices are relatively low. In Panama City one can get to buy an executive condo in a high rise new building for $4000 to $2000 per sq. meter. The cost is much lower for an old building.
The condos in Panama consist of a swimming pool, balcony, recreation area, round the clock security, modern kitchens, multiple elevators, marble floors, quality furniture and beautiful views. Single family homes and town homes can be bought for $1500 to $2500 per sq. meter.
Government of Panama allows foreign investments in the country’s real estate business. The legal formalities are simple and easy to implement. In case of retirees (pensioners) who rent property; the legislation provides tax rebates and government procedures are done at reduced costs. Many privileges are offered to the pensioners and also opportunities in the banking centre.
The cost of living in Panama is low and domestic help is available in plenty. The government also offers many attractive investment opportunities for foreigners living in the country. Most of the properties have titles or can be titled, title insurance can be bought, mortgages are available and foreign investment protection laws are in force which guarantees the rights of land ownership.
Panama is becoming a popular destination for people to retire, a holiday vacation, for tourists and investors. There is lower crime rate, low cost of living, a good tropical climate and tax rebates, most important it is a US dollar based economy; international banking facility is available and is a free trade zone.
The real estate business in Panama has been very good all through the years; many international real estate firms such as Coldwell banker and Century 21 have franchises in Panama City. Panama has excellent airport facilities, with direct flights to major destinations, technical resources and financial infrastructure which are advantages for the real estate investor. Additionally, Casco Veijo- a city on the Pacific coast has become a desirable place for real estate investment, encouraged by the government of Panama, mainly to restore this historic district.
There are real estate properties located in popular destinations outside Panama city, namely Altos de Maria and Chiriqui. These regions are known for their cooler climates, peaceful atmosphere and beautiful natural flora. Hence real estate in the highlands of Panama is ideal for pensioners.
Bocas del Toro is another popular real estate destination in Panama. Famous for its Beaches, rich Antillean heritage, and unique over-the- water architecture. It is famous amongst the American and European tourists.
In general, it can be said that Panama is a great place to invest, great place to live and a great place to relax.

Korea is situated on a mountainous peninsula. It extends 600 miles southward from its borders with China and Russia. It is famous for its fishing waters and unsurpassed beauty. It is often called ‘the land of the morning calm’. The culture of the country has a long history of over 5,000 years.
Present day Korea has been rebuilt itself from the ruins and devastation of war and it has achieved an unbelievable economic miracle in just 40 years. It serves as a model even for many developing nations. The land’s fame as an attractive tourist destination has been boosted by hosting many major world events such as the Asian Games. The country attracts tourists from around the world with its exceptional hospitality, warmth and kindness.
Most common housing in the country is traditional single family houses and apartments. The typical size of a Korean residential unit is about 112 square meters and it is priced about USD $94,000 on the average. About half of the country’s population owns their own homes. Real estate market has gone down dramatically following the Asian economic crisis and a thorough rebuilding was required by the International Monetary Fund.
The American dollar’s favorable exchange rates to the Korean and the government’s liberal policies encouraging foreign investment have made all types of Korean properties very attractive. They include residential, commercial, investment and development properties.
In Korea, real estate is considered the base of all human activities. It takes a very prominent place in the economic life of the nation. As towns and cities in the country grow continuously, the real estate market also continues to grow rapidly, making its impact more substantial every day. The importance assigned to real estate business is comparatively new in Korea and is against traditional practices. Real estate transactions were conducted under the table until recently, owing to social perceptions and taxation issues.
Because land is the basis for all human enterprises, real estate business demands various kinds of expert knowledge. Many real estate agents and professional appraisers in the country did not care to work in an organized and systematic manner in the past.
However, as the country became an information based society with the advent of the Internet, an increasing number of people began to realize the changes in the business environment. These people demanded that real estate agencies become more professional and informed. The adoption of international standards has largely helped to bring about these welcome changes.
Living in Korea can be a thrilling experience if it is your first tryst with an Asian culture.
To cater to the needs of the wide range of people living in Korea, there are many different types of accommodations including bachelor suites and studio apartments as well as apartments and other kinds of housing. If you have come to Korea without a family to work there as a teacher or instructor, you will probably live in a typical studio apartment or bachelor suite that caters to the busy lifestyle of a single person.
These apartments may not be very spacious but are quite adequate for a single person to spend his/her days comfortably off. Fortunately, most of these apartments are very clean and kept in good condition. If you are expecting a luxurious housing unit, you will be disappointed.
Most of the apartments have modern and western style bathroom facilities such as toilet, sink and shower. Bathtubs are found very rarely in single housing accommodations in Korea. Most people working alone in the country will have a housing called ‘villa’ or ‘officetel.’ Most single housing in the country belongs to either of these two structures that are spread throughout the city.
The smaller buildings are called ‘villas.’ A majority of the villas are situated in the residential areas of the city. They are more affordable because of the low maintenance costs. These buildings generally house an owner who resides in the building itself and plays the role of the caretaker. The tall buildings that house both residential and light commercial accommodations are referred to as ‘officetels. They are all relatively new, indicating that they are an outcome of updated technology.
Most of the officetel suites have a keyless entry and other excellent features, depending on the location and other things. The costs of the officetels may be higher than the villas owing to the costs involved in the building maintenance.
One of the advantages of living in an officetel is that you enjoy close proximity to shops, clinics and other services, which are often housed in the building itself. Generally, your single housing accommodation will come furnished with a bed, refrigerator, oven, A/C, fan and washing machine for your convenience, under the monthly remuneration package.