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The Importance of Hiring a Home Inspector
By Romain Levesque

So you are thinking of Purchasing a home.Let me start this article by saying
under no circumstances should you purchase a home without first having a
Qualified and Licensed Home Inspector look at it.

The reason I say that is unless you are a qualified Home Inspector , or at
least a residential contractor with years of experience,you maybe setting
yourself up for disaster.

My name is Romain Levesque I have close to 25 years of experience in the
residential and commercial building trades. I have written a few articles on
various different subjects,but this will be my first directed at the subject in
which I have the most experience in.

This will be the first in a series of articles to follow on the subject of Home
Inspection.So make sure you check back occasionally, to read the
subsequent articles in this series.
You have made the decision to purchase a home and you think you have found
the home of your dreams. Whats the first thing you want to do? That is right
hire yourself a reputable and qualified Home Inspector. How should you go
about this you ask? Unless you have personal contacts in the industry,
which the average home buyer does not, grab the old Yellow Pages. Check
under home Inspectors and go through their ads. You want to make sure
they are:

1.Licensed and Qualified

2.Registered with the Better Business Bureau, and maybe the local Chamber
of Commerce.

Call a few of them and converse with them a little, ask them about their
background in the field. Ask them about their rates and credentials. By
conversing with them on the phone you can usually tell if they are legit or if
they are some flyby night trying to rip people off. If you have someone in
your family that is in the construction field have them talk to them, if you
do not feel comfortable doing this yourself.
You also have another option as far as hiring a Home Inspector,and that is
to talk to your real estate agent. Real Estate Agents usually have their own
group of people that they usually do business with. Usually the contacts
they have are people that have performed well in the past and they like to
stick with them. Which ever way you decide to go, do your research! This
besides financing is one of the most important aspects of the Home Buying
Experience.

As I said earlier this is the beginning of a series of articles on this subject
that I will be writing. I hope this opening article will at least steer you in the
right direction as far as hiring a Home Inspector .
Stay tuned for the next article in this series: Your personal checklist for
Home Inspection.

The author of this article is Romain Levesque a master carpenter with 25
years experience in Residential and Commercial Building Trades. He is the
owner of the website http://www.construction.findurfuture.com where you
will find other informative articles dealing with the subject of construction.
You may reprint this article as long as the live links stay intact.

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Do You Know That You Can Get Money From Your House through Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit?
By Shana Shane

This article explains a few things about Home Equity Loan , and if you re interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don t know. Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you re fully informed about Home Equity Loan , keep reading.

Do you have a house? Well then, you have realized the Greatest American Dream, which many of us continue to work hard to have. Now that you own a house, you already have easy access to money through Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line Credit. It is thus easier for you to acquire funds for all sorts of reasons. Do you know that lenders can provide you a credit of up to 75% of your total equity?

Are You Lookng to Fund your children s college education or have you been thinking of that long over due renovations for your house? The Fund may be available through home equity loan or line of credit and you could even pay off the entire balance of your primary mortgage with that fund if you choose to. You may even opt to consolidate your debt, like your credit cards and other unsecured credits with the options available in a home equity loan or line of credit. This facility is getting to be very popular nowadays because of the convenience of owing only one institution and the added advantage of lower interest rates. In addition, interests in consumer loans like your home equity loan or line of credit is tax deductible. The facility of acquiring loan through home equity loan or line of credit is flexible in various payments terms depending on the institution that is providing you with the loan.

All of these flexibility and advantages of acquiring a home equity loan and line of credit requires some intelligent decision-making. This is because even with the numerous advantages available in a home equity loan or line of credit, the only one and most important factor to consider is the fact that you put your house as collateral. Consequently, failing to pay your debt may cause you to loose the most precious asset you have, your home.

So, don t rush into acquiring a loan through home equity loan or line of credit, really evaluate if you really need this facility. Have a plan as to how you will pay for it - without fail-month in month out. There may be other loan facilities available where you can choose from, thus you may not need to put your house as collateral. However, admittedly considering taxes and interest rates may lead you back to home equity loan or line of credit. In this case, you may need to seek additional advice.
This is because the two differ in one most significant factor. Home equity loan is a facility where you get the proceeds of your loan lump sum. On the other hand, home equity line of credit is a facility where you have a credit line, just like in a credit card, where you may opt to get funds only when you need it. However, in a home equity loan, you pay equal installments throughout the duration of the paying period and you pay part interest and part principal loan.

In the case of home equity line of credit, the interest rates are variable and you may choose to pay interest only. The negative side of this is that you need to pay a balloon payment at the end of the term, which may be hard for you if you are not ready to pay such a huge amount. You may end up taking another loan, which will put you at a disadvantageous position later on.

Analyzing your needs is advantageous for you to make the intelligent decision. For additional information and advice, you may refer to various financial management websites before you decide if home equity loan or line of credit is good for you. You may find other loan facilities that will not be as risky, but understanding what you need and how you need it may be necessary.

There s no doubt that the topic of Home Equity Loan can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Home Equity Loan, you may find what you re looking for in the next article.

For More Hot Tips and Latest Information, Hurry On to:
Home Equity Loan
Home Equity Line of Credit

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Property in Dominican Republic - Guide to Buying Property in the Dominican Republic
By Les Calvert

Over the course of the past twenty years, an ever growing number of men and women from around the world have been traveling to the Dominican Republic on holiday. As a result, there has been an increase in demand for different types of real estate that can be used by people who are traveling into the country for holiday purposes.

At the present time, when it comes to the real estate market in the Dominican Republic, the biggest area of growth involves real estate associated with the travel and tourism industry. This includes resort properties, apartments and other residences that are utilized by people who are traveling into the Dominican Republic for extended stays. Foreign nationals have been very active in this segment of the Dominican Republic real estate marketplace.

For generations, there have been no significant restrictions on foreign nationals owning real estate in the Dominican Republic. In point of fact, the countries has a long history of foreign nationals being involved in that nation s real estate market.

Investment Property in The Dominican Republic

As referenced previously, when it comes to investment in the real estate market in the Dominican Republic, there has been a great deal of activity in that segment of the marketplace that is involved with real estate that effects or impacts travels and tourisms. In this regard, foreign nationals have been active in this market — indeed, foreign nationals have been active in this segment of the real estate market in the Dominican Republic for years.

A great deal of investment is being made in the development of resort communities in the Dominican Republic. With tourism being the number one industry in the Dominican Republic, investment in the tourism trade through the real estate market is proving to be profitable for many people, including an ever growing number of foreign nationals.

Foreign nationals can be seen putting their money into hotel resort complexes, apartment projects that are being created to serve as second homes or vacation properties for people interested in spending an extended period of time in the Dominican Republic during the course of the year and into more upscale and expensive single family homes, including high cost villas and estates that are being used with regularity by well healed travelers into the Dominican Republic.

Most real estate analysts are predicting that this trend towards foreign investment in real estate associated with the tourism and travel industry will continue unabated well into the next decade.

Residential Property in The Dominican Republic

Many foreign nationals have taken to purchasing single family dwellings for three primary purposes. First, there are people who are snatching up these properties in the Dominican Republic to be used for holiday or vacation purposes, as a second home. With the surprisingly low cost of living in the Dominican Republic, many people are finding this lovely island nation and ideal place to travel for holidays and vacations. Overall, it is not particularly expensive (relatively speaking) to maintain a second home in the Dominican Republic.

The second reason why many foreign nationals are buying single family homes in the Dominican Republic is for investment. These foreign nationals are buying single family homes in the Dominican Republic that they are either remodeling and reselling for a nice profit or that they are leasing or renting to people who are visiting the Dominican Republic for extended holidays or for an extended business trip.

Finally, many people from different countries around the world are electing to retire in the Dominican Republic. In this regard, many of these foreign nationals are buying single family homes for their retirement in the Dominican Republic.

Residential Real Estate - Apartments in The Dominican Republic

Apartments remain popular real estate choices for foreign nationals. Apartment sales in the Dominican Republic continue to increase in number as the 21st century moves onward.

Some people are buying apartments in the Dominican Republic for investment purposes. These foreign nationals are buying apartments that they then are renting to people who will be in the Dominican Republic for an extended period of time on holiday or on business.

Other foreign nationals are purchasing apartments in the Dominican Republic for their own use. Many people are finding the Dominican Republic to be an ideal site for holiday or vacation travel. As a consequence, these people are finding apartments in the Dominican Republic to be ideal housing choices for holiday or vacation stays and travel.

There are a wide range of different types of apartments in the major urban and commercial regions in the Dominican Republic. For example, there are some very high end properties that are expensive propositions. On the other hand, there are very reasonably priced properties that allow people of modest income levels to invest in an apartment in the Dominican Republic, to have a second or vacation or holiday home.

Holiday Property in Holiday Resorts

As referenced previously, many foreign nationals are buying different types of real estate in the Dominican Republic for vacation. Indeed, most real estate transactions involving foreign nationals in the Dominican Republic at this time generally are centered in the vacation trade.

Most real estate analysts believe that the trend towards purchasing vacation and holiday related properties in the Dominican Republic will continue unabated through the next two decades. Presently, these analysts believe that the present time is a sound point in time to invest in real estate in the Dominican Republic in that property values are rising. These experts believe that those foreign nationals and other real estate purchasers in the Dominican Republic will be able to realize nice returns on their real estate investments by buying property at this point in time.

South Americans have been a significant portion of the overall vacation property market. However, since the turn of the century, a growing number of people from North America — including both The Dominican Republic and the United States — are finding the Dominican Republic to be a wonderful and ideal travel and vacation destination. Likewise, the Dominican Republic has seen an up tick in the number of people from the European Union who have invested in vacation or holiday properties of different types within the Dominican Republic. These trends are expected to continue well into the next decade according to analysts who have spent time considering the Dominican Republic real estate market and tourist trends.

Specific Steps to Buying a Property in The Dominican Republic

Purchasing real estate in the Dominican Republic is a relatively easy process. There are no particular prohibitions that block or otherwise prevent a foreign national from purchasing real estate in the Dominican Republic. Indeed, many foreign nationals invest in and own real estate in the Dominican Republic and have done so for many years.

The buying and selling of real estate in the Dominican Republic is subject to the Land Registry Law of the Dominican Republic. Pursuant to the law of the Dominican Republic, the first step in purchasing real estate in the Dominican Republic is the execution of a contract for sale between the buyer and seller.

In the Dominican Republic, it is a must that the contract for sale be signed in front of a notary public. In the Dominican Republic a notary public must have a law degree. The contract for sale sets forth the general terms and conditions of the sale — a description of the real estate being sold, the agreed upon sales price and other matters relating to the transaction. The buyer normally posts a deposit for the property that can be upwards to 10% of the total purchase price of the real estate in question.

Once the contract for sale is signed and notarized, the document is then taken to the Internal Revenue Office. At this juncture, a determination is made as to what taxes will be due and owing because of the sale. The appropriate taxes need to be paid in advance of the final conveyance of the property from the seller to the buyer.

After the financing completely is arranged and all of the conditions set forth in the contract for sale have been realized, the contract for sale and a certificate of title (designating the buyer as the owner of the real estate) is then filed with the Title Registrar s Office.

In some areas in the Dominican Republic there can be a delay of upwards to a month before the Title Registrar s Office is able to issue a new title to the real estate. In other areas in the country, the office can issue the title as quickly as one day. In the Dominican Republic the buyer bears a fairly heavy due diligence burden when it comes to the purchase of real estate.

In other words, if the buyer does not undertake a course of due diligence to make certain that there are no encumbrances on the real estate, the buyer very well may be stuck with a lost deposit and being unable to take full title to the real estate in question.

Property Abroad always recommends using a Solicitor or Lawyer.

Les Calvert - Director of the Uk s fastest growing overseas property portal http://www.property-abroad.com/dominican-republic writes information and articles on over 45 countries abroad. Visit their website for further details on the Dominican Republic and more.

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