Joe Prunty Cheyenne Real Estate

Even if you are positive that you want to refinance your home you still have to take time and make the most of the process. The first thing you should do here is get to identify what the present refinance rates are, in order that you can decide whether or not it is going to even be worth it for you to refinance your mortgage.

• Mortgagerefinancing involves paying off your previousmortgagedebts with a new loan, even though you usually only do this if you are going to be offered a lower interest rate than the one you started with the intention that you will be saving money, both initially and long-term.
• This is the vital advantage of home refinance, and themortgageloans come with two types of interest rates: fixed rate and changeable rate. If you refinance your home, you also comprise the option of switching from a fixed rate to an adjustable rate of interest; either is going to result in being more profitable for you.
• If you are in search of a quick low interest refinancemortgageinterest rate, the Quicken Loans Company is absolutely one to check out. They are indeed recognized as being the nation's largestonline mortgage lenderand they recommend mortgages in all 50 states. They at the moment have more than 4,000 passionatehome loanexperts working for them, all who are devoted to getting you into the home of your dreams. They have over 22 years ofmortgagelending experience so you be acquainted with they have the expertise and knowledge that you are looking for, and they are accepted as being the preferredmortgagelender for several of America's top companies including AT&T, Google, Yahoo!, Compuware, EDS and more.

 You have a handful options when you want to find out refinance rates, and the two best resources that are going to be accessible to you here are the Internet and your bank. The Internet offers an assortment of different companies that help you to find the lowest refinance rates on the market, and generally for free. The goal of these companies is to assist borrowers find the best mortgages or loans to suit their individual needs. Refinancing your home can be an extremely beneficial and financially rewarding option. 

For many empty nesters, the decision to make a move from the place they have called home for so many years is a difficult one. After years of living in a house full of the noises and chatter of children, suddenly all that you can hear is the quiet hum of the refrigerator. There are pictures all over the house with fond memories associated with them but then there are many empty rooms also. These are rooms where your children used to live until it was time for them to move onto the next stage of your life and now the items in the rooms are only gathering dust.

Maybe it is now time even for you to move on to something better and downsize to a place that is more suitable for your retirement years. However, before you make the move, it is very important that you understand the most common and the most costly mistakes that most empty nesters make. Here are nine tips that can help you avoid these mistakes, make the most profit possible, and keep the home selling process under your own control and stress-free.

• Probably the first thing that you should know is why you are actually selling the house. This will decide the price that you set and also how much time and money you are willing to spend on getting your house ready for a sale. However, although it is important that you are clear about your objectives, don't make the mistake of telling others about it or they would use it against you on the negotiating table. Instead, just say that your housing needs have changed.
• Make sure to research properly before setting a price for the property. By setting the price, you let the buyers know the maximum amount they will have to pay for the house, but don't make the mistake of pricing it too low or too high. This is because, most buyers will look at around 20 houses and they know how to compare them. So, if your house does not compare well with others in your price range, you will not be able to turn any prospect into a buyer. This means that your house will be in the market for a long time and new buyers will start to wonder why your house hasn't sold for so long.
• Your agent should be able to find out what other comparable homes are selling for in your own neighborhood. Get information about homes sold in the last 6 months and the homes that are currently listed. Remember, this is how your prospects will compare your house.
• Your real estate agent should be a good one. Good communication, good feedback, good pricing, and good relations with the agent are necessary for the success of any real estate deal.
• Make sure to make your house presentable. How the property looks on the outside and the inside is necessary to get a good offer. Clean up your house, remove the clutter, and fix everything that matters. Don't go around pointing to prospective buyers how they can make improvements.
• Your prospects should be able to get any information about your house as easily as possible. It may surprise you but things such as traditional open houses are not always that effective.
• Your Real Estate Agent will negotiate on your behalf.
• As a seller, your Real Estate Agent will disclose everything. Any flaws present in the house should be disclosed to the buyer in writing so that later when a problem comes up, you don't get slapped with a lawsuit. All terms, costs, and responsibilities should be clearly spelled out in the contract. Don't deviate from what is listed in the contract. So, if the buyer asks for making the move before the closing, just say no. Don't take any risks that can potentially prove to be a deal breaker.
• Don't make the mistake of selling the house before you make the move. A vacant house does not give a very good appearance to the house and you could lose thousands of dollars in the process. This is because this tells the buyer that you have a new home and you would want to get rid of this one as soon as possible which gives them a upper hand during the negotiation process.

LOCAL NEWS:

On the Border grill still on the table:

By Becky Orrborr@wyomingnews.com

CHEYENNE -- Construction of an On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina in Cheyenne should start by June. Original plans indicated the restaurant would open in the summer of 2010.
"Because of the economy, we slowed everything down," said James Yates, owner and operating partner."We extended our franchise agreement," he said. "We have an agreement. We will have some kind of shovel in the ground by June 2012."

Yates and his partners from Rapid City, S.D., are looking for a site for the restaurant. They will continue the search this winter."We're very excited about getting it ready in Cheyenne. The market is definitely ready," he said."We are very committed to Cheyenne," Yates said. "It's been a long haul. We're extremely excited about getting it in Cheyenne."

Yates also owns the Sanford's restaurant in Cheyenne. He said he has lived here for 19 years.
The partners have a franchise agreement to build On the Border restaurants in Casper and Sioux Falls, S.D., too.

On the Border is a chain of Texmex restaurants. The casual dining restaurants are located throughout the United States and in Canada, Dubai, Egypt, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, according to the company's website.

In September 2009, an article in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle said crews would build the restaurant at Meadowland Drive across from Old Chicago. However, construction crews are building a kidney dialysis center there now.

BUDGETING: A DIY SOLUTION:

Are you one of the millions whose ‘paper' salary and ‘real' salary don't match up? Do you earn enough in theory but not in practice? As a result, are your monthly debt repayments stretching your finances to the limit - or beyond, forcing you to take out more credit? The good news is this: there is a solution to the problem - budgeting. The bad news is this: it can take quite a lot of self-discipline. Budgeting is all about income, expenditure, and closing the gap between the two.

Step 1 - theory

Write down everything you expect to earn / receive in a month. For most people, that's the easy it. Now, write down everything you think you'll spend in a month. This is where it gets tricky.

• First of all, there are some bills you don't pay every month. You'll need to track down all the paperwork, find the bills you pay every year or quarter and divide the numbers by 12 or 4 as appropriate.
• Second, some expenses are hard to track - particularly discretionary spending such as eating out, drinks, cigarettes, snacks, etc. This is why Step 2 is so important: keeping track of the dollars is relatively easy, but the cents really add up.

(If you're not sure how to get started, it might be a good idea to get some professional debt help. There are plenty of organizations that offer free debt advice and help, whether you're looking for in-depth financial guidance or just a bit of help drawing up an ‘Income & Expenditure' table.)

Step 2 - practice

Spend a whole month writing down everything you spend. Tracking the 101 small expenses is critical - after all, you probably already know (more or less) what you spend on expensive things.

Step 3 - reflection

After the first month, take a good look at your notes. Go through your spending with a highlighter and mark all the expenses you could have avoided. Most people find they add up to a lot more than they thought. On the one hand, it's depressing to see how money gets ‘wasted'; on the other hand, it's encouraging to see how much you could save if you really put your mind to it. Hopefully, this should give you the incentive you need to keep going.

Step 4 - calculation

Figure out how much you could save every month if you cut out everything you don't need.

• Could you walk instead of driving / taking public transport?
• Could you stop (or cut down on) smoking and socializing?
• Could you stop buying luxury items (fashionable clothes, CDs, etc.) for a while?

Next, figure out how far you want to take your economy drive. This is a decision only you can make, based on what you know about your debts, your income and - perhaps most important - yourself. Obviously, the more you cut back, the more progress you'll make in paying off your debts. If you don't think you could cut your discretionary spending by 100%, you can always reduce it by 75% or 50%, but of course you'll have to do it for longer to get the same results. If you're looking for motivation, find a reputable online ‘repayment calculator' and see how much you could save by overpaying your debt repayments every month. (There are some kinds of debt that you can't overpay, but it's probably a good idea to focus on debts like store cards, credit cards and overdrafts anyway, as these tend to be high-interest debts which you can overpay.)

Step 5 - perseverance

Keep it up. Nobody likes economizing, so focus on the good points:

• Make a chart of your debts so you can see how fast they're going down.
• Set yourself targets (10% paid off, only $500 left, one debt paid off, etc.)
• When you hit a target, celebrate!

Most of all, remember: however much money you're putting towards your debts today will one day be yours to spend or save as you see fit. Think about what you'll do with your income once it's entirely yours again.

If your college student is getting ready to live off campus, buying a rental property or condo may be an option worth considering.  Of course, with high rental costs and the opportunity to create a tax shelter for your hard earned money, this is a strategy many parents have found to be beneficial.

An investment property is an excellent opportunity to put your money to work for you, and may even help offset some of the income invested into your child's education.  However, there are various factors you should consider before making any final decisions.

Long term goals - Although appreciation rates may be favorable, it is important to discern how long you intend to keep the property.  Within a few years your son or daughter will be finished with their education, and you will still be left with a property to care for.

Some individuals would rather keep the home as an investment and continue to rent the property out to new students.  Additionally, this may be a place that you will plan to use for future visits or football games long after your child is done with school.

The problem with solely relying on strong appreciation rates is that you may not be able to command the price you desire a few years from now.  So unless you are prepared to hold onto the property for a longer time period to make the investment worthwhile, this may be something worth reconsidering.

Maintenance & management - Next, purchasing a rental property is a big investment, so you want to ensure that your property is kept in good condition.  Although your son or daughter may be extremely reliable, you may need to consider other friends or roommates that will have to share in on the rent.

Are you comfortable with trusting in 2 or more college students to watch after your property?  Also, it may be required to pay a property manager (especially once your child graduates) to help manage the home if you live at a distance. 

Finally, it will be important that you can find reliable contractors to take care of any maintenance hassles and ensure that the property remains in tip top shape.

Cash flow & taxes - After carefully reviewing the first 2 points, you may still feel that a rental property for your student is well worth the investment.  If this is the case, then there are a few things you must know about finances.

First of all, be sure that you are buying smart.  Work with a qualified agent who knows the area and can help direct you to the best deals.  They will be able to help you figure out projected rental income and appreciation rates as well.

After factoring in taxes, insurance, maintenance, associate fees, your mortgage, etc. you will want to make sure that you have some cash flow for extra profit and to cover unexpected problems that may arise down the road.

This will also make your investment pay off more in the long run and can free you up to invest in future properties as well.  For those who are married, you must be aware that there is a limit to how many itemized deductions you can write off if your gross income exceeds approximately $240K. 

Therefore, though it is possible that you can include the taxes and mortgage interest as deductions on your second property, this is something you will still need to review with a tax professional. 

Finally, be aware that the property can also be susceptible to capital gains tax once you are ready to sell.  Either way, you will still be eligible for some depreciation on your home and to write off a portion of your maintenance and utilities, so there are always good reasons to buy.

All in all, buying a rental property for your college student can be a wise investment for you and your family.  We strongly advise that you take time to sit down with your financial advisor and/or tax pro to discuss the options available to you.  For further guidance on locating a property, please contact us using the information listed above.  

This is a download page for the free Realtor’s Guide to Using Photos in Real Estate Marketing. This guide is intended to help Realtors and home sellers understand the basic aspects of using photos in real estate marketing.

The posts where these documents are discussed are:

·         First post

• Version 1.1 update post

·         Feel free to redistribute these documents. If you translate this into other languages please send me a copy of the translation and I will add it to the download list below.

·         Realtor’s Guide to Using Photos In Real Estate Marketing Downloads:

• NEW–> Photo Guide version 3.0 March 28, 2011 (2.1MB)
• Small English PDF version 1.4 Oct 10, 2009 (1M) – Best for using web distribution.
• Large English PDF version 1.4 Oct 10, 2009 (2.6M) – Best for printing
• Russian PDF - Version 1.4 guide translated to Russian by Andrey Khrolenok
• English .doc file – version 1.2 July 10, 2009 (24K) – Text only without photos
• Zip file with all the photos in the guide (5.3 Meg) – Just the photos as JPGs

Note: This guide is free and published as Creative Commons. Please use it to promote real estate photography. Feel free to modify it, extend it give it away on your site. I simply ask that if you use it, use it to promote real estate photography. And if you see fit give PhotographyForRealEstate.net credit with a link.

When you start to look for your home, consider these factors and make the intelligent decision.

Look at Your Needs and Lifestyle Choices

Before deciding which house to purchase, think about your everyday life, current and expected housing needs, and your budget. You'll soon notice finding the right house involves striking a balance between your "must-haves" and your "nice-to-haves". Here are some things to consider:

Look At How You Live

To start, take a look at your lifestyle. If you love to cook, you'll want a well-equipped kitchen. If you're into gardening, you'll want a yard. If you're planning your office at home, you may want a room for a separate library or work space. If you have several cars, you may require a larger garage or parking spaces.

Think About What You Might Need in the Future

As you think about your housing needs, it's important to consider how long you may live in your home. If you're newly married, you might not be concerned with a school district right now. But you could be in a few years. If you have aging parents, you may want to look at homes that offer living arrangements for them as well as you.

Identify Neighborhoods You Like

You need to think about a home's location just as carefully as you do about a house's features. In addition to considering the distance to work, you need to evaluate the availability of shopping, police and fire protection, medical facilities, school and day-care, traffic and parking, trash and garbage collection, recreational facilities, even places of worship.

Driving or walking around neighborhoods, looking at street maps of various neighborhoods, and talking with people you know who live in the neighborhood will help you better understand the pluses and minuses of the places you're considering. A real estate agent can further help you identify neighborhoods where homes are more likely to appreciate in value.

Consider the Cost Of Living

Where you choose to live does make a difference from a cost of living standpoint. Not only can property taxes vary significantly from area to area, but so can the costs of commuting and home association fees.

Decide On the Type of Home You Want

Do you want a condominium, a town house, or a detached single-family home? Do you want brick, stone, stucco, wood, vinyl siding, or something else? Do you prefer a new home or an older one?

If you have the time and money to invest in fixing up a home, you might want to buy an older home that needs some work. A construction renovation mortgage can help with the expenses. Otherwise, you may opt to buy an older home that has the renovations already complete, or a new one that's completely energy efficient.

Consider a Real Estate Agent

Turn to a real estate agent to help find the right home. Finding an agent who is familiar with the areas you're interested in, has access to up-to-the-minute listing and is willing to do a lot of the legwork for you in finding homes that fit your criteria can be a big advantage. Be careful about walking into open houses or contacting listing agents directly since those agents legally represent the seller and it is in their best interest to get you to pay as high a price as possible. Always tell sellers' agents that you have your own realtor representing you.

The Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun is spectacular from afar and breathtaking from the top. A Trip to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun is included in your Zoo admission. You must stop at the Zoo Front entry to pay your Zoo admission prior to driving up through the Zoo to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo can touch the lives of those who visit and provide a great life for the animals that live here. Visitors are submerged into culture and habitat, inspiring a new respect for the preservation of wildlife through hands-on education and creating a memorable experience. For further information contact (719)578-5367 or e-mail eneal@elpomar.org

Cheyenne includes many neighborhoods within and out of its city limits. Not all on the list, but some of them include:

·         Alta Vista in east-central Cheyenne

·         Antelope Hills in north-west Cheyenne

·         Archer Estates in eastern Cheyenne

·         Crystal Valley Estates in northern Cheyenne

·         Capitol Heights in West-Central Cheyenne

·         Yellowstone Estates in northern Cheyenne

·         Teton Estates in north-east Cheyenne

·         Western Hills in north-west Cheyenne

With positive homework and effort on your part, you can make sure buying the most suitable home becomes a reality.

·         Contact your Real Estate Agent to represent you in the search and negotiation process. Your Real Estate Agent should be interested, relaxed, confident and qualified. Learn your agent’s rates, methods, experience and training. Be sure to give your agent thorough detail when describing what you want in a home.

·         Identify the area you’d like to live in. Look at prices, home design, closeness to shops, schools and other amenities. Speak to the local people. Look at the neighborhood and the condition of nearby homes to make sure you aren’t buying the only sparkler in sight. The area in which your home is located is sometimes a bigger consideration than the home itself, since it has a major impact on your home’s resale value.

·         Visit a few open houses to determine what is available on the market. Visit the homes you are sincerely interested in at various times of the day in order to get a good observation of noise levels, available parking, general activities, traffic and overcrowding.

·         Setting your heart on one particular home might cause you to end up paying more than it is worth, because you are investing emotionally. No home is so perfect that the seller can charge what he or she desires.

Here at Cheyenne, Wyoming and Laramie County things matter. Not only do we care about nature conservation, you too matter to us.