ForeclosuresMass - ForeclosuresMass Monthly - Financing for Investors - Change is Good in the Financial Markets (September 2008)

To say today's real estate market has changed is clearly an understatement. More and more national lenders are tightening their financial belts, restructuring their once loose program guidelines and watching a once red-hot industry quickly revert to days of old.

However, that doesn't mean business as we once knew it is dead. Absolutely not. In fact, when the industry changes, so do its players - and particularly the way they do business. Believe me . . . change is good.

Although some of the major alternative-credit players are gone - New Century, Ameriquest and IndyMac - some veterans, including Countrywide and Wells Fargo, are still around and making deals.

One person to keep in mind as the financial market corrects itself: your seasoned local mortgage broker who, as the market changes, is realigned with the industry's new deal-makers.

* Next 37 17 investors only!

Since networking is key to building your real estate business, it's vitally important to partner yourself with a veteran professional or "brain trust" (i.e. loan officer, Realtor(r), conveyancing attorney, and contractor) who can make your deals close quick and easy.

As part of today's mortgage leap-frog, current lenders have abolished many of yesterday's aggressive stated or "no doc" programs - the bread and butter for many real estate investors.

But, many programs still exist for the creditworthy borrower to build wealth via a diversified portfolio of real estate. It pays to schedule a personal strategy session with your trusted loan officer to see what's new or hot in today's mortgage market.

Lastly, one of the concerns among real estate investors is pending and viable inventory. As ForeclosuresMass points out on a regular basis, foreclosures are at an all-time high. This means more inventory - which can be seen as a negative. However, when there's more homes, lenders are always anxious to provide the financing. Align yourself with a seasoned financial professional who has an ethical track-record, then get out there and make those offers.

Today's real estate marketplace has changed, but certainly for the better for savvy, hungry investors such as yourself.

Jeffrey Chalmers is a 20 year veteran of the real estate, finance and title industries. His company, Real Solutions LLC, empowers consumers and professionals alike using a simple, yet effective, one-stop real estate portal located at www.ClicknCompare.com. He can be reached at (800) 434-4127 x901 or at jchalmers@clickncompare.com.

Did you like this article? You May Also Like:

	Interview with the Expert: FCM Co-Founder Blasts Her Way Into Prosperity Thinking Sheila Farragher-Gemma, ForeclosuresMass, Corp. As Sheila Farragher-Gemma states in her interview, success is based on your attitude. Carry a negative mindset and you'll never accomplish anything. Change your attitude and you can achieve anything. Sheila explains how she's used Dan Kennedy's program, Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs, to learn what separates the really successful entrepreneurs from the rest of the pack. As she reveals, combining positive thinking with action can help you overcome self-doubt and develop the "millionaire mindset" - the kind that attracts real wealth.
	Professional Profile: Using ForeclosuresMass.com Can Ease Mortgage Woes for Investors says one Mortgage Company President Gary Yi, Secure Mortgage Corp. Gary Yi, President of Secure Mortgage Corporation is a very busy man these days. Lower interest rates have caused a boom in purchases and refinancing. There are some tricks to buying foreclosed property that could make the process easier if you are looking for financing...
	Success Strategies: The Three Cardinal Rules of Negotiating Real Estate Deals James A. Gage If you're living by the ABC rule - as in, "always be closing" - you're living by the wrong advice. According to Jim Gage, getting to closing too quickly means you're leaving out a bunch of steps in the process. In his article, he explains the three cardinal rules of real estate negotiations - and how you can use them to successfully close more deals. (Hint: one of the rules means keeping your mouth shut, but you knew that, right?)
	Legal Corner: What to Know Before You Buy: The Legal-Ease of Foreclosed Properties Suzanne Brunelle, Portnoy and Greene, PC Over the past ten years, attorney Suzanne Brunelle of Portnoy and Greene, PC in Newton, has handled thousands of foreclosures. Her advice is simple: find out as much as you can as early as you can about the property that interests you...
	Finance Corner: What you Need to Know When Financing a Foreclosed Property Lisa Halpert, Loan Officer, HomeVest Mortgage Corporation While other investment properties allow a buyer ample occasion to view the property, inspect the systems and bring in experts to assess the improvements necessary for habitation, purchasers of foreclosed properties may have little or no ability to walk through the building. In addition, when foreclosed properties are purchased at auction little time is left for reflection regarding price...
	Legal Spotlight: How to Keep Yourself from Being Part of a Third Party Claim John B. DiSciullo, Esq. As a real estate investor, you have relationships with contractors, sub-contractors and other real estate investors - relationships that can leave you open to third-party claims if you're not careful. In his informative article, real estate attorney John DiSciullo talks about three of the third-party claims you're most likely to encounter: disputes involving contractors, insurance issues, and claims between buyers and sellers and how you can help prevent these disputes from occurring.
	Success Strategies: Buying and Renting a Vacation Home - Making it Work Joan Talmadge Renting a home has become a very popular vacation alternative; an ongoing trend which continues to drive up rental rates. If you're considering making one of your investments available as a vacation rental, you won't want to miss the five tips offered by vacation rental expert Joann Talmadge.
	Nothing Succeeds Like Success: Linda Valentine Finds a Second Career Linda Valentine When the job market closes, what's a woman to do when she's definitely not ready to retire? Become a full-time real estate investor, that's what! With four deals in the works and one recently closed, Linda shows how it's never too late to jump-start a second career in real estate investing.
	Success Story: Sincerity and Generosity Help First-Time Investor Net $15,000 Derek Ebrecht Talk about hitting the ground running: Derek Ebrecht had only been subscribing to ForeclosuresMass for three months when he landed his first deal. Every Friday, Derek would download the online foreclosure data he received in his emails and send out letters to homeowners - until one Friday when a 2-family in Roslindale caught his eye...
	Feature Article: Negotiating For Profit James A. Gage Your approach in a negotiation dramatically affects the outcome of the deal. I've distilled this concept down to three essential principles. These principles are always at work for you and will help you get what you want smoothly...