Making Rent Payments Online Via Property Management Software

By Layla Vanderbilt

At the beginning of every month property managers have to figure out who's paid rent and who hasn't. Then they have to run around and collect payments from tenants who haven't paid or put up notices that rent is late. After a few days if all of the tenants haven't paid then landlords have to print and put up evection notices. The whole process is very hard on managers and takes a lot of time to complete. However there is a solution to this problem. There is online property management software that will allow for managers to view tenant's payments and it allows for tenants to make payments from the comfort of their homes. There are several ways for the software to be beneficial to landlords and tenants.

One of the easiest methods for making payments is via an automated withdrawal system. This system is setup not using the internet but in the office between the manager and tenant. The tenant will give the manager the bank account number and routing info and then sign a paper consenting to the automated payments. If the bank account doesn't have the proper funds in it then the tenant will often be charged the fees that the landlord gets charged. However the problem is that managers are unable to edit the amount that gets charged to tenants. This means that any other charges, such as water, will have to be a separate payment.

Another easy payment method is by using a payment system that allows for credit card or debit card payments. This method can be slightly risky for management. This is because if a payment has insufficient funds the management might get stuck with a fee that is between 2 and 3 percent. The benefit of this system is that your tenants won't have to run around to try to get money orders and they can do it quickly and effectively from their home. As a property manager you can benefit from this because all of the payments will be organized and you will have an easy to read record as to who paid their rent and on what day they paid it.

Finally there's another form of online payment that tenants can do as well. Rather than setting up a monthly automated payment they can use their bank accounts to pay their rent at their disclosure. This may be more convenient for both parties. Managers won't have to worry about the fees associated with credit cards and automated payments. Also the payments will be neatly organized for managers. Tenants won't have to worry about forgetting that they have an automated payment setup and they don't need a credit or debit card.

The online software helps managers be more organized and makes their lives a lot easier. If they ever need to look up anything it's all in the computer and very easy to do so. - 23210

About the Author:

Layla Vanderbilt is the webmaster for a leading property management solution review website which connects people with the leading property management tools.

How About ETFs?

By Ahmad Hassam

Ever thought of trading ETFs? ETFs stand for Exchange Traded Funds. ETFs represent an ownership stake in a basket of underlying assets or securities. This basket can represent a specific index like the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq 100. It could be a segment of market like the small cap, large growth stocks. It can also be a sector like semiconductor, energy, travel. There are even ETFs on foreign currencies like Euro, Yen, and USD.

It can also comprise of bonds, gold, silver or other commodities. The value of the ETF is determined by the underlying securities. So you may be thinking this sound like a mutual fund.

The unit price of ETF changes instantaneously unlike the Mutual Funds that are priced at the end of the trading day. ETFs can be brought and sold throughout the trading day like ordinary stocks. ETFs are different from the Mutual Funds in a number of ways.

There is no minimum for ETF purchases. ETFs can be traded using the market, limit and stop loss orders. ETFs can be shorted, traded with a margin account and many trade options. So ETFs offer the diversification advantages of mutual funds and the flexibility of stocks.

Suppose you have a bullish opinion on the oil sector. After spending hours you will select the one company that you think is the strongest. You will have to analyze dozens of companies in the oil sector. One of the main advantages of ETFs is that they offer diversification.

ETFs provide you the benefit of diversification in the same way that mutual funds do to the small retail investors. Instead of investing in a few stocks you can now invest in a particular sector just like investing in a mutual fund. You could choose the Oil Sector ETF that would give you the advantage of mimicking some oil sector index.

The key advantage that ETFs hold over mutual funds is that they can be sold or bought at anytime of the day. ETF prices keep on changing in relation to the underlying assets. However, mutual funds are priced only once at the end of each trading day.

A mutual fund charges management fees. It can also charge upfront, backend or other sales loads. Expense ratios for ETFs on average are not more than 0.4%. Some have even expense rations as low as 0.07%. This is the main advantage of ETFs over mutual funds. It is the fees charged by each. ETF expenses are low because they are passively managed and generally follow an established index.

Currency trading has become extremely popular among the big players like the institutional investors, big companies and hedge funds. Foreign currency trading is not just for gamblers or commodity traders. It is now available to retail investors like you and me also.

Foreign currency has become a respected asset classification and is so hot that now you can trade Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) on currencies. As with any other product there are advantages and disadvantages of trading ETFs. - 23210

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and forex. Understand The Forex Market. Learn Forex Trading!

Is a Debt Consolidation Loan for You?

By Layla Vanderbilt

Choosing to get a debt consolidation loan is a big choice that you hopefully won't have to make very often. Debt consolidation loans are very handy tools for getting out of debt. Many people have used debt consolidation loans successful. However many people have also fallen victim to the temptation of debt consolidation loans as well. It's important that you determine if you should get a debt consolidation loan and for what reasons you're getting it.

If your credit score is still in decent condition then you may qualify for an unsecured loan. If you happen to qualify for an unsecured debt consolidation loan then this will be the most practical answer to your problems as you won't have to risk anything to get the loan and you'll be able to consolidate all of your debt under one loan with only one interest rate. However if you do not qualify for an unsecured loan then you'll have to consider getting a secured loan. Before you get a secured loan you should take into account several things. First you want to make sure that the loan will fit in with your current finances and that you won't get further in debt. Second you should ensure that the loan is actually going to take bills off of your current monthly budget so that you can recover. Finally you will need to make sure that your secured loan can remain paid so that you don't lose your collateral. Losing your collateral will hurt you the most.

You should also look over your financial history when you're considering a debt consolidation loan and figure out how you got into debt to begin with. If you notice that your income has been lower than your expenses then you will want to try to cut back on your expenses as much as possible. If you've already tried that then you may consider seeking help from the government, switching homes, or even switching careers to a better paying one. You want to understand how you got into debt so that you don't get back into it after you've gotten out by using a debt consolidation loan. Otherwise you will be back in debt again and in the long run you'll never get out.

Some people get the loan to help supplement their income rather than use the loan to pay off past debts. This causes even more problems as they are unable to pay off the loan or your other bills after you've used the loan up. If you're getting a debt consolidation loan make sure it's for the right reasons and make sure that you use it for those reasons so that you don't end up further in debt.

For those who have a lot of debt a consolidation loan is a good answer to their problems. Before you get the loan make sure that you can make the payments and that it will actually help you instead of hurt you financially. You should also ensure that your chosen lender is offering you a fair price on your interest rate. These factors can help you get out of debt. - 23210

About the Author:

Layla Vanderbilt is the content coordinator for a leading website that offers for bad debt consolidation advice and guidance.

Get A Home Get A Special Deed

By Don Burnham

Nearly everywhere, you can buy real property at an auction. In some states, there is what's called Redemption Laws; the deed or title for this type of purchase is special and has specific rules attached to it. The title you hold is not clear yet, or in simpler terms: temporary. This means that in a matter of months, the former owner from which the property has been auctioned can reclaim the property -the title is defeasible or can be defeated.

The legalities of Redemption Rights: Whenever you purchase real estate with a special defeasible title, you can also purchase along with it, the redemption rights. Doing so ensures that the title you hold is permanent and can't be bought back by the owner. Laws that handle this type of transaction differ with each state, and can be confusing. Consult your real estate attorney if you want a fair trade.

More or less, the owner you'll be buying the property from will be under a lot of stress -making them unaware of their own property's equity values. Equity factors in the price of redemption rights. Ethics dictate a minimum of $1500 for perusing redemption rights; should the owner demand more, again, consult your real estate attorney.

Furthermore, there's a good chance that the owner you're buying redemption rights from is currently handling a great deal of stress -their property is being auctioned off! It's likely that they're not aware of the equity. You however, as the buyer, should be aware of such. Tradition and, well, ethics pertain to the rule of thumb: $1500 for redemption rights. Should they ask for more, check the property's equity and again, consult your attorney.

Acquiring Property:A lot of hopeful homeowners, besides scouting out good property, usually start with getting a loan. A note is the borrowed money, say $200,000. When you use that note to purchase real estate, you are issued a mortgage or deed of trust -this is the security instrument. So when you're paying off your loan, it's called paying off your mortgage. If you, the owner and borrower can no longer pay for your mortgage, your property can be foreclosed -that is repossessed, confiscated, or taken as collateral. Or, depending on certain factors, the lender can see you in court.

The relationship between notes, deeds, mortgages, foreclosures, borrowers, etc:

3 parties are always involved in a deed of trust sale:

Trustor = Borrower

Beneficiary = Person lending the money (mortgagee)

Trustee: Whoever is handling the transaction

In a deed of trust, the trustee handles the foreclosure for the beneficiary; in a mortgage, a lawyer handles the foreclosure for the beneficiary. A mortgage and deed of trust are two separate and different things, but perform the same function -acting as security instruments until the property and loan is completely paid off.

In the event of a foreclosure, there are usually 2 major ways to handle it:

Equity Split

Equity Split

Sometimes however, should the property and case require it, there is the "subject to" transaction which bases purchase on the existing financing of the real property. - 23210

About the Author:

Want to know more about real estate? Log on to Don Burnham's website http://www.weknowthewayback.com and know everything from redemptions and foreclosure all under one roof.

The Short Sale

By Don Burnham

Sometimes the owner of a property is no longer able to pay the mortgage or deed of trust. When this happens, foreclosure often follows -or worse: bankruptcy. But there is an alternative, the short sale.

The short sale is the last option taken by the lender. When a lender signs a short sale, they are forgiving a certain amount of debt, and considering the loan paid in full.

A local real estate attorney should be consulted to determine whether the loan qualifies for a deficiency judgment or claim, as state laws vary. One should also consult an accountant to determine tax ramifications. The IRS may consider debt forgiveness as income. There is no guarantee that the lender will not legally pursuer a borrower for the difference between the amounts owed and the amount paid. This depends on individual state laws.

To pursue a short sale, consult your real estate attorney if your case is eligible -certain state laws only allow specific values for a loan to qualify for a deficiency judgment in a short sale. Also, consult an accountant, the IRS may consider the unpaid debts as income, affecting your tax records. Also, the borrower is not guaranteed that the lender will not pursue them for the remaining debts beyond the debt already forgiven -an especially good reason to consult your attorney.

It's hard to guess how long securing a short sale will take, but it's sure to be long, tedious, and tiring. Lenders usually say about 21 days or so for a case to be completely approved.

Short Sale Strategy Overview

The process: The contract, authorization to release, and the addendum -these are the key parts of the whole short sale process, topped off with the warranty deed. Here we'll take a closer look at the contract and the addendum:

The Contract: The contract can be of any variety-a one page, a nine page, a board of realtors' version, or any generic type of purchase and sales contract. However, at any point in the contract in which price is mentioned, you should fill in the phrase: "See Addendum."

The Addendum

This is the most important piece of paper in your entire manual! Let's review the Addendum in detail. The first section on the top is just generic information pertinent to the specific property:

Origination of the contract

The Date

The names and other info pertinent to the parties involved

Address

It's better if both the simple address and the legal address are listed to avoid confusion.

Any investor, who wants to make money in the foreclosure market, should always consider that a short sale could still bring him a bargain property. - 23210

About the Author:

Know about short sale an alternatives to bankruptcy or foreclosure only at Don Burnham's website http://www.weknowthewayback.com. Visit today to know all about short sale!