easy terms Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Frontier Properties USA

Interesting article from Steve Bergman of Inman News quoting:

"Two years ago, H. Ross Ford, CEO and president of TCN Worldwide in Plano, Texas, argued in print that the credit squeeze following the subprime blow-up created opportunities for raw land acquisitions.

His thesis held that in certain hot markets like Nevada or Florida, homebuilders had amassed large amounts of raw land for development, but with the value of that land heading deep into a trough they needed to dispose of all that acreage.

I asked Ford if his argument was still valid two years later. "The dynamics haven't changed," he replied. "A tremendous amount of raw land has become devalued in the course of the economic cycle. As such there are opportunities to buy at the bottom of the market."

Most of these opportunities have been unrealized, generally for two reasons.

 1. If you don't have the cash, it's tough to find financing for raw land deals. Ironically — but logically — in places like Florida, Las Vegas or Southern California where there are tremendous bargains in raw land, the likelihood of getting financing are the slimmest.

2. For investors, a second roadblock has been a reluctance by financial institutions to just dump assets, including raw land, into a commercial real estate market that is already flooded with product."

Our company is able to manufacture more demand simply because we are able to finance on easy terms.  I know our property isn't prime residential buildable lots in the suburbs, but it's good land at a great price. 

Click below to see the origins of April 1st becoming April Fools Day.

So was the sale of the Brooklyn Bridge the best real estate prank of all time?

The History Of April Fools Day

This is the headline from CNN Real Estate– Been dreaming of a vacation home? Somewhere warm to get away? Or maybe a cabin in the woods? Prices are right if you can afford it.

The median price of a vacation home was $150,000 in 2010, down 11.2% from a year earlier, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. In contrast, the national median for primary residences fell only 4.5% in 2010, according to NAR.

Great so I buy a second home and at a great price.  Fantastic right?  I don't think so.  Now you have a second mortgage, a second property tax bill, second maintenance bills, second utilities bill and the gnawing guilt of going somewhere else besides the place where your second home resides.  I'd rather have raw land with no maintenance fees and total freedom thank you. 

Why is it that every time I get a tax bill from XYZ County do I cringe?   Even if the taxes are super cheap I just loathe the entire process of having to write a check, write my account number on the check and then mail the check.  Some County's are setup to take payment by e-check or credit card, but then they charge a hefty convenience fee for the privilege of taking your tax dollars.  

Anyways, I thought after 10 years of doing this I'd get used to it, but I never do… Well, the optimist in me likes that I'm rarely paying the same amounts on raw land that people are paying on other property types.  So I guess in that respect, I shouldn't feel so badly every time I have to write that check or click on the link.  Ah, now I feel better.  See how taking pleasure in other people's property tax pain can make me feel better?  

Woke up this morning and received this email from PayPal–

A review ofyour PayPal Account has determinedthat you are in violation of PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy as it pertains to the sale of real property.  It is prohibited to use PayPal for the sale of real property, which includes the direct sale of property, timeshares, or variations on this model such as raffles/lotteries and reverse auctions.  Because we realize it takes time to find another payment processor, you can continue operating with PayPal for the next 90 days.   After 90 days(Friday, June 24, 2011) your account will be closed.

This is not a decision we make lightly, and we deeply regret any inconvenience or frustration this matter may cause you.  This matter has been reviewed at length, and this decision is final.

I know of several other land sellers that received the same message.  Something must have happened that triggered this, but what a way to start the day… 

We do accept other forms of payment like credit cards and checks etc., but so many people have PayPal accounts and are comfortable using it that it just irks me to have my business affected so quickly and without any warning.

Want to know the secret to getting your interest rate reduced?  Ask….