Archive for September, 2009

California Homeowners Can Reduce Their Property Taxes

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

a Homeowners are Being Over-taxed

Due to recent decline in real estate value, California homeowners are paying hundreds or thousands of dollars extra in property taxes. Homes bought between 2004-2007 are most likely to be effected by this problem. If you purchased your home within the last four years, you are probably paying more property taxes than you should, based on your original purchase price. Now’s the time to file an appeal to the Clerk of the Board to reduce your yearly property taxes.

Your Taxes Do Not Automatically Decrease

As property taxes decline, your taxes do not automatically decrease. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to file an assessment appeal to the Clerk of the Board to readjust your yearly taxes accordingly. The deadline to file appeals is usually 30-60 days after you receive your property tax notice from the assessor’s office. Appealing early, ensures that your application is received on time and increases your chances of getting approved for a tax reduction. Although the County Assessor’s Office is promising tax reductions to 128,000 homeowners, greater tax reductions can be granted to homeowners who individually file their own re-assessment appeals to the Clerk of the Board. Here’s why? The County Assessor’s Office only gives a limited tax reduction ranging from $200-$600 becauuse it assesses your property, rather than appraise it. This assessment is based on a national average, but the value of homes in some neighborhoods have declined by more than 50%; homeowners in these neighborhoods should recieve more in tax reductions. If you hire an expert to file the appeals application for you for a reasonable amount of money, this is the best way to go. These experts are real estate appraisers who know how to evaluate and compare the final sales in the immediate neighborhood with an unbiased opinion. I recommend Pacific Coast Securities, an Orange County- based tax reduction company to file the application for you. I’ve searched around and this company is the cheapest, charging only $79 for their services. Visit their website at pcsappeals.com.

The Appeals Process Can Be Difficult

When filing an appeal, the homeowner needs to know a great deal about the current market conditions, the value of his or her property and extensive knowledge of comparable properties. This information serves as evidence that you are being over-taxed. Filing the appeals application on your own can cause your application to be denied and force you to pay higher property taxes than you should. The No.1 reason County Assessors deny appeals applications for re-assessment and summon homeowners to court hearings is because applications not completed by professional real estate appraisers often contain mistakes and inaccurate market information.

You’re Not Alone

Real estate appraisers and attorney can help you file your appeal application to make sure you are approved. However, there are companies that are charging up to 50% of your savings to file the application which can average to as little as $1000. A company that I used this year to reduce my property taxes is Pacific Coast Securities, The Tax Reduction Specialists. They were very affordable and efficient. They only asked for a one time fee of $79 to file the application. I saved about $1300 in property taxes with their company.

 Their website address is http://www.pcsappeals.com

Real Estate in India: Growing Towards New Heights

Monday, September 28th, 2009

 

The factors such as booming economy, favourable demographics and liberalised foreign direct investment (FDI) regime, the Indian real estate sector has witnessed a revolution. The real estate in India is growing at 35 per cent. This sector is estimated to be worth US$ 15 billion and anticipated to grow at the rate of 30 per cent annually in the coming decade. India has become a new market for foreign investors due to its potential economical growth rate. As a matter of fact, this sector is attracting foreign investments worth US$ 30 billion in number of IT parks, hotels, medical, telecom and residential townships which are being constructed across India.

Real estate in India is the second largest employing sector including construction and facilities management. This sector is linked to about 250 supportive industries such as cement, brick, transport, steel, etc through backward and forward linkages. Accordingly, a unit increase in expenditure has a multiplier effect in this sector, as capacity to generate income is as high as five times.

Rising income levels of a growing middle class is the main reason for growth in the real estate. Apart from the income, other factors such as increase in nuclear families, low interest rates, modern attitudes to home ownership and a change of attitude amongst the young working population are responsible for real estate development. Therefore, it can be said that real estate property have changed the attitude from ’save and buy’ to ‘buy and repay’ to boost housing demand.

As per the information by ‘Housing Skyline of India 2007-08′, a research firm Indicus Analytics, it has predicted that there will be demand for over 24.3 million new dwellings for self-living in urban India by 2015. Moreover, rapid growth of the Indian economy has faced a cascading effect on demand for commercial property to meet the needs of business such as modern offices, warehouses, hotels and retail shopping centres.

With the significant investment opportunities emerging in this sector, international real estate players have entered in the country. Effective participation from large local and international industrialists have resulted in potential economical growth of India which is moving towards maturity. Currently, foreign direct investment or FDI inflow into this sector is estimated to be between US$ 5 – 5.50 billion. A unit of Deutsche Bank for instance, aims to invest more than US$ 1 billion over three years in Indian construction and real estate property projects. Russian conglomerate Sistema plans to develop hotel, offices and residential complexes in major cities of India with an initial investment of US$ 100-200 million.

The boom in this industry has attracted large number of realty funds to step into this market. Prominent global players such as Carlyle, Blackstone, Morgan Stanley, Trikona, Warbus Pincus, HSBC Financial Services, Americorp Ventures, Barclays and Citigroup among others have all already checked into the Indian realty market.

Among international players, the many Indian realtors are going global by making their name in the international market through significant investments in foreign markets. Prudential Real Estate Investors for instance, has acquired Round Hill Capital Partners Kabushiki Kaisha, a Japanese asset management firm. Embassy Group has settled a deal with the Serbian government to construct a US$ 600 million IT park in Serbia. Parsvnath Developers in collaboration with the Al-Hasan Group in Oman.

Importantly, government has introduced many innovative reform measures to discover the potential of the sector. 100 per cent FDI is allowed in realty projects through the automatic route, for instance. 51 per cent FDI permitted in single brand retail outlets and 100 per cent in cash and carry through the automatic route. With growing economy in India, the demand for all segments of the real estate sector are likely to continue.

Buy a Spanish Property for Sale in Almeria

Monday, September 28th, 2009

Almeria is located in the southeastern region of Spain, specifically in Andalusia. It is set against the base of the mountains, where Akazaba stands. This is an Arab fortress, which has been established by a caliph. Almeria’s coast is known as Costa de Almeria, and it measures an estimated 190 km. It has an approximate population of 425,000. The metropolitan has an estimated population of 145,000. The province measures 8,774 square kilometers.

 

You can find an airport within Almeria. However, this is considered more as the province’ internal airport. Tourists that fly here usually come from the airports of Malaga, Granada, and Murcia. Although the province is small, it still has its share of modern establishments. Amidst the modern setting of Almeria is a relaxing destination for tourists that want to spend the holidays in a tropical location. The province is rising in popularity as a well-known holiday destination because of the beauty and numerous opportunities that it has to offer. Not only this, the market of Spanish property for sale in Almeria is diverse.

 

One of the pressing reasons that make Almeria famous is its warm weather. In the summer, the town experiences an average temperature of 26 degrees C. During winter, its average temperature is 12 degrees C. This mild climate is owed primarily to the location of Almeria along the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the wonderful weather of the province, you can do almost anything under the sun. You can take a swim in its clear beaches or stroll through the sandy dunes. Or else, you can relax on a lounge chair as you sip a cold drink. If you want to make Almeria your permanent travel destination, why not buy a Spanish property for sale within the town.

 

It is very convenient to buy an overseas property for sale. Spain has several tourist destinations, where you can purchase a property. One of these is an Almeria property. Despite the small size of the province, buying a property is like opening an entry to the beauty of the entire country. There are several activities that you can participate in, not to mention the exciting and entertaining fiestas of Spain. The beaches of the country are pristine, with clear and fine sands. The coastlines are filled with luxury resorts and hotels that cater to the lodging needs of the tourists. When you want to take advantage of all the good things that you can get from Almeria and all of Spain, buy a Spanish property for sale.

 

Purchasing a property in Almeria is a dream for some tourists. This is because the province has a natural beauty to boast about. This is evident in its beaches and mountains. Aside from the breathtaking environment of the town, you will get to experience exhilarating shopping and fun activities. The opportunities that await you are vast, when you have your own residential property in Almeria. If you are searching for a property for sale, Spain has a wide range of selections for. In Almeria alone, you can take a pick from villas, beachfront residences, newly-developed and resale properties.

 

The best way to look for a Spanish property for sale is to check out your options on the Internet. There are hundreds of sites that offer real estate and property developments. The greatest benefit is that some of these real estate agencies help you pick out a property that is perfect for you.