Real Estate Advisor asked:

Second home sales have been increasing over the last few years with more people becoming second home owners. In 2005 alone, 40 percent of the homes sold were second homes. Demographics, all time low mortgage rates, and healthy rise in home prices have contributed to this development in the second home market. Besides these, a major factor that has helped augment the buying and selling of second homes is the real estate professional.

The National Association of Realtors conducted research on the profile of second-home owners in 2006. According to the NAR report entitled ’2006 Profile of Second-Home Owners’, a majority of second home sales transactions are conducted using the services of real estate agents.

The statistics are remarkable; 64 % of vacation home buyers purchased their home using the services of a real estate agent by the end of 2005 – a marked increase from less than 50 % of vacation-home buyers in 2003. Also, 65 % of investment-home buyers purchased their home with the help of a real estate agent – an increase from 53 % of pre-2003. In comparison, only 14 % of vacation-home buyers and 7 % of investment-home buyers purchased directly from builders from 2003 to 2005.

The growing role of the real estate professional is evident from the following figures:

1. Of vacation home sales made, 71 % of them were second homes and 74 % of the sales were made using the services of a real estate agent.

2. Of the investment properties sold, 85 % of them were previously owned and 62 % of the sales were made using the services of a real estate agent.

The use of real estate agents in second home sales transactions varied according to the home’ location.

1. Buyers used a real estate agent more frequently while purchasing a vacation home located in a suburb/subdivision (56 %) or a rural area (57 %) than for homes in other locations.

2. About 66 % of buyers who purchased an investment property in an urban/central city area or in a suburb/subdivision, used the services of a real estate agent more frequently than those who purchased a home in other locations.

Real estate professionals continue to be the first source of information to second-home buyers (38 % of vacation-home buyers and 34 % of investment-home buyers). The real estate professional also plays a major role when second-home owners plan to buy additional properties. If you are thinking of buying a second home or vacation home, seek out the services of a real estate agent to guide you through your next home purchase.

1. The percentage of second home owners who are more likely to use a real estate agent in their next home purchase is quite high. Among vacation-home owners it is 79 % and investment-home owners 73 %.

2. Among second home owners, 65 % of vacation-home owners and 64% of investment-property owners are more likely to use a real estate agent in their next home sales.

Given these statistics, it is no wonder that the real estate agent plays a pivotal role in helping people buy and sell second homes. So whether you are a second-home buyer or seller, enlist the services of an agent for a smooth, hassle free real estate transaction.

PARMAR12 asked:


For any buyer who is purchasing property in UK, one should be sure to have all one’s funds organized before you start seeking for the ideal investment properties. Due to the circumstance, that the selling and purchasing procedure, once undergone, can progress extremely fast and should a property investor not have a mortgage agreed upon or should the investor in question not have enough money to hand the sale – it could result in the whole process falling through as a result of the continual fast-moving nature of the Dubai property market.

Many overseas investors feel that the “highly urbane sales process in UK which sees developers and investment property agents presenting potential customers with superior show homes to view and lovely brochures to peruse, the property buying process in UK is very sophisticated and transparent.” The good news for buyers seeking property investment in England is the fact that there are no property related taxes to speak off. Represented, this means that there is only a minimal additional outlay with purchasers having to cover lawyer’s fees he ongoing maintenance of the property as well as any shared areas or amenities. One of the most important necessities for purchasing investment property is having satisfactory down payment money, called equity, to complete the transaction. A very famous technique to increase these finances when you don’t have it yourself is by forming a group of people who pool enough capital to let you close the transaction. They get a section of the income and approval for their funds, you get the rest for finding, investigating, buying, and managing the property.

When you are planning to form groups of investors through the technique called syndication, you run into a condition where the law may need you take on a particular work to fully inform your co-investors of all aspects of the investment properties. This is one of the most important steps in the procedure of selecting the perfect investment properties for your investment requirements. A skilled investigation will prepare you for any obstacles that may arise during the course of your work on the home. Such issues that will affect the amount of money you should offer on the home, the amount of money you will require to invest in repairs and the amount of money you can anticipate once all is said and done.

Bargains are definitely a required step when it comes to finding investment properties with excellent capability as flipped investment properties. UK properties are frequently sold at bargain prices for a reason. Getting a broker that is willing to work with you for lower prices, bargain investment properties offer an excellent place to start.