Hud homes are the result of  FHA loan defaults. These foreclosed homes are sold by the Hud Department of the Government. These homes are sold by online bids. Owner Occupant Buyers bid first. If no bids are acceptable from Owner Occupants by a certain deadline, the bidding is opened to Investors. Email us... if you would like to find out about available Hud Homes in Lake, Porter, Laporte, Jasper and Newton Counties of Northwest Indiana.info@CommercialAffiliates.com 04/19/2007

Many investors look for a certain Cap Rates for Investment Properties. Cap Rates vary across the Country and even across town. This very basic measure of investment property value should be understood from Day One, if you are buying or selling investment property. Contact Commercial Affiliates for information on Cap Rates in Northwest Indiana.info@CommercialAffiliates.com 04/17/2007

If your looking for a business for sale in Northwest Indiana, email Commercial Affiliates info@commercialaffiliates.comAll types of business are for sale at any given moment. Taverns, Bars and Restaurants are available at many different prices and areas. Lots of professional and service businesses are for sale due to retirement or relocation. Sometimes they are public, such as listed on the MLS and Loopnet. A lot of times they are not public and are only known by people in the know or in the field such as Commercial Real Estate Brokers and Business Brokers. We are both Business and Commercial Real Estate Brokers. Feel free to call and talk business. Call Commercial Affiliates at 219-730-8275. 04/15/2007

Are you looking to buy or lease space for your business?We know the Northwest Indiana Commercial Market. Lake, Porter and Laporte Counties are all submarkets within the trade area of Northern Indiana. Market Research involves many factors to consider such as demographics, accessibility, traffic counts and direct competition. After an initial consultation, we help select the best location by using a rating system to rate available commercial property based on certain factors and features of each property. The decision to buy, lease or build is determined by what each individual business owner deems best. We are available for consultation on financial analysis of commercial real estate investments. Call Commercial Affiliates at 219-730-8275 04/15/2007

Valparaiso High School serves the City of Valpariso Indiana.  Home of the Vikings. The city is experiencing a residential and commercial real estate boom. This picture and much more information can be found at their website. http://www.valpo.k12.in.us/vhs/index.phpResearch Valparaiso High School test scores and other Indiana Schools test scores at the Indiana Department of Education.http://www.regionreview.com/Information Courtesy of http://www.willemsrealtors.com/  04/08/2007

Valparaiso Indiana is located in Porter County. This Northwest Indiana Community is vibrant with new residential and commercial real estate developments. Old homes and new homes abound in all price ranges.Valparaiso University is highly regarded nationally. Valparaiso Public Schools enjoys a solid reputation for academic test scores.The old fashioned Courthouse Square and surrounding downtown area reminds one of a charming bygone era. Quaint boutiques and cafes fill the historic buildings.If you would like more in depth local knowledge please contact us.Feel free to search for Valparaiso homes for sale on Northwest Indiana's Multiple Listing Service through our main site. http://www.willemsrealtors.com/ 03/29/2007

BANTA SENIOR CITIZENS  CENTER IN VALPARAISOThe Banta Center in Valpo is a great place for Senior Citizens.  They have all kinds of activities for Seniors. Bus trips, exercise classes, bingo etc. It is a good place for my own Grandmother to meet people with the same interests that she has. She moved out to Porter County about three years ago and all of her friends she has known for most of her life are in Lake County.  She has taken Tai Chi classes and enjoyed some of the other activities that are offered. 03/26/2007

Today I start my new series, Neighborhood Synergy, with an eye on neighborhoods that are interesting for new home buyers.  In Northwest Indiana they are approximately 400 new home developments, could take me a while to focus on each one individually ... but it's worth a try.Eagle Ridge was developed in 2005 by Strathmore Developments.  This community features 112 homesites and my current estimate is that about 80 of those homesites are sold.  Homes in Eagle Ridge, includiing the Synergy Homes model at the main entrance, range from $200,000 to $300,000.  One customer told me that they had to drive "very slow to watch for all the bikes and big-wheels on Saturday."  i love a terrific family neighborhood!Google Map DirectionsThere are actually quite a few specs available currently for quick... 03/26/2007

NW Indiana Mortgage provides financing for GOOD, BAD OR NO CREDIT.  We will structure your loan to best fit your needs, while giving you different options of programs available.  Why shop your own loan out, when we will do it for you with one credit pull to as many lenders as we need to. 03/21/2007

I was doing a little research on my own, both here in Active Rain and in the outside world.  Figured I could post some links to the sites I found that actually made sense to me:Using the Competition to Boost your SEO Performance A step by step, short article on using your competitions keywords to begin really improving your own keywords, links, and SEO.  Looking a little closer at our local real estate site for Porter County (Northwest Indiana region) Synergy Thoughts, I don't think we have competitors as much as possible collaborators.How to protect your search engine rankings  This article is a little less useful than the first, but has a couple ideas for making sure you don't get in trouble with search engines.  I particularly found the "page rank" idea very useful."The Fifth Estate ... 03/18/2007

Unless the buyer who makes an offer on your home has the resources to qualify for a mortgage, you may not really have a sale. If possible, try to determine a buyer's financial status before signing the contract. Ask:1. If the buyer has been prequalified or preapproved (better) for a mortgage. Such buyers will be in a much better position to obtain a mortgage promptly. 2. Does the buyer have enough money to make a downpayment and cover closing costs? Ideally, a buyer should have 20 percent of the home's price as a downpayment and between 2 and 7 percent of the price to cover closing costs.3. Is the buyer's income sufficient to afford your home? Ideally, buyers should spend no more than 28 percent of total income to cover PITI (principal, interest, taxes, and insurance).4. Does your buyer... 03/06/2007

How High Tech Is Your Home?If the latest technology or entertainment options are important in your new home, add the following questions to your buyer's checklist.1. Are there enough jacks in every room for cable TV and high-speed Internet hookups? 2. Are there enough telephone extensions or jacks? 3. Is the home prewired for home theater or multi-room audio and video?4. Does the home have a local area network for linking computers?5. Does the home already have wiring for DSL or other high-speed Internet connection?6. Does the home have multizoning heating and cooling controls with programmable thermostats?7. Does the homes have multiroom lighting controls, window-covering controls, or other home automation features?8. Is the home wired with multipurpose in-wall wiring that allows for r... 03/04/2007

THE BOTTOM LINE Sellers: Free Bottom Line Analysis of Net Profit To find out how much money you'll net from your house, add up your closing costs and subtract them from the sale price of the house. Closing Costs for Sellers Mortgage payoff and outstanding interest. Prorations for real estate taxes. Prorations for utility bills, condo dues, and other items paid in arrears. Closing fees charged by closing specialist. Title policy fees. Home inspections. Attorney's fees. Survey charge. Transfer tax or other government registration fees. Brokerage commission. Selling Price - Total = Net Proceeds to Seller For Buyers: Free Analysis of Out-of-Pocket Costs Downpayment. Loan origination fees. Points, or loan discount fees you pay to receive a lower interest rate. Appraisal fee. Credit report. P... 02/25/2007

1. Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon, a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.2. Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.3. Get a pre-sale home inspection so you'll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract. 4. Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house. 5. Fill out a disclosure form provided by your sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don't forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale. http://www.willemsrealtors.com/ 02/25/2007

HOUSE HUNTING without a REALTOR?: First of all, the sellers pay our commissions, not the buyers. Think you can save money by house-hunting on your own, and asking the seller for a discount since you're not represented by a Realtor? Guess what? You'll just do the listing agent a favor by doubling her commission! Now she'll get both the buyer's and seller's commissions. You still will not get a discount. Consider this... How do you know you are getting the best price from the seller? OK, you got the house for $250K. The seller's original asking price is $280K. How do you know that's a good price? We may have gotten it for you for $235K! What are your negotiating factors? If the seller refuse to lower the price, what do you do? Are you sure the window treatments, fans, water softener, etc.... 02/25/2007

Questions to Ask When Choosing a REALTOR®1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is it your full-time job? While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate, like many other professions, is mostly learned on the job. 2. What designations do you hold? Designations such as GRI and CRS, which require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training, are held by only about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.3. How many homes did you and your company sell last year? 4. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to the overall market?5. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices?6. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home? Look ... 02/25/2007

Tax Benefits of Home OwnershipThe tax deductions you can take for mortgage interest and property taxes greatly increase the financial benefits of home ownership. Here's how it works. Assume: $9,877 = Mortgage interest paid (a loan of $150,000 for 30 years, at 7 percent, using year-five interest) $2,700 = Property taxes (at 1.5 percent on $180,000 assessed value______$12,577 = Total deduction $3,521.56 = Amount you have lowered your federal income tax (at 28 percent tax rate) (12,577 X .28 = $3,521.56) Note that mortgage interest may not be deductible on loans over $1.1 million. In addition, deductions are decreased when total income reaches a certain level. 02/25/2007

1. Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.2. Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.3. Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for. 4. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows. 5. Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs. 6. Make minor repairs th... 02/24/2007

10 Things a Lender Needs From You1. W-2 forms or business tax return forms if you're self-employed for the last two or three years for every person signing the loan.2. Copies of at least one pay stub for every person signing the loan.3. Copies of two to four months of bank or credit union statements for both checking and savings accounts.4. Copies of personal tax forms for the last two to three years. 5. Copies of brokerage account statements for two to four months, as well as a list of any other major assets of value, e.g., a boat, RV, or stocks or bonds not held in a brokerage account. 6. Copies of your most recent 401(k) or other retirement account statement.7. Documentation to verify additional income, such as child support or a pension. 8. Account numbers of all your credit cards a... 02/16/2007

5 Common First-Time Homebuyer MistakesThey don't ask enough questions of their lender and miss out on the best deal. They don't act quickly enough to make a decision and someone else buys the house. They don't find the right agent whose willing to help them through the homebuying process.They don't do enough to make their offer look good to a seller. They don't think about resale before they buy. The average first-time buyer only stays in a home for four years.http://www.willemsrealtors.com/ 02/16/2007