Lighting can make or break a home or a room. Designers use lighting to add drama to a space, provide for work surfaces, highlight style features or combine lighting with fixtures such as a chandelier to make a glimmering statement. Understanding how to use lighting effectively can increase the curb appeal, resale value and the marketability of a home.

Lighting types. General lighting provides illumination for safety and security purposes. Task lighting is used for cooking, reading, hobbies where shadows are eliminated. Accent lighting is used to focus attention on architectural features or a favorite painting or other object. Decorative lighting is used in table lamps, wall sconces or pendants hanging over a kitchen island.

Lighting uses. Wall washing can create a back drop effect by pointing a wide beam of light at a wall. Wall grazing is good for popping textured wall surfaces like natural fabrics, stone, brick or etched concrete. Down is one of the most common uses of lighting, where the light is originating from a hanging fixture or track. Uplighting can add drama to indoor plants or dark corners by placing a free-standing light can.

Lighting controls. Switches are the most common, but they can't control the amount of light. Dimmers can allow the light level to be raised or lowered and are offered in simple or digital models.

Lighting fixtures. Ceiling fixtures feature glass or plastic diffusers, which can be flush mounted or hang from the ceiling. Ceiling fans can offer the combination of ventilation and lighting. Strip lights are used as under-cabinet lighting in kitchens, over vanities in bathrooms and on stairways inside and out. Recessed lighting are decorative flush-with-ceiling cans that offer down, accent or wall washing. Scones can down light or up light walls and stairwells.

Lighting tip. Lighter wall colors reflect more light, darker paints and finishes absorb up to four times more light and are not as energy efficient.

Enjoy more Bricks & Sticks by Mark Nash. Topics include Ceiling options, Interior Lighting and Staircases.

Mark Nash, is a residential real estate author, broker, columnist and writer based in Chicago. His fourth book 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home received eighteen five star reviews on Amazon.com. His latest book; Real Estate A-Z for Buying & Selling a Home will be published in December 2006. Mark publishes a free monthly ezine for real estate professionals. Agent to Agent features ten articles that offer free reprints for agents, home buyers and sellers through EzineArticles.com . Real estate news and book reviews, Celebrity Homestyles, Home selling and buying tips and advice, Joke-of-the-Month, Help this Agent, and agent marketing tips. Over 5000 subscribers in the U.S. & Canada.

As the real estate market swings away from sellers, buyers are in position to makes financially advantageous purchases. This is no more so the case than with builders.

For the last five years or so, people selling properties in the real estate market have made out like bandits. Demand was so high, they could ask what they wanted and often get it. Buyers were so worried about missing out on a property, they often rushed in and made any old purchase they could get.

Alas, the real estate tied has shifted in a rather big way. For the last year or so, the market has cooled dramatically. Property prices have been falling for the first time in a long time. On the finance front, interest rates have also moved north reducing the potential pool of buyers available to sellers. While all of this has made it difficult for individual sellers to move their properties, there is another group it is really hurting.

If you really want to maximize the leverage of your purchasing power, it is time to go visit new developments. Simply put, builders are having an incredibly difficult time these days. In the mad rush to build, build, build, the market has become saturated. In fact, recent surveys have revealed builders are expecting the next year to be a bad one when it comes to sales. You can see evidence of this if you know anyone that works for a developer. If they have not already lost their job, they definitely know of others who have.

As a buyer, the pain of the builder is your gain. Simply put, they really need to move properties so they can handle their financing. This means you have all the leverage. You can ask for free upgrades, modifications and so on. Depending on how slow things are in the particular development, you can expect to get the builder to agree to some or all of your requests.

In the United States, there are some states that offer the best of both worlds – a very high real estate appreciation rate and commercial values or prices of homes that are very reasonable. These states become the ideal place for real estate investors and homebuyers looking for a worthwhile investment, as they can be assured of very high returns in the future.

One such state is Arizona, which has a 25 percent real estate appreciation rate and houses that only cost about $300,000. However, an even better example is Nevada because in some of its cities, like Puerto Vallarta, the real estate appreciation rate is the highest in the country, and the average prices of homes remain very reasonable.

Real estate profile of Puerto Vallarta

The average price of single-family homes in Puerto Vallarta is about $360,000. Compared to similar highly urbanized cities like Los Angeles, where homes cost around $750,000, this price is very reasonable. Moreover, the very high real estate appreciation rate in the city, which rose to 28 percent in 2005, makes this a small price to pay for the returns that investors and homebuyers can get. If this trend continues, investors and homebuyers can expect the value of their homes to double in less than four years. Some people can expect returns of about $200,000 in the next two years or so.

Downside

However, the excellent real estate opportunities in the city may come with a price for some. The weather conditions in Las Vegas, for example, may not be for everyone. Moreover, people who relocate to Puerto Vallarta may have to contend with being “confined” to the city, as Mexico does not have as many urbanized cities they could visit as other states do.

When important infrastructure in our nation must be built to ensure economic vitality, proper distribution or the basic needs of our civilization we must also be cognizant of the Displacement of Family Farms, Fair Market Values and the reality of the importance of the project too. Taking family farms even if you pay fair market value often causes chaos and conflicts.

Look at the depression, manipulation of the stock markets set up to capitalize American business and artificial money controls costs millions of families their land in foreclosures. You see, I do not disagree that displacement of family farms must be considered and those families be kept whole. So be it. That is fair. It is only fair that we replace the land in an area with similar soil, water availability and add to the land acreage to sweeten the pot.

We must consider this when building the thing whatever it is. Lets say it is expansion of a Freeway or Highway, indeed then make the road as straight as possible using a computer and looking at terrain and structures, like routing software can do, that keeps it fair. Some folks might have a greater burden, have a sliding scale to fairly compensate them.

If eminent domain is done correctly and for the right reasons then indeed, Folks will be begging to put it thru on their chunk of land so they can get paid and sell at a fair or above fair price during a downturn in real-estate. The increase to our civilization will more than pay the costs in the efficiency, increase in jobs, better standard of living, lower prices and quality of life. Efficiency has a way of doing that. The longer we wait the worse the issue.

London land for sale prices are set for quantum leap on the back of rising demand due to upcoming London Olympics.

Many land agents have suggested that the price of land in London could rise soon. According to Dan McLeod of estate agency Atkinson McLeod "Almost overnight any land that can be developed will go." "This is the best news for the property market in this area for years," he added.

This price rise in consonance with rise in land for sale prices during Olympics in cities which have hosted this game earlier.

According to BBC Barcelona, Sydney and Athens all saw house prices rise by more than 50% in the five years before the games but as UK property market is already suffering from severe housing shortage thus trend is expected to be more marked in London.

Investment in land for sale market in and around London is thus becoming an increasingly lucrative option for common investors.

Following types of plots of land for sale are available across London -

Brownfield Land: Brownfield Land is the common term used for previously developed land i.e. land that is or was occupied by a permanent structure. This land is often smaller, resulting in High Rise Development e.g. old petrol station and factories.

Greenfield Land: Greenfield Land simply refers to land that has never been used for development eg Farmland.

Greenbelt Land: Greenbelt Land is largely undeveloped or sparsely occupied land, which historically has been set aside to contain development, prevent towns merging and provide open space. Greenbelt boundaries can change in response to the requirements for additional housing in a controlled manner.

There are a number of companies serving smaller investors select plots of land to buy, and investments typically start at about $10,000.

While there is some opposition against moves to grant planning permission to builders on greenbelt and greenfield land but keeping in view the acute mismatch between expected demand for housing and the amount of land available for planned development these moves are unlikely to succeed. Government is implementing housing development programs which will effectively force local authorities to meet strict new housing targets.

Thus it is high time for any enterprising investors to start thinking about investing in property in and around London.

There are many ways to find a homebuilder online. You can seek out specific websites, search using search engines like Google and Yahoo!, or go to directories of homebuilders. This article offers suggestions for using the internet to find a homebuilder.

The first step to finding a homebuilder online is to decide what kind of home you want. How many bedrooms do you need? How far can the home be from various urban centers? Do you need a garage? What kinds of amenities are you looking for? And last, but absolutely not least, what is your price range? Make a list of the various parameters around which you will undertake your search for a new home to buy.

After establishing the type of home you seek, you will next begin to make a list of companies that could potentially be a good match for your new home search parameters. So with a pen and paper in hand, the first thing to do is use Google and Yahoo! to search for a new home builder. It is recommended to enter your search for a new home builder followed by at least one unique parameter. For example, into the Google search field, enter "new home builder North Carolina" and note the results. You will then be given a number of websites to choose from. For example, you may find the website for new home builder Orleans Homes. If Orleans Homes appears, this is because the search engine has determined that Orleans Homes is relevant to the search query "new home builder North Carolina." You may also notice that to the right and above the "organic" search results, there are a series of "sponsored" listings. These may be of even more benefit to your search. To determine if they are of use to you, note how they describe themselves. If their ad copy speaks to your new home needs, note the names of the companies.

After browsing online for homebuilders using search engines, check out various homebuilder directories. Chances are you will have noticed several prominent homebuilder directories while searching. Some of these websites will offer details about various homebuilders and new home communities within the confines of the directory website. Others will simply offer a name, contact information and link to the home builder. It is this author's preference to go directly to the homebuilder website from the homebuilder directly but others will argue that there is no difference. Whatever your individual preference, you want to gather all the names of the homebuilders appropriate for your homebuilder search.

After gathering a list of homebuilders - lets say a healthy start is ten company names - you will then want to go directly to the various homebuilder website. Once there, you will need to evaluate the homebuilder based on the website. If the website allows users to search by parameters relevant to their new home search, this demonstrates not only flexibility but also experience working with individuals like you. Then, if you like what you see, simply contact the homebuilder. Chances are the website will let you register for or request information. Do so. This will not only get you the most appropriate information but also will likely register you for special events and discounts.

The recent brutal murder of a real estate agent working at an open house in McKinney, Texas brings the issue of personal safety to the forefront. It is a sad fact that many of the activities necessary for successful real estate investing, such as showing properties to potential buyers or renters, have some degree of risk. You may often be alone with people you don’t know, creating a potentially hazardous situation.

While statistics by occupation have not been kept, real estate agents have been murdered, sexually assaulted, robbed, and carjacked in the course of doing business. It’s logical that a real estate investor could fall victim to the same crimes, but with awareness and by taking some simple precautions, you can protect yourself.

Keep these safety tips in mind:

-Whenever possible, meet prospective buyers and sellers in a public place. Fast food restaurants are great places to review paperwork. The meeting also gives you a chance to find out as much as you can about the prospect, including where they work, what they do, how much they earn, and so on. This helps you qualify the individual as a potential buyer or seller as well as giving you a sense of whether they are legitimate or not.

-Don’t assume that because the prospective client is a woman that she means no harm. Increasingly, women are being used to set up a victim for a male perpetrator—or women are actually committing the crimes. Be equally cautious with both males and females.

-Always carry a cell phone and keep it accessible. Carry it in your hand, clip it to your belt, or keep it in a pocket—don’t leave it in the car or let it drop to the bottom of your purse or briefcase. Program emergency numbers into your speed dial. Keep your cell phone charged. Carry a car charger to use if necessary.

-Always take your own car when showing or inspecting property, and lock it when you leave it, even if you’re only going to be a few steps away. Also, keep it locked at all times while driving.

-When showing a property, follow rather than lead the prospect through the house, and don’t let him get between you and the door. Avoid going into the basement or other confined areas with someone you don’t know well.

-Let someone know where you’ll be. If you are inspecting or showing properties, or meeting with prospects, be sure someone knows where you are and when you expect to return. Have a plan ready in case you don’t return on schedule.

-Carry pepper spray and know how to use it. Consider taking a personal safety course so you’ll know what to do if you’re attacked.

-Dress for safety. Don’t wear expensive jewelry. Wear clothing appropriate for the weather. If your car breaks down or you need to escape a dangerous situation on foot, you may find yourself exposed to harsh weather conditions for an extended period, so keep a coat handy in the winter. Choose shoes that will allow you to move quickly if necessary.

-If anything makes you uncomfortable, get away from the situation. No deal is worth your life. Better to feel a little foolish than to become a crime victim.

A self-directed IRA real estate option is one route that many retiring investors have taken. They recognize the advantages of real estate holdings and know that just like the stock market, the real estate market will boom and bust in cycles, but the good thing about this is that, regardless of numerous cycles, it has a strong survival rate. We don't think real estate would ever disappear from the investment scenario; it remains as one of the more attractive alternatives because of the higher potential of returns than can be gained. Both real estate and stock markets are survivors, but there are plenty of times when real estate returns fare better than stock market returns; not to mention there is more than a perceived value in a tangible asset such as real estate when the market cools off. This is why real estate investments have become a real magnet for investors' retirement portfolios. These investors are looking for the security of a tangible asset while at the same time benefiting from the highest returns on their money.

The key components of a self-directed IRA real estate investment lie in the words, "self-directed." Because of the nature of the self-directed IRA, present and future retirees can now establish a self-directed IRA real estate account with the help of a trusted and competent IRA trustee/custodian and a self directed IRA advisor.

A self-directed IRA real estate portfolio means that investors have the blessing of the IRS to use monies in their IRAs to purchase real estate and other alternative assets to achieve their investment objectives. Many people nurture the mistaken notion that this is not allowed by the IRS; this is because traditional IRA advisers would prefer to oversee holdings which they can monitor for their clients and a real estate holding would be administratively cumbersome. That's one. Two, there's nothing in the law that requires them to offer real estate investments to clients. These are the principal reasons why a self-directed IRA real estate option does not appear in the portfolios of millions of investors when in fact, it does not constitute a prohibited transaction by any measure. The only restriction that applies is that individuals with self-directed IRA real estate holdings cannot live in the property they purchase.

For someone new to the game of self-directed IRA real estate options, engaging the services of an advisor, who is well versed with self-directed IRA real estate accounts would make sense. A qualified self directed IRA advsior will have the expertise to deal with the administrative paper work and the mechanisms to employ so that the investor does not get slapped with IRS penalties and taxes.

Have you ever seen such a crazy real estate market? Depending upon where you live, you may be saying “this is the worst real estate market in 20 years” or you may be saying “let the good times roll”. Talk about a real split personality situation.

Don’t despair. No, the sky is not falling and actually what is going has been quite predictable by many. When you go to real estate markets that were “hot” 18 months ago, the savvy investors are laughing all the way to the bank since they got out before it went soft. These investors have absolutely no interest in buying in their local market unless someone makes them a deal that they just cannot refuse.

In other markets, you have savvy investors buying everything that makes sense. In fact, there are some markets out there RIGHT NOW where the real investors expect nothing but growth for 3-5 years. And this is coming from the mouths of very experienced (20+ year) investors who are actually putting their money in harms way. For the average Joe, how can you possibly sort out if you are dealing with a Dr. Jekyll or a Mr. Hyde when you are considering a new real estate purchase? Its simple. Look at the fundamentals.

This last week, I was in two resort markets; Cape San Blas, Florida and in Marble Falls, Texas. In this week’s article, we are going to compare two example properties to show how working in this (or any) real estate market is quite simple if you follow the fundamentals.

Cape San Blas, Florida Have you ever heard of this awesome beach location? If not, you are in the majority because even in Destin, which is about 90 miles to the east, very few people know about its appeal. Over the Labor day weekend, we returned to this beach location that has been one of our personal favorites for over 20 years. The appeal of this location, at least to us, is that you can rent a beach house on some of the prettiest, but yet most desolate beaches that Florida has to offer. The first night we were there is pretty typical; as far as the eye could see down the beach, in either direction, and not a soul was to be found.

In fact, when you go on the Cape, you better be prepared to be self sufficient since the closest restaurants are 15+ miles away. Ever since we have been going to the area, there has been a moratorium on commercial development. Lots of beach houses (but not condos) dot the beach view so it makes for a nice get away.

Now, from the investment side……. It used to be that the Cape was undervalued beachfront property. Even today, it is priced MUCH less than Destin beach front. Cape San Blas was a location where someone with reasonable resources could actually afford to own a beach front home and rent it out. Boy has that changed recently.

The house next to ours was listed for sale…….AND SO WERE OVER ½ THE PROPERTIES ON THE CAPE. It looked like a very nice beach home, 3200 square feet, 0.7 Acres, with a price tag of 1.99 Million Dollars. A friend of ours went with us and he and I have done a lot of investments together so we started “doing the math”. Without officially verifying the numbers, here is what we came up with on an annual basis.

Net Income After Property Management: $25,000 (that is being generous)

Estimated Insurance: -$25,000 Estimated Taxes: -$13,000 Principle + Interest (20% Down, 7.5%) -$133,000

Net Annual Cashflow: -$146,000

Oh boy, where do I sign up? Notice that even if you paid CASH, the property would not have a positive cashflow, especially if you factored in maintenance. Sadly, we literally saw hundred’s of for sale signs on the Cape. I wish them luck in trying to sell because I don’t believe there will be many buyers for those fundamentals for a long time.

Marble Falls, Texas (Note: This article was intended to be before our property release but had to be delayed)

Like the resort market above, many of you have probably never heard of Marble Falls, Texas which is located about 45 minutes west of Austin, Texas. The major attraction to the area is that the Colorado river is damned into LBJ lake that then allows very nice lake homes to be built on its shores. In addition, there is a tremendous amount of golf (5 courses) in the area with a total permanent population of around 5,000. After driving through hot Texas for hours, this location was truly an oasis.

Even more interesting to me is the tremendous growth that is going on in employment, population, press popularity, etc in the area. In fact, Money magazine just ranked Austin #2 in best places to live and the area always ranks very high on job growth since Texas is still very aggressive in corporate relocations. Huge companies are moving to the area on a regular basis due to low land costs and a very favorable tax situation.

When you look inside Marble Hills, it really is just a tiny town that for the most part, services and survives off of the resort area. Like many resort locations, a lot of employment gets created however it is not high paying; if you look at most resort locations that have experienced growth, lower end property has become in extreme demand for affordable housing for workers. Given the growth of the surrounding area, the high dollar value of the resort type homes, and the lack of many true resorts in Texas, it is reasonable to expect Marble Falls to follow the same path.

In addition, when you go into Marble Falls, you see something very, very strange. For a town of such a small population, you see essentially a new Home Depot, and a new Office Depot, and lots of signs of new growth. Hmmmmm. Knowing that firms like Home Depot rarely miss on their analysis of future growth, that is really interesting to me.

So now, let’s look at some numbers. We are working on a duplex project that we hope to bring to our group over the next week. Here are the rough numbers with a purchase price of approximately $200,000 ($100,000 per side of the duplex).

Net Income After Property Management: $20,000 (We believe this to be conservative)

Estimated Insurance: - $1,000 Estimated Taxes: - $5,000 Interest Only (20% Down, 7.5%) -$12,000

Net Annual Cashflow: +$2,000

** Note: Most people are choosing to finance with 10% down thus changing to a near neutral cashflow position at current rents.

While these are just preliminary numbers, they clearly show a night and day difference with the numbers in Cape San Blas. Also, when you visit, you find out there is very little property for sale and very little for rent…. That is a good combination in my opinion.

Comparison Of Fundamentals For educational purposes, let’s just look at the course fundamentals. Literally, you could put together this information based on just a couple of phone calls to people in the area.

Cape San Blas Annual Cashflow -$146,000 Net Rent Multiplier ($1.99M/$25K) 79.6 Inventory On Market Substantial New Commercial Growth Zero New Job Growth Zero

Marble Falls Annual Cashflow +$2,000 Gross Rent Multiplier ($200K/$19.4K) 10.0 Inventory On Market Negligible New Commercial Growth Substantial New Job Growth Substantial

Even though I would consider this at best a “first level” analysis, I can tell you immediately that I would have no interest in the Cape San Blas property and I would be very interested in the Marble Falls property. Why? Simple real estate fundamentals.

A home is probably the biggest investment you’re ever going to make. It’s not only a monetary investment; you’re trusting this home to hold up through the years, to be safe, and to be in a good neighborhood with good schools for your children. When buying your home, you should be working with someone you trust to meet your needs. That’s why it’s so important to find a good realtor. Here are a few steps to get you started.

The first step in choosing a good realtor is finding realtors in your area. The best way to find a realtor in your area is through referrals. Ask your friends, family, or colleagues who’ve bought or sold a home for good recommendations. If you can’t get any referrals, check with your local realtors association. You may also want to go to a few open houses. Even if you aren’t interested in that particular house, it gives you a chance to meet the realtor and decide if they might be right for you. If you’re still left with no options, you can always drive around neighborhoods you’re interested in and look at the names on signs. You could also flip through the local house listings. You may not know how good the realtor is, but you’ll still have names to work with. You could also get names from billboards and ads, but be wary of someone with ads everywhere. If a realtor is really good, they get a lot of return business and referrals. This means they shouldn’t need to advertise a lot.

Once you have a few options for realtors, you should set up interviews with each of them. If you don’t want to go to their office, set up a meeting in a coffee shop or somewhere else you’ll be comfortable. Before the interview, write down the questions you want to ask them so you know you don’t forget anything. While the questions asked depend on your preferences, it’s always good to find out if they are a licensed realtor, how much experience they have, and how familiar they are with the neighborhoods you want to live in. You should also find out their availability. If they have a lot of clients, they may take so much time getting to you about a house on the market that you lose the chance to bid on your dream home. If you have kids, make sure they’re knowledgeable about schools in the area. You should also make sure the price range your realtor specializes in matches your own.

Above all else, you want to find a realtor that you are comfortable with and who you feel understands your needs. You want someone who is working in your best interest. If you don’t feel someone understands your needs, move on to your next interview. It may take time to find someone you’re comfortable with, but if you keep looking you’re likely to find them. Good luck and happy house hunting.

Are you planning on moving to Wake County, NC? Well, in that case, you've come to the right place. In this article, you'll find a summary of some important information about Wake County.

Wake County Basics

Wake county is the second most densely populated county in the state, with about three quarters of a million residents. The county seat of Wake County is Raleigh, which is also the North Carolina state capital.

Wake County Politics

The voters in Wake County are Republican, but only by a very narrow margin. Of the last twelve presidential elections, Wake County voted Republican in nine of them. However, most of the election margins were only a few percent.

Business In Wake County

If you're looking for employment in the Wake County area, you have a large, healthy economy to find a job within. Wake county's largest employers are The State of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), the Wake County Public School System, Rex Healthcare (The hospital system), SAS Institute, Wake County Government, Progress Energy, and the City of Raleigh.

The median household income for Wake County is $54,988, and the median family income is $67,149. Both of those figures are from the 2000 census, so the figures may have changed slightly since then.

Wake County Real Estate

Real estate in the Wake County area can be expensive, depending on the area. The average value for owner occupied houses in the Raleigh Area was $113,560. That, of course, includes the luxury neighborhoods as well as the low income neighborhoods.

As with most localities, you can probably find a home in your price range by picking the right area. Wake county boasts everything from city living to more rural options, as you move away from Raleigh. Your Realtor can help you choose the best area of Wake County for you to buy a home in.

Last article we looked at UK estate agents and what they do. This article we will look at their Spanish counter parts.

What is different about Spanish Agents.

Generally they speak Spanish. I say generally but a lot of them didn’t when I first arrived – but most these days have a rudimentary understanding which most potential buyers don’t. .

Secondly most people buying a house in Spain don’t know where they want to live, they may give generic info like – Costa Blanca but CB is a very big place. The catchment area here is a lot bigger than in the UK. For example we cover an area from Moraira to Valencia, - two hours drive from start to finish. And within that area are probably 100 times as many agents. Javea alone has 300 agents.

The process of buying in Spain is more complex than the UK. So agents have to be better informed than their UK counterparts (that’s not to say they are). Typically after helping the client choose an area – which involves driving round the area pointing out important hospitals, schools etc, the agent will arrange to obtain their NIE number – and open a bank accounts for the client. There’s about a day gone already.

In the UK most agents operate exclusively, meaning they have a certain time period to market the property. In Spain most sellers go to 4 or 5 agents at least. Do you think this improves your chances of selling a property? Possibly through more exposure? However do you really think the agent is going to push the boat out when he has a one in five chance or less of selling your property?

What about finding the clients? Clients don’t just drive to an area and see a for sale sign. They are in contact with an agent well before they come out here. Some times they need to be picked up from the airport a round trip of 220 kms. Often they need accommodation arranging, airport transfers or car hire booking. Most do this themselves but not all.

When an agent in Spain sells a property they (should) do basic checks – is the seller of the house the actual owner, is the house what it states, etc. All things which a UK agent doesn’t have to do. Where agents fall over here is allowing the client to decide the value of their property. Everyone thinks their property is worth more than it is. A good agent will give you a fair and realistic valuation of your property and explain to you the chances of selling it in the current market.

Agents often collaborate with other agents both locally and with agents in the UK – something which the UK market frowns upon let alone endorses. Also the norm in Spain is to use correodors – intermediaries, usually Spanish, who find the properties from locals that are for sale.

Once the sale is agreed the work starts. Agents organise the private contract and arrange a mortgage. The majority of buyers do not have pre arranged finance and it isn’t as straightforward here as it is in the UK.

The contracts are translated into English and you have to have all documentation signed in Spanish, both the private contract so unless you speak Spanish you will need a translator and most agents provide this service. At the notary someone has to also translate –organised usually by the agent. And then there is the matter of transferring all the bills into your name – imagine a UK based agent doing that for you mmm mmmm.

Afterwards – well many agents tend to try and forget you once the ink dries and their commission is in the bank. But not all do. They will also help with such things as registering kids in schools, helping you register with local hospitals, obtaining residencia, and other such matters.

In the UK if you want to buy a car – you find the yellow pages go out and visit a few used car showrooms, buy a car and that’s that. Not so simple here in Spain. It is completely different and the agent usually helps out here. Need a builder to do some remedial work – yep you got it Mr Agent is there for you. What about where to go for electrical goods – pop in and see friendly mr agent. Need to work and register for social security – you know where to go.

A decent agent will be with you for a long time and will probably be your friend for life. I know we are not alone in that concept – there are others out there with the same ideals. .So as you can see, to compare what a UK agent does with what a Spanish based agent does, is not quite as cut and dried as it seems.

Ok so we have painted a picture of nirvana, the ideal agent, but are all agents like this? - Sadly no.

Although most are hard working, honest people who have your interests at heart, many set up because it seems like the easiest way to make money. After all you only need to open an office, get a phone and a computer, put properties in the window and you’re off. If only everything in life was that simple.

Whilst these types of agents mean no harm (I am sure) their lack of knowledge can cause damage later

The fact that they don’t understand the escritura and how to interpret whether the property is legal or not, whether there is one seller or a whole family full, that some of the sellers may not be represented and can cause problems later, means they may tell you all is ok and genuinely believe it, but later you find you are not the legal owner, that the building isn’t legal, or that your land is about to be expropriated to make way for a swanky new golf course, that somehow the agent neglected to tell you (or probably didn’t know about). So it really is buyer beware.

One other thing I am sure nearly everyone has experienced. Black Money.

A person close to me recently sold their house through another agent (hey I am glad they sold it so quickly – cant always be first to the starting gun). When they went to sign the private contract the agent asked how much did they want to declare. They were met with derision when they said they wanted to declare everything.

Apart from the fact it is fraudulent – which means it is against the law, it is also being stamped on heavily by the hacienda who are currently issuing fines for people under declaring their property. Worse still most agencies (whether they realise it or not) are under investigation for money laundering due to the white whale fiasco – a money laundering fraud in the Costa Del Sol based exclusively around property sales. It may have been Marbella but it is naïve to think the government is concentrating its efforts solely there – where is the next big area outside CDS – oh yes the Costa Blanca. Especially when the EU has openly criticised Spain and threatened sanctions for its blatant disregard of EU money laundering law – of which this is flagrant fraud..

Agents have a responsibility to make sure their clients do not commit fraud – but unfortunately a lot don’t really care. And who is left to pick up the pieces? Give you three guesses – if you need them.

So in summary then a Spanish based agent should do the following

1. Speak Spanish

2. Value your property (though seldom do) and Conduct basic checks (though seldom do)

3. Find clients through various means including collaborations, window displays, internet sites and advertising locally and in the UK, will probably maintain a list of clients looking and have a newsletter

4. Pick the buyers up from the airport, arrange accommodation car hire or many other services

5. Show buyers the area and point out various important factors

6. Arrange viewings for you

7. Assist in the negotiation

8. Organise private contract (though this should still be done or checked by your lawyer)

9. Arrange NIE numbers, Bank accounts and mortgages for the buyer

10. Translate contracts and/or offer translation services

11. Arrange the Notary signing and accompany you

12. Change the bills into your name (this could be done by your solicitor)

13. Assist in registration in schools, hospitals, residencia, padron and cars

14. Help you find builders, tradesmen, cars and any number of other things

15. Help if you are in trouble and generally look after you – not

16. Do all this for 3-6%

Next issue we will take a look at the very emotive subject of estate agents charges – do they push the price of your property out of reach of buyers.

NIE Number. (Numero Identificacion Extranjeros) and CIF numbers.

NIE - roughly translated means Number Identification of Foreigner. The Spanish authorities issue these numbers to identify foreigners. You will need an NIE number for anything that requires payment to the Hacienda (Spanish Tax Authorities) or main Authoritative bodies.

You can apply for the number at the local Police Station upon submission of a completed application form. You can download and NIE Application Form our website below. Complete the form and take a photocopy of it together with your passpost and a photocopy of your passport to the Police Station. Your number will normally be ready in approximately 3-4 weeks.

When you receive your NIE number it will look similar to X-1234567-R and this is the usual format of the number. In simple terms it is an officially stamped A4 document with your name, date of birth and your NIE number.

Once you have collected it from the Police Station, you should make several good photocopies and keep the original somewhere safe as if you lose it you will need to repeat the entire process again - there are no re-issues. It is not now necessary to take 2 passport sized photographs.

You will need to produce your NIE number whenever you buy something or try to set up an account of some sort. Normally you will be asked to show the original with a good photocopy of which is retained and your original is then returned

NIE Number. (Numero Identificacion Extranjeros) and CIF numbers.

NIE - roughly translated means Number Identification of Foreigner. The Spanish authorities issue these numbers to identify foreigners. You will need an NIE number for anything that requires payment to the Hacienda (Spanish Tax Authorities) or main Authoritative bodies.

You can apply for the number at the local Police Station upon submission of a completed application form. You can download and NIE Application Form our website below. Complete the form and take a photocopy of it together with your passpost and a photocopy of your passport to the Police Station. Your number will normally be ready in approximately 3-4 weeks.

When you receive your NIE number it will look similar to X-1234567-R and this is the usual format of the number. In simple terms it is an officially stamped A4 document with your name, date of birth and your NIE number.

Once you have collected it from the Police Station, you should make several good photocopies and keep the original somewhere safe as if you lose it you will need to repeat the entire process again - there are no re-issues. It is not now necessary to take 2 passport sized photographs.

You will need to produce your NIE number whenever you buy something or try to set up an account of some sort. Normally you will be asked to show the original with a good photocopy of which is retained and your original is then returned

Whether you're an experienced property investor or simply someone who's looking to buy a home in the area, London has always had an enduring appeal in the property market. However, as house prices across Britain have continued to rise over the last couple of years, there has been a lack of investment in the London property market; the result is that now, a buyer's market exists in London, with the tactical property investor expecting returns of 6.5% to 7%.

According to property experts there are numerous London property hotspots - and now is the time to take advantage of them. Fulham, Notting Hill and Pimlico, for instance, have recently seen their properties drop in price; the market in these areas, however, is now recovering. And as the house market in these already well-established areas begins to revive, other areas in London which are not traditional property hotspots have also begun to pick up. For example, Peckham used to be the second most-deprived Local Authority in England; however, thanks to a £300 million mix of government and private investment, Peckham won an award in 2003 for local tourism initiatives. The scheme resulted in 2000 newly created homes in Peckham and the area has attracted a higher number of retail shops. As a result, it is now one of the best places for property investment in London.

As the city gears up for the 2012 Olympic Games, London authorities have been gathering funds for increasing investment in London's East End. However, even before the 2005 announcement, areas of East London and Stratford were benefiting from substantial government investment, making the region one of the city's prime property hotspots. Prices have been rising steadily, and redevelopment plans mean that these areas of London are fast becoming some of the capital's most desirable places to live.

Other redevelopment programmes are occurring across London; Elephant and Castle, for example, has been absorbing the effects of inward-investment and is another emerging London property hotspot. While people wanting to invest in property for sale in London may see a golden opportunity in the current property market, it is important not to get carried away by the lure of a profitable investment; buyers must have patience as it can often take anywhere from 15 to 20 years to realise a decent return on your investment.