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No kidding: there’s a Bibleville RV park on Texas’s Grande Vally River (RGV)

What is it?

Bibleville is a 40-acre nondenominational Bible conference center in Alamo, Texas, where “Winter Texans” (also called “Winter Volunteers”) share their faith and participate in various activities during the winter months. Although it has mobile home and RV hookups, it is not primarily a mobile home park. His emphasis is ministering to Winter Texas residents and local citizens, many of them Hispanic.

Bibleville can accommodate more than 500 seniors through its 100 connecting spaces and 180 rental mobile home lots. It has an 800-seat auditorium for regular religious services, Sunday schools, Bible studies, prayer groups, Bible and religious conferences, holy concerts and jams, including its own Glory Band, religious entertainment, crafts, dinners, and assorted gatherings for special projects. .

However, in 1993 Bibleville merged with the Rio Grande Bible Institute in nearby Edinburg, Texas. The latter is a non-denominational four-year Bible college for the training of Latin American missionaries, which includes the border regions between Mexico and the United States. It was founded in 1946 by a Danish evangelist, MC Ehlert. At first, this university taught in both English and Spanish. But in 1955, it was only Spanish. Provides a yearlong intense Spanish course for non-Spanish speaking students who will serve in Spanish speaking countries. Therefore, Bibleville encompasses both Latin American ministries as well as its own ministries for the Winter Texans and local citizens.

Can anyone stay there?

Yes. Anyone 55 and older can request to stay there and spend 28 hours a week doing missionary work during the winter months. However, the park wants applicants who are Christian with references. Additionally, anyone serving on the park board or in certain leadership roles there must commit to 15 full Articles of Faith in writing.

How much are connections and rentals?

Through Internet sources, about $ 250 per month for six months.

What are the specific missions of Bibleville?

His missions are to help, to be useful and to be charitable. These can include cleaning, sewing, cooking, house keeping, and handicrafts such as mowing the lawn, trimming trees, plumbing, electrical, and various types of repairs, as well as collecting food and goods to donate to areas in need.

Do these Winter Texans participate in Latin American ministries?

Probably not, or rarely. Retired winter and senior Texans generally don’t have the time or energy to take four years of college or take an intensive language course that requires passing an aptitude test. However, they can serve locally or in impoverished areas along the border and elsewhere as mentioned above.

Can Winter Texans take the year-long Spanish course alone?

Not really. This course requires the missionary commitments assigned to the university itself. No one can take this course just to learn the language.

Is there something about this park that stands out for people who are not familiar with it?

Yes. Bibleville’s holds five or more free Bible conferences in its auditorium each year between January and early March. These weekly lectures are given by renowned doctors and ministers from various parts of the continent. Attendees also come to these evening lectures from all over. The only cost for out-of-town visitors is room and board. Winter Volunteers who live in the park can attend as many as they want.

This park also has at least nine religious or gospel concerts open to the public on Saturday nights during this period. These concerts are talented traveling musical or theater groups. Cost: offer of free will.

Conclution.

Bibleville is definitely Bible oriented. Even its streets have biblical names. In addition, it offers a useful purpose for those “snowbirds” who want more out of their winter valley life than entertainment and relaxation in hot weather, although they can do so at their leisure. God uses everyone.

Living in the Philippines – Better "passive" Companies to start

For those OFWs and foreigners who wish to start a business, but do not wish to get involved with the stress of a business involving daily operations, employees, owners, inventory, etc., there are several opportunities available to foreigners living in the Philippines. Buy superior restorative properties, upgrade them, and then rent or sell them.

1. Buy superior properties from Fixer, upgrade them, and then rent or sell them. This is a great deal for those of you who have experience in your home country in buying, repairing, and renting or selling property. During the last 10 years, many people have been involved in this type of business in their home country.

With the general economic problems in the world in recent years, the Philippines has not been immune, and there are many properties in disrepair, as well as many distressed and foreclosed properties.

2. Build an Apartelle. An Apartelle is an apartment building where all but one of the units are rented long-term, and you must operate at night or weekly, like a hotel, hence the combined name of apartelle. These are common in the Philippines.

This business will require a higher capital investment, but with the right property and focusing on more rural areas or smaller cities, you can build a small 4-unit apartment building for 3,000,000 pesos, not counting the cost of the land.

You will want to rent 3 units on a long-term rental basis and keep one for short-term rentals, for the many street vendors who frequent the countryside. They like to book such short term apartelle units rather than the much more expensive hotels in the area.

3. Condotels. I have not given my approval to this business in all cases. Condo hotels have been heavily touted and hyped in recent years and many, many new condos have been built in Manila, and now even in Cebu and starting in Davao.

The problem is that, although developers offer excellent down payment terms (usually around 30% financed with an advance over 3 years) and in some cases they carry the mortgage and financing for perhaps 10 years, the interest rates are incredibly high. and the rent split with the management team runs around 50% / 50%. There is also always a nominal monthly maintenance fee.

What seems like a “cheap” entry point and cash flow out each month, in many cases simply turns into a gamble on long-term property appreciation: finding someone willing to pay you more than you do. paid for it.

This is because with all the inventory available, there is a surplus of condos that have been in hotel-type rental groups, but there are not enough visitors to rent them all.

Consequently, what one investor thought would be a good source of positive income turns out to be continuous negative cash flow, not what a new retiree in the Philippines is looking for to supplement their pension or annuity! This type of investment only depletes your pension.

However, having written all this down, I HAVE FOUND over the past few months two exceptional investments in condotel that DO meet my criteria for generating good ongoing rental income.

4. Agriculture. The probable cessation of the Land Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) will give the rural sector renewed confidence to invest in agricultural production capacity. CARP has held back investment in both production capacity and farm acquisition. The end of CARP will mean higher land prices, as land will be valued for its higher income-producing potential.

However, the higher land prices are simply a “fluke”, an added value, for the type of farm business I am writing about. I have found an extremely unique business opportunity, which will generate a great ROI (return on investment) and is completely passive. It has been structured by the developers (all foreign) to be a turnkey investment price. The price includes the cost of the land, plus everything

Clearing, planting, cultivation and harvesting during the first 5 years.

The business price is within the capital investment budget of the average foreign retiree, and all owners will be members of a cooperative that will share farm equipment (tractors, equipment shed, and others). The farm will be “cultivated” by the developer’s management team.

The hottest trend right now is organic farming and yet it is only in its infancy in the Philippines. There is one export product in particular that has caught my attention: the pili nut. The Philippines is the ONLY country with which it produces and processes this nut in commercial quantity.

The current state of pili is equivalent to that of macadamia about 30 years ago. It has enormous potential to become a major industry. They are in demand not only in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but also in Singapore, Korea and Austria.

The advantages of being an owner-builder

Building your own home, rather than hiring a general contractor, makes you the boss and gives you control over the two most important aspects of home construction: keeping costs down by managing funds and monitoring the process. of construction.

Save money. Probably the main reason to be an owner-builder is to save money. You can save 15% to 30% or more of the construction price. That means for a $ 200,000 home, you can save $ 30,000 to $ 60,000.

Exactly how much you can save depends on what the current market is in your area and how well you do at hiring subcontractors and purchasing materials. That does not mean that you should accept the lowest offers with your subcontractors.

Quality is more important than price, but you may get a real “gem” from a subcontractor who does quality work and can offer you a good price.

When it comes to purchasing materials, taking the time to shop around to see what’s on sale, like tile or hardwood floors, can save you a lot of money.

Control of funds. One of the main benefits of building your home yourself is that you pay subcontractors and vendors directly to know they are getting paid and avoid middlemen. Plus, you don’t have to deal with the contractor’s profit margin.

Construction control. Acting as your own contractor will mean that you are the boss. You control the construction progress. The really cool thing is that you don’t have to know everything about construction and you don’t have to do any physical work. Your subcontractors provide the experience and knowledge to get the job done in a timely and professional manner.

Networks. The difficult part of being an owner-builder might be selecting and managing your subcontractors. However, it doesn’t have to be because you can choose those you like that you can easily communicate with. To find them, you need to be patient and take the time to shop around and ask everyone, even strangers, for the names of good subcontractors.

Ask your friends, real estate agents, building inspectors, homeowners, and even drive through neighborhoods looking for homes under construction. It won’t hurt to stop, go outside and talk to the construction crews during the lunch break.

You can start by asking who the best excavators, concrete contractors, and builders are. Before you know it, you will have a selective number of subcontractors to start with. What a great way to get to know your community!

Consultant. The good news is that you don’t need to build your house entirely alone. You can hire a part-time construction expert. Even with the money you pay, you can still save money.

To build a house on your own, you need some kind of guidance to plan ahead. This means at least buying the right kind of book on how to build your own home. Although it points the way, it does not solve the problems you will encounter. That’s where a home building expert can come in. He can help smooth the ride.

While Americans are still filing for bankruptcy, do people notice that QE doesn’t work?

Over the past few years, or since 2008 to be exact, a record number of Americans have filed for bankruptcy to protect themselves from their creditors. The interesting thing is that the Federal Reserve continues to print more money and deliver it to its member banks. It was disbursed under quantitative easing. We had QE1 first and when it stopped the Fed noticed that the economy started to rush back into the tank so they added QE2, QE3 and now QE4, which should really be called infinite QE.

Currently, the Fed is printing $ 85 billion a month with no end in sight. What they are doing with this money is buying mortgage-backed securities and trying to shore up the failing banks. Americans are beginning to notice that this quantitative easing is only helping financial institutions and not helping the economy in the slightest. More and more Americans are considering the idea of ​​filing for bankruptcy to eliminate their debt, as unemployment figures remain at around 7%. It seems that something funny has happened because employment in the population number is also decreasing. In reality, if there are more people working in the population, that number should increase, not decrease. Many people believe that these numbers are not even real, as it seems so much worse than the image our government is portraying.

While the economy continues to dwindle, people need to be proactive when it comes to financial matters, even if it means filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to eliminate their credit card debt. Today, the average American has $ 15,270 in credit card debt and close to $ 1 trillion nationwide. With fewer people working, this seems like a cocktail for disaster. People in financial trouble should be vigilant to make sure that before creditors start suing them, that person should seek the advice of a bankruptcy attorney to see if filing for bankruptcy could help their situation. At the very least, they should consider the debt settlement option to get rid of creditors. Waiting until the last minute is foolish. American culture as a whole is very honest and does not like the idea of ​​getting out of debt.

Sometimes there is no way around it, and creditors must bear some of the responsibility for allowing people to get so in debt that they cannot afford to make payments. Before 2007, I think creditors knew that people couldn’t afford the houses they loaned money to. They were grooming these people to fail knowing that they would lose their homes to foreclosure. Looking back, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out. Many experts worry that if the Fed stops quantitative easing we will see hyperinflation in our economy. For those who are struggling, this would put the last nail in their coffins. Gas, food and rent prices will skyrocket, making it impossible for anyone to make ends meet. Americans need to get their heads out of the sand and start looking around to see what is really going on.

Investing in Real Estate for Beginners: Apartment Complexes

Here are some real estate investing tips for beginners considering investing in apartment complexes. Many commercial property consultants with an opinion say that apartment complexes with more than 150 units are the properties to buy, not necessarily true. Multi-family units are indeed a solid investment. However, what you really want to invest in is where you can earn the most rent per unit. Often that’s in multi-family complexes with fewer than 100 units.

When you bid to buy a large complex, you are often bidding against financial institutions with a lot of money. This creates two distinct disadvantages for you as a beginning investor.

First, most beginning business investors are forced to join a large consortium of other investors to close a multi-million dollar deal. This dilutes your stake in the property and the weight that your opinion counts when problems arise, such as when to sell.

Second, when you and your investors are bidding on the last dollars you have to invest, the large institution can easily outbid you by several thousand more than it can raise. Facing the big institutional investors can be daunting.

There are many other reasons to invest in complexes with less than 125 units:

A. There is less upkeep and maintenance. You may be able to avoid the added expense of an on-site administrator and full-time maintenance team.

B. There are more medium-sized complexes available at any given time. That means less competition from other investors and more opportunities to find one with exceptional cash flow.

C. Cash backs for midsize resorts are generally better than for large resorts as you can offer a wide variety of amenities and services.

D. You will not deal with a financial institution as a seller with a cumbersome sales policy. The seller is more likely to be an individual or a small company that can provide flexible terms of sale if desired.

E. Generally, they will require less share capital to acquire. This means that you can control the property individually or with a couple of partners. Therefore, you own a higher percentage of the property and therefore a higher amount of profit.

F. Often times, the less informed seller has avoided raising rents because they have befriended the tenants or because they are afraid that the availability rate will increase. By studying local market rents and vacancy rates, you might find that you can immediately increase cash flow through rent increases.

There are very good arguments for owning small apartment complexes in the 4-12 unit range. This can be a good start if you manage them yourself and do most of the maintenance. However, this size complex rarely generates enough revenue to make a profit when hiring a property management company.

Investing for beginners can start with small complexes and once the income stabilized, buy another. After a couple of years, you will have 3 or 4 small complexes located throughout the city. This becomes a problem because you now have the equivalent number of units as a mid-size complex, but you are still managing them yourself. You also have the added burden of having properties in multiple locations, which means you have to drive all over the city to take care of maintenance and upkeep.

Mid-size apartment complexes have long been the preferred type and classic value for commercial investment. Now is the ideal time to get this investment moving. Vacancies are down and rents are up. Income can be very predictable.

Do the math and you will see that very small apartment buildings are riskier than medium-sized complexes, but medium-size complexes have advantages over the large complexes that we have already discussed.

If you own a small complex of eight units, each unit represents 12.5% ​​of the revenue stream. If you own an 80-unit complex, each unit represents 1.25% of the revenue stream. Still, an 80-unit complex is much easier to manage than a 175-unit complex.

Investing in beginner real estate can be profitable, but you need to know what works best for you.

Accessory Housing Units in Portland Promise "Smart growth"

New changes made by the City of Portland just put an Accessory Housing Unit (ADU) within the reach of most homeowners. On March 3, 2010, Portland City Council waived System Development Charges for ADUs for 3 years, subtracting up to $ 15,000 from the cost of developing an ADU. The council also voted to increase the size limits to 800 square feet or 75% of the primary structure. These policy changes have opened a key window of opportunity for the creation of ADUs in Portland that, according to local home builders, brings the promise of a new “smart growth” spurt just when the city’s economy needs it most.

ADUs, also called “grandma’s flats” or “backyard cabins,” are separate, compact spaces, complete with a bed, bathroom, kitchen, and entryway, that provide a second home on a residential property.

History of ADU politics in Portland

Before World War II, Accessory Housing Units were a common fixture in American neighborhoods. They were easily integrated into existing communities, provided affordable housing options for young and old, and made intergenerational life easier for families.

But after World War II, national patterns of urban development shifted toward low-density sprawl and new zoning rules emerged that segregated land uses and housing types. During this period, ADUs fell out of favor and, in fact, were banned in most urban areas of the country.

After several decades of expansion, accompanied by urban blight, automobile dependency, and loss of green space, communities across the country began to advocate for smarter growth. The city of Portland became one of the first leaders of this movement and was one of the first to allow the development of ADU. But it wasn’t until 1998 that the City began promoting ADUs by relaxing the minimum area requirements; eliminate owner occupancy requirements; and allow ADUs in most residential areas.

Despite this progress, SF’s onerous maximum requirements and System Development Charges (SDC) of up to $ 15,000 were maintained. With an average ADU construction cost of $ 75,000, these SDCs and square foot restrictions caused most consumers to abandon ADU projects entirely or modify them to avoid ADU designation and permits.

Thus, the many “smart growth” benefits of ADU development, each firmly aligned with the City’s Portland Plan, have largely not been realized. These missed opportunities include:

  1. Increase the supply of affordable housing in a way that easily integrates with existing neighborhoods;
  2. Support the creation of a compact urban form that allows for walking, transit and vibrant neighborhoods;
  3. Provide an independent living option for the elderly / disabled that promotes intergenerational living;
  4. Generate additional rental income for landlords and tax base for the City;
  5. Provide further residential development without major new infrastructure.

Key obstacles removed

In 2008, the City began a review of its zoning codes and regulations governing green building technologies and forms. The effort, called RICAP5 (Regulatory Improvement Code Amendment Package 5), was guided by a Citizens Advisory Committee of key stakeholders that recommended removing regulatory hurdles to ADU development.

The committee’s work is highly successful. On March 3, 2010, the Portland City Council removed all SDCs for ADUs. Soon after, the Council increased the maximum size restrictions to 800 square feet or 75% of the primary structure, whichever is less. In the words of Mayor Sam Adams: “This could not happen at a better time, given the significant difficulties faced by builders and the construction industry, and in terms of our sustainability goals in the community.”

The last ADU boom was during the Great Depression. Now, according to local builders and lawmakers, ADU development could help homeowners and the local economy emerge from the Great Recession. But the window of opportunity is not open forever; The relaxation of ADU development regulations by the City ends on June 30, 2013.

Potential benefits of ADU projects for homeowners and the community

ADUs promise to benefit homeowners and the community such as:

  1. Local and sustainable drivers of neighborhood prosperity and vitality;
  2. Homes that significantly improve the value and marketability of properties;
  3. Economic projects with high built value and return on investment (ROI);
  4. “Plug-and-Play”, simple developments.

Many in the homebuilding and real estate community see the ADU development as a boon to Porltand’s future. “Is he people that make Portland interesting: young entrepreneurs bringing business to the city and life to the sidewalks, “says local agent Kama Dersham.” ADUs are modern and affordable for these people and will help keep Portland vibrant and viable. “

Wood Floor Repair: Why It’s Worth Involving The Professionals

Beautiful solid wood floors can look wonderful, creating a true sense of style and individuality and a modern, contemporary feel within any home. There are many different types of real wood flooring, each with its own unique look. Aged or worn floors, the distinctive lines of parquet flooring, there are engineered wood flooring and slatted flooring, as well as tile paneling and finished grain wood block flooring.

Aged and worn floors

Aged or weathered hardwood floors present a sleek, vivid style. It seems, to everyone, as if your flooring has been in place for years and adds a certain authenticity to your home. Aged and worn floors are also a very practical option for both homes and commercial properties because they stay in good condition longer. The rugged, worn and vivid appearance will not show the scratches and marks caused by everyday wear. They are also a popular choice because they never require sanding unlike other types of hardwood floors.

Parquet floors

Parquet floors are a very popular choice and one of the reasons for this is that a parquet floor can be laid in many different ways, with so many different designs. The available patterns are Herringbone, Double Herringbone, Single Basket Weave, Treble Basket Weave, and Chevron. You can also opt for parquet panels, parquet borders, parquet motifs and parquet floor medallions.

Synthetic wood flooring

Engineered flooring can be installed that floats over the base, secretly nailed to existing wood subfloors, or fully glued to the concrete or wood subfloor. Engineered floors are great if you need to reduce the noise level in a room and they work well with underfloor heating systems. Engineered wood flooring is available in a wide range of sizes, from 14mm 3-strip flooring to 20mm wide structural engineered planks. Strip floors

There is a wide variety of solid tongue and grooved slat flooring available in European Oak, French Oak, American Black Walnut, Wenge, Antique Oak, Reclaimed Pine, and Merbau. Wood slat flooring, like engineered wood flooring, can be secretly nailed to wood subfloors or glued to concrete subfloors, but unlike engineered wood flooring, they are not recommended for use. with underfloor heating systems. Slat flooring is very easy to maintain and can be sanded multiple times to give it a new look, making it great value for money.

Mosaic Panels Mosaic Panels, also known as finger parquet, is an older style of flooring that was widely used in the 1960s and is available in European oak, mahogany, teak, and merbau. If laying mosaic panels on a wood or concrete base, an epoxy glue should be used, but if the panels have a felt backing, an alcohol-based adhesive should be used. End Grain Wood Block Flooring

End grain wood block floors are available in a number of wood species including European larch, European oak, European smoked oak, pine, and spruce. The wood is cut through the growth rings to produce a very different look than most common slatted floors. It is extremely rugged and therefore ideal for areas that experience a lot of foot traffic.

Wood Floor Repairs

From time to time your hardwood floor will need to be repaired, whether it’s to remove scratches or stains or even to fix a floor that was poorly laid in the first place. Scratches can be sanded with fine to medium sandpaper, but it is recommended to replace stained floorboards because depending on how deeply the stain has entered the wood, you may need to sand quite hard to remove the stain and this could mean that the floor section will not look the same as the rest.

If you are lucky enough to inherit an original hardwood floor, or are looking to restore a floor that was carpeted years ago, you may need to make some repairs. This may involve replacing sections of the old wood floor with new wood. If you need to do this, it is advisable to obtain wood that, as closely as possible, matches the original wood, in color and type.

Once the repairs have been made, the floor must be machine sanded to a fine finish and the gaps filled. Once this is done, you can start staining the floor in your chosen color. Sometimes stains on your floor will only become apparent after the floor is machine sanded or even after applying your new chosen finish. If this happens, you can choose to replace that section or leave it because it adds character to your floor.

The original parquet floors were glued and pinned with copper heads. Over the years, these eroded leaving spots around each fixation. Unfortunately, these stains cannot be removed, but it must be said that they are part of the character of the floors. When installing new parquet, stainless steel headless dowels are used to prevent this problem from reoccurring in the future.

Why is it important to hire a professional?

With the increasing number of DIY shows on television, many people try to restore their own hardwood floors only to find that it is not as easy as it sounds on television. Professional wood floor restoration companies will have invested in the right machinery for the job and also in the right training.

Being inexperienced and using unforgiving machines can cause extreme damage to your hardwood floor and can reduce its life by as much as 50%, which is why it is important to hire a company whose employees are fully trained and qualified in restoration of wood floor. This will ensure that the least amount of wood is removed during the sanding process and therefore will extend the life of your floor.

Hiring a professional to do the job will leave you with the perfect finish and may even end up saving you money, after all it would be much more expensive to try the job yourself, hire the machines, buy the sandpaper and finishing materials, just then having to hire the professionals to redo the job afterwards because you are not satisfied with the finish.

What should a person look for when choosing a flooring supplier?

When looking for a company that supplies and adapts your flooring, you should look for a company that can demonstrate the quality of their work. Ask to see examples of their work or at least photographs of it and ask them to produce genuine testimonials.

Ask to see proof of your qualifications. Duly qualified UK flooring contractors will have passed City & Guilds NVQ level 2 in floor coverings and should have passed the health and safety test and have a valid CSCS card for commercial work.

Check the equipment they plan to use and ask what measures they put in place to minimize dust – the last thing you want is to clean the house for weeks after they’re gone.

Confirm that they offer a free, no-obligation survey and estimate.

What is staging? Part 1

Many people have questioned me about the concept of Home Staging …

“Staging? What is that?”

“Isn’t it the same as interior decoration?”

“Oh, you mean ‘house flipping’?”

Needless to say, I find myself constantly educating real estate agents, homeowners, and builders not only about the concept of staging, but about its benefits as well. Home Staging is the art of “strategically preparing your home to sell quickly and for the best price.” Home Stagers, as they affectionately call us, depersonalize (removing photos, diplomas, etc.), clutter and rearrange or add furniture and accessories to maximize a home’s appeal to the widest range of buyers. In layman’s terms, we suggest repairs, furniture, art and / or plant rearrangements, paint colors to be done in your home BEFORE going on the market.

Home Staging vs. Interior decoration

While most people can argue that Home Staging and Interior Decorating are the same, I respectfully beg to differ. In reality, they are completely opposite. With interior decoration, the goal is to decorate the home, taking into account the personality and individual needs of the owner. If a homeowner loves purple, for example, an interior decorator can paint the living room walls purple, design a custom purple headboard, and add purple curtains throughout the home. The interior decorator will also take into account the needs of the owner. Let’s say the owner works from home and NEEDS a home office. The interior decorator’s goal may be to create a functional space in which the homeowner can get his work done with little or no distraction. Interior decoration is all about the OWNER.

In contrast, Home Staging does not take into account the personality or needs of the home owner. Instead, it focuses on bringing out the true personality of the home itself. Furniture, plants, and artwork are (re) arranged to bring out the unique, but positive, features of the home. Home Staging is all about “decorate to sell”. Any negative potential of the home is minimized, while positive features are emphasized. The goal is to ensure that your home looks its best and attracts the widest range of potential buyers.

Renovations and Repairs: How to Prepare Your Condo or Townhome for Sale

Should you renew?

If your condo or townhome needs some work, doing smart renovations can yield a good return on your investment. And doing some work on your condo or townhome before listing can be a great way to make your unit look better and help you sell faster and for more money. But before you start with any renovations or repairs, there are a few things to think about first:

  • Will the results justify the time, money, and effort? Whenever you think about breaking your hammer and brushes, you should stop and consider this question carefully. Many renovations do not justify themselves. They are unable to increase either the rate at which your home sells or the sale price of your home.
  • Do the results look professional? Painting your home can make it more salable, but only if the finished product looks professional. Buyers won’t pay more for a poorly applied paint job. Lines should be smooth and finishes uniform. Similarly, an uneven or poorly laid tile job will end up costing time and money. If your inclination and skills are such that you want to take on these tasks on your own, go ahead. But if you are unsure of the quality of your finished product, it might be better to hire a professional or pass on the project entirely.

What to renew: Unfinished works – If there is a partial repair or renovation that has started but is not finished yet, it definitely needs to be fixed. The average buyer is generally neither a viewer nor an innovator; you will not see the value of a finished project. They will only see a big mess. It’s always a good idea to finish repairs and renovations before listing your home. Dark, outdated, or dirty painted interiors – Paint is arguably the best value for money spent as long as the finished work looks brilliant and professional. Light or neutral colors are usually a safer bet. Some research indicates that houses painted dark can take up to twice as long to sell than houses painted in light colors. Light colors also make rooms appear larger.

Signs of water damage – repair them immediately. Few things turn off potential buyers more than the possibility of water damage. If you have marks from a minor issue that was addressed in the past, take the time to paint and repaint to remove the signs of water damage.

Kitchens and bathrooms – Aside from painting, nothing will give you a better return on your investment than making sure your kitchens and bathrooms look good. If any of these rooms look worn or dated, you can benefit from investing some of your time and effort in these rooms.

All cupboard and closet doors should open smoothly.. Door knobs should be tightened where necessary. Loose or rattling items give the impression that maintenance may be low on your list, so fix or replace them.

Faucets and light switches must be clean and sparkling. If good cleaning can’t give you this effect, replacing them is inexpensive and easy to accomplish.

If you cabinets It looks worn or dated and you can’t afford to replace it, think about refinishing and painting the doors, or swapping out the hinges and handles on old, outdated cabinets for more stylish ones.

What not to renew Don’t launch into large-scale renovations without careful thought. If your home is already well-maintained, you probably won’t get your money back by making things even more beautiful. Yes, it is usually a waste of money … so don’t do it.

Be consistent in your renovation efforts with the lifestyle of the audience most likely to buy it. A renovation effort in which it seems clear that the seller has tried too hard to save money will not have a positive effect and will probably just have wasted their time and money.

Who is the owner of that house?

What if your judgment debtor lives in the home of your deceased father who appeared to be the owner of the home your debtor lives in? What if you can’t find any probate records and the house is still in the parents’ name?

One of many articles of judgment: I am not a lawyer, and this article is my opinion based on my experience, consult an attorney if you need legal advice.

Of course, you believe that the father left the house to his debtor, however, that is just a hunch. How can you know for sure who owns the home now or will be in the future?

One way to determine ownership of the property is to take the deed at the registrar’s office, then take the debtor to court with a debtor’s examination, to admit that they live there. Perhaps there is a living trust. As long as your debtor pays the taxes, no one will know, unless someone blows things up in your face.

A shortcut to finding out whose home name is is to use a professional data service. You provide the APN (appraiser’s parcel number), and certain data services or any title company will show the most recent title transfer.

Some other things you can do to find out who owns the home and increase your chances of getting paid:

1) Is there a completed judgment or property bond summary (with the last 4 digits of the debtor’s social security number or driver’s license) registered in the county where the parents’ home is located? It is important to record a summary, even if the debtor does not own any property, because it will be attached to the debtor’s future interests when title is transferred to him. If a summary is already on file, the debtor may not have changed title yet.

2) Make a copy of the title deed and see who owns it. Is the title in the name of a living trust, or only in the name of the parents, or in the name of more than one person?

3) Did the father live in that house as his primary residence, or did he just own the house?

4) Double check, is there an open probate file in the county where the house is located? Even if the home is transferred to a living trust, sometimes there is an probate file for things that were not deposited in the trust. Did the father also own property elsewhere in another county? There may be a probate file in that county for your primary residence.

5) Living trusts are generally not registered anywhere, so you will have to obtain a copy to see who the successor trustees are. That person is responsible for managing the trust and disbursing the property as stipulated in the trust. That person can be held liable for your actions or not actions.

6) Legal action may be necessary to obtain a judgment as to whether your debtor owns the home. Perhaps then you could have the sheriff’s fee on the house (in California, under CPC 700.015), however you must be fully prepared before this is done. If you do this, it is best to obtain an appraisal and preliminary title report before filing the lien; so as not to delay obtaining your court order for the bailiff’s auction.

At the court hearing, all property links must be listed, along with all other relevant information. This will help the court decide to order the sale, if the father is deceased and there is documentation showing that the debtor has an interest in the property.

If the house was not transferred to a revocable living trust (if it had been, it would become irrevocable upon the death of the settlor, for example, the father). If the amount of the judgment is large; Consider hiring an attorney for a limited scope of representation, to petition on your behalf, perhaps to manage the parents’ estate.

In California, section 8461 of the probate code, subdivision (r), gives the judgment creditor a potential right to manage the father’s estate, especially if he has been deceased for some time (at least one year, and a death certificate would certainly help) and no other eligible person named in section 8461 has stepped forward to take charge of ordering the assets of the estate, which would presumably include the home.

Of course, if a court creditor steps in to manage the estate, someone (most likely a family member) will yell and one of them will step up and manage the estate, which is all you want them to do anyway. .

The family will hire an attorney, get a bond (for example, a $ 300K bond costs about $ 1K per year), and then do whatever you want: gather the assets, sell the house (with or without the consent of the occupant current) and disburse the proceeds. Hopefully, the debtor’s share of the parental estate judgment will cover the amount owed to you for the judgment. The testamentary surety bond protects you from harm.

It is not good for you to hear: “What else do you have, Mr. Creditor, do you have any proof of your allegation?” In court, you should only bring documents that the parties signed under penalty of perjury. This is because the court can take judicial notice of the existence of a document, but not necessarily of the veracity of the document. Otherwise, the court may decide that your documents are hearsay.

Becoming an estate administrator is not trivial and most people should hire an attorney. If you end up being the trustee of the parents’ estate (and presumably there was no revocable living trust that became irrevocable upon the father’s death), you must obtain unlimited authority to sell the estate’s assets, including the sale of the home (due to the Independent Administration of Wealth Law), so you can use the proceeds of the sale to satisfy your judgment.