How An Equity Release Calculator Can Help You

By Kevin Stelfox

Many senior citizens opt for equity release schemes to encash a part of their equity on their property. This can be a wise decision in more ways than one; however most home owners aren't aware of the nitty-gritty of how a financial institution works, and how their equity is calculated. Financial institutions offer customers an equity release calculator, which can help them find out the releasable equity on their property and then decide if it is financially viable for them to go for an equity release plan.

Equity

Equity is the difference in the amounts of the value of your house in the current market, and the amount you owe on your mortgage, or home loan. Simply put, it is the share in value of the house that the home owner actually owns.

Equity release

Out of the total equity on a home, a home owner can only release a part of it in an equity release scheme. Equity release is a means of releasing a part of a home owner's equity to a financial company who will in turn pay out a lump sum or a fixed monthly installment (or both) to finance the home owner's daily expenses.

What is an equity calculator?

A number of financial institutions provide home owners with a free tool to calculate the amount of equity that can be released on their property. Based on this calculation they can deduce the amount of money they can receive, if they sign up for an equity release scheme.

How it works

An equity release calculator is a free service and can be found online on the websites of various financial organisations. Firstly the home owner is required to provide information about the property in question, based on which the calculator will predict how much equity can be converted to a cash payout. More advanced calculators will provide in-depth information about the various possibilities and payouts possible with various types of equity release schemes. The availability of such information is subject to the financial institution providing such a service. Home owners are always advised to try out at least two calculators to be able to procure the best deal.

What information would a home owner need to provide?

A home owner will need to provide some information about the property in question. The most common questions are the current market value of the property, the home owner's age, and the amount owed on the mortgage. Questions vary from calculator to calculator, however these are the most commonly asked questions. Home owners should always ensure to key in correct figures to avoid false results. It is very important for the exact current value of the home to be keyed in. If this figure is unknown, a property appraiser should be called in.

Can a home owner trust an equity release calculator?

All equity release plans are strictly regulated by the FSA (Financial Services Authority), so home owners can rest assured that their best interests are protected. In case of any discrepancy the home owner should contact the financial ombudsman service for assistance. - 23199

About the Author:

Based in the UK, Retirement Solutions Limited is an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). They give specialist advice on equity release schemes and you can use their equity release calculator - Call them on 0800 043 6701

Real Estate Buyer Lead Generation

By Tara Millar

Lead generation is one of the main topics in the world of real estate. Why? Because it is the mandatory first step in guaranteeing that you are in a position to make a big business. In result, you can't have a real estate business without a good lead generation technique. It is thus vital that you just find out how to come up with real estate buyer leads effectively.

First of all, you'll have to change the approach you think concerning the method of lead generation. Where before it is common for individuals to think that the most effective way to get leads is to buy them, real estate experts have realized that this can be not the most effective approach to get leads at all. Getting leads involves cold-calling individuals who understand nothing concerning you or your business, and who could not even be interested of getting into real estate.

The simplest approach to lead generation is to make more people take notice of your business and truly wish to call you. The actual fact that they are those who contacted you means that they are interested about the product or service that you have to offer and they would be a more than willing to hear you out. This will give you an easier time of building a business relationship based on mutual trust. So, how does one get people to call you? Here are the 3 basic steps.

1st, you must be visible. After all, people will hardly contact you if they do not know that you simply exist. This is where you'll use search engine optimization to your advantage. Most people now turn to the web for info on any purchases they are designing to make. Therefore, the more visible you are online, the additional chance you've got of individuals finding and contacting you.

Second, you may must be valuable to potential clients. The most successful businessmen are those who totally understand the concept of perceived value. This concept indicates that people naturally want something which they perceive as being valuable. You'll increase your perceived value by any variety of ways. You will offer access to the best real estate listings in your area, or streamline the real estate process by networking with the best mortgage firms, or both.

The third and most important step is for you to be trustworthy. People aren't likely to try to to business with you unless they feel that they'll trust you. A reputable track record, professional certifications and sales awards are the best ways to build immediate trust. Testimonials facilitate still, particularly if you include your previous buyer's full name, photo and address since these bit of knowledge assures the potential client that the testimonials are real.

Be visible, valuable and trustworthy. As long as you build your strategy around these 3 components, you'll hardly go wrong. Now that you recognize how to generate real estate buyer leads, you'll begin to look forward to a solid and profitable business. By simply changing your mindset, you can truly modify the future of your business. - 23199

About the Author:

Another great article by Downtown Toronto Real Estate

Recession Breaking; The JP Morgan Way!

By Gavin J. King

Recent news posted stating that JP Morgan was hiring 1200 loan officers at locations all across the nation. Their name may be familiar because when the real estate market first started to crash, JP Morgan purchased mortgage lending giant Washington Mutual for a fraction of their worth with tax payer money. Ringing a bell yet? I thought that it would.

Also on their procurement list was fellow Wall Street bank, Bear Stearns, who was denied a bailout by Goldman Sachs Fed Reserve Head, Ben Bernanke and buddy Hank Paulson.

The central strategy for hiring the additional 1200 loan officers is to place them across the country in loan centers and banks, for easy access to all real estate markets. What baffles me is their logic for the hiring trend. With the stated justification being that the real estate market could be turning around and beginning to show signs of improvement, JP Morgan simply wants to be in the best possible position for the home loan clientele. That is not an exact quote but you get the idea.

It all begs the question as to what news is they basing their decisions on? Any particular week, the unemployment figures loom and swell to larger levels than the previous week? That does not make any sense to me, unless they know something not many other people do.

To get to the heart of the matter, I will make my main point. JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have both been waiting to start lending again to maximize their own profits at the expense of the American consumer and home buyers and sellers expense.

Given that these kinds of illogical moves are typically seen when the CEO of a company dumps his stock the day before the company goes public with some bad report, we may be seeing the end of a suppressed real estate market very soon! - 23199

About the Author:

The author enjoys writing articles about short sale specialist in boise idaho & boise idaho reos. Click on the above links to learn more about these topics!