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Residential Real Estate Lawyer – Do You Really Need One?

Some states require lawyers to participate in residential real estate transactions, especially at closing or settlement. Notice how I said, “some states require…’” not simply that you need a real estate lawyer. The majority of states are known affectionately (by real estate lawyers) as, “non-attorney” states. In those states, conducting real estate closings is not considered the practice of law, so you are not required to have a real estate lawyer. The rest of the country resides in either, “attorney” states or states that have mandated the participation of real estate lawyers either for the entire closing or for some parts of the closing. (The parts where you need a real estate lawyer are usually defined by the clear as mud description, “those instances requiring the use of legal discretion and profound legal knowledge.”) Since choosing the right real estate lawyer can save you a lot of aggravation, you want someone who is:

Licensed and in good standing. Many states have web sites where you can look to see that the real estate lawyer you are considering is both licensed and in good standing.

Experienced. Word of mouth can be the best recommendation. If a friend or relative has been well served and satisfied with a real estate lawyer, chances are you will be also.

Real Estate Savvy. This is a specialized area. Just as every midwife might be capable of handling a simple birth, every lawyer might be capable of handling the so-called simple closing, (in California and other “non-attorney” states, people generally do not even use lawyers for residential transactions.) It would be nice, if at the beginning, you could know if yours will be one of those simple transactions. However, since most of us cannot see into the future, if you decide to hire a lawyer, you’ll want one well versed in real estate law and its peculiarities.

In your area. It is important that the real estate lawyer you hire be familiar with local rules and ordinances as they can have an enormous impact on how smoothly your deal flows.

That you can work with. There is no point in hiring someone you either do not like or do not trust. What good does it do you if you cannot rely on the information she gives you or, just as bad, you cannot stand talking to that person? A real estate transaction is not brain surgery; there are plenty of good real estate lawyers who also have pleasant personalities. You do not want to hire someone that does not play well with others. Your lawyer will be dealing not only with you, but with your buyer. You want someone who will help get the job done while protecting you.

How Can You Tell If Your State Is An “Attorney” State?

The easiest way is to log onto a website, such as [http://www.legalwiz.com/escrow.htm] which has a list. In addition to that, you can call your local bar association, your local title insurer, your local mortgage lender, or your local escrow agent. Using the word “local” is no accident. All real estate is local and all real estate laws are local in the sense of being governed by the state law of the state where the property is located.
If your house is located in an “attorney” state, adding a real estate lawyer to your team is both necessary and prudent. You’re going to have to have one anyway, so you might as well get her or him on the team early.

Do I Need A Real Estate Lawyer In A “Non-Attorney” State?

If the house you want to sell is in one of the majority “non-lawyer” states, you might need a real estate lawyer at some point if things get complicated, but there is no rush. In “non-attorney” states, closings usually take place through escrow. Although the escrow agent does not represent you, they are usually very knowledgeable and they are obligated to follow the directions you outlined when the escrow was set up.

If you do hire a real estate lawyer, she can be your second most valuable player. From advising you on such matters as the contract, disclosures, title, inspection issues, to holding the earnest money and handling the closing.

REMEMBER: Even in “attorney” states, real estate lawyers are not deal makers. Their job is to make sure the contract is properly executed. They may or may not be involved in the actual negotiations.

TIP: In some areas, real estate lawyers make a large chunk of their money from the title company they work with. As the seller, it will be your responsibility to bring down title. Therefore, working with an real estate lawyer who has a relationship with a title company, could be to your benefit.

A Guide on Successful Product Creation and Internet Marketing

Product creation in Internet marketing is getting stiffer and stiffer nowadays owing to tough competition between Internet-based businesses. Putting up a new product requires plenty of brainpower and finances along with an ability to take risk. With that, even if you have the product well-set already, you have to position it strategically in the Internet landscape for others to notice. You should get the interest of Web users and turn them to actual customers. Aside from the usual physical products, many different products that thrive well on Internet marketing include E-books, membership sites, and video lectures.

The long and difficult process of product creation begins with ideas. They are easy to get – compared to the effort that comes with analyzing the market for that idea. Before the idea turns to a product, businesses often spend money, even amounting to millions of dollars, to ensure the success of the new product that emerges from an idea. Businesses undertake many types of market research and surveys before releasing their products to the public. Now, you may think that because your business is small, you can’t afford research or you don’t have to do research; you can and you should. The Internet allows you to disseminate materials needed for your market study to many people at once without your having to spend a cent.

It is a common maxim in business: Look at your destination first before mapping out your journey. So what are the goals you intend to accomplish with your product creation ventures? The everyday travails of your business may make you forget the end in sight. On the other hand, prepare to entertain new developments that come to your mind in your product creation. Your conception of a product may have started this way, but a few tweaks here and there along with some market research results and it ends up another way. Take it as the result of a creative process, not as a failure to reach your goal. After all, your product creation activities are intertwined with a long-term goal that you should strive to sustain at your utmost: profit generation. So if your less profitable initial idea evolves to a more profitable product, be thankful!

With your product made up already, start doing some aggressive Internet marketing. A product purchase typically comes after more than five times a customer is exposed to an informative call-to-buy message. Thus it is important to get the contact details, like the e-mail address, of potential customers who are on the brink of a sale. Use the results of your market research to determine the demographics to which you should concentrate your marketing efforts.

With consistent product creation, you can make an inventory of your products that you can market in due time. Just keep making products – the moment you succeed in making and marketing a product, customers are surely wanting more from you, so give it to them. Keep them on your side through constant product creation.

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Getting Cranked Up With A Home Based Business

It’s no secret that in today’s economy, it is becoming increasingly difficult for one to be financially-independent, especially with the rising cost of goods and lack of jobs available. So it would really be a blessing if you can earn some extra cash on the side that will help keep you in good shape. Initially, it might not pay enough for you to be completely independent, but any amount of cash that can help pay the day to day expenses is a very good thing. This is where the importance of home-based business opportunities comes in, as it allows you to earn that extra bit of cash to ease your worries.How to start your own home-based businessThe best way to go about starting your home-based business is to identify what you love to do, and then see if it can be turned in to viable home-based business. Complicated as it may sound, it really isn’t. For instance, if you are great at sewing, then this can easily be turned in to a lucrative business opportunity with little or no investment. You don’t even need any signboard outside; you can conduct all your advertising and handle your bookings online.Most businesses nowadays start as small home-based business operations that grow in time and find themselves in a position to expand further. There is no reason why your particular home-based venture can’t do the same. All you need is the right attitude and a market that is ready for your particular idea and your business will surely be successful.Online businessesThe easiest and most common home business opportunity lies in e-commerce. It is by far, one of the fastest growing industries in the world in terms of the number of businesses that have taken that route. The numbers are growing even further with every passing year. Whether you want to sell your clothes or any other goods that you may own, selling online is one of the easiest ways to earn money. You would just need to check in a few times a day to see if people have placed any orders. People have even started to sell customized t-shirts and shoes online, and have adopted this is as a full time, legitimate home-based opportunity.You can even be a professional seller at auction sites like yahoo auction or eBay. This would require you to ship items and wait for the money to come in. According to eBay, there are over a million professional sellers on their website, and you can add your name to that list if you want to adopt this as your home-based business operation.ConclusionWith living and earning money becoming more and more difficult these days, starting a home-based business can really be a very practical move that you should be considering. However, your business operation will not be worth it if you are earning only a minimal amount for the effort you put in. So to ensure that you will profit from your endeavor, plan and strategize very carefully. And when you start getting some profit, be sure to put aside some so that you will have something to reinvest for the future of your business.The ultimate purpose of all businesses should be to grow and this is definitely no different for a home-based model.

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