Is it a good time to invest in real estate? Should you buy now if you have cash? Should you have good credit to buy? If you own real estate, should you sell now or hold on? Or should you exchange it for a bigger property?

You know an answer to most of these questions and feel that you shall take immediate action to start today, while you see lots of “activities” in the market. Well, if this is what you feel, then reading this is a GREAT start for you.

Here, I would recommend a question to ask: “what can Mark El-Tine do for me? Can he and his team find me a good deal now? Can he find me a buyer that pays a fair reasonable price in this difficult market?”

Before responding to these questions, I would like to thank you for giving me the chance to show my knowledge and expertise in the real estate industry to you. My website here is a minimal demonstration… I built it as a courtesy service to help YOU stay updated on information and data impacting the real estate industry, to get you started on your next real estate investment deal, and to know a bit about me and what I can do for YOU.

On my website, you can find demographic data of a specific area (search by a city name, a zip code, or by a specific address), full MLS search in Southern California, trends and charts of home value trends for the last few years, up to date unemployment rates, most recent cap rate values, actual search of defaulted properties, auctions and Foreclosures, and much much more.

So feel free to use it… and never hesitate to contact me for further assistance. I hereby pledge to give you great service, lots of valuable information based on real market analysis and personal experience, HONESTY and dedication.

Now, let’s focus on buying and investing in real estate, TODAY. And sure, if you are here it's because you may agree with many intellectuals that Real Estate is still, so far, one of the safest investments of our lifetime; sure comparing it to money, gold, stock markets and more. And, would there be a better time to buy then NOW, in the next decade?

Today, you may know that there are lots of foreclosures, home values are down, we are in a recession, it's hard to obtain financing, banks are and went through stress tests by the Fed, many had to borrow TARP money, and few unfortunately were wiped out (Washington Mutual, Countrywide, etc.). The nationwide unemployment rate is approaching double digits! Recession has been one of the worst seen in recent history.

The good news is that after a storm, sun rises back and the sky clears! Recession cannot long for a while; we shall come back as strong as we were, and even better. It will surely take time! This in fact could be an OPPORTUNITY for you… did you take advantage of it? Prices of Real Estate have dropped over 60% in some areas. You can buy homes at way below their replacement cost – while construction costs are still the same (some minor drops, but far from real estate’s margins).

It’s why builders put a hold on all their construction. But, remember that California’s population is still growing! Sure not as much as it used to, but it’s growth! Soon REO inventories will vanish and home prices will start going up. We’re already seeing less and less REOs these days, and when there is one, we see multiple offers – some full cash. Is this the sign of recovery, already? Many believe we hit the bottom already. If so, did you take advantage of the low real estate prices, and lowest interest rates ever? This happens only once in decades… are you going to let this opportunity pass by and later remember that one day you did see this message and didn't take any action?

So yes, we see areas where home values dropped to as low as twenty-five cents on the dollar from where they were, as is the case in San Bernardino. Yet we still see areas that show no change in value as is the case in Newport Beach. It’s why when it comes to investing in real estate, investors remember the saying "location, location, location". It's true that location in real estate makes a huge difference.

If you’re planning to buy, and wonder where to start, where to buy and whether it is the best time or not, your best shot is to review, read and analyze the many data that my website provides you, and make your decision accordingly. Sure, the site contains some generic data, but feel free to email me and request information specific to the city that you’re interested in. My team and I will be glad and pleased to email it to you.

Enjoy the search, and GOOD LUCK!

Mark El Tine

In much the same way a homeowner likes to receive top-dollar in the sale of his home, banks strive to obtain the highest bids on their auction properties. However, there is a major difference between the two types of sales. Not only is a bank likely to be based in a different state than the property it is selling, but its representatives are unlikely to have visited or even seen the property. Due to this physical separation, banks are generally unfamiliar with the local market conditions that dictate pricing.

In order to set an accurate price for a property, banks will order a BPO (broker price opinion). The BPO provides a real estate agent's price opinion based on an analysis of the property, comparable sales and local market conditions. Generally a low price is set by the bank in order to sell the property quickly. Even in today's market, many REO properties will attract multiple bids and sell for even higher than the initial listing price, though still at a good value to buyers. REOs often sell within the first 45 days of being placed on the market.

Because banks are not in the business of selling real estate, a local agent is appointed to list, market, and sell their property. The listing agent for the bank will receive a commission regardless of whether you approach him or her directly, or if you have your own representation with a buyer's agent, so always use an agent. Not only does it enhance your chance of getting the property, but the listing agents are so busy that they may not be able to devote the amount attention they would otherwise like to.

Because banks have shareholders, regulators, and investors to be accountable to, an individual person is not the price-setter or final decision maker. Generally a computer system formulates where to set the listing price of a property, and what offering price to accept or not. And since multiple offers are usually received, banks have no trouble justifying the final sales price they agree to.