Real Estate News

A land contract (sometimes known as a "contract for deed" or an "installment sale agreement") is a contract between a seller and buyer of real property.  Real property is the land and all the things that are attached to it.  Real property may also be determined to include whatever is beneath the surface of the land, like minerals, natural gas, and old; also any rights to the use of the property and finally leasehold improvements (since they cannot be removed.) Leasehold improvements (sometimes ...

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When looking for property to develop, the number one consideration is: what is the market in the area you are considering developing in.  (This is also good to know if you are just looking to buy a personal home site.)  You need to know what property is selling for in the area you’re looking in to develop….and don’t pay too much for the land tract you are going to cut up into home sites!           The second consideration is determining your cost ratio.  ...

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Before answering this question, one must know the meaning of CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) and its implications when purchasing a piece of land or property that might be farmed. The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) defines the CRP as a program that "provides technical and financial assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their lands in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner. The program provides assistance to ...

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When I was young and a newlywed getting a way for a weekend meant taking a vacation at a tourist attraction. Then when our children were old enough a vacation meant amusement parks. Now that my husband and I are of retirement age, the ideal place to get way for the weekend seems to be that little piece of land we always talked about. Of course we dreamed of a place in the country; a home-away-from-home. But actually finding it seemed to elude ...

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Hi: Forrest H. Smith here & where is hear,Well head West to  PRINEVILLE,OREGON located in CROOK COUNTY,we are almost in the center of the State. " A little History of our area", to the West is the Cascade Range with the 3-Sisters Mts. named HOPE,FAITH & CHARITY all of them are over 10,000' ft. high,by the Settlers as they where trying to get to the Willamette Valley,Also there is MT.Jefferson & MT. HOOD further to the North. To the South is what ...

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As the title of the article implies, I see a lot of very neat things in the woods of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Dealing with recreational and investment acreage in one of the most remote portions of this great country certainly has it perks. Whether I am walking every square inch of a potential listings or taking potential buyers around every square inch of property that's for sale, I see some great things while I'm out. As some of you may know, I ...

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As the title of a popular book by Lon L. Emrick about Michigan's Upper Peninsula states, "You Wouldn't Like it Here". Though I whole- heartedly disagree with that title, there are many truths to his point. The fact is that most folks really wouldn't like it in the remote regions of the UP. We get more snow than most folks can imagine, summer only lasts a week or so, the bugs are horrible, and everyone up here talks funny. If any of ...

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Although loans are more difficult to get than they were a few years ago, and some sellers still want the prices of ’05, the present time still holds a very interesting opportunity for buyers. It’s a buyer’s market. That means there aren’t an awful lot of buyers out there, but there are lots of listings for sale. What results from this scenario is often times a seller is willing to negotiate the price and accept substantially less than list price. Because real estate ...

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Trends in real estate markets can vary across the country, but even so these tips can help you no matter where you decide to set your roots! 1. Pick a number..but not any number! Everyone seems to have a magic number in their heads in terms of their budget and what they are comfortable with laying out for their dream property. Talk with a lender first and find out what you qualify for, or make sure you really can tap into that IRA ...

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Working in the remote land business in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (or, simply the U.P. as we locals call it), an issue that I see increasingly arising is whether mineral rights are included, or available, with parcels of land. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has a long history of mining and exploration dating back to the 1800s. In fact, the City of Houghton was first proposed as the state capitol due to the rich copper deposits found throughout the area and the population ...

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