Rose Cottage Ltd

++ Top 10 Real Estate Investor Mistakes

++ Zillow Buying Trulia – Antitrust?

++ House Hunting in – Scotland

++ Mortgage Rates Remain in Holding Pattern

++ 5 DIY projects using wooden crates

++ Economist who predicted busted housing bubble says another recession is coming

++ 10 Luxury Homes With Slashed Prices

++ Luxury Real Estate: The Best Addresses in Europe’s Top Cities

++ Real estate agent and former tenant disputing with alleged squatters

We haven’t had a lot of problems with “squatters” so far in the US. For anyone who doesn’t know, squatters will move into a vacant property and then after some period of time – could be days, could be weeks, will attempt to claim “ownership” of the property. It’s too much to get into the details at the end of this post but I’ll be writing more about it next week. With the number of illegal aliens on the rise in the US – and many properties sitting vacant due to foreclosure – this is about to become a HUGE issue…

++ Foreigners Buying Up American Real Estate

++ Real Estate Valuation Websites Differ Greatly

++ FAA Has Commercial Drone Regulations Backwards

++ Off the Grid in a Florida Suburb, Fighting Municipal Code

++ Bathroom remodeling should start at the studs

++ Zombie houses haunt the market

++ Phoenix: Largest drop in homeownership in U.S. cities

++ Housing market is a ‘crapshoot’

Yes. It is. And if you read further than the headlines you’ll know why. Nearly 45% of real estate sales that are being reported as some sign of a real estate “recovery” are actually reporting all cash sales – from foreign buyers. In Florida, Texas, California and Arizona: International Home Buyers Cashing in on U.S. Market – it’s 55%.

This is creating an impression that does not really exist – at least not for US home buyers – and if the government is using this info to show a sign of economic recovery, then you’ll know you’re being manipulated yet again.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July. Lots of people on the roads this weekend so please be careful and remember, do NOT leave kids or pets in hot cars!!!

++ Current Mortgage Interest Rates

++ Home Renovation Popular Alternative To “Trading Up”

++ What really defines luxury in real estate market?

++ Insurance company cancels policy on unoccupied house

++ Wide selection of Eco-Friendly Bird Feeders! Spend $75 or more your order ships FREE!

++ 6 Acronyms Every Beginner Real Estate Investor Should Know

++ RealtyTrac: Top 25 U.S. Markets for Buying Rental Properties

++ Eight housing markets at all-time highs

++ 10 Tips To Avoid Getting Burned By Kitchen Remodels

++ BBQ Grills and Accessories at Exterior-Accents.com

We end this week with “Beware HOAs” (Home Owner’s Associations.)

++ Florida vet says ‘Bring it on,’ as he faces eviction over flower pot flag

“The fight started in 2011 and landed in court a year later where the two sides reached a settlement in which Murphree agreed to display his flag in compliance with association rules. But two weeks later, the board changed the rules, saying flags could only be displayed on a pole outside the garage and that flower pots were only for flowers.”

A good HOA is one that protects neighborhoods against residents who do things like leaving derelict cars on the street, painting their house lime green, and having loud parties with 100 guests on a quarter-acre lot every weekend. The goal SHOULD be that you paid good money for your house and you don’t want someone coming in and ruining YOUR property values because of their behavior.

The story above shows the dark side of HOAs – and this is certainly not the only example. In court, the HOA made an agreement with this homeowner about how and where he could display his US flag – and then they changed the rules – meaning going to court and agreeing to “terms” apparently meant nothing to them.

This is a small US flag the homeowner wants to display – in America – in his own yard, on his own property. So what does the “Association” now want to do? Foreclose on the man’s property because he’s not paying his “assessment” fees. Sounds good for them, but what he’s NOT paying are the fines the HOA is charging (illegally if you ask me) because he is abiding by the 2011 court ruling and they are not.

We, as American citizens are being bullied by HOAs, local, state, and federal governments, energy companies that want to frack or otherwise invade our property without our consent, and the really scary “eminent domain” crowd who will use old and or arbitrary ordinances to sometimes just take people’s property.

In the meantime, certain factions in the US Government have apparently been targeting people with certain political leanings or philosophies that don’t agree with the current regime, and then making sure they get audited by the IRS. Not only is this bullying, it’s illegal – as some are hopefully soon to find out.

It appears US citizens are going to have to become hyper vigilant about protecting our rights. We aren’t lawyers, and most of us can’t afford to hire one big enough to fight a HOA or the IRS. Courts are not just there to protect the rights of criminals – which it often seems is all they do. Courts are there to protect OUR rights as well. Know your rights and be prepared to defend them as this gentleman is doing or, we will continue to be stopped from enjoying the very properties we’ve worked so hard to obtain.

Here we are past the middle of the month in the middle of the year and time for the longest day of the year. I won’t start counting down the days until Christmas just yet though – we’ll leave that for some other blog.

Here are some items of interest from the world of real estate for this past week…

++ VA home loans underused, real estate experts say

++ Housing Market Falters Amid Rising Prices, Lower-Paying Jobs

On the other hand…

++ Eight housing markets at all-time highs

++ Here’s What Wealthy People Want In Their Luxury Homes

++ Cow Hollow home listing price jumps from $3M to $13M after flip (WHOA!)

++ Thinking Out Loud: Creating Native Landscapes

++ Are Home-Remodeling Reality Shows Distorting Reality? (VIDEO)

My answer: Only if you forget you’re watching a “reality” TV show…

++ Previews: International Luxury Real Estate

++ Decorative Outdoor Faucets – Great Gift Idea