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by Stefan Swanepoel

We all know that 2000 - 2005 comprised one of the hottest real estate markets on record in which the industry enjoyed tremendous growth. But are there any consequences to the industry?

“Definitely” says Stefan Swanepoel, author the annual Swanepoel Trends Report in his latest 2007 edition. “During this period of growth the country experienced a buying frenzy fed by low interest rates, a plate full of (more…)

The real estate boom over the past two decades has been felt all over North America, especially in major centres across the United States and in Canada. However, in each of these cities and towns, the types of real estate properties that are of most interest to home buyers and real estate investors is surprisingly quite different. For example, Miami residents are most interested in waterfront villas and tall residential high-rise buildings along the water and marinas. For New Yorkers, finding the perfect loft or condo residence close to where they work is usually the most important factor. Boston residents find brownstones and town houses the most interesting and unique type of housing available in the United States while Seattle is most interested in master-planned condo communities that provide extravagent amenities and condo features. However, whatever type of property you are looking to live in, every city will have.

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CLEVELAND (CNNMoney.com) — All over Slavic Village, Cleveland, a neighborhood with the one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, empty houses have invaded once vibrant streets.

Many of the owners left behind live near abandoned houses that shelter squatters and worse. Crime has soared and owners would leave, if they could, but their homes have plunged in value. Leaving would mean starting from scratch.

“[The remaining residents] are hard working citizens who have seen the value of their most valuable assets, their homes, plummet,” said Jim Rokakis, treasurer of Cuyahoga County.

Some of them soldier on, fighting back to reclaim their neighborhood and restore some of the value to their homes.

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There are people who look at existing structures and then take it from there. Remodeling is certain to be the main intent of these people since it saves them the problem of time and money. Also, the location is another factor since people do not want to gamble on underdeveloped places where the land value will vary for sure.

If you look at the new properties today, you will find that many of them are in “to be developed” areas. There is a risk but you can imagine how much you can gain if they are successful. In existing ones, the cost is already there and the value has been set. With that in mind, it depends on if you are willing to gamble or plainly live simple.

When talking about real estate and property ownership in the United States, there is a common fear among home owners and real estate investors that we are upon a real estate market crash within the next decades. Already proving that no market can continue to expand and increase in value forever, San Francisco and Las Vegas have seen recent dips in property values over the past two years. While many home owners and ’self-made’ investors are calling fowl by banks who were offering ‘too good to be true mortgages’ and selling off their properties at a loss, many savvy real estate investors know that in any type of market (either boom or crash), there is money to be made in the long run.

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One of the biggest concerns when I talk to real estate agents is, �What are the chances that my site will be found? After seeing the most recent survey on top real estate sites on the internet, I would say very good. Very, very good.

The big boys that we who follow the real estate market closely do not have the penetration in the market that we would assume.

When the top 10 sites comprise only 5.34 percent of the real estate searches, that is a huge win for the long tail. It also means that branding by the big boys is important but not overwhelming. Instead, focusing on the local seaches in your area has a great chance of being an effective strategy for the long term.

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If your answer is YES� read on�

==> Do you love to write, do videoblogs, or podcasts? (or would you?)

==> Do you want to share your knowledge on real estate investing, building business systems, marketing for real estate investing, or life success with our readers?

==> Do you have a website or blog that could use some extra exposure from a blog with a Google PageRank of PR3 (that would be our blog!)� and still growing each month in readership?

If so� I�d love to hear from you and bring you on to the team of content contributors here at The REI Brain.
So, what does that mean for you?� your asking.

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