Location also applies to the people who market real estate. Unless you live in or are planning to relocate to a very small town, it is questionable whether or not a given agent is really familiar with your neighborhood, the schools that your kids will attend, the crime rates there, and many other considerations. In general, while most agents in the larger cities have access to a large volume of real estate information over a wide area, it is next to impossible for an agent to know everything of importance about every neighborhood and property in the city. There is just too much to know and not enough time. A competent real estate agent at a minimum should be very familiar with the properties and homes that are on the market in a neighborhood along with what has recently sold. One way they do this is to preview homes for sale by taking tours of open houses.

This allows them to know what the interiors of homes are like and what the home has to offer, which enables them to help a buyer find the right property. This also helps an agent to list a home for sale at the right price by understanding the competition. It is not likely that a given agent is going to be able to preview every home for sale all over town because in a large city, this may involve visiting hundreds of homes as opposed to a relative handful in a given neighborhood or part of town. And the agents who work a specific location the most will often have shown many of the homes for sale several times, making them even more knowledgeable about each one. They will know which homes have the offensive wallpaper you do not like or that have the lovely landscaping you do want. They will know which homes are a genuine bargain and which ones are over priced. In other words, the local agent is better prepared to show you the homes that match your needs and desires .

1. Does the area have decent job growth? Ask local authorities and use census information. Ideally, you want to see job growth equal to or exceeding population growth. You also want areas with professional jobs moving in. It is estimated that for every professional job created, there are four service jobs created, and all those employees need a place to live. 2. Is the population growing? You can check the US Census figures online, or ask the local government if they have the statistics. Stay away from areas that have little growth. 3. Is there a decent quality of life? It's subjective, but important.

Are there theaters and bookstores? Count coffee shops and cafes. Trendy areas usually have increasing demand for housing. It's also a good indication of a high quality-of-life if people are willing to take lower-paying jobs just to live there. 4. Is there wealth in the area? It's a good sign when there is some degree of wealth in a town. Look for nice homes. Wealth means everything doesn't die when the economy slows

1. Number of homes for sale? Lower supply of homes for sale means upward pressure on prices. This indirectly drives up rents as well, which makes for better investing. 2. New construction? Census figures can tell you what's happened over the last ten years. Check with the local authorities to see if the the number of housing units they've issued permits for is more or less than the expected population growth

Everyone knows that you can build wealth and make money fast in real estate but much of the property in North America and Europe is expensive and doesn’t offer huge growth potential. Here we are going to look at overseas property, that’s cheaper and has better growth potential. Americans are buying in record numbers in this country and making up to 100% annually on their investment. The country is Costa Rica Why are Americans buying in record numbers? Quite simply ocean view property here is up to 70% less than in the US and with the thirst for beach front property investors are buying in huge numbers. What is the profit potential? Buyers that purchased $30,000 of property in the town of Jaco 15 years ago are now worth as much as $780,000. The Marriot Corporation who own the Los Suenos Resort, pre sold 50 condos of 2000 square feet for $250,000. The next year Marriot sold another batch at $350,000. The next year units were sold at up to $850,000.