Buying, Selling Or Renting A Property Affected By Lead Based Paints

Many houses and apartments built before 1978 have paint that contains lead (called lead-based paint). Lead from paint, chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly.

Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renting, buying or renovating pre-1978 housing:

• Landlords have to disclose known information on lead-based paint hazards before leases take effect.
• Leases must include a disclosure form about lead-based paint.
  Sellers have to disclose known information on lead-based paint hazards before selling a house.
• Sales contracts must include a disclosure form about lead-based paint. Buyers have up to 10 days to check for lead hazards.

Home Buying Tip - Making The Offer To Buy

By the time you're ready to make an offer, you should have a good feel of what the property is worth and what you can afford.

How much you offer and the terms of your offer will take into consideration: the price that similar homes in the area have sold for, the condition of the property, how long the property has been on the market, financing terms, and the seller's situation.

What you offer is not necessarily what you'll pay for the property. It is usual for an offer to go back and forth between the buyer and the seller during negotiations on price and terms. So, be prepared to negotiate if you really want the property.

Beware Of This Old Real Estate Agent Trick

Real estate agents generally do a good job, but there are many little tricks, strategies and tactics that get used on unsuspecting home buyers and home sellers.

They are not necessarily illegal or unethical, they are often just methods that are proven to get a desired reaction (or decision) from a buyer or seller.

For example; some real estate agents have a trick of showing the dumpy run-down houses first, so that people will buy the first decent house they see. They keep the best 'til last.

So, both buyers and sellers need to think carefully before making binding decisions. They need to carefully interview and select a real estate agent and be vigilant.

Indiana Property Owners Share Common Goals

Michiana Income Property Owners Association (MIPOA) of Indiana, is an organization for real estate investors. Michiana Income Property Owners Association (MIPOA) purpose is to assist members in achieving their real estate investment goals by providing education, motivation, and the opportunity to meet with other folks with similar interests and experiences.

Michiana Income Property Owners Association provides programs and newsletters with information on various aspects of real estate investing. These help the members increase their knowledge through education. MIPOA also provide a newtwork that investors find very helpful in getting their questions answered and their problems solved.


MIPOA members come from all backgrounds and all walks of life. The common bond at MIPOA is an interest in real estate investing. MIPOA members vary in their investment experience from beginners looking for their first property to full time investors with hundreds of units.

Most MIPOA members are investing in residential real estate. The educational background of MIPOA members ranges from folks who have bought intensive training programs costing thousands of dollars to folks that have learned it all from a few books, their friends, or in the school of hard knocks.

MIPOA also hs members that come from various professions that make up, or serve the real estate industry, such as brokers, real estate agents, trades people, lenders, attorneys, and accountants.

Property Association Divided By Mississippi

The Illinois/Iowa based Quad Cities Rental Property Association, Inc. (QCRPA) describes itself as "the Voice of Professional Landlords within and around the Quad Cities, USA."

Quad Cities is comprised of four cities in Iowa and Illinois divided by the Mississippi River. They include Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island and Moline, Illinois.

The Quad Cities Rental Property Association, Inc. represents investment property owners and managers living and working in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas.

Quad Cities Rental Property Association membership benefits include:

• Substantial advertising discount (25% or more depending on size and run length of ad) with The Moline Dispatch/R.I. Argus and Quad City Times
• A monthly newsletter with information important to landlords
• Membership Roster upon request
• State Lobbyist in Iowa to protect Landlord interests
• Access to Credit Reporting Agencies
• Sample documents to assist in the rental property business
• Optional online listing of tenants that have been "legally filed upon" for eviction (FED)
• Access to Member's Only area of the QCRPA website to post classifieds, download forms.
• A significant benefit of the QCRPA is considered to be the fellowship realized from networking with others in the rental property business.

All QCRPA meetings are held at The Lodge Hotel in Bettendorf, IA. Board meetings are held the first Tuesday at 7:00pm and are open to the members. General meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month with buffet dinner at 5:45pm, business meeting at 6:30pm, and a guest speaker at 7:00pm.

The informational part of our evening includes guest speakers informing us about topics of interest to those involved in the rental property business. Various topics include: suggested solutions to recurring problems, municipal and state issues related to the industry, and cost saving measures. In recent meetings we have presented panel discussions, city, state, and federal officials, bankers, lawyers, accountants, local experts, and national speakers. An informative presentation by a magistrate and step-by-step descriptions of the process involved in court house eviction has also been presented. The presentations generally last two hours and are designed to be interesting and informative.

Quad Cities Rental Property Association members have found the social period and dinner a valuable part of the monthly meeting, through the interchange of ideas and networking with other QCRPA members.

Illinois Investment Group Plans Christmas Party

The Metro East Landlords Association (MELA) is a real estate investment group in the Metro East St. Louis area of Illinois. It is a network of like-minded goal-oriented professionals from all aspects of the real estate community.

The Metro East Landlords Association provides continued education and wealth building for the beginning investor to the seasoned professional to include investors, landlords, agents, brokers, contractors and more.

Coming Events For The Metro East Landlords Association

Nov 6, 2006

What's It Really Worth...Appraisals Made Simple. Most new investors get into trouble because they paid too much for a property. Learn a few simple facts and learning the value of real estate becomes much easier.

December 4, 2006

MELA Christmas Party. Always one of the highlights of the year. Join fellow MELA members for a night of good times.

The Metro East Landlords Association meetings are held at the American Legion Hall in Collinsville, IL on the first Monday of each month. The September meeting is held on Tuesday after the first Monday due to the Labor Day Holiday. Registration begins at 6:30pm and the program starts promptly at 7:00pm.

Lake County Apartment Owners Association Soon To Celebrate 30 Years

Lake County Apartment Owners Association (LCAOA) is an organization of more than 250 Illinois property owners and investors, as well as those who are actively seeking to become investors. The purpose of Lake County Apartment Owners Association is to provide information, resources and education to help LCAOA members achieve their goals of owning real estate as an investment and managing their properties effectively.

Founded in 1977, LCAOA keeps members informed of legislative issues involving income property, provides access to rental forms and procedures, and arranges discounts for goods and services through partnerships with local vendors.

Lake County Apartment Owners Association is a member of the Illinois Rental Property Owners Association (IRPOA), and networks with other Illinois investor associations to improve our organization and positively influence legislation that affects our investors.

LCAOA meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm (Registration 6:00 - 6:30) at the American Legion Gurnee Post #771, located one block east of Rt. 21 at Grand Avenue in Gurnee, Illinios.