Valerie offers a one-two punch of computer savviness and investment experience that give her clients an edge in the constantly changing world
of real estate.
A Georgia Tech graduate with a degree in Information and Computers, she not only understands the importance of using the Internet to find, analyze and evaluate the housing market, she can also use the technology proficiently to obtain the best exposure for selling your home. Valerie's Georgia Tech education taught her to "think outside the box" in finding solutions to problems. This helps her create a win-win situation for all her clients — whether buying, selling, renting, or investing.
Valerie owned and operated a small business for 12 years that specialized in computer-based presentation materials. Her business was also a nationwide service bureau that provided rapid turnaround for computer-generated slides
prior to the laptop presentation era. She also provided large-scale 35mm slide duplicating services and a variety of custom presentation services.
When Valerie sold her business in 2000, she invested her money into the local
housing market, purchasing foreclosures, pre-foreclosures and distressed
properties. She actually renovated many of these properties herself to a
"like new" condition. This hands-on experience is a valuable asset when it
comes to older homes. Valerie has the know-how to assist buyers in determining
which cosmetic and functional repairs are needed to modernize a home. Since she has done this type of work herself, she can offer expert advice on what is involved to repair or renovate these properties.
As an investor for six years before becoming a licensed real estate agent, Valerie purchased numerous homes for investment purposes and subdivided tracts of land into lots for resale. She is very familiar with buying homes for investment and rental purposes. She has used her expertise to develop a financial model for analyzing return on investment for development projects and rental properties. She has also been involved with 1031 exchanges and is very knowledgeable about self-directed IRAs.
On a personal note, Valerie is a veteran of more than 70 marathons as well as an Ironman triathlon in 2005. The same determination and perseverance that pulled her through these grueling athletic events plays out in every aspect of her life — including selling your home, finding that "right" home for you to buy, or selecting a profitable investment property.
Valerie Howard
I SPEAK:
The Do’s And Don’ts Of The Real Estate Code Of Ethics
In the real estate business, it’s no secret that flexible morals have had a presence in the field since the very beginning. Whether it’s real estate agents that conceal vital information to make the deal go through or real estate developers cutting corners on multi-million dollar housing projects, this business has a reputation for being less-than-reputable. ...
How A Good Bio Can Kickstart Your Real Estate Career
As a real estate agent, it’s no secret that marketing is the key to good sales numbers. You’re not just selling real estate; you’re selling yourself. How you are perceived as a professional is the most important, most crucial and most notable aspect of your job. Regardless which region you live in, what type of real estate you sell or what you do in ...
Real Estate Niche: Green Homes
Life in the 21st century is coming with some very welcome changes. Nowadays, it’s becoming more approachable to have a lifestyle that allows you to live more harmoniously with your environment. We're heading towards a much broader path towards sustainability. People are looking into what a sustainable lifestyle would ask of them, and what changes they would have ...
How Your Appearance Affects Your Sales
As a real estate professional, you’ve probably heard one person or another talk about “dressing for success” while they show you their new watch or tailored suit. This expression is used broadly in a lot of different ways, but in the world of real estate it actually holds a lot more meaning than you might imagine. A crucial aspect of working as a ...
Restoring A Repossessed Home: Dealing With Damage
For a person who’s got an enterprising spirit, the world is full of money-making opportunities. From investment to entrepreneurship and good old-fashioned hard work, there is almost no set of circumstances that can keep a sharp-witted business man or woman down financially. Everyone gets knocked down from time to time; what’s important is how you go about ...
Bank receives equity participation in the house as a result of lending the homeowner money. When the house is sold, the bank will receive its proportionate share of the proceeds. In such an arrangement, the bank sometimes pays the down payment for the house because of the homeowner's poor financial ...
Property damage coverage for mobile agricultural equipment and machinery, including harness, saddles, blankets, and liveries. Perils insured are fire, lightning, vandalism, malicious mischief, and removal. Additional perils can be added at extra charge. Excluded from coverage are crops, aircraft, wa ...
Coverage in which the face amount of a life insurance policy declines by a stipulated amount over a period of time. For example, the initial face amount of a $100,000 decreasing term policy decreases by $10,000 each year, until after 10 years the face value equals zero. The premium does not decrease ...
Events that do not have any influence on the occurrence or nonoccurrence of another event; for example, a plane crashing in Shreveport should have no influence on a plane crashing in Dallas. ...
An exception to section 101 (a) (1) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE tax-exempt Status Of the DEATH BENEFIT in a life insurance policy where the transfer of the interest in the policy by the policy owner to another party in exchange for a valuable consideration results in the death benefit losing its ta ...
A lifetime rate cap is an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), this cap limits the amount the interest ra ...
As many retirees are choosing to relocate to the Sunshine State to spend their golden years because ...