student loan forgiveness is very appealing. Many students take out a lot of student loans in college. They may do so for many reasons. Some think this is the only way to fund college. Others did not get the ramifications that they accrued by taking out student loans. For still others, they believe that their college education will enable them to easily pay off the loans later.

But student loan debt can easily get out of hand. Student loan debt may actually keep people living below the poverty line. This can happen even if they have a good job.

This is not the goal for student loans. Many lenders try to help with programs that help borrowers pay off student loan debt. These programs may have stringent requirements. But if you meet them you can be eligible for student loan forgiveness.

Here are some fairly typical requirements in student loan forgiveness programs:

* • Working in a job that qualifies as public service - Jobs that involve non-profit work, teaching and community protection may qualify. Always document each year of service meticulously.

* • Attending a college or university that is now defunct - Learning institutions that fail in their obligations to you may have to repay your loans. Getting a degree from a non-accredited institution may give you a shot at student loan forgiveness.

* Admission for which you did not qualify - Colleges that admit unqualified applicants can be responsible for student loans. However you will be responsible for proving your lack of qualification.

* Honest and dedicated participation in programs intended to help people in student loan debt - Truly dedicated work toward repayment though official channels may result in some types of relief.

Naturally you should never take out loans that you do not plan on repaying. However, sometimes the unforeseeable happens. If you are over your head in student loan debt you should definitely explore student loan forgiveness options.

No generation in American history has ever experienced the number of foreclosures and defaulted mortgages as is happening now. But smart real estate investors are turning these ‘lemons’ into ‘lemonade’ in an incredibly profitable new way.

‘Bulk REO Investing’ is the name of the new strategy, and it’s captured the attention of many well-heeled investors.

Consider with me, if you will, the fundamentals of the Bulk REO business.

You can’t understand Bulk REO Investments without understanding the process of foreclosure.

As a borrower becomes increasingly behind in his mortgage, the lender regularly calls and writes the borrower with default warnings and threats. The official foreclosure proceedings begin subsequently, as directed by the lender. ‘Pre foreclosure’ is the name given to the time between implementation of the foreclosure proceedings and the public auction.

Foreclosure is completed when the property is put up for auction. If there are no buyers for the property at auction, the property is returned to the lender. The property then receives the designation of being an ‘REO’ or the more formal name, ‘Real Estate Owned’.

REO properties are usually listed for sale with local real estate agents. But as a consequence of the weak economy, lenders are frequently selling their REO properties far below their actual value. This happens because the buyer of the REO is required to purchase multiple REO’s in a single transaction.

Qualified real estate investors are increasingly finding once-in-a-lifetime opportunities in these REO packages. The most successful Bulk REO Investors will have a well-respected source of funding for their transactions. There are many sources of funding for these transasactions including: hard money and commercial financing, as well as non conventional sources such as hedge funds and private investors. Additionally, one man is becoming very well known in the field of bulk REO investing, and his name is Sal Buscemi of Dandrew Partners, a New-York based hedge fund.

According to bulk reo expert Salvatore Buscemi, Bulk REO Investing is proving to be one of the most lucrative fields of investment during 2009 and beyond. Bulk REO Investors profit by purchasing groups (commonly called “portfolios”) of properties from lenders who have repossessed the properties and have urgent need to release pressure from their balance sheets. Due to the urgency of the balance sheet needs of the financial institutions coupled with the investor’s ability to buy a package of REO properties rather than individual properties, it’s frequently possible for a well-capitalized bulk reo investor to acquire REO packages at extremely attractive prices.

To get the full details, I chatted with Salvatore Buscemi of New York-based distressed asset hedge fund Dandrew Capital Partners.

“Dandrew Capital works by making offers to financial institutions on the basis of a percentage of unpaid principal balance. This means that if we make an offer of 60 cents on the dollar for a package of mortgages with a remainder of $3,000,000 in principal balance, then we’ll pay $1,800,000 to acquire that package” says Buscemi. There are probably few people who are better positioned for the present economic downturn than Salvatore Buscemi and Dandrew Capital Partners. “Several years ago, everyone in the financial world thought that there would be no end to the booming real estate market. That made it very challenging for us, since we began marketing our distressed real estate asset fund before the real estate market began to fall apart.”

But Buscemi is obviously on the right side of the market trends. “Clearly, our strategy has been vindicated. Our fund is fully subscribed and we have plans for starting another fund exclusively for foreign investors.

What is particularly interesting about the way Dandrew Capital monetizes their property investments. “At the conclusion of our reo portfolio transactions, we own multiple properties which must then be monetized to bring a return to our fund. To do this, we resell our properties to retail home buyers via seller financing. By cutting traditional lenders out of our transactions, we are able to sell our properties quickly and at very attractive terms” says Buscemi.

The future seems quite bright for astute Bulk REO investors.

This article was originally published on BryanEllis.com. It is republished here with complete authorization of the appropriate copyright holders.

Real estate investors often think that they will not find leads in real estate listings. They think that people with distressed properties will not have time to wait on an agent. Investors spend a lot of time and money using alternative methods to find deals. These may include bandit signs, 800 numbers and locating deserted properties.

But you should not neglect any way that you can get good leads on investment properties. Real estate listings hold more promise than you might expect. A real estate listing will help you determine certain things. Spotting these things could lead to a good investment opportunity.

Do not overlook free sources for leads. You will be able to use real estate listings to find great investment properties. Keep an eye out for the following flags:

* Houses that have been listed for a long time are good potential targets - The owners might be getting nervous if a house has been listed for a long time. However, they may not realize that they have options other than their realtor. Your contacting them could be a lifesaver as far as they are concerned.

* Check for lowered prices - People who drop their price may be getting motivated to sell. If they had time to spare they would wait it out. If an owner needs to get out, a drop in price may be an indicator.

* • FSBO (For Sale By Owner) - It is likely that FSBO owners are overwhelmed. They may just be glad to get out of their position. They also may take a lower offer because they are not paying commission.

* Check out properties that offer owner-financing - This type of risky financing is always more perilous than bank loans. It frequently involves working with buyers who do not have the credit to get bank loans. Property owners willing to take this kind of risk generally are motivated sellers.

You can see now how real estate listings are actually a great source of leads. Use your local paper to spot potential deals in real estate listings right away.

How to repay student loans is likely on your mind if you have graduated from college. They are definitely among the most pervasive types of debt. They create lasting financial issues for many people. After all, outstanding student loan debt can affect your credit score. You might not be able to buy a house or a car.

There are steps you can take now to repay student loans. Some might require you to make some lifestyle changes. Others involve small alterations or substitutions. The work is definitely worth it though. You might repay student loans in just a few years. You will save yourself a great deal of interest and stress.

Here are just 3 ways you might repay your student loans:

* Begin to pay extra - You do not have to pay the minimum payment. A payment larger than the minimum cuts into the loan balance. This will immediately lessen the interest that you have to pay on the student loans.

* Money can be rerouted - Examine your budget. Look for money spent on non-essentials. This might be a purchase like extra clothing. Start putting that money toward your student loans instead. Make the correlation direct. If you spend 50 dollars a month on one thing, send 50 dollars extra to your student loan when you give it up.

* Consider loan consolidation - This can lead to big savings. If you have a lower monthly payment you have more room to pay over on your principle. But keep an eye out for closing fees. These fees can make the entire consolidation process too expensive.

All of these strategies can help you repay student loans ahead of time. With some hard work you could pay them off in just a few years. If you repay student loans early you can enjoy new control over your life.