Property tax circuit breakers can be used to increase tax equity by reducing the most onerous property tax burdens as measured in relation to income. This is particularly important for households at the lower end of the income distribution, and for households in states with high property taxes. By targeting property tax relief to those most in need, circuit breakers promote tax equity at minimal cost to state and local budgets, while preserving the basic nature and strengths of this tax as a source of local revenue. Although circuit breakers have great potential for improving property tax fairness, many programs fall short of ideal.
This report covers the rationale for providing property tax relief to those who have a high relative tax burden. It compares the fairness of various criteria used by states for eligibility, and illustrates types and key features of property tax circuit breakers. Ten pitfalls with existing tax circuit breakers are described along with solutions to address inadequate property tax relief for those with the highest tax burden. It covers three approaches to administer property tax circuit breaker programs to provide greater relief to those in need. Guidelines for elected representatives and tax policy advocates to improve tax circuit breaker rules are provided. Recommendations for the best design for property tax circuit breakers are included in this policy focus report.
Although circuit breakers have great potential for improving property tax fairness, many programs fall short of ideal. Recommendations for the best design for property tax circuit breakers are included in this policy focus report.

Evolving Public Space In South Africa discusses the transformation of public space highlighted in the country. Drawing on examples from major cities, the author demonstrates that these spaces are not only becoming wasted space, but are also adapting and evolving to accommodate new users and uses in various parts of the city.

This process of evolution tends to challenge the more traditional visions and general global views of declining public space in cities and argues that it rather resembles the resilience of these spaces and the potential for regeneration through continuously emerging and mutating forms, functions and meanings.

Including over 20 black-and-white images, this book would be beneficial to academics and students of urban planning and design and those interested in the regeneration of cities.

The term "housing counselling" refers to a wide variety of educational activities geared toward homebuyers, homeowners, renters, senior citizens, or other populations with particular housing goals. Some potential topics of housing counselling include pre-purchase counselling for potential homebuyers; post-purchase counselling on subjects such as budgeting or home maintenance and foreclosure prevention. This book describes the housing counselling industry in general, with a focus on HUD's processes for certifying housing counselling agencies and distributing housing counselling funding.

Provides an authoritative account of urban land reform in China, which is unique in merging the existing socialist landowner system with market mechanisms. The book starts with an historical account of the land tenure system in China followed by discussions of the reform within its legal, administrative and financial frameworks.

Probably the most useful monograph on the head-right system in Virginia. It provides an insight into how this system of land conveyance shaped the Commonwealth.

What do you want for yourself in the next five, ten years? Do your plans involve marriage, kids, a new job? These are the questions a real estate agent might ask in an attempt to unearth information they can employ to complete a sale, which as Upsold shows, often results in upselling. In this book, sociologist Max Besbris shows how agents successfully upsell, inducing buyers to spend more than their initially stated price ceilings. His research reveals how face-to-face interactions influence buyers' ideas about which neighborhoods are desirable and which are less-worthy investments and how these preferences ultimately contribute to neighborhood inequality. Stratification defines cities in the contemporary United States. In an era marked by increasing income segregation, one of the main sources of this inequality is housing prices. A crucial part of wealth inequality, housing prices are also directly linked to the uneven distribution of resources across neighborhoods and to racial and ethnic segregation. Upsold shows how the interactions between real estate agents and buyers make or break neighborhood reputations and construct neighborhoods by price. Employing revealing ethnographic and quantitative housing data, Besbris outlines precisely how social influences come together during the sales process. In Upsold, we get a deep dive into the role that the interactions with sales agents play in buyers' decision-making and how neighborhoods are differentiated, valorized, and deemed to be worthy of a certain price.

Agricultural historians have collected and published a remarkable amount of material in recent years, partly as a result of the ongoing series 'The Agrarian History of England and Wales'. Missing from the Agrarian History volumes covering 1640-1850 has been any sustained analysis of agricultural rent, a perhaps surprising omission in view of the enormous sums of money which passed between landlords and tenants annually, and given the importance of the subject in terms of our understanding of the general course of change in agriculture and the economy more generally. In recent years the availability of estate accounts in public archive repositories has made available a range of data for the period c.1690 to the First World War, after which the material is voluminous and well known. In this book, based on research in archives across the country, the authors have produced a new rent index which will become the basis on which all future researchers in the field will rely.

Canada's bestselling author on real estate draws back the curtain on real estate investing

Investing in real estate has often been viewed as the poor second cousin to the stock and bond markets. The misperception that investing in real estate is somehow difficult has cost Canadians the opportunity to increase both the quality of and income from their investment portfolio. To help provide a new perspective to Canadian investors, Canada's bestselling real estate author speaks about his relationship with real estate as the asset that has consistently delivered value for himself and the Real Estate Investment Network community across the country.Author Don R. Campbell is Canada's most recognizable face in media on matters to do with real estate Offers readers a unique glimpse into Don R. Campbell's views on real estate as an asset class, the opportunities and challenges, and the essential characteristics of a successful real estate investor

People want to learn from the best. Investors have no better role model than Don R. Campbell--either to be introduced to the world of real estate or to take away lessons that will embolden success.

In this comprehensive analysis of gender and property in South Asia, Bina Agarwal argues that the most important economic factor affecting women is the gender gap in command over property. In rural South Asia, the crucial form of property is arable land, a critical determinant of economic well-being, social status and empowerment. Few women own land, however, and even fewer control it. By drawing upon a wide range of economic, legal, historical and ethnographic sources and field research, the author addresses the reasons for this imbalance, and asks how the barriers to land ownership can be overcome. The study identifies regional variations across five South Asian countries and explores the interface of economics, culture and gender politics through an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach. The book offers insights into the current theoretical and policy debates on land reform and women's status.

REVISED AND UPDATED This revised and expanded new edition of David Lawrenson`s bestselling book shows you how to buy the right property in the right location (including abroad), and how to maximise yield and capital gain - whatever the state of the market. It includes advice on: - Getting the best possible deals from developers and private sellers, and at auctions - Managing issues such as tax, mortgages, credit rating, insurances, damp, flood risk, and letting agents - Complying and keeping up to date with all laws and regulations - Avoiding tenants from hell This new edition reflects the current market as well as up-to-date information on mortgage availability, licensing and HHSRS regulations; the Green Deal re-launch; squatting laws; tenancy deposit schemes and immigration check requirements. 'Stands out as a practical and extremely detailed guide for landlords . . . crammed full of tips.' -- National Landlords Association 'Excellent guidance . . . a valuable contribution to the savvy landlord's bookshelf.' -- Landlordzone.co.uk David Lawrenson has more than thirty years' experience as a landlord, buy-to-let expert and property consultant. His consultancy service at www.LettingFocus.com provides independent advice for landlords and organisations that provide services to the private rented sector.

Land-based financing of urban infrastructure is growing in importance in the developing world. Why is it so difficult to finance urban infrastructure investment, when land values typically increase by more than the cost of investment? 'Unlocking Land Values to Finance Urban Infrastructure' examines the theory underlying different instruments of land-based finance, such as betterment levies, developer exactions, impact fees, and the exchange of publicly owned land assets for infrastructure. It provides a wealth of case-study illustrations of how different land-based financing tools have been implemented, and the lessons learned from these experiences. This practical guide is designed to help expand the role of land-based financing in urban capital budgets in a way that strengthens urban infrastructure finance and urban land markets.

From city streets to City Hall and to Midtown corporate offices, Saving Stuyvesant Town is the incredible true story of how one middle class community defeated the largest residential real estate deal in American history. Lifetime Stuy Town resident and former City Councilman Dan Garodnick recounts how his neighbors stood up to mammoth real estate interests and successfully fought to save their homes, delivering New York City's biggest-ever affordable housing preservation win. In 2006, Garodnick found himself engaged in an unexpected battle. Stuyvesant Town was built for World War II veterans by MetLife, in partnership with the City. Two generations removed, MetLife announced that it would sell Stuy Town to the highest bidder. Garodnick and his neighbors sprang into action. Battle lines formed with real estate titans like Tishman Speyer and BlackRock facing an organized coalition of residents, who made a competing bid to buy the property themselves. Tripped-up by an over-leveraged deal, the collapse of the American housing market, and a novel lawsuit brought by tenants, the real estate interests collapsed, and the tenants stood ready to take charge and shape the future of their community. The result was a once-in-a-generation win for tenants and an extraordinary outcome for middle-class New Yorkers. Garodnick's colorful and heartfelt account of this crucial moment in New York City history shows how creative problem solving, determination, and brute force politics can be marshalled for the public good. The nine-year struggle to save Stuyvesant Town by these residents is an inspiration to everyone who is committed to ensuring that New York remains a livable, affordable, and economically diverse city.

Create financial freedom following a proven step by step checklist to build your Rent to Rent business! Jacquie Edwards built a business using the Rent to Rent strategy that has made her financially free and she's put everything she learned into this guide to help you get started. This book contains the 4 key steps in a logical and easy to follow formula that will take you from overwhelm through to signing your first Rent to Rent deal. Get detailed guidance on how to create a business plan and budget, set up all the legal aspects of your business, get the right contracts, find the right area, present your offer to the owner - AND MORE! If you want to know exactly what your next steps are in your Rent to Rent business from wherever you are now - then this is the book for you. There is nothing else like it on the market today!

Are you looking to build up a fortune in real estate? Did you know that real estate can increase your net worth while providing you with a monthly source of cash? Today, countless opportunities exist for you to start making money in the real estate business. Financing is available with little or no credit. Property can be purchased even with a bankruptcy in your history. The key to making money in real estate is the "how to" knowledge. You can either spend years learning the hard way, can enroll in a thousand dollar seminar that promises to teach you, or you can read "Real Estate Secrets." "Real Estate Secrets" teaches you the ropes-the strategies, tips, and methods that are the secrets of the new entrepreneurs in real estate. "Real Estate Secrets," written by a successful husband-and-wife team, will share with you their secrets. You will learn how to... ...Find properties yielding the highest profit. ...Uncover overlooked deals. ...Buy without a down payment. ...Make money on residential real estate.
...Buy and sell commercial buildings.
...Create a steady source of income from rentals.
...Find bargains in the better neighborhoods.
...Use eBay and the Internet to invest in real estate.
...Make money on foreclosures.
...Find the next "up and coming" neighborhood, before the real estate prices go up.

As it currently operates, the commercial real estate construction industry is a disaster full of built-in waste. Seventy-percent of all projects end over budget and late. The buildingSMART Alliance estimates that up to fifty-percent of the process is consumed in waste. Almost every project includes massive hidden taxes in the form of delays, cost overruns, poor quality, and work that has to be redone. Building new structures is a fragmented, adversarial process that commonly results in dissatisfied customers and frequently ends in disappointment, bitterness, and even litigation.

The industry must change--for its own good and that of its customers. But while the industry has tried to reform itself, it can't do it alone. Real change can only come from business owners and executives who refuse to continue paying for a dysfunctional system and demand a new way of doing business.

"The Commercial Real Estate Revolution" is a bold manifesto for change from the Mindshift consortium--a group of top commercial real estate industry leaders who are fed up with a system that simply doesn't work. The book explains how business leaders can implement nine principles for any project that will dramatically cut costs, end delays, create better buildings, and force the industry into real reform.

"The Commercial Real Estate Revolution" offers a radically new way of doing business--a beginning-to-end, trust-based methodology that transforms the building process from top to bottom. Based on unifying principles and a common framework that meets the needs of "all" stakeholders, this new system can reform and remake commercial construction into an industry we're proud to be a part of.

If you're one of the millions of hardcore cynics who work in commercial construction, you probably think this sounds like pie in the sky. But this is no magic bullet; it's a call for real reform. If you're an industry professional who's sick of letting down clients or an owner who's sick of cost overruns and endless delays, "The Commercial Real Estate Revolution" offers a blueprint for fixing a broken industry.

Over the past several years, much has been written about property rights in land and natural resources by scholars in many disciplines including economics, political science, history, and law. This book, based on a 2010 Lincoln Institute conference, addresses the tendency in social science literature to oversimplify the concept of property rights by assuming that only two or three forms of property rights are appropriate for the effective use and conservation of resources. Instead it focuses on recent developments in our understanding of how various property systems are applied to and affect the use of scarce natural resources.
The chapters explore the multiple aspects of diverse resources in the design and implementation of property rights systems. The volume also includes a foreword by Douglass C. North and a keynote chapter by Thrainn Eggertsson, who discusses issues related to property rights institutions and the environment using six case studies from his native Iceland, where relatively simple and transparent institutions are ideal for identifying social regularities with general applicability.
The topics addressed in the other chapters and accompanying commentaries include: the nature and variety of existing property systems; new thinking about the California gold rush; the role of psychological entitlement in property allocation; evolving property regimes governing fisheries; the evolution of zoning; attributes of property regimes governing water resources; the nature of property rights in tradable pollution permits; how regulations sometimes create property; and mechanisms for ameliorating property conflicts that arise from the presence of endangered species on privately owned lands.

How American colonists laid the foundations of American capitalism with an economy built on credit Even before the United States became a country, laws prioritizing access to credit set colonial America apart from the rest of the world. Credit Nation examines how the drive to expand credit shaped property laws and legal institutions in the colonial and founding eras of the republic. In this major new history of early America, Claire Priest describes how the British Parliament departed from the customary ways that English law protected land and inheritance, enacting laws for the colonies that privileged creditors by defining land and slaves as commodities available to satisfy debts. Colonial governments, in turn, created local legal institutions that enabled people to further leverage their assets to obtain credit. Priest shows how loans backed with slaves as property fueled slavery from the colonial era through the Civil War, and that increased access to credit was key to the explosive growth of capitalism in nineteenth-century America. Credit Nation presents a new vision of American economic history, one where credit markets and liquidity were prioritized from the outset, where property rights and slaves became commodities for creditors' claims, and where legal institutions played a critical role in the Stamp Act crisis and other political episodes of the founding period.

Marine renewable energy is a significant resource for generating electricity, and if some conversion technologies have already reached a certain level of maturity, others are emerging.
The originality of this multidisciplinary book is to offer a broad spectrum of knowledge from academic and industry experts of various origins. It deals with general aspects such as the specificities and constraints of the marine environment, the concepts of hydrodynamics and ocean engineering, as well as the industrial and economic sides necessary for the assembly of projects.
It also discusses conversion technologies such as offshore wind, tidal power plants, tidal stream turbines, wave energy converters and ocean thermal energy plants. Finally, two chapters are devoted to power electronic conversion and power transmission cables.

Leasehold systems offer a flexible form of land tenure that can be designed to provide an ongoing stream of revenue to finance public infrastructure. Leasing public land has long been advocated as a viable land tenure option for former socialist countries and other transitional economies. However, the debate about land tenure has been influenced more by ideology and preconceptions than by careful study of existing leasehold systems. This book examines such systems and presents recommendations for their future role.