Let's Talk Real Estate

Recently I had a client call me to complain about how upset she was regarding the fact that she was only getting half of the $8000 tax credit. She had purchased a duplex a couple of months ago and was expecting to receive 10% of half of the sales price (since she was renting out the other half of the duplex and receiving rental income). She was, therefore, expecting to get $7500 (10% of $75K instead of 10% of the full purchase price of $150K) She was very upset because she had recently been to H&R Block to have her taxes done and they insisted on the fact that she was only entitled to half of the tax credit ($4000) rather than 10% of half of the purchase price ($7500). Now, I am not a tax accountant and don’t even pretend to be. But, I called the IRS and they confirmed that this is indeed wrong . She was indeed entitled to 10% of half of the purchase price ($7500), NOT half of the tax credit ($4000). So, don’t assume that H&R Block knows what they are talking about. If you

The homebuying season has been moved up this year! The springtime spurt in home buying does not seem to be waiting for the snow to melt this year as buyers scramble to meet an April 30 tax credit deadline. The spring buying season typically takes off in March and runs through May. But buyers who want to claim this year's tax credit — up to $8,000 for first-time buyers and up to $6,500 for repeat buyers — aren't wasting any time. They must have signed purchase contracts by April 30 and they have to complete the deal by June 30. So, what are some important things to keep in mind? First of all, be prepared for the amount of time it will take to close a deal. The average time it takes to get a home loan processed is about eight weeks now — two weeks more than it used to be, according to the National Association of Realtors. As we get closer to the deadline, loan processors could get very busy. Plan accordingly. Don't wait until the last minute. Sellers should be prepared to

So, you’ve decided to purchase a home and take advantage of the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit. Here is what you will have to do to get your benefit: Close on your home purchase between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, or have a binding written contract by April 30, 2010 and close by July 1, 2010. Decide whether you are going to: apply the credit to your 2009 tax return, filed on or before April 15, 2010; file an amended 2009 return; or, apply the credit on your 2010 return, filed on or before April 15, 2011. 3. Attach documentation of purchase to your return. Documentation of Purchase Details concerning the precise documents required to confirm your purchase have not yet been released. When this information becomes available, I will include instructions and links to the appropriate forms. When to Apply the Credit Buyers purchasing homes on or before December 31, 2009 may claim the credit on their 2009 tax returns. Buyers purchasing in 2010 will have the option to: Claim th

Who Qualifies for the Extended Credit? First-time home buyers who purchase homes between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010. Current home owners purchasing a home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, who have used the home being sold or vacated as a principal residence for five consecutive years within the last eight. To qualify as a “first-time home buyer” the purchaser or his/her spouse may not have owned a residence during the three years prior to the purchase. Which Properties Are Eligible? The Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit may be applied to primary residences, including: single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and co-ops. How Much Is Available? The maximum allowable credit for first-time home buyers is $8,000. The maximum allowable credit for current homeowners is $6,500. How is a Buyer's Credit Amount Determined? Each home buyer’s tax credit is determined by tow additional factors: The price of the home The buyer's income Price Under the Extended Home Buyer Tax

Legislation has been passed to extend the $8,000 home buyer tax credit to May 1, 2010, for first-time buyers and add a $6,500 tax credit for repeat buyers if they've lived in their home for five of the past eight years. Home prices are capped at $800,000. The legislation in both houses was included in a bill to extend unemployment benefits and is expected to be signed by President Obama shortly. Under the bill, income limits are expanded to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for joint filers. Individuals with incomes up to $145,000 and joint filers with incomes up to $245,000 qualify for reduced credits.Households who have binding contracts in place by April 30 will be allowed an additional 60 days to complete their transaction. The deadline for members of the military serving out the U.S. for at least 90 days between Jan. 1, 2009, and May 1, 2010, has been extended one year. Taxpayers can claim the credit on their federal income tax returns. If the credit exceeds their tax bill

Great News! It has been tentatively agreed upon to extend the existing $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers! The credit has also been expanded to also offer a new $6,500 credit for existing homeowners who have lived in their current residence for a consecutive five-year period in the past eight years. Home buyers must be under contract by April 30, 2010, and close before July 1. This is exciting news!!! Spread the word!!!

The first-time home buyers tax credit ends November 30th. Is it possible to buy in the next two weeks and still close in time to collect it? Scheduled to end on December 1st, the time is running short to get your FREE CASH. The demand is going to be huge and the process is likely to take longer than usual. But is NOT too late! In order to receive this credit, you must get moving! To guarantee you don't miss out, do your best to aim for these dates: Try to Close by November 15th . Thanksgiving is at the end of November and will cause additional delays. There will be much less stress if you aim to close before the holidays. Those who wait until the end of November could find themselves losing out on the credit. Complete Due Diligence by November 1st. This means all your inspections, appraisals, title review, and MORTGAGE PAPERWORK needs to be complete by this time. Under Contract by October 15th . You need to have a home picked out and under contract by this date. If you delay beyo

If you are a First-Time Home Buyer and purchase a home before December 1, 2009 you can take advantage of the 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. Here's what you have to do to get your benefit: Close on your home purchase by November 30, 2009, Ensure that you are a qualified first-time buyer under IRS guidelines, Decide which year to file under, 2008 or 2009, File an amended 2008 return or choose to apply the credit to your 2009 tax return. Deciding When to Apply the Credit If you want the benefits of your credit as soon as possible: You might choose to file under your 2008 tax year. Since April 15 has already passed, you would have to file an amendment to your return. However, if you've already filed for an extension of your 2008 return, then you can simply claim the credit when you submit your return. If you anticipate a drop in income next year: You can wait to claim the credit as part of your 2009 filing. In some cases the value of the credit might be higher, particularly

A friendly reminder for you first-time home buyers out there... In order to qualify for the government’s $8,000 gift in the form of a tax credit, your deal must close by Dec. 1, 2009. It's not too late! You should have a purchase contract signed by early October, so you have 45 to 60 days to arrange financing and safely close the deal. For more information on the First-Time Home Buyer $8000 Tax Credit, click here .

If you follow my blog, you are well aware of the fact that the first-time home buyer tax credit of up to $8,000 has helped to move housing inventory during an otherwise sluggish real estate cycle. Now, both legislators and the business community are hoping to build on the incentive's success by expanding it! A number of bills have been introduced in the House and the Senate that lobby for an expansion of the measure. Among the proposed changes are: Setting a new cap of $15,000 Extending the tax break into mid-2010 Making the benefit available to all home buyers, not just first-timers Offering a separate tax credit to $3,000 for borrowers who refinance Let's keep our fingers crossed! These proposed changes will benefit many home buyers and really stimulate the real estate market!

Many states have already started making bridge loans available to households who want to claim the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit! With the announcement earlier this week that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will allow consumers to obtain a bridge loan, repayable with proceeds from their tax credit, to help cover their down payment, consumers are anxious to "get movin’". HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan stated that guidelines for the new policy will be released shortly. But even before the announcement, nearly a dozen states were one step ahead of the department by providing similar bridge loans through their housing finance agencies. Many state REALTOR® associations were behind these proactive efforts and worked with state officials to set up programs. The Washington REALTORS® association was able to convince treasury officials that the money loaned to home buyers would not only be paid back when tax credits took effect, but also increase the state’s funds.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced this week that the Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow home buyers to use the $8,000 tax credit as a down payment. Previously, most buyers could not receive the funds until after they filed their tax return, and that deterred some people from using the credit. If consumers have access to the home buyer tax credit funds when they close on their home loans the cash can be used as a down payment. Now FHA’s approved lenders will be permitted to “monetize” the tax credit through short-term bridge loans. This will allow eligible home buyers to access the funds immediately at the closing table. At this point there aren’t yet any procedures in place to accommodate the “bridge” loan. But this should be available shortly. For those of you who qualify for the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit should start looking for a home now. This should prove to be a significant benefit to the Real Estate purchase