Let's Talk Real Estate

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

1. Decide what you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between two and three times your gross income. 2. Develop your home wish list. Then, prioritize the features on your list. 3. Select where you want to live. Compile a list of three or four neighborhoods you’d like to live in, taking into account items such as schools, recreational facilities, area expansion plans, and safety. 4. Start saving. Do you have enough money saved to qualify for a mortgage and cover your down payment? Ideally, you should have 20 percent of the purchase price saved as a down payment. Also, don’t forget to factor in closing costs. Closing costs — including taxes, attorney’s fee, and transfer fees — average between 2 and 7 percent of the home price. 5. Get your credit in order. Obtain a copy of your credit report to make sure it is accurate and to correct any errors immediately. A credit report provides a history of your credit, bad debts, and any late payments. 6. Determine your mo

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!

Freddie Mac reports a drop in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate to 4.82 percent during the week ended May 21 from 4.86 percent the prior week. Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed mortgage rate dipped to 4.5 percent. The Federal Reserve is working to hold down rates by purchasing upwards of $1.25 trillion in mortgage-backed securities and $300 billion in Treasuries. Mortgage rate premiums have declined substantially over the last couple of months even as Treasury yields climbed.

Real estate mogul Sam Zell believes that the decrease in real estate inventory and building slowdown will soon increase demand. He predicts that the U.S. housing market will turn around this summer because the building slowdown is increasing demand. "I can't tell you if it's June 29 or Aug. 1," says Zell, who made billions in commercial real estate by buying up distressed property. Zell said the housing downturn is international, but “the U.S. will recover and recover first around the world because we have a culture and we have an environment where we face up to reality quickly and effectively.” If Zell's predictions are accurate, this may be the best time buy ever! For those of you that have been waiting to buy, you might want to start making a move soon!

New income limits for the USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing Program went into effect on April 20th. This includes an increase in the income limits nationwide, as well as the implementation of the new “2-Tier” income limit structure, which will simplify program requirements and the qualification process. Previously, income limits for many counties, including Cumberland & York Counties, depended on the number of persons. There was a different income level for each additional person. The new structure only has two income levels (1-4 persons and 5-8 persons). This increases the maximum income level for most families. Cumberland & York County: $73,600 for 1-4 person household $97,150 for 5-8 person household Portland Metro: $83,250 for 1-4 person household $109,900 for 5-8 person household This is great news for many buyers! Here is the link to look up the Rural Development income limits for your area.

The Federal Reserve announced today that it would purchase an additional $750 billion in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities and up to $300 billion in longer term Treasury securities. This is great news for American home buyers and homeowners because mortgage interest rates will continue to remain at historic lows (and potentially drop even more). This should help improve many home buyer’s ability to purchase a home. Potentially homeowners facing challenges will be able to refinance into better terms. We are already experiencing a great improvement in housing affordability due to historically low interest rates, and the Fed’s move will push affordability conditions to the best levels in 40 years. In addition, continued low rates will lessen foreclosure pressure and help stabilize home prices sooner, as more American buy homes and draw down inventory.

The $790 billion stimulus package hammered out by House and Senate conferees late yesterday afternoon drops the repayment feature on the home buyer tax credit. This is great news since the repayment requirement was a discouraging some buyers from taking advantage of the tax credit. The legislation also extends the effective date of the tax credit, which is for up to $7,500, to September 1 (from June 30). Buyers that purchase a home in 2009 using financing assistance from state and local mortgage bonds will be permitted to use the credit as well. Hopefully the combination of changes will encourage more buyers to "get moving". Other provisions reportedly in the bill that could help housing markets and communities include: FHA and conforming loan limits - Specifics have not been released but reports indicate that the 2008 limits have been reinstated for 2009 except in those communities where the 2009 limits are higher. Additional increases in individual communities may also be a

If you have been watching the news this week, you may have noticed that the debate in Washington has finally turned toward real stimulus for the housing industry. As a result, many believe that we could be on the brink of a substantial turn around in the real estate market. Now we need to make sure that our legislators support this stimulus. It is critical that we all join together and deliver a powerful message. Last night, the Lieberman/Isakson Amendment was included in the senate version of the Economic Stimulus Bill by a unanimous voice vote. This amendment would provide a Tax Credit to all home buyers at the rate of 10% of the sales price up to a limit of $15,000. The credit would be available for a one year period to all purchasers of primary residences. Today, the senate expects to debate Amendment 353, a proposal by Senator John Ensign (R-NV) that would provide 30 year fixed financing at a rate of about 4%, for anyone purchasing a primary residence. If these two provisions sur

As foreclosure rates continue to grow, more and more sellers are turning to short sales as a way to avoid foreclosure. Some of you may be thinking, "What is a short sale?" and "How does a short sale work?" In a short sale, the seller negotiates with their mortgage lender to accept a price that's less than the amount they owe on the property. As part of this arrangement, the lender typically agrees to forgive the rest of the loan. As a result, the seller doesn't have to go though a foreclosure, the buyer picks up a property at a discount, and the lender avoids taking on the burden of unloading the property. Sounds good right? Well, there are a few things that you should be aware of... Sellers need to be aware of the fact that a short sale may still damage their credit, though probably not as much as a foreclosure. Also, lenders typically will only agree to a short sale if the seller is behind in their payments and has received a default notice. There is a

There are many factors to take into consideration when answering this question. One of course is interest rates, which have already reached historic lows (at least in the last 20-25 years) and continue to drop even lower. This won’t continue to happen forever! The foreclosure inventory continues to grow, keeping the majority of the prices low. Prices on homes right now are the lowest they have been in years. The programs that are available to first-time home buyers make it easier than ever to get a mortgage. Many of the programs offer low to no down payments, assistance with closing costs and options for the seller to contribute toward costs. Combine these three factors with the new home owner tax credit that the government has bestowed on first time home buyers ($7500 in your pocket) and it creates a an ideal situation. Put simply, there are a lot of good reason to buy right now! Many people believe that this is the golden age for buying real estate because everything is in the buyer’

Avoiding common mistakes can make the home buying process simpler and less stressful. Keep the following in mind to help improve your home-buying experience: Do Your Homework - Enter the market well-prepared by researching location, school district, deed restrictions and taxes. Don't Try To Make a Shrewd Investment - Focus on finding the best place for you and your family to live rather than trying to predict the real estate market. Location, Location, Location - Consider what part of town you would like to live in and avoid homes located on busy streets. Don't Overlook an Inferior Floor Plan for an Attractive Exterior - Choose a great floor plan over a great exterior because you'll spend far more time inside the house than outside. Don't Overlook How the Home Will Function For Your Family - Consider features that are most important to your family and choose a home that will meet those needs. Always Have the Home Properly Inspected When Buying a Resale - Hire a state-li