Always good to know of a few quick and easy tricks to make your home more desirable!
"Daily Real Estate News | January 26, 2010
Ten Inexpensive Ways to Wow Buyers
Now is the time for home owners contemplating a spring sale to spruce up their properties in anticipation of what Mike Larson of Weiss Research calls a potentially vibrant home-selling season. "If you have been beating your head against a wall, this is going to feel a lot better,” he jokes.
Here are 10 cheap ways to make a property more attractive to shoppers.
Improve first impressions. Touch up the paint on the front door and other areas that buyers see first.
Clean up the landscaping. Trim the hedges and trees and plant some annuals in the flowerbeds.
Paint the interior. A coat of light yellow or cream with contrasting white woodwork looks fresh and clean.
Refurbish the floors. Buff the hardwoods. Install new carpets – or at least get them professionally cleaned.
Take care of the big problems. If the house needs a roof or the front stoop is crumbling, get them fixed.
Buy warranties. Putting appliances under warranty gives homebuyers a secure feeling.
Improve energy efficiency. New windows or improved insulation tell a potential buyer the seller is on top of things plus they come with tax benefits.
Replace light fixtures. Updated fixtures, especially at the entrance way and in the foyer, create a good first impression.
Buy a stove. Home owners whose kitchen isn’t top of the line can jazz it up for a few hundred dollars by buying a new stove, which gives the room a fresh feel.
Tidy up the bathrooms. Get rid of mildew, replace caulking and replace stained sinks.
Source: U.S. News & World Report, Luke Mullins (01/21/2010)"
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010012601?OpenDocument
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Mortgage Companies may be getting ready to work with you~
"Principal Cuts May Prevent Foreclosures
At least 7 million borrowers will lose their homes this year and next unless there is a broad increase in property values or lenders become much more willing to cut the principal on mortgage loans, an analyst with Amherst Securities Group told the U.S. House Financial Services Committee last month.
That testimony has motivated Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chair Sheila Blair to consider incentives for lenders to cut principal on $45 billion in mortgages her agency has acquired from seized banks.
“We’re looking now at whether we should provide some further loss-sharing for principal write downs,” says Bair. “Now you’re in a situation where even the good mortgages are going bad because people are losing their jobs.”
While principal reductions are rare, some banks are doing them. In the third quarter of 2009, about 21,000 home loans were modified by reducing the principal, according to Mortgage Metrics, a government publication.
Mark Zandi, the chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com, suggests that banks receive a federal match of $1 for every $2 in principal reductions they offer to home owners.
“You’re not going to wipe out all the borrowers’ negative equity,” he says. “This just gives them enough hope to get them committed again.”
Source: Bloomberg, John Gittelsohn and Prashant Gopal (01/07/2010)"
Daily Real Estate News
January 8, 2010
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010010801?OpenDocument
At least 7 million borrowers will lose their homes this year and next unless there is a broad increase in property values or lenders become much more willing to cut the principal on mortgage loans, an analyst with Amherst Securities Group told the U.S. House Financial Services Committee last month.
That testimony has motivated Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chair Sheila Blair to consider incentives for lenders to cut principal on $45 billion in mortgages her agency has acquired from seized banks.
“We’re looking now at whether we should provide some further loss-sharing for principal write downs,” says Bair. “Now you’re in a situation where even the good mortgages are going bad because people are losing their jobs.”
While principal reductions are rare, some banks are doing them. In the third quarter of 2009, about 21,000 home loans were modified by reducing the principal, according to Mortgage Metrics, a government publication.
Mark Zandi, the chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com, suggests that banks receive a federal match of $1 for every $2 in principal reductions they offer to home owners.
“You’re not going to wipe out all the borrowers’ negative equity,” he says. “This just gives them enough hope to get them committed again.”
Source: Bloomberg, John Gittelsohn and Prashant Gopal (01/07/2010)"
Daily Real Estate News
January 8, 2010
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010010801?OpenDocument
Building/Construction company assistance via tax law breaks...
"Tax Law Change Gives Builders a Boost
Some home builder companies are posting gains, thanks in large part to a change in tax laws that allowed companies to apply losses incurred in 2008 and 2009 to income earned in any five years through 2007. Home builder Lennar Corp. posted its first quarterly profit since 2007.
Previously, losses could be counted against profits over just two previous years.
Lennar also had a 3 percent increase in new orders in 2009, its first since 2006.
Toll Brothers said last month that it expects a $162 million income tax refund when it files its 2009 taxes, thanks to the change in the law. And last month, Wall Street analysts upgraded KB Home’s shares because of an expected refund.
In a paper by John R. Graham and Hyunseob Kim for the National Bureau of Economic Research, Graham and Kim estimated that the tax-loss carrybacks would cost the government $53 billion, with the beneficiaries "concentrated in the home-building, automobile, and financial industries."
Source: Fortune, Colin Barr (01/07/2010)Daily Real Estate News"
January 8, 2010
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010010806?OpenDocument
Some home builder companies are posting gains, thanks in large part to a change in tax laws that allowed companies to apply losses incurred in 2008 and 2009 to income earned in any five years through 2007. Home builder Lennar Corp. posted its first quarterly profit since 2007.
Previously, losses could be counted against profits over just two previous years.
Lennar also had a 3 percent increase in new orders in 2009, its first since 2006.
Toll Brothers said last month that it expects a $162 million income tax refund when it files its 2009 taxes, thanks to the change in the law. And last month, Wall Street analysts upgraded KB Home’s shares because of an expected refund.
In a paper by John R. Graham and Hyunseob Kim for the National Bureau of Economic Research, Graham and Kim estimated that the tax-loss carrybacks would cost the government $53 billion, with the beneficiaries "concentrated in the home-building, automobile, and financial industries."
Source: Fortune, Colin Barr (01/07/2010)Daily Real Estate News"
January 8, 2010
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010010806?OpenDocument
Monday, December 28, 2009
Misuse of Home Buyer Tax Credit Reported
I know some of these people did not realize, but surely there are some taking advantage of the current situation!!
"A report earlier this month from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration estimates that 73,799 taxpayers have incorrectly claimed the first-time home buyer tax credit. The report concludes: “The IRS is unable to verify eligibility for the majority of Recovery Act benefits at the time a tax return is processed.”
The IRS didn’t dispute the claim, but said it was studying the matter further. Some have suggested that this report and others will encourage Congress to put some safeguards in place before more claims result from the extension and expansion of the tax credit.
Source: The New York Times, Lynnley Browning (12/22/2009)
Daily Real Estate News | December 28, 2009"
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2009122801?OpenDocument
"A report earlier this month from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration estimates that 73,799 taxpayers have incorrectly claimed the first-time home buyer tax credit. The report concludes: “The IRS is unable to verify eligibility for the majority of Recovery Act benefits at the time a tax return is processed.”
The IRS didn’t dispute the claim, but said it was studying the matter further. Some have suggested that this report and others will encourage Congress to put some safeguards in place before more claims result from the extension and expansion of the tax credit.
Source: The New York Times, Lynnley Browning (12/22/2009)
Daily Real Estate News | December 28, 2009"
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2009122801?OpenDocument
Interest Rates Predicted to Reach 6%
Something to keep in mind...
"Interest rates are likely to rise to 6 percent by the end of 2010, predicted Amy Crews Cutts, deputy chief economist at Freddie Mac.
The end of the Federal Reserve program that buys mortgage-backed securities will drive rates higher because private buyers will demand more return than the Fed.
"Extraordinary resources have been put into keeping the rates down and supporting the mortgage markets and it's hard to imagine that the rates can go much lower than they are," Crews Cutts said. "Anything we get at or below 5 percent is a gift at this point."
Source: Washington Post, Dina ElBoghdady (12/26/2009)
Daily Real Estate News | December 28, 2009"
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2009122803?OpenDocument
"Interest rates are likely to rise to 6 percent by the end of 2010, predicted Amy Crews Cutts, deputy chief economist at Freddie Mac.
The end of the Federal Reserve program that buys mortgage-backed securities will drive rates higher because private buyers will demand more return than the Fed.
"Extraordinary resources have been put into keeping the rates down and supporting the mortgage markets and it's hard to imagine that the rates can go much lower than they are," Crews Cutts said. "Anything we get at or below 5 percent is a gift at this point."
Source: Washington Post, Dina ElBoghdady (12/26/2009)
Daily Real Estate News | December 28, 2009"
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2009122803?OpenDocument
Sunday, November 29, 2009
TAX CREDITS FOR REPEAT HOME BUYERS :)
Do check this out, especially if you are thinking of buying another primary residence before the end of April 2010!!
"Frequently Asked Questions
About the Move-Up/Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit
The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 has established a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified move-up/repeat home buyers (existing home owners) purchasing a principal residence after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010 (or purchased by June 30, 2010 with a binding sales contract signed by April 30, 2010).
The following questions and answers provide basic information about the tax credit. If you have more specific questions, we strongly encourage you to consult a qualified tax advisor or legal professional about your unique situation."
http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/faq2.php
"Frequently Asked Questions
About the Move-Up/Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit
The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 has established a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified move-up/repeat home buyers (existing home owners) purchasing a principal residence after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010 (or purchased by June 30, 2010 with a binding sales contract signed by April 30, 2010).
The following questions and answers provide basic information about the tax credit. If you have more specific questions, we strongly encourage you to consult a qualified tax advisor or legal professional about your unique situation."
http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/faq2.php
TAX CREDITS !!!
They are here for awhile more, but not forever...
"Frequently Asked Questions
About the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit
The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 has extended the tax credit of up to $8,000 for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence. The tax credit now applies to sales occurring on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.
For sales occurring after November 6, 2009, the Act establishes income limits of $125,000 for single taxpayers and $225,000 for married couples filing joint returns.
The income limits for sales occurring on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before November 6, 2009, are $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns.
The following questions and answers provide basic information about the tax credit. If you have more specific questions, we strongly encourage you to consult a qualified tax advisor or legal professional about your unique situation."
http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/faq1.php
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