It's official, I am a Seniors Real Estate Specialist, as I earned my SRES designation last week! What is a Seniors Real Estate Specialist? From the SRES website: "By earning the SRES® Designation, you have demonstrated the necessary knowledge and expertise to counsel clients age 50+ through major financial and lifestyle transitions in relocating, refinancing, [...]
The 3.8% tax that is part of the healthcare reform bill is NOT a real estate transfer tax. Yes, it IS a tax. BUT it is NOT a transfer tax. What is it? According to the National Association of REALTORS(R) (NAR), it is "a 3.8 percent tax on investment income of upper-income households to help shore [...]
There are a few easy tips that home sellers can use and follow that should help in showing and selling their home. The National Association of REALTORS(R) put together a comprehensive list, and I will take them on below. 1) Clear off the counters! That little pile of mail. That unused juicer. The cute nicknacks [...]
In a post today from CNN's "State of the Union" interview with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, Bloomberg reports that house prices are unlikely to decline further, and they expect to see a rise in prices in the third quarter. This is due to the reduction in number of people defaulting on their mortgages, down 40% [...]
This Month in Real Estate for April 2011 is out! First, Jay Papasan discusses the numbers. The current national average for a mortgage rate is 4.8%, according to Freddie Mac. Then he discusses how much time you should spend with an agent before looking at homes. The first step should be a buyer consultation, that [...]
In early February, I shared about a new IRS law that would effect those who own rental properties, where a 1099 would have to be given to anyone who worked on that property if the total amount of work they did was over $600 over any year. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal [...]
This Month in Real Estate for March 2011 has been released, and is full of information about rising interest rates and how sellers can showcase their homes best online. First, Jay Papasan shares that mortgage rates jumped, creating a sense of urgency for some buyers. The average fixed rate for a 30 year fixed mortgage [...]
This Month in Real Estate for February 2011 shares that 89% of all homebuyers begin their home search online. Jay Papasan also shared that home sales were at an annual rate of 5.3 Million with a median home sales price of $168,800, and the national average mortgage interest rate was 4.71%. For selling a home [...]
The IRS has issued a new law for rental property owners who have work done on their house over $600. This is part of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Law H.R. 5297), which expanded the law from multiple family units to individual owners. They are now considered to be conducting a trade or [...]
This Month in Real Estate for January 2011 has been released. The January episode begins with the National Association of REALTORS(R) statistics on how Home Affordability is at an all time high. Jay Papasan discusses these statistics, sharing that home payments are only 13.6% of the median family household income. In 2007, the percentage was [...]