|
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
E-mail this Newsletter to a friend
| Previous Newsletters: January 2010December 2009November 2009October 2009September 2009August 2009July 2009June 2009May 2009April 2009March 2009February 2009January 2009December 2008November 2008October 2008September 2008August 2008July 2008June 2008May 2008April 2008March 2008February 2008January 2008December 2007November 2007October 2007September 2007August 2007July 2007June 2007May 2007April 2007March 2007February 2007January 2007December 2006November 2006October 2006September 2006August 2006July 2006June 2006May 2006April 2006March 2006February 2006January 2006December 2005November 2005October 2005September 2005August 2005July 2005June 2005May 2005April 2005March 2005February 2005January 2005December 2004November 2004October 2004September 2004August 2004July 2004June 2004May 2004April 2004March 2004February 2004January 2004December 2003November 2003October 2003September 2003August 2003July 2003June 2003May 2003April 2003March 2003February 2003January 2003December 2002November 2002October 2002September 2002August 2002July 2002June 2002May 2002April 2002March 2002February 2002January 2002December 2001November 2001October 2001September 2001August 2001July 2001June 2001May 2001April 2001March 2001February 2001January 2001December 2000November 2000October 2000September 2000August 2000July 2000June 2000May 2000April 2000March 2000February 2000January 2000December 1999November 1999October 1999September 1999August 1999July 1999June 1999May 1999April 1999March 1999February 1999January 1999December 1998 |
Homebuyer Tax Credit Boosts Economy
A new survey reveals that savvy consumers cashing in on the new and improved homebuyer tax credit are helping fuel economic
recovery.
The vast majority of current homeowners say they would spend the expanded version of the homebuyer tax credit on repaying existing debts, home improvements, savings and investments and household expenses, according to a National Association of REALTORS® survey of 1,000 homeowners.
Paying off debts affords consumers more spending power, home improvements likewise put more equity money in their pockets and savings and investments generate income.
Consumer spending, of course, is the real fuel for the nation's economic engine. And much consumer spending is fueled by the housing market -- provided the housing market is energized.
Helping to energize the housing market and the economy is the idea behind the homebuyer tax credit and it's recent extension and expansion.
By October 2009, before President Obama signed the latest extension and expansion, more than 1.2 million tax returns had claimed about $8.5 billion in the refundable tax credit, for both new and resale homes - according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
The new law extends the existing credit for first-time homebuyers, worth up to $8,000, through April 30, 2010.
A new credit of up to $6,500 is available to qualifying existing homeowners who buy a new primary residence (or have one built) by April 30, 2010, if they owned their existing home for five consecutive years over the last eight years. Second homes don't qualify.
The new rule also raises the qualifying income limits to $125,000 for single taxpayers and $225,000 for joint taxpayers, from the current $75,000 and $150,000.
The maximum allowed home purchase price is $800,000.
More information is available from the Internal Revenue Service (http://www.irs.gov/), including its question and answer page.
As a tangible asset with a host of other tax breaks and the potential for equity gain, a home is often a consumer's most valuable asset.
As the economic theory goes, when more consumers buy homes, the economy gets a boost.
NAR's survey appears to confirm the theory.
Among those surveyed, 83 percent said if they purchased a home and qualified for the tax credit they would engage in "smart spending" on things that could ultimately increase income available for spending.
Only 6 percent said they would squander the money on luxury items such as vacation or shopping spree.
According to the survey most consumers would spend their tax credit:
The survey also found, after learning about the tax credit expansion, 20 percent of those surveyed said they were more likely to consider purchasing a home than they were six months ago.
Of
course, what will happen when the tax credit expires in 2010, without another extension, is anyone's guess.
Written by Broderick Perkins
Shelter Professionals
Grants
Foreclosure Pets Grant
As more and more families across the country lose their homes to foreclosure, a new issue is arising: An influx of companion animals at our nation’s shelters as their families can no longer afford them or they are not welcome in their families’ new accommodations.
More pets mean shelters need more resources to house these animals, provide medical treatment, and find these pets homes.
American Humane offers Foreclosure Pets Grants to help shelters care for these pets.
Grant monies are available based on resources and the generosity of our donors and are awarded to qualifying American Humane member shelters. Grant monies must be used to offset expenses already incurred in providing direct care to animals that have been impacted by a foreclosure situation.
Animal welfare organizations interested in applying for a Foreclosure Pets Grant should email the following information to grants@americanhumane.org with “Foreclosure Pets Grant” in the subject line:
- Organization name and mission statement
- American Humane member number
- Desired use of funds
The maximum grant amount is $2,000 per organization, and availability is highly limited; however, selected organizations will be notified by email and invited to submit a formal application.
American Humane Foreclosure Pets Grants are awarded based on donations to the grant. Learn more about how to donate directly to the Foreclosure Pets Grants program.
To further help homeowners, mortgage lenders and shelters address the needs of companion animals during this difficult time, American Humane offers several downloadable resources (see the box below).
Awarded Foreclosure Pets Grants
Here are some recipients of American Humane’s Foreclosure Pets Grants in 2009 and 2008:
Animal Rescue League of Southern
Rhode Island – RI
To care for 8-year-old female dog relinquished by an owner who lost her home
ARFhouse Chicago – IL
To care for 7-year-old
female dog found hungry and dehydrated on roof of an abandoned house
Ark
Animal Rescue and Adoptions – IN
To care for five cats and one dog until the owner could find another
home
Bellowood, Inc. – MI
To provide care and temporary housing for two dogs until their displaced owners find a new home
Bradford County Paws – FL
To care for three dogs
and one cat whose owners lost their homes
Coalition
for Animal Rescue and Education – MO
To care for 8-month-old female dog abandoned when her owner lost
her home to foreclosure
Dodge County Humane
Society – WI
To board one dog while his owner looked for another home
Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue – CA
To care for eight
dogs surrendered to rescue after owners lost their homes
Labrador
Friends of the South – GA
To care for 1-year-old male Lab relinquished by owner who lost his home to foreclosure
Misha May Foundation – CO
To board one female
dog relinquished by owners when they lost their home
Noah’s
Ark Sanctuary for Abused and Abandoned Animals – FL
To care for multiple cats when owners left them because
of foreclosure
Parrots First – CA
To board four parrots relinquished by owners because of foreclosure
Pet
Orphans of Southern California – CA
To board two cats and two dogs until their owners found new homes
Pet Rescue and Adoption Center – FL
To care for
2-year-old female dog found tied outside an abandoned house
Riverside
Humane Society Pet Adoption Center – CA
To care for three dogs and one cat brought to the shelter after
owners lost their homes
Sante d’Or
Foundation – CA
To care for one male dog whose owner was evicted and two sibling cats whose owners were
forced to move and could no longer care for them
Saving
Horses Inc. – CA
To provide hay for three horses while their owner looked for a new home
Tipton Treasures PAWS New England – TN
To board
six dogs abandoned by owners because of foreclosures
WhipStaff
Ranch and Rescue – MN
To board one female horse until her displaced owner can purchase a small farm, and
provide care for a female Chihuahua whose owner lost his home and had to give up the little dog
Falling Through at the Table
Even Solid-Looking Deals Can Collapse at Closing
By Tomoeh Murakami Tse
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, June 17, 2006; F01
Ah, summer. The time for beach vacations, piña coladas and suntan lotion. And for home buyers and sellers, a period of much nail-biting and hand-wringing, the start of that most stressful of times: closing season.
Every spring brings an uptick in the number of contracts signed between buyer and seller. Now, with lawyers, inspectors and appraisers in tow, both sides must head to the settlement table and collect the rewards of their house-hunting or curb-appeal-enhancing efforts.
But as any veteran real estate agent can attest, even the most solid-looking of transactions can crumble like plaster. And the stakes are rising for home sellers, who in a cooling market face the possibility of selling for less if they have to put their homes back on the market after a closing gone bad.
Here are a few tales from the settlement table, one of the most high-stakes, annoying, humorous, stress-filled, intimidating, blissful and frightening places in the real estate universe.
Brett West, 36, saw no sign that things were about to go terribly wrong as he drove to Baltimore on a balmy summer day two years ago. He was about to close on a single-family house there, which he planned to renovate with proceeds from the Dupont Circle condominium he had just sold.
But disturbing news awaited him at the settlement table: The seller owed $210,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, $12,000 to the State of Maryland and $8,000 to a contractor. The liens against the property were well above the $140,000 West had agreed to pay for the house.
"I wasn't even outraged. I was just numb," he said, recalling the last-minute phone calls to the IRS that day. "I was sitting at the settlement table . . . and thinking, you know, 'I don't have a place to live in two weeks.' "
West saw no point in suing. He collected his deposit and walked away. The house went into foreclosure shortly afterward, and West eventually purchased a house in College Park -- a process he says he micromanaged.
He blames the settlement lawyer and his real estate agent for not having caught the problem earlier. "Boy, did I get burned," said West, now a vice president of Live Wire Media Relations LLC in Alexandria, whose clients include companies in the real estate industry.
Because one house sale is often tied to another -- buyers must sell their current home to get the money to purchase their next one -- a problem in one transaction can send a domino wave of horror to unsuspecting others.
There were so many moving parts to Dan and Chris Fisher's real estate ordeal that in retrospect, something was bound to go wrong. They were selling their condo in Rockville, buying a place in Tampa, finding a renter for that house and moving to Italy, during what proved to be a turning point in the local real estate market last fall.
It started off splendidly. Their two-bedroom condo went on the market on a Saturday in late September. Several buyers immediately expressed interest. By Monday, Dan Fisher, a naval officer, was meeting with a real estate agent whose buyers were offering $3,100 above the asking price to ensure the condo would be theirs.
The Fishers signed a contract and flew to Tampa that weekend. They found a two-story colonial near the bay and put down a deposit. They hoped to move there after Dan's two-year tour in Italy.
The couple arranged for movers, and coordinated with the two title companies to have the Tampa closing take place following the settlement on the Rockville condo, scheduled for November.
"I was in heaven," Dan Fisher, 46, recalled last week in a telephone interview from Italy. "Within two weeks, I sold a house and I bought a house. All the dates matched. We were just ecstatic."
In mid-October, however, just days before he was to take off for Panama for work, the couple's real estate agent told them the buyers of the Rockville condo had been dropped by their lender. As far as Fisher could tell, the buyers had misstated their net worth. They also were not selling their current residence to help finance the condo.
And so the deal foundered. The earnest money deposit? The Fishers did not get to keep it, because the buyers had technically not backed out of the deal. But the couple were in danger of forfeiting the money they had put down on the Tampa house if they did not quickly find another buyer for the condo.
"It was kind of scary," said Chris Fisher, 37. "I thought we were going to lose the house" in Tampa.
The Rockville condo went back on the market. Dan e-mailed from Panama for updates. After several nervous open houses, they received an offer. This time, it was below the asking price. But they took it.
"I didn't wait," Dan Fisher said. "By that time, I was really at my wits' end here because it was too close to the wire."
The Fishers asked the Tampa sellers to postpone their closing by one week. The last week of November, they settled on the condo. Two days later, Dan Fisher flew to Tampa and closed on the house there.
Veteran real estate agents, who spoke of deals disrupted because houses were struck by lightning hours before closing and a seller who was incarcerated on a federal drug offense, acknowledge that even the most cautious can be blindsided by last-minute curveballs. But they said advance preparation can go a long way toward avoiding many problems.
Donna Evers, president of Evers & Co., a real estate firm in the District, said both parties should push to get an advance copy of the HUD-1 settlement statement, which itemizes all parts of the transaction. Try not to wait until the day of settlement, although sometimes it can be difficult to get a full statement ahead of time. Go over every line item. Ask questions. Mistakes can happen.
Buyers also should closely review the house location survey, which details the property's boundaries. Such information could bring to light any encroachment of the property or easement issues.
One time, Evers said, her buyers discovered that a Montgomery County house's lawn extended 10 feet beyond the property line. "What looked like the back yard was parkland that the owners had been cultivating," she said.
Ann Duff, a real estate agent in the Alexandria office of McEnearney Associates Inc., said using a local lender could help eliminate 11th-hour surprises. An 18-year veteran, Duff can rattle off several instances in which the lender was the primary source of last-minute headaches. Among them is the time an out-of-town lender had called an appraiser in Richmond for a house in Arlington. The appraisal came in about $40,000 below the contract price, which Duff attributed to the appraiser's lack of knowledge of the local market.
"I would always want to look the lender in the eye," Duff said, adding that the deal went through after another lender took over. "Sit down with them in person, know who they are and have their cellphone number."
Perhaps the most difficult revelations are the ones that show up during the final walk-through, because it is so close to settlement.
On a walk-through of a Germantown townhouse the day before the deal was to be finalized, agent Jill Barsky and her buyers realized that the beautiful cherry hardwood floors were discolored where six large area rugs had been. Barsky, of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Potomac, said she called the seller's agent, who came by, looked at the floors and told the buyers they should have pulled up the rugs during the home inspection. The sellers held their ground; the floors would be sold in their current condition. If the buyers didn't like it, they didn't have to buy the house.
After about an hour of negotiation, Barsky said, the seller's agent broke down, and agreed to set aside $4,000 of her commission to have the floors refinished.
"In all of my years in selling real estate, I honestly have never pulled up rugs during a home inspection," Barsky said in an e-mail. "Lesson learned. I will be pulling up all area rugs from now on."
The shock for Tracy Comstock's buyers came in the form of a cracked driveway. The damage had gone undetected because the drive was covered by snow when they saw the Leesburg townhouse, said Comstock, an agent with Mega Realty & Investment Inc. in Annandale.
Her buyers wanted the sellers to fix the driveway. The sellers pointed out that the buyers had waived home inspection. The buyers, Comstock said, had agreed to forgo inspection to make their offer more attractive during a heated market. The driveway went unfixed, but after some back-and-forth, the sellers threw in extra cash for a cleaning service allowance.
The market has shifted since then, and real estate agents say buyers now have a much better chance of avoiding headaches like those Barsky and Comstock experienced. Post-settlement occupancy agreements -- which allow sellers to stay in the home after settlement and therefore create more opportunities for things to go wrong -- are not as common, Evers said. Buyers can afford to put home inspection contingencies in their bids now as the number of unsold houses on the market swells.
So next time you think you've found the house of your dreams, take a deep breath and take off the rose-colored glasses. Go ahead, lift up that rug. Flush those toilets.
Never mind that it's summer; test that heater. And please peer behind the large painting on the wall. You never know what's behind it.
Washington
Report: $8,000 Tax Credit
Home builders and Realtors cheered in Washington last week when HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that FHA will allow lenders and government agencies to “monetize” the $8,000 federal homebuyer tax credit, providing purchasers with downpayment cash upfront, available at closing, rather than waiting for the IRS to mail them a tax credit check.
Speaking at the mid-year conference of the National Association of Realtors, Donovan said HUD supports “bridge loan” programs designed to help first-time buyers come up with needed cash.
Under the bridge loan concept, an FHA-approved private lender, a state or local housing agency, or an FHA-approved nonprofit organization could advance as much as $8,000 for downpayment and closing costs -- in anticipation of receipt of the $8,000 credit months or weeks down the road.
Sanctioning bridge loans could improve the effectiveness of the federal credit program significantly, said Joe Robson, president of the National Association of Home Builders.
Bill Riley, incoming president of the Washington State Realtors Association, estimates that half of all would-be first-time buyers lack the downpayment resources needed to complete a purchase, and therefore aren't making use of the credit.
Donovan said technical instructions to lenders for the bridge loan program would be provided by FHA shortly.
In the meantime, 10 state housing finance agencies already run credit monetization programs on their own. They include the states of Missouri, Colorado, Delaware, New Jersey, Tennessee, Idaho, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Washington.
Most of the programs provide second liens with no interest charges for a period of months, with the expectation they'll be paid off immediately after the homebuyers receive their IRS credit checks.
In some cases the liens turn into second mortgages with 10 year terms and floating interest rates if the buyers choose not to repay the advance with the tax credit check.
In the wake of Donovan's announcement, major mortgage lenders are likely to gear up their own programs, bringing bridge loans for first time buyers to all 50 states, not just the ten that pioneered the idea.
However, anyone who wants to take advantage of all this needs to move fast. Under the federal tax credit rules set by Congress, purchasers must close no later than November 30 to be eligible. They must not have owned a principal residence at any time during the three years preceding their purchase. Buyers can claim the 2009 credit against their 2008 federal tax returns - they just need to file an amendment - or can wait and file next April.
For a detailed Q&A on the credit program, go to www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com.
Written by Kenneth R. Harney
May 18,
2009
"Mulch" Improved: Homeowners Spruce Up Landscape and Increase Home Value
When the sunshine starts to warm the air (and melt the snow, depending on where you live), many of us homeowners start to think about making some outdoor improvements. That can be a very good decision especially if selling is in the near future.
According to Angie's List, a Web site where thousands of consumers share their ratings and reviews on local service providers in more than 425 different categories, well-designed landscaping can increase the value of your home by 7 percent to 14 percent.
I've written a lot about the importance of curb appeal and, well, let's face it, curb appeal is similar to meeting someone for the first time -- a good first impression is likely to increase the chances of a second meeting -- so, too, for a home on the market.
With still so much inventory for sale, buyers simply can't be bothered with homes that don't dazzle them from the get-go. Buyers will look at many homes online; only the ones that entice, invite, and attract with curb appeal are likely to get a second look -- this time in person.
Ken Andersen, VP of Walter Andersen Nursery says improving landscape makes the home not only more aesthetically appealing but it also can help save you money. "One of the things that you can do to help save money on your landscaping is making sure that you're watering efficiently. One of the ways that you can save water in a landscape is by mulching the landscape."
He says placing a two-inch layer of mulch in your yard helps keep the soil from drying out and therefore it needs less water. "It also adds organic material to the soil as the mulch breaks down and gets incorporated into the soil. So that's always a benefit to the plants," says Andersen.
Andersen says mulch has improved over the years. "There are a lot of decorative [mulches] that will turn what would have been a bare patch of dirt into a nice manicured area of your landscape—just a little bit of mulch or bark down in an area like that can really make a dramatic difference in the look of the landscape and it's very cost effective," says Andersen.
Rubber mulch is another alternative that some homeowners like to use in playground areas. You can learn more about mulch and other landscaping tips by reading my article .
If you're going to add mulch to your landscape, Angie's List suggests this money-saving tip: get a couple of neighbors on the block to purchase it with you so that you can buy it in bulk to save money. Here are a few more things Angie's List says to consider:
- Think about how much work you actually want to do. You may want
to hire someone only to deliver the mulch, or you may want to hire someone to spread the mulch.
- Does the company deliver the mulch or are you responsible for pick-up?
How is the delivery charge calculated? Is it by material, weight, or location distance? Request a delivery quote in writing.
- If you want it delivered, it's
a good idea to be present during delivery of the materials. If you can't be there, be clear and detailed on the place in your
yard where you would like the mulch dumped.
- Compare prices. Call around to three other mulch companies to compare rates.
Of course, landscaping involves more than just laying down mulch and that means the cost of sprucing up your yard can vary greatly. Andersen recommends having 10 percent of the cost of the home reserved for spending on landscape—that doesn't include any hardscape such as a patio floor, walkways, or a pool. But for existing homes, depending on the current condition of the landscape, improving it can be done very cost effectively.
Whether it's new or existing landscape, Andersen recommends seeking professional help. While do-it-yourself homeowners may be eager to pick out the plants they like and then promptly put them in soil, Andersen says check with the pros first or you could end up with plants not surviving due to outgrowing the space or being placed in poor locations such as next to the wrong plants with different sun and water needs.
"Don't be afraid to ask for help. Go into a local nursery or garden center and ask for local advice as to what you can put into your yard so that you'll be successful. If you put something in and it dies and you have to take it out and go get another one -- even if it's under a warranty -- it's not an efficient use of your time," says Andersen.
He adds, "You really want to make sure
that what you put in your yard is going to give you the most value for your investment because landscaping really is an investment
in your home."
Written
by Phoebe Chongchua
May 15, 2009
Licensed in MD, DC, and VA
jillbarsky@aol.com
301-651-7785
Long and Foster Real Estate
14941-A Shady Grove Road
Rockville, MD 20850
301-251-3040
|
||||||||||
