Selling Timber or Selling Land May Still Lead To Loss
While you may buy vacant land to build a home in the future, some real estate investors and speculators, purchased vacant land with timber on it to sell off the land or timber in the future. Now the real estate market has changed along with the housing market, and the value of vacant land has…
Condo Hotel Financing Too Expensive For Investment Profit
A condo hotel may not be the best choice for an investment property because the financing for a condo hotel can be very expensive. If you can even get a loan for a condo hotel property, you probably will not make any profit because it is so expensive. Condo hotels became very popular, but usually…
Fannie Mae and Other Lenders Restrict Investment Property Financing
If you're looking to get financing for real estate investment property, Fannie Mae might throw some restrictions at you. Fannie Mae is limiting investment property financing to up to 10 properties. Other lenders might be following more strict guidelines, like four-property rule for investment…
Ilyce Glink Show Notes - January 3, 2010 - Happy New Year!
Today on the show, we had three guests: Sam Wyly is the author of 1,000 Dollars & An Idea, Entrepreneur to Billionaire. He offered up some tips on becoming an entrepreneur. Liz Handlin is a resume expert and the publisher of Ultimate_Resumes.com. She had some tips on polishing your resume for…
$8000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit: Must Live in House To Qualify
To qualify for the $8000 first-time home buyer tax credit, you must live in the house as your primary residence for at lease three years after buying the house. If you are buying an investment property, you will not qualify for the $8000 first-time home buyer tax credit or the $6500 repeat or…
Refinancing Investment Property Is Tough Without Equity
is it possible to refinance investment property? In the current tough real estate market it has become even more difficult to refinance investment property. You need enough equity in the investment property to convince any lender to let you refinance. Most will require at least 25 percent in equity…
Investment Property Short Sale Generates Phantom Income
When an investment property is sold as a short sale, it generates what is known as "phantom income." The IRS looks at the difference between what the property is worth and what your sold it for in the short sale as income. You should receive a 1099 for the phantom income generated by the short sale…
Majority of Property Owners Experiencing Higher Vacancy Rates
Seventy percent of property owners are experiencing higher vacancy rates this year. The vacancy rate has been above 10 percent since June 2009. A recent Rent.com survey looks at how property owners are coping with these trends and encouraging tenants to stay or move to their units.
Property Owners Finding Creative Ways to Fill Vacancies During Recession
Property owners are finding creative ways to fill vacancies during the recession. Over 70 percent of property owners have experienced higher vacancy rates over the past year. Recent vacancies are primarily a result of job loss and tenants trying to save money on rent by moving to a cheaper unit or…
ThinkGlink Radio Show for Nov 9, 2009
Today on the Ilyce Glink Show, Ilyce recapped one of the biggest weeks we have seen in at least a year as far as financial news is concerned: new unemployment figures were released, Fannie Mae announced its Deeds for Lease program, the House of Representatives passed a health care reform bill and…
Do You Have Your Tickets For "How To Profit From Foreclosure"
It's finally October, and the "How to Profit from Foreclosure" event is just around the corner. This exciting event on October 24 in Atlanta will bring together experienced real estate professionals, tax experts, mortgage lenders, and successful investors for a full day dedicated to getting into the…
Transferring Home To Children When You Co-Own The Home With Them
Many parents want to transfer their home to their children during their lifetime, rather than wait until they have died and transfer the property by will. In some cases, transferring a home to a child when the parent is living may be a mistake. In other cases, if the planning is done right, the…
Some Tips On Buying Investment Property vs Buying a Dream Home
If you are looking for your dream home in this real estate market, you might just find it. But are you better off buying an home now and living there for a while and then turning that home into an investment home? Are there tips for people to consider when buying an investment home? What should you…
Selling Investment Property And The Availability Of The Proceeds From Settlement
In some parts of the country, investors will close one day and receive funds from the sale on another day. Those investors should make sure their interests are adequately protected. You don't want to sell an investment property, hand over the keys and not receive your money at closing or settlement…
Home Ownership Costs: The True Cost of Owning and Maintaining a Home
What are the true costs of owning and maintaining a home. If you're preparing a budget, you need to factor in these cost of ownership. Not only will you have to replace fixtures, appliances, and carpet, but you'll need to change filters, batteries and smoke detectors regularly as well. Landscaping…
Great Loan Deals: Can You Finance Investment Property for 4 Percent?
Mortgage interest rates are super-low at the moment. But the best deals are for owner-occupied homes, not for financing investment property. On a recent radio show, a caller emailed Ilyce to ask about a great loan deal she supposedly got when she financed her investment property. Is it the real…
Why Won't The Mortgage Lender Refinance This Investment Property?
Are you thinking about buying investment property now that prices have dropped? Unless you're paying with cash, you're probably trying to figure out how to finance a piece of investment property.
Mortgage lenders are willing to lend cash to those real estate investors who have at least 25 percent in…
Lender Refuses to Refinance Investment Property
Two real estate investors own an investment property together. Both names are on the deed, but the mortgage is in one partner's name only. The partner listed on the mortgage now wants out of the deal and has agreed to sell his interest in the property to the co-investor for $30,000 that is left on…
Property Taxes May Be Deducted From Federal Income Tax Bill
When you own a home you can deduct property taxes and your mortgage interest from your federal income taxes. If you're a real estate investor and own multiple properties, you're limited as to the number of properties that you can deduct mortgage interest for. But you can continue to deduct property…
Second Home Sales Decline in 2008
In 2008, second home sales, among new and existing home sales, declined by more than 30 percent from 2007, announced the National Association of Realtors today.
In many cases, second home buyers who bought vacation or investment properties paid cash. NAR stated that 4 in 10 investment property buyers…
If you sell real estate you’ve owned for less than a year, you will own income tax on the profit. If the property is sold more than a year later, capital gains tax would be owed. A 1031 exchange defers taxes when selling and buying like property.
Tax Burden On Selling Vacant Land For New Home
Selling vacant land and using the profits to buy a home may result in a 15 percent capital gains tax. Capital gains taxes can be deferred if he used the profits to buy another investment property. To avoid paying capital gains tax on vacant land, a home would have to be build and lived in for two…
Interest On Home Equity Loan Deductible For Rental Property?
An investor is interested in taking out a home equity loan to buy rental income property and is wondering if the home equity loan interest will be deductible as a business expense. More than likely, the interest on the home equity loan cannot be written off as an expense. But taking out a home…
How To Best Spend Cash From Investment Properties
A real estate investor has found himself with extra cash each month and isn't sure whether to pay down the mortgages or spend it on additional investment property. When it comes to investment property, every dollar that goes into the property is written off against the income the property brings in…
Real Estate Investment Trusts Lose Value
The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts recently released some new data about REITs.
A real estate investment trust, or REIT, is a way for investors to diversify into real estate without becoming a landlord. REITs own residential and/or commercial real estate and some specialize in…
