Real Estate Content Index - Page 10

Protesting Property Taxes: Tips For Getting It Done Right. These days every penny counts and as more and more government entities need more money, many of them will rely on property taxes. That means, you have to make sure you understand what your tax bill means and how you should go about determining if your tax bill is accurate. If the bill is not accurate, you'll need to take some action by protesting or fighting your property taxes. You may need to hire someone to contest and protest your taxes or help you by appealing your property taxes, but your ultimate goal by fighting your property taxes is to reduce the amount you'll pay in real estate or property taxes on a yearly basis. As real estate taxes go up, more and more people will find themselves protesting their property taxes.

$8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit And Money From Parents With the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit due to expire on November 30, 2009, parents are coming to the aid of their children by giving them money or buying a home with them to qualify and take advantage of the tax credit. If you are single and have not owned a home for the prior 36 months and make $75,000 or less and buy a home worth at least $80,000, you should qualify for the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit. But there are exceptions.

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 consider when you try to decide where to place your money for the next ten years in the real estate market? Will it be in an investment property or an investment in real estate or might you better off living where you money is in a home that you can call your dream home?

Losing Earnest Money When An Appraisal Comes In Too Low If you sign a contract to buy a home and the appraisal comes in too low, what should you do? Are you at risk of losing your earnest money or down payment on the home? How do you prevent getting yourself in a situation where your earnest money is at risk in a volatile real estate market? First, you should make sure you understand the homebuying process, read the purchase and sale agreement, and get help when you don't understand something.

Ilyce Glink Show Notes - Sept. 13, 2009. Taylor Bean & Whitaker update; How to Profit from Foreclosure; FREE BOOKS and FREE EBOOKS; IRS publications and taxpayer advocate service; Think Glink article subscription service.

House Raffle Is Possible For Some Sellers in Some States. In the past, we have written about house raffles and how only charities or other qualified not for profit organizations can legally conduct house raffles. Now, however, it seems that homeowners have teamed up in at least one state to set up, conduct and sell homes using house raffles. Will you be able to sell you home using a house raffle? That will depend on the laws in your state and the willingness of the authorities to allow them.

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) And Piggyback Loans. There are less and less piggyback loans these days but in prior years, home owners avoided private mortgage insurance by obtaining a piggyback loan. Now with the housing crisis and credit crisis, lenders rarely give piggyback loans and more borrowers will have to rely on private mortgage insurance (PMI) if they can't put down 20% towards the purchase of a home.

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. What would happen if the proceeds never show up?

Refinancing Mortgage Loans When Home Prices Have Fallen can be difficult. As housing prices have fallen, it's harder and harder to find a lender willing to refinance a mortgage loan, either because the home doesn't have enough equity or home owners financial situations have deteriorated. You can still look for a mortgage lender, mortgage broker, savings and loan or credit union to try to refinance a mortgage loan, but for many it will be almost impossible.

Refinancing a Jumbo Mortgage Loan is Difficult In This Housing Market. During the housing crisis and the credit crisis, it has become increasingly harder to refinance jumbo mortgage loans. Jumbo mortgage loans now have two strikes against them: if home values have come down, the owner will have trouble refinancing the jumbo mortgage loan without coming up with a significant amount of money at the closing and with the credit crisis, many mortgage lenders have moved away from the jumbo mortgage market and will only refinance conventional loans that are for $417,000 or less. For many jumbo mortgage loan home owners, the Obama Making Home Affordable or Home Affordable Refinance plans and programs won't help.