No Surprises. Just Good Business.
The Below was printed with Permission from Lisa Cruser Loan Officer WJ Bradley Mortgage Capital Corp:
A home is probably the biggest purchase you’ll ever make in your lifetime. It’s critical that you understand your home financing and the costs associated with your mortgage.
The mortgage industry is continually trying to make home financing easier to understand. An informed homeowner is a smart and satisfied homeowner. As part of the effort to keep the process transparent, the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act (MDIA) requires notification of changes to your loan and also regulates when in the process certain fees may be charged.
Beginning July 30, 2009, WJB will have a team dedicated solely to processing the new disclosures required by the MDIA to ensure you receive the documents that must be signed in order for your loan to close on time. It is extremely important that you sign and return documents immediately so that there is no impact on your closing date.
While the new regulations mean that closing in just a few days is no longer possible, most home loans usually take 30 to 60 days to close, so you really shouldn’t be affected by the changes. Plus, the disclosure requirements mean that you are guaranteed time to review your loan documents and make sure you are comfortable with the loan provisions and any changes.
Locking in your loan rate is especially important now, however, so that the disclosure cycle can begin. Also, any last-minute changes to your terms or loan amount will start the cycle over again, delaying closing. Refer to the back of this flyer for sample timelines to better understand how the new regulations affect your closing.
Buying or refinancing a home can be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be confusing. If you have any questions, contact me. WJB believes that the best customer is an informed customer.
Contact me today with any questions about the new MDIA requirements and how they may impact your home financing.
Lisa Cruser
Loan Officer WJ Bradley Mortgage Capital Corp. 1795 Williston Road Suite 330 South Burlington, VT 05403 Office: 802-318-4566 Cell: 802-388-6468 Fax: 802-304-9185 [email protected] www.lisacruser.com
W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital Corp.
Equal Housing Lender. © 2009 W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital Corp., 201 Columbine Street Suite 300, Denver, CO 80206. Phone #303-825-5670. Trade/service marks are the property of W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital Corp. This is not a commitment to lend. Restrictions apply. All rights reserved. Some products may not be available in all states.
AZ License # BK-0903998; Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Financial Lenders Law, CFL-6036822; To check the license status of your CO Mortgage Broker, visit www.dora.state.co.us/ real-estate/index.htm; CT Correspondent Lender License No. FMCL 21047; Delaware Lender License No. 010467; Florida Mortgage Lender license #ML.100000098; Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, License No. 20233; ID Mortgage Broker License No. MBL-2803; Kansas Mortgage Company license # MC.0025020; MI First Mortgage License No. FL0011392; MN Residential Mortgage Originator License No. 20447094; NV Mortgage Banker License No. 2061; NV Mortgage Broker License No. 504; NM Mortgage Loan Company and Loan Broker Act Reg. No. 01856; OK Supervised Lender License No. SL007245; OR Mortgage Lender License No. ML-776; TN Mortgage Company Registration Certificate No. 3629; TX Mortgage Banker Reg. No. 74182 with locations in Texas at 2100 W. Loop South, Suite 927, Houston, TX 77027 and 1912 Central, Suite L, Bedford, TX 76021; UT Mortgage Lender Company License No. 5495659-MLCO; VT Lenders License # 6141; WA Consumer Loan License No. 520-CL-42624; Wisconsin Mortgage Banker License No. 699991.
Has Vermont Real Estate Hit Bottom?
Many Vermont real estate buyers want to wait until the market reaches bottom to buy, insuring they are getting the best possible price. This is a natural thing to do…but how do you know when the market has reached bottom?
Usually it is by looking back and saying “Oh, I wish I had Bought back then!” We may be reaching the bottom of the current real estate market and beginning to see the return of appreciation. Do Not Miss your opportunity.
Here is an “Interesting” excerpt from CNBC. I suggest you take it as a “For What It’s Worth”. There are certainly some good and some “Over the Top” comments in this clip: http://www.CNBC.com/id/29757411.
Personally, I don’t subscribe to “Over the Top” commentary. I just think it makes sense to realize we are likely at or very near the bottom of the housing market and it IS a great time to buy a home! Rates are extremely low, Sellers are ready to sell and there is a large inventory of homes in all price ranges. The “Magic Three”… Think about it… Take advantage of it… Give us a call!
Learn more about Vermont real estate by visiting ISellVermontRealEstate.com.
Buying Rutland VT Real Estate: Factors Deciding Credit Score
If you are buying Rutland VT real estate, you will want to know what your credit score is. Lenders look at your credit history, debt-to-income ratio and your credit score when qualifying you for a home loan. Credit scores range between 200 and 800, with scores above 620 considered desirable for obtaining a mortgage. The following factors affect yourscore:
1. Your payment history. Did you pay your credit card obligations on time? If they were late, then how late? Bankruptcy filing, liens, and collection activity also impact your history.
2. How much you owe. If you owe a great deal of money on numerous accounts, it can indicate that you are overextended. However, it’s a good thing if you have a good proportion of balances to total credit limits.
3. The length of your credit history. In general, the longer you have had accounts opened, the better. The average consumer’s oldest obligation is 14 years old, indicating that he or she has been managing credit for some time, according to Fair Isaac Corp., and only one in 20 consumers have credit histories shorter than 2 years.
4. How much new credit you have. New credit, either installment payments or new credit cards, are considered more risky, even if you pay them promptly.
5. The types of credit you use. Generally, it’s desirable to have more than one type of credit – installment loans, credit cards, and a mortgage, for example.
For more on evaluating and understanding your credit score, visit www.myfico.com.
Are you thinking of buying Rutland VT real estate. Learn about the home buying process at ISellVermontRealEstate.com or give me a call for more personal service, 800-659-1819 .
Search all Rutland VT real estate and homes for sale.
Reprinted from Realtor Magazine with permission of the National Association of Realtors.
What The $8000 Home Buyer Tax Credit Means To Okemo Mountain Home Buyers
The recenlty enacted “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” provides an $8000 tax credit for first-time home buyers. But what does this mean to Okemo Mountain home buyers? Here are the highlights and important facts to know about this legislation:
- It is a tax credit to home buyers, not a loan as in last year’s program.
- It is only for first time home buyers, defined as someone who has not had an ownership interest in a principle residence in the 3 year period prior to the date of the 2009 purchase.
- The buyer must remain in the home for a minimum of 3 years.
- It is applicable to purchases between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009; and
- Full credit is available to those with adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less ($150,000 for married filing jointly). The credit is phased out entirely for those with adjusted gross income over $95,000 ($170,000 for married filing jointly).
If you bought a home last year under the old $7,500 tax credit rules, those rules still apply to your 2008 home purchase.
If you purchased a home after January 1, 2009, or are thinking of buying an Okemo Mountain home this year and want to learn more about the $8,000 tax credit, give me a call or visit ISellVermontRealEstate.com.
Issues you will want to consider are the definition of adjusted gross income, how to apply for the credit, what happens if your total tax liability is less than the credit, definition of ‘principle residence’, and other issues. I am happy to advise you as to how you can benefit from the tax credit.
Energy Saving Tax Credits Help Ludlow VT Homeowners
The ‘American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009‘ which became law on February 17, promotes energy independence and green jobs through tax credits and government grants. This is part of an effort to make Ludlow VT homes and buildings more energy efficient.
Energy saving provisions include:
- $6 billion to state and local governments for energy efficiency and conservation grants for energy audits, retrofits and financial incentives.
- 30% tax credit (increased from 10%) to homeowners for new furnaces, windows and insulation.
- $5 billion to modernize the nation’s electricity grid and install smart meters on homes, saving homeowners money.
- $5 billion for weatherization assistance for low income households.
- $2 billion for federally assisted housing (section 8) efficiency efforts.
This bill is good news for Ludlow VT homeowners wanting to make their homes more energy efficient. Interested in buying a Ludlow VT home? Visit ISellVermontRealEstate.com.
Is My Okemo Mountain Second Home Tax Deductible
Is My Okemo Mountain Second Home Tax Deductible?
This is the season when Okemo Mountain second homeowners are wondering just what second home expenses can be deducted on their federal income taxes. The best way to share this information with you is to share with you an article from Kiplinger.com. This should answer all Okemo second homeowner questions:
Tax Rules for Okemo Mountain Second Homes
Learn how mortgage interest, property taxes, rental property and tax-free profit affects your tax return.
December 2008
Mortgage interest. If you use the place as a second home — rather than renting it out as a business property — interest on the mortgage is deductible just as interest on the mortgage on your first home is. You can write off 100% of the interest you pay on up to $1.1 million of debt secured by your first and second homes and used to acquire or improve the properties. (That’s a total of $1.1 million of debt, not $1.1 million on each home.) The rules that apply if you rent the place out are discussed later.
Property taxes. You can deduct property taxes on your second home, too. In fact, unlike the mortgage interest rule, you can deduct property taxes paid on any number of homes you own.
If you rent the home. Lots of second-home buyers rent their property part of the year to get others to help pay the bills. Very different tax rules apply depending on the breakdown between personal and rental use.
If you rent the place out for 14 or fewer days during the year, you can pocket the cash tax-free. Even if you’re charging $5,000 a week, the IRS doesn’t want to hear about it. The house is considered a personal residence, so you deduct mortgage interest and property taxes just as you do for your principal home.
Rent for more than 14 days, though, and you must report all rental income. You also get to deduct rental expenses, and that gets complicated because you need to allocate costs between the time the property is used for personal purposes and the time it is rented.
If you and your family use a beach house for 30 days during the year and it’s rented for 120 days, 80% (120 divided by 150) of your mortgage interest and property taxes, insurance premiums, utilities and other costs would be rental expenses. The entire amount you pay a property manager would be deductible, too. And you could claim depreciation deductions based on 80% of the value of the house. If a house is worth $200,000 (not counting the value of the land) and you’re depreciating 80%, a full year’s depreciation deduction would be $5,800.
You can always deduct expenses up to the level of rental income you report. But what if costs exceed what you take in? Whether a loss can shelter other income depends on two things: how much you use the property yourself and how high your income is.
If you use the place more than 14 days, or more than 10% of the number of days it is rented — whichever is more — it is considered a personal residence and the loss can’t be deducted. (But because it is a personal residence, the interest that doesn’t count as a rental expense — 20% in our example — can be deducted as a personal expense.)
If you limit personal use to 14 days or 10%, the vacation home is considered a business and up to $25,000 in losses might be deductible each year. That’s why lots of vacation homeowners hold down leisure use and spend lots of time “maintaining” the property. Fix-up days don’t count as personal use. The tax savings from the loss (up to $7,000 a year if you’re in the 28% tax bracket) help pay for the vacation home. Unfortunately, holding down personal use means forfeiting the write-off for the portion of mortgage interest that fails to qualify as either a rental or personal-residence expense.
We say such losses might be deductible because real estate losses are considered “passive losses” by the tax law. And, passive losses are generally not deductible. But, there’s an exception that might protect you. If your adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than $100,000, up to $25,000 of such losses can be deducted each year to offset income such as your salary. (AGI is basically income before subtracting your exemptions and deductions.) As income rises between $100,000 and $150,000, however, that $25,000 allowance disappears. Passive losses you can’t deduct can be stored up and used to offset taxable profit when you ultimately sell the vacation house.
Tax-free profit.Although the rule that allows home owners to take up to $500,000 of profit tax-free applies only to your principal residence, there is a way to extend the break to your second home: make it you principal residence before you sell. That’s not as wacky as it might sound.
Some retirees, for example, are selling the big family home and moving full time into what had been their vacation home. Once you live in that home for two years, up to $500,000 of profit can be tax free. (Any profit attributable to depreciation while you rented the place, though, would be taxable. Depreciation reduces your tax basis in the property and therefore increases profit dollar for dollar.)
But Congress is clamping down on this break for taxpayers who convert a second home into a principal residence after 2008. A portion of the gain on a subsequent sale of the home will be ineligible for the home-sale exclusion of up to $500,000, even if the seller meets the two-year ownership and use tests. The portion of the profit that’s subject to tax is based on the ratio of the time after 2008 when the house was a second home or a rental unit to the total time you owned it.
So if you have owned a vacation home for 18 years and make it your main residence in 2011 for two years before selling it, only 10% of the gain (two years of non-qualified second home use divided by 20 years of total ownership) is taxed. The rest qualifies for the exclusion of up to $500,000.
Learn about how you can buy an Okemo Mountain second home by visiting ISellVermontRealEstate.com.
Okemo Mountain Second Home Tax Breaks
Okemo Mountain Second Home Tax Breaks
If you are in the market for a second home, congratulations! Not only is Okemo Mountain a great place to ski and relax, you also can garner some tax benefits. Here are some tax breaks as spelled out by Kiplinger.com:
Mortgage interest. If you use the place as a second home — rather than renting it out as a business property — interest on the mortgage is deductible just as interest on the mortgage on your first home is. You can write off 100% of the interest you pay on up to $1.1 million of debt secured by your first and second homes and used to acquire or improve the properties. (That’s a total of $1.1 million of debt, not $1.1 million on each home.) The rules that apply if you rent the place out are discussed later.
Property taxes. You can deduct property taxes on your second home, too. In fact, unlike the mortgage interest rule, you can deduct property taxes paid on any number of homes you own.
If you rent the home. Lots of second-home buyers rent their property part of the year to get others to help pay the bills. Very different tax rules apply depending on the breakdown between personal and rental use.
If you rent the place out for 14 or fewer days during the year, you can pocket the cash tax-free. Even if you’re charging $5,000 a week, the IRS doesn’t want to hear about it. The house is considered a personal residence, so you deduct mortgage interest and property taxes just as you do for your principal home.
Rent for more than 14 days, though, and you must report all rental income. You also get to deduct rental expenses, and that gets complicated because you need to allocate costs between the time the property is used for personal purposes and the time it is rented.
If you and your family use a beach house for 30 days during the year and it’s rented for 120 days, 80% (120 divided by 150) of your mortgage interest and property taxes, insurance premiums, utilities and other costs would be rental expenses. The entire amount you pay a property manager would be deductible, too. And you could claim depreciation deductions based on 80% of the value of the house. If a house is worth $200,000 (not counting the value of the land) and you’re depreciating 80%, a full year’s depreciation deduction would be $5,800.
You can always deduct expenses up to the level of rental income you report. But what if costs exceed what you take in? Whether a loss can shelter other income depends on two things: how much you use the property yourself and how high your income is.
If you use the place more than 14 days, or more than 10% of the number of days it is rented — whichever is more — it is considered a personal residence and the loss can’t be deducted. (But because it is a personal residence, the interest that doesn’t count as a rental expense — 20% in our example — can be deducted as a personal expense.)
If you limit personal use to 14 days or 10%, the vacation home is considered a business and up to $25,000 in losses might be deductible each year. That’s why lots of vacation homeowners hold down leisure use and spend lots of time “maintaining” the property. Fix-up days don’t count as personal use. The tax savings from the loss (up to $7,000 a year if you’re in the 28% tax bracket) help pay for the vacation home. Unfortunately, holding down personal use means forfeiting the write-off for the portion of mortgage interest that fails to qualify as either a rental or personal-residence expense.
We say such losses might be deductible because real estate losses are considered “passive losses” by the tax law. And, passive losses are generally not deductible. But, there’s an exception that might protect you. If your adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than $100,000, up to $25,000 of such losses can be deducted each year to offset income such as your salary. (AGI is basically income before subtracting your exemptions and deductions.) As income rises between $100,000 and $150,000, however, that $25,000 allowance disappears. Passive losses you can’t deduct can be stored up and used to offset taxable profit when you ultimately sell the vacation house.
Tax-free profit.Although the rule that allows home owners to take up to $500,000 of profit tax-free applies only to your principal residence, there is a way to extend the break to your second home: make it you principal residence before you sell. That’s not as wacky as it might sound.
Some retirees, for example, are selling the big family home and moving full time into what had been their vacation home. Once you live in that home for two years, up to $500,000 of profit can be tax free. (Any profit attributable to depreciation while you rented the place, though, would be taxable. Depreciation reduces your tax basis in the property and therefore increases profit dollar for dollar.)
But Congress is clamping down on this break for taxpayers who convert a second home into a principal residence after 2008. A portion of the gain on a subsequent sale of the home will be ineligible for the home-sale exclusion of up to $500,000, even if the seller meets the two-year ownership and use tests. The portion of the profit that’s subject to tax is based on the ratio of the time after 2008 when the house was a second home or a rental unit to the total time you owned it.
So if you have owned a vacation home for 18 years and make it your main residence in 2011 for two years before selling it, only 10% of the gain (two years of non-qualified second home use divided by 20 years of total ownership) is taxed. The rest qualifies for the exclusion of up to $500,000.
Learn more about Okemo Mountain second homes by visiting ISellVermontRealEstate.com or give me a call for more personal service.
How Okemo Mountain Home Buyers Position Themselves To Make Offers
How Okemo Mountain Home Buyers Position Themselves To Make Offers
The current Okemo Mountain real estate market is challenging for both buyers and sellers. Many sellers have not accepted the fact that their home has decreased in value and are trying to sell at peak 2006 prices. At the same time, buyers want to make sure they don’t overpay, fearing prices will continue to drop even more.
Of course, there are exceptions. Well priced homes in desirable neighborhoods or foreclosed properties selling at ‘yard sale’ prices may generate multiple offers. But all in all, it is a buyer’s market.
So how do Okemo Mountain home buyers prepare to make an offer and put themselves in the best negotiating position? Here are some suggestions made by Dian Hymer in a recent Inman news article:
1. Before you make an offer on a listing that’s priced over market, try to find out as much as possible about the sellers’ motivation, and if there’s any flexibility in their price. If the seller owes more than the house is currently worth, they may not have any negotiating room. They may want to sell the house, but really can’t sell at today’s prices. A lot of time and emotional energy goes into making an offer. Save your efforts for listings where the sellers are motivated. That is, they don’t just want to sell — they need to sell.
Some sellers want to test the waters at a price that’s higher than the market will support. They usually feel that someone will appreciate the added value their home offers and pay more for it. However, these sellers will often negotiate with a legitimate buyer who offers a price that is less than the list price.
2. Make sure that your financing is in order and that you are able to show the seller that you are capable of closing the deal. The fallout ratio is high in the current market. Many of these transactions fail to close because the buyers couldn’t get financing.
It’s always a good idea to be preapproved for the financing you’ll need to buy a home before you make an offer. Preapproval involves making a formal loan application, having your credit checked, as well as verifying your funds for down payment and closing costs, and validating your income and employment. Lenders often want to know that you have enough surplus cash to make house payments (mortgage, property taxes and insurance) for two to three months.
3. Buyers who make an initial low offer and who aren’t in competition should make as clean an offer as possible. This means omitting anything that’s not necessary. However, you should include contingencies for loan and appraisal approval and an inspection contingency.
It’s a good idea to include a copy of your preapproval letter with your offer. If you are approved for a higher price than you are offering, ask your lender or mortgage broker to issue a preapproval letter for the price you’re offering.
4. Be prepared to negotiate. It may take several rounds of counter-offering back and forth to reach a mutually acceptable price.
Are you thinking about buying a Okemo Mountain home? We are glad to help you with your preapproval process, show you homes with motivated sellers and craft an offer putting you in the best possible light with the seller and results in getting you the best possible deal.
Okemo Mountain VT Real Estate: Reverse 1031 Exchange Demand Rising
Okemo Mountain VT Real Estate: Reverse 1031 Exchange Demand Rising
A slower Okemo Mountain VT real estate market is creating more of a demand for reverse 1031 exchanges. Properties are taking longer to sell making it difficult for sellers to adhere to 1031 exchange 180 day rules. But there is another option called a Reverse 1031 Exchange allowing for the roll-over of proceeds after closing on another property. Inman had a great article by Ilyce Glink addressing reverse exchanges. Read what she has to say:
Q: We are Canadian citizens who have owned a home in Fort Myers, Fla., for four years. There is no mortgage on the property.
We have put the property up for sale, and have made a down payment on a new house. We have bought and sold in the past, and I understand that as long as the new house is equal or higher in value, there are no capital gains taxes owed on the profits under IRS tax code 1031.
What You Need To Know About Ludlow VT Tax Rebates
Congress’ recent $170 billion economic stimulus plan is centered around new tax rebates; unfortunately, the details of the plan are foggy at best, leaving Ludlow VT real estate owners and taxpayers with questions about the rebates and how they will benefit. The details are still being worked out by the Treasury Department and the IRS, but here are some facts that have been made available:ISellVermontRealEstate.com or begin searching for homes here. For more personalized service, please call me at 802-353-1983.
– To be eligible for a full rebate, single tax filers must have 2007 adjusted gross income (AGI) below $75,000. These filers will get rebates up to $600.
– Joint filers must have AGI below $150,000 and are eligible to receive rebates of up to $1,200.
– Parents will receive $300 rebates per dependent child and there is no cap on the maximum number of children eligible.
– Filers who do not owe income taxes because of various credits and deductions but who do have at least $3,000 in income (can include Social Security or disability payments) will get $300 rebates per person or $600 per couple.
– The rebate is a one-time tax cut – an advance on a credit you’ll receive on your 2008 return.
If you make the IRS deadline and file your taxes by April 15, you can expect to receive a rebate check in the mail sometime between May and July.
Why not put your 2007 tax rebate toward the purchase of a new home? To learn more about Ludlow VT real estate, please visit