$ 8,000 Tax Credit Is Still Going Strong!

Well kids, you still have time to get one of the greatest gift from Uncle Sam! A new Senate proposal will offer a first time home buyer an $8,000.00 tax credit. This program has been widely popular, and this is probably the final extension. You can take advantage of this up to April, as long as you are under contract by April 30, 2010. The former deadline was November 30, 2009 – but the program has proven so popular that the government has kept things around for a few more months…. Single taxpayers with incomes of up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 are eligible to receive the full tax credit.

Current Charlotte Homeowners looking for a replacement primary residence can also qualify for a $6,500 (up to $3,250 for a married individual filing separately) under the new “long-time resident” provision. They must have lived in the same principal residence for a five-consecutive year period during the eight-year period that ended on the date the replacement home is purchased. (Shew!) This new provision also only applies to homes purchased after Nov. 6th 2009.

The IRS has stepped up compliance checks involving the home buyer credit for those with past homes and they must provide a mortgage Interest Statement, Property tax records or Homeowner’s insurance records, to prove compliance with past residency criteria.

To get into the fine print – if you plan on claiming the new home buyer credi… For qualifying purchases, taxpayers have the option of claiming the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 return. A new version of Form 5405, First-Time Home buyer Credit, is now available on the IRS website. Taxpayers claiming the credit on their 2009 returns, will not be able to file electronically because of the added documentation requirements, but instead will need to file a paper return by using the new version of Form 5405. A taxpayer who purchased a home on or before Nov. 6 and chooses to claim the credit on an original or amended 2008 return may continue to use the current version of Form 5405.

Want more information about the Mint Hill, Matthews and Charlotte area real estate market?
Check out www.minthillrealty.com

Rich Ferretti's Real Estate Update

Rich Ferretti's Real Estate Update

Want more information about the Mint Hill, Matthews and Charlotte area real estate market?
Check out www.minthillrealty.com

Charlotte NC Real Estate Update

February 2010 Charlotte NC Real Estate Update

All the latest Real Estate News

Rich Ferretti, Your Charlotte NC Real Estate Specialist.

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Rich Ferretti your Mint Hill Specialist

Mint Hill NC Homes and Mortgage update

)—If you have a good job and good credit, the next few months might be a good time to go house hunting. Fence-sitters take the risk that Congress may let a rich tax credit expire, and that interest rates may rise. Buyers and sellers should consider the following factors as they consider jumping into the housing market.

-Mortgage rates are blissfully low, and that may not last. The rate on a 30-year mortgage averaged 5% last week, according to Freddie Mac. Rates are low in part because the Federal Reserve has been buying up about $3 trillion in mortgage-backed securities and mortgage agency debt. The aim is to hold down interest rates and keep mortgages available. But the Fed is slowly removing that financial crutch as the economy improves. It has no plans to buy any more past March 30, 2010. The likely result is an uptick in rates. Meanwhile, the recovering economy by itself should raise rates as the year goes on. Economists at the Mortgage Bankers Association expect to see a 6.1% rate by year end. Such a rise would add about $104 to the monthly payment on a $150,000 mortgage

For more information contact

Rich Ferretti

Mint Hill Real Estate Specialist

Don’t (Necessarily) Say No To A Foreclosed Home - and other reasons to BUY NOW!

Sometimes during our search for real estate in the Charlotte area, we might overlook foreclosed homes--since there are so many great properties available. The forclosure seizure often leaves a stigma on these properties, but one that is fairly misunderstood. Foreclosed homes are often in just as good of condition as any other home on the market. But the benefits of buying a foreclosure home have never been better, thanks to two major factors. Home prices are at record lows and rare government incentives are available for a limited time…But neither factors will last forever!

Record levels of foreclosures hitting the market at the same time in Charlotte is keeping their prices low, and dropping. While their isn’t much wiggle room or bargaining with these properties, they are always deeply discounted… Many at a rock bottom price, and they probably won’t last, so consider buying now. The economy is already beginning to rebound, and the foreclosed homes will not stay on the market for long.

Now to the tax credit…The foreclosure tax credit gives buyers of foreclosed properties a $7,000 tax credit. This credit is to be divided equally between the two years following the home’s purchase. (For married couples filing separately, the credit will be divided into $3,500 per person.) One catch is that the credit is only available for real estate bought as your principle residence – not as investment property. You’d have to use the home as your home for the 24 months following the purchase date in order to receive the full $7,000 credit.

Would you like more information about the Mint Hill, Matthews and Charlotte area real estate market?
Check out http://www.minthillrealty.com/

What is the FHA?

WHAT IS THE FHA?


The FHA (Federal Housing Administration) is an agency within HUD (Housing and Urban Development--a cabinet of the United States), and was established in 1934 to advance opportunities for Americans to own homes. By providing private lenders with mortgage insurance, the FHA gives them the security they need to lend to first-time buyers who might not be able to qualify for conventional loans. The FHA has helped more than 26 million Americans buy a home.

The FHA does not require perfect credit or a high-paying job to qualify for a loan, and also makes loans more accessible by requiring smaller down payments than conventional loans. No tax dollars are used to fund the program. Lender claims paid by the FHA mortgage insurance program are drawn from the Mutual Mortgage Insurance fund. This fund is made up of premiums paid by FHA-insured loan borrowers.

To apply for an FHA-insured loan, you must meet the credit requirements, be able to afford the mortgage payments and the cash investment, and plans to use the property as a primary residence.

If you are interested in an an FHA loan, you can apply via mail, telephone, the Internet, or video conference. There is no minimum income requirement. But you must prove steady income for at least three years, and demonstrate that you've consistently paid your bills on time.

Are you looking for more information about the Mint Hill, Matthews and Charlotte area real estate market?
Check out www.minthillrealty.com