From the category archives:

Home Buyer Tax Credit

I was recently reminded about the tax law regarding buyers who took advantage of the various home buyer tax credits that were offered in 2008-2010. The original “first time home buyer credit” was really a loan because it had to be paid back over 15 years. The next credit again was for first time buyers [...]

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Could Further Home Price Declines Lead To Another Stimulus?

The ongoing question… Will the Federal Government offer another home buyer tax credit to help stimulate the economy and why would they? First the “why would they” question. Housing has a huge effect on the economy both local and national. The purchase of one home puts more people to work than almost any [...]

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Housing Market Holds Its Own Even After The Tax Credit

The tax credit brought a lot of buyers out last fall and again this spring, which gave a real shot in the arm to real estate. While that heightened volume cannot be sustained, home sales and prices still remain higher than last year due to interest rates at historically low levels and the lowest home [...]

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House Extends Home Buyer Tax Credit Closing Deadline

The House of Representatives introduced and passed a proposal to extend the original June 30 closing deadline for home buyers who want to get up to $8,000 in tax credits. The Home Buyers Assistance Act of 2010 would push the deadline to midnight September 30, 2010 on contracts that were signed by the midnight April [...]

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You Might Qualify for Homebuyer Assistance

I wish there had been a resourceful Web site like TxHomePrograms.org when I was buying my first house. That was 15 years ago, though … not much real estate info on the Internet. TxHomePrograms.org is a site sponsored by the Texas Association of REALTORS® that helps prospective homebuyers find any assistance programs that pertain to [...]

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The Perfect Home Buying Situation

We are living in a time when the convergence of events has created the perfect home buying situation. Just when we all thought interest rates were headed upward the world market, most especially Europe, fell out of favor making investors turn to the bond market to protect their dollars. This means great news for [...]

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Lawmakers Consider Home Tax Credit Extension But…

…the proposal would only allow people who already have signed contracts to finish at the later date. The National Association of Realtors estimates that about 180,000 homebuyers who already signed purchase agreements are likely to miss the deadline. Homebuyers may get an extra three months to finish qualifying for federal tax incentives that boosted home [...]

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Was the Homebuyer Tax Credit a Bad Deal?

Things are often more complicated than they seem. For example, an article I read today suggests that homebuyers who missed the federal homebuyer tax-credit deadline may actually save money. How’s that? Well, interest rates are lower now than just before the deadline. So in the article’s hypothetical example of a $350,000 home and a $70,000 [...]

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First Time Home Buyers Eligible for the $8000 Credit

If you were eligible for the $8000 home buyer credit but could not or did not find a house in the alleged time (April 30, 2010) don’t be discouraged. Your realtor should be able to negotiate the price or have the seller pay enough of your closing cost to make up for the $8000. Making [...]

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4 Things First-Time Home Buyers Need to Know about Home Inspections

A professional home inspection can not only provide a great education about the home’s systems, but also be a crucial tool in negotiating the most equitable price on the home, according to HouseMaster, one of the first and largest home inspection franchisors in North America. “Our experience and research shows that approximately 40% of resale [...]

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