Archive for Austin Real Estate
Deductible Points?
Points refer to prepaid interest on a home mortgage and can be fully deductible by the buyer in the year paid if the right conditions exist. The points must be used to buy, build or improve a taxpayer’s principal residence but not all fees charged by the lender are necessarily deductible.
According to IRS Publication 936, “The term ‘points’ is used to describe certain charges paid, or treated as paid, by a borrower to obtain a home mortgage. Points may also be called loan origination fees, maximum loan charges, loan discount, or discount points. A borrower is treated as paying any points that a home seller pays for the borrower’s mortgage.”
If you purchased a home in 2011, have your tax professional evaluate your closing statement to see if there are loan fees that may be used as a deduction on your tax return regardless of whether you or the seller paid them.
Refinancing a principal residence or purchasing an investment or income property require that points must be deducted ratably over the term of the mortgage rather than deducting them fully in the year paid. Borrowers in these situations should consider the benefits of lower interest rates from paying point to higher interest rates without points.
This article is meant to provide information that can be discussed with your tax professional about your specific situation and is not to be considered tax advice.
Choose Your Deduction
One third of all U.S. households, 75% of households with more than $75,000 income and most homeowners itemize their deduction on their federal income tax returns. It makes sense because the interest paid on their mortgage and their property taxes probably exceeds the allowable standard deduction.
However, with interest rates as low as they have been in the last two years and the price of homes having come down considerably, it is possible that the standard deduction may be the better choice.
Each year, the taxpayer can compare the total of the itemized deductions to the standard deduction to select which method will result in the most benefits. The 2011 standard deduction is $11,600 for married couple filing jointly and $5,800 for single filers.
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 allows homeowners to take the standard deduction and the lesser of their actual property taxes of $1,000 if filing their return married jointly. For more information, see Schedule L found on www.IRS.gov and consult your tax advisor.
The “Right Size” Home
Work hard, buy a home, start a family and continue to upgrade your home until everyone has enough room. This has been the blueprint for lots of homeowners for the last fifty years but there is certainly a shift in thinking that could change all of that.
Interestingly, Americans live in much larger homes than most people in other countries throughout the world. The U.S. Census reported in 2006 that the average single family home completed had 2,469 square feet which was 769 feet more than in 1976.
Once the children are grown and have moved out, homeowners are finding they have too much room. Even if their home is paid for, they have higher property taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance on the larger home than they’d have if they were living in the “right size” home.
Some homeowners state that they’re keeping their larger home because it has luxury features that smaller homes don’t have. There’s a movement that seems to have started in the United States to find the “right size” home with the amenities and convenience that homeowners want.
This philosophy has been expressed by Sarah Susanka in her book Creating the Not So Big House. It proposes a house that “values quality over quantity with an emphasis on comfort and beauty, a high level of detail, and a floor plan designed for today’s informal lifestyle.”
This Year I’m Going To…
“This Year I’m Going To…”
Every year, it seems like the same things are on the list but this could be the year you really do invest in a rental home.
Rents are climbing, home prices are cheap and mortgage rates are low for even non-owner occupied properties. A $125,000 home with 20% down payment can easily have a $300 to $500 monthly cash flow after paying all of the expenses.
There are lots of investment strategies that work but one that is easy to understand and execute is to stay with below average price range homes in predominantly owner-occupied neighborhoods. These properties will appeal to the broadest range of tenants while you hold them and buyers when you’re ready to sell.
Single family homes offer an opportunity to borrow high loan-to-value mortgages at fixed rates for long terms on appreciating assess with tax advantages and reasonable control
This is the year to make some real progress on your resolutions. First, invest some time learning about rental properties by attending a FREE webinar on January 4th at 7:00 PM Central time by national real estate speaker Pat Zaby. Click here to register.
There’s No Place Like Home!
You don’t have to be Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz to feel like there’s no place like home.
Home is a place to call your own. It’s a place to raise your family and share with your friends. It’s a place to create memories. A home is a place to feel safe and secure.
Inspect all of your decorations and electrical lighting before using them. While you’re enjoying the holidays this year, it’s important to pay attention to some of the things that may affect your safety.
- Extension cords should not be placed under the carpet or rugs or bundled together which could cause overheating.
- Limit three standard size sets of lights to a single extension cord.
- Consider using portable or permanent ground fault circuit interrupters with all lighting to avoid possible shocks.
- Turn off holiday lights when you leave the home or got to bed.
- Avoid using candles near trees or wreaths.
- Do not allow natural trees to dry out during the time they’re displayed to potential fire hazard.
- Make certain that all trees are on a firm, steady base to avoid tipping over.
- Don’t burn wrapping paper in fireplaces.
- Small children are particularly susceptible to accidents and should be protected from potential harm.
Full Price or Special Terms?
No one wants to pay more than its value regardless of the product. When you buy bananas for 49 cents a pound at one store and see them for 39 cents a pound at another store, it’s not the ten cent difference as much as it is about overpaying.
It seems like the natural way to start the negotiation process is to offer less than the asking price for the home. However, instead of the price, a buyer could negotiate condition, timing or terms. A few thousand dollars off the price may not make much difference in the monthly payments but it might make a big difference if it was negotiated in one of the other areas.
A buyer who only has enough available funds for down payment and closing costs will have to live in a home exactly the way it is for some time. They may not be able to make the changes that would really make it feel like home until they’ve saved more money.
Let’s say you found a home that needed $5,000 worth of improvements and the seller would lower the price by that amount. Financing those improvements with a separate bank loan will result in higher payments due to a higher interest rate and shorter term than your mortgage.
Offering full price and asking the seller to make the improvements will result in lower monthly payments based on today’s low mortgage rates and 30 year term. Another alternative is to negotiate with the seller to pay your closing costs so you’d have the cash to make the improvements.
Paying full price may cause the seller to consider concessions regarding condition or terms which can be balanced to affect the value of the property. Buyers can and should negotiate to acquire the home that meets their needs at the lowest possible cost of housing.
Family and Friends’ Mortgages
It all seems perfectly reasonable: one person is not satisfied with what he can earn currently in the market and another wants to find the most attractive mortgage to purchase their home. It can be a good match but the IRS has specific rules that govern the transaction.
The loan must be done in a business-like manner with a written note specifying the loan amount, interest rate, term and collateral. IRS requires that the mortgage be a recorded lien in order to allow the interest deduction.
Sometimes, these friends and family situations have a less than normal interest rate on the mortgage. However, the rate charged in the note is regulated by the minimum applicable federal rate which is published monthly by IRS according to current Treasury securities. For October 2011, the rate is 2.95% for terms over nine years.
The seller must report the interest paid to them along with the name, address and Social Security number on schedule B when the buyer uses the property as their principal residence.
A mortgage between family and friends can be good for both parties. It may allow the borrower a slightly lower rate without the expenses of a traditional lender while giving the note holder a higher rate than they can earn in available investments. Your tax professional can guide the transaction whether you’re a buyer or seller and your real estate professional can help arrange to have the documents drawn and filed.
Real Estate Update, Affordability Driving Buyers Market
Examining the nation’s real estate uncovers that people buying real estate are doing so because of the incredibly high affordability levels. While mortgage rates have been dipping and rising in recent weeks, housing prices have continued to drop, if ever so slightly in comparison to a year or two ago. The high inventories in most markets are keeping prices from rising and sellers are forced to swallow the fact that if they want to sell they have to do so for less than originally thought.
Low home values, low mortgage rates and high inventories have created an ideal time to buy real estate. These are the best affordability levels with respect to real estate that have been seen in years and those buying are the people who do not want to look back in a few years and think if only I had bought then.
The best investments are those that are timed right. Buying low and selling high is the motto, and those that can get it right are those that stand to make the most profit over time. In a nutshell, there couldn’t be a better time to be a real estate investor.
Sourced from: Kinetic Content Library
Is Now the Right Time to Upgrade a Home?
Headlines touted the infamous line once again Friday that mortgage rates are at historic lows, inciting the b
urning question, “Is now the right time to upgrade my home to a bigger, better one?” Affordability is at an all-time high at many places throughout the Country and if one has the ability to acquire and secure a mortgage, the cost of buying a home is better than it has been in years. That being said, wanting to move up and being able to move up are two different things, and it is a great time to take a hard, honest look at what makes sense for your particular situation.
Finances. If your current mortgage is a stretch financially then you should hardly consider taking on more. If you have a solid steady income and can afford more, it is a great time to start looking for a housing upgrade. Affordability is seen as housing costs taking up 30% of a household’s monthly income, if a new mortgage will keep you there a new home makes sense.
Current home. Do you need to sell your current home to buy a new one? If you can hold on to your current home and rent it until the market is fully recovered, your investment can be sold at a bigger profit. This is especially wise if your current home can be rented for more than the mortgage payment every month.
It is not a wise idea to upgrade to a new home if it does not make financial sense for your future. If it does make financial sense there could never be a better time to jump into a new home. It is a great time to discuss a possible move with a financial advisor or a qualified real estate professional.
Sourced from: Kinetic Content Library
Keep Track of Your Home Improvements
Keep Track of Improvements
People are staying longer in their homes according to the National Association of Realtors and the U.S. Census. Over time, even a modest appreciation could result in a significant gain and homeowners should have a strategy to minimize possible taxes.
Maintenance on a principal residence is not deductible but improvements can add to the basis which can reduce the gain in the sale. Improvements are easily identified if they add to the value of a home, prolong its useful life or adapt it to new uses.
Receipts and other proof, such as pictures, should be kept during ownership and for several years after the sale of the home. They can include the closing statements from the purchase and sale of the home and all receipts for improvements, additions or other items that affect the home’s adjusted basis or cost.
For a principal residence, basis includes the price paid, plus certain acquisition costs and capital improvements made. When the property is sold for more than the basis, there is a gain. Currently, homeowners that meet the requirements can exclude up to $250,000 of gain if single or up to $500,000 if married filing jointly.
A simple strategy is to put documents that affect the basis of the home in one envelope. Any receipt for money spent on the home that isn’t the house payment or utilities, goes into the envelope. Your tax advisor will be able to sort through them to determine the capital improvements.
For more information on determining basis or capital improvements, see IRS publication 523, Selling Your Home.
