Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended to Those Already Owning a Home

The first-time home buyer tax credit, that realtors have reported goosed home sales this Summer but due to expire at the end of November, has been extended through April 30, 2010 by Congress and is on its way to the president for his signature.

The exztension act expands eligibility for the home buyer tax credit to people with higher incomes and those who already own a home for at least the past five years. Both groups must sign a purchase contract on or before April 30, 2010 and close on the purchase by June 30, 2010. The $8,000 maximum first-time buyer tax credit will continue but will now be available to individuals with incomes up to $125,000 and joint filers with annual incomes up to $225,000. Home buyers with incomes up to $145,000 and couples with incomes up to $245,000 will be eligible for somewhat reduced tax credits.

Under similar income limits, a $6,500 maximum tax credit will be available to people who already own a home and want to move up to a larger home.

Under the new income limits, two-thirds of all American families owning a home today may be eligible to buy a new home. While buyers will not be required to sell their current home to qualify, the tax credit must be used to buy a new "primary residence", not a vacation home or investment property.

To keep speculators out of the program, people who claim the credit but then sell the home or no longer use it as their primary residence within three years will be required to repay the credit. The intent is to exclude from the program speculators who might purchase a home intending to flip it for a fast profit, according to Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Here's a "heads-up" to those who may have considered buying a first home under the prior program but didn't get around to it.

"Contact a Realtor and get started now. You only have until April 30, 2010."

Legislators in both houses of Congress have indicated that this costly program will not be extended again. Critics point out that only about one-fourth of the homes purchased under the prior program would not have been bought anyway without the costly tax-credit program. There are also concerns that the previous tax credit program encompassed high numbers of fraudulent transactions. In this version of the program, the Internal Revenue Service has been given much wider authority to oversee the process to root out fraud.

Beware - You May Lose Your Capital Gains Tax Exemption on Your Home Up North

Those who have already, or are thinking about buying a retirement home or condo in the warmer Georgia clime, but who are planning on keeping their home up North for a while, may think it obvious that they ought to change their legal residency to the state of Georgia as soon as possible.

In addition to the fact that Georgia income taxes are lower than some northern states, Georgia taxpayers who are 62 years old or older can exclude up to $35,000 of retirement income from the Georgia state income tax. In many cases this represents a considerable savings over the taxes you would have paid by continuing to be registered as a resident of the state you lived in up North.

But beware, you may be setting yourself up for a "big" capital gains tax bill.

The home seller's capital gains tax exclusion on the sale of your home up North is only applicable if that home was still your "principal residence" for at least 2 of the past 5 years before you sold it. Changing your residency may very well mean that legally your home up north is no longer your "principal residence."

Put simply, once you formally become a Georgia resident, you may have only three years to sell your home up North before the capital gains exemption on the sale of that home expires.

Once you lose that capital gains exemption, you will be hit with the standard 15% federal capital gains tax on the gain on the sale of that home as well as any state taxes that may also be due on that gain.

Please treat these comments as not the final word on the topic, but as a thought-starter to get you thinking about this topic.

If you are considering changing your residency to Georgia, you should contact a knowledgeable real estate attorney or your accountant to assure that you don't end up giving a lot of money to your state and federal governments. We are fairly certain that you would have enjoyed using those funds instead to enhance your enjoyment of your retirement here in Georgia.

Will the First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit Be Extended ?

Realtor across the nation and home builders are lobbying to extend the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit currently scheduled to expire on November 30, 2009. Technically, the home doesn't have to be a "first" home. The buyer's just have to meet the requirement of not having owned a home in the past 3 years. If there are two people involved, neither of them can have owned a home during the past 3 years.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (stimulus package) authorized a tax credit of up to $8,000 for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence between January 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009. The program has been more than just successful in reducing the inventory of unsold homes while helping many families afford to buy their first home.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) are both hoping to persuade Congress to pass legislation to extend the tax credit as soon as possible. The associations are pressing hard on members of Congress. Something they are pushing for, in addition to an "extension" of the first-time home buyer credit, is an "expansion" of the program to cover all home buyers through the end of 2010.

Senate Majority Leader Reid recently indicated that he believes “it's something we can get done.” Senate Banking Committee Chairman Democrat Chris Dodd and Republican Johnny Isakson are sponsoring a bill to extend the credit through 2010 and expand it to a $15,000 maximum. In the House, two bills have been introduced to extend and expand the credit for either 6 or 12 months. Both the NAR and the NAHB organizations are strongly supporting these initiatives.

With this impetus, it might seem likely that in one form or another, the home buyer tax credit program will be extended into next year, but...

There is no such thing as a "sure thing" in Washington, DC. NAR spokesperson Walter Molony recently justified his organization’s support for the tax credit saying that it is reducing the inventory of unsold homes and stabilizing pricing, benefiting the whole U.S. economy.” But, NAR also estimates that up to 1.8 million first-time buyers will take advantage of the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit before the current version expires. The current program expiring on November 30th is expected to cost about $15.50 billion.

Viewed another way, however, NAR's own estimate is that only 350,000 of the homes sold under this program would not have been sold without the tax credit. If you now divide the $15.5 billion the program cost by only those 350,000 homes that would not have been sold without it and you get a whopping $44,000+ per additional home sold. And, critics say, the numbers would only get worse if the program is extended and especially so if it were expanded to cover all home buyers.

Fiscal conservatives in both the Democrats and Republicans will surely complain that any extension of this program will only add to the ballooning national debt while selling far fewer homes than the NAR and HAHB are crowing about.

So, don't assume this program will be extended. If you are in the market for a home, and you qualify for the current $8,000 tax credit, you should be working with a Realtor right now to buy the home you've been wanting so you can close on it before the November 30th expiration of the current program. If you aren't already involved, contact a Realtor and get started toward owning your piece of the American Dream.

Is Vick Really Remorseful About his Dog-Fighting Days

Best Friends Animal Society, which took in 22 of Michael Vick’s fighting dogs in January of 2008, today released the following statement regarding Vick’s announced contract signing with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League.

“Michael Vick has served his time and satisfied the requirements of our legal system. But if he is truly as remorseful as he claims, then he must know in his heart that what he did cannot be undone. In fact, the only true expression of remorse that he could possibly make would be to dedicate the rest of his life to relieving the suffering of animals and helping to bring all dogfighting to an end.

“This being said, Best Friends feels that perhaps the cart is being placed before the horse. Wouldn’t it have been better if, before he was given the privilege of returning to the NFL, he had spent at least one year working for the good of animals? He could have worked as a shelter volunteer, visited community centers, and delivered messages to at-risk children, totally free from the glare of the pro football spotlight. Surely this act of dedication would help us see what truly is in his heart.


“As it is, we’re left to wonder if his expression of repentance is genuine or just part of a well-orchestrated plan to return him to multi-million-dollar, sports megastar status.


“Through our work with the ‘Vicktory Dogs,’ we hope to improve the image of all dogs that are the unfortunate victims of cruelty, such as the American pit bull terrier and dogs that resemble pit bulls. Our “Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog” campaign is an example of how we are committing time and resources to end dog fighting for good.


“We sincerely believe that our work for the good of the dogs is the best single statement we could possibly make about Vick and dog fighting in general. Our focus remains fixed on helping animals and educating the public until the horrible practice of dog fighting can be eliminated once and for all.


“We hope that people concerned about Vick’s return to football will channel their frustrations into something positive. Take a pit bull for a walk. Volunteer at your local shelter. Better yet, skip an Eagles game and donate what you would have paid for a ticket to the animal welfare organization of your choice.”

If you agree with these sentiments, let your voice be heard. Tell your friends how you feel about it.

Understanding "Heat Tansfer" to Reduce Energy Cost in Your Home

As we enter the warmer part of the year in Georgia, it is useful to remember that as much as 50% of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. If you are trying to save money or you're trying to embrace a "greener", or more eco-friendly lifestyle, do you know enough about the nature of heat transfer to make the right decisions? Let's review the basics of how "heat" works.

Heating and cooling your home are both instances of "heat transfer." First, let's dispense with the notion that heat always rises. That is true in only one form of heat transfer. In general, heat energy flows in all directions equally. There are three different ways in which heat is transferred; conduction, convection and radiation.

Conduction is the form of heat transfer through a material, for example, the walls of your home in summer and winter. For any given amount of in-wall insulation, measured in its R-value, conduction is what accounts for the heat loss (or for cooling, heat-build-up) through the walls and roof.

Convection heat transfer occurs when heat travels in a moving fluid or gas, for example the heat energy that moves along with the passage of air. The "wind chill factor" you hear about in northern state weather reports is a measure of how much heat energy is transferred by convection when you're outside due to the effect of wind.

The third form of heat transfer is radiation. Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through empty space, or the way the sun warms the Earth. Radiant heating is not affected by being in contact with a solid material the way conduction loss does, or by moving along in a fluid or gas the way convection does. Radiant heat transfer is what warms your home when the sun is out.

You can use your knowledge of these three forms of heat transfer to make your home, commercial building or remodeling project more energy-efficient.

You can reduce the amount of heat build-up or conversely, cooling-loss due to conduction through your walls by increasing the R-value of the insulation in the walls by adding more. Installing double pane windows and sliding glass doors, if your home wasn't built with them originally, will reduce conductive loss of those items. The gases between the two panes of glass, along with films and coatings (like "low-E") can increase the insulating value of your doors and windows from R-2 to R-6 or more.

Caulking or using foam insulation material to seal crevices or openings around doors, windows and electrical outlets will reduce convection heating or cooling loss caused by air infiltration.

Fireplaces are wonderful to have on a frosty Winter evening, but they area a big source of convective heat transfer as air continuously flows up the chimney if the flue damper isn't completely air-tight. If you have, or are planning, on a fireplace put air-tight glass doors in front of it and keep the flue damper closed when the fireplace is not in use. But, beware, don't forget to open that damper before your start the fireplace. Just remember to close it again when the fireplace has cooled back down.

Many sources of heat build-up (or cooling loss) are affected by more than one form of heat transfer. Since windows and sliding glass doors suffer from both conductive and convective heat transfer, consider using high energy-efficiency Energy Star doors and windows for any building or remodeling project. As another example, while radiant heat transfer is why a home with a roof exposed to the sun gets warmer due to radiation, you can use convection to your advantage to alleviate part of the problem. Installing a heat-activated fan system in your attic will use convection to blow the heated air in your attic out through vents preventing it from transferring its heat energy, through conduction and convection, into your living space below.

If your home is in a particularly sunny location, you may want plant large deciduous trees on the south side of the home for shade from the sun in the summer. Equally, you can avoid radiant heat build-up from the sun by closing drapes and blinds on the south side of your home in the summer, yet take advantage of the sun's radiant heat transfer by keeping the drapes and blinds open during the day to allow sunlight to enter and warm your home during cooler months. Similarly, while the foliage on the deciduous tree will shade the home during summer, its lack of leaves will allow the sun's radiant heat to enter and warm your home in the winter.

If it's time to replace your heat pump or any appliance, look for Energy Star-rated appliances. Energy Star-rated appliances like clothes washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers and dehumidifiers not only use less electricity; they also transfer less heat into your home through all three forms of heat transfer, conduction, convection and radiation.

You should also pay attention to small changes that offer big savings, many of which are more efficient because of lower heat transfers. Use energy-saving compact fluorescent lamp bulbs. Turn off all lights when not in use; lights generate radiant heat. Keep shrubs and other obstructions from blocking free air flow around your external heat pump unit which relies upon convection to dissipate its heat build-up. And, change your furnace filter every 3 months. A dirty filter slows down air movement reducing the effectiveness of the convection transfer your air conditioning system relies upon.

Understanding the different kinds of heat transfer and how to use that knowledge to reduce your home's energy consumption can save you a serious amount of money as well as make your home more comfortable to live in.

How Much Should You Offer for That Home

When you prepare an offer to purchase a home, you already know the seller’s asking price. But what price are you going to offer for that home or piece of real estate property and how do you come up with that figure?

Determining your offer is really a 3-step process:

<1> First, look at recent sales of similar properties to come up with a "price range."

<2> Then, analyze additional data, such as the condition of the home, improvements, current market conditions, and even the circumstances of the seller. Here. your Realtor® having been in this market will have good information about many of the recent sales you're trying to compare against. The process to this point will help you settle on what you think would be a fair price to pay for the home.

<3> Finally, depending on the negotiating style of you and/or your Realtor®, you may want to adjust your "fair" price and come up with the actual price you'll put in your offer.

Comparable Sales
The first step in determining the price you are willing to offer for real estate properties is to look at the recent sales of similar homes. These are called "comparable sales." Comparable sales are recent sales of homes that compare closely to the one you are considering purchasing. Specifically, you want to compare prices of homes that are similar in square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, garage size, lot size, type of construction and other amenities such as an in-groubd pool, upgraded appliances, etc.

If the home you are interested in is part of a tract of homes, then you may very likely find some exact model matches to compare against.

There are two main sources of information on comparable sales for real estate, all of which are easily accessed by your Realtor but somewhat more difficult for the general public to access. Two of the most obvious information sources are Public Records and the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database.

Comparable Sales in Public Records
Information on comparable sales is the public records at your County Court House. When someone buys a home the property is deeded from the seller to the buyer. In most circumstances, this deed is recorded at the local County Recorder's office which uses this data to determine the assessment of the property for tax purposes.

In some areas, the local newspaper may include recent home sales prices on their website although information you'll find there can be quite limited in terms of the amount of detail on the property itself.

Provided there have been no additions to the property since it last changed hands, the information in the public records is usually correct regarding sales price, square footage, and numbers of rooms.

Accessing the data is another matter, at least for the general public. Realtors® can generally look up this information either directly or through local title companies.

The biggest problem with public records data is that it can be several weeks to even months weeks old. Add another month or two during which the sales had been agreed to but not yet closed and you can see that public records information can be far from current, and therefore as helpful in helping you set a fair offer price, as you would like.

Comparable Sales in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
Much of the public is aware that the Multiple Listing Service is a private resource where Realtors® list properties available for sale and record sales and closings. Recently, the public has been able to access some of that information on sites like Realtor.com, MSN HomeAdvisor, and others. Once a property is sold and the transaction has closed, the selling price is posted to the listing in the Multiple Listing Service almost immediately. Over time, MLS has become a huge database on past sales, containing much more information on individual homes than can be gleaned from the public record. Generally, this information is only available to Realtors® who are members of the local Real Estate Board and its Multiple Listing Service. Clearly, MLS information is much more current and accurate than the information yo can get from Public Records.

The Realtor acting as your Buyer's Agent is, without a doubt, your best source of information in determining what price to offer. He or she will provide you with the right data to help determine an offer price that will get you the home you want at the best possible price.

To Sell A Home, Focus First on the Kitchen

When it's time to put your Georgia home on the market, many real estate experts recommend that you focus on the kitchen first. For many potential buyers, especially the wives, the kitchen is the most important room in the home. The condition and appearance of the kitchen has the power to make or break an offer.

So, if you want your home to sell quickly at a good price, do everything you can to enhance it before you start showing the home to buyers. Remember however as you approach this task that the money you spend is a cost of selling. Don't do a complete remodelling unless the kitchen really needs it. A good Realtor, like those found on the Real Estate of Florida website can give you advice on the amount of investment you should make in your kitchen updating.

Start by creating space. You want you kitchen to look large, light and roomy. Clear the counters of all clutter. Take everything you can out of drawers and shelves and move it into storage. Remove all those magnets from the refrigerator and if the refrig looks scratched, give it a fresh coat of porcelain paint. What you want them to see is a warm, open and inviting space, not your old pots, pans and toaster.

Consider fresh paint. Paint is the most profitable improvement you can make anywhere in a home but especially in the kitchen. A fresh coat of light, neutral colored paint on your kitchen walls will make them look spotless and new. The light color will also make the room look bigger. Exactly the look you want.

Pay particular attention to the sink. If your faucet looks old and stained, or leaks or just looks dated, replace it with a new one. It will go a long way towards improving the look of the whole kitchen, for very little money.

If your counter tops look old and tired, you should consider new ones. Today you can buy corian or even granite countertops at reasonable prices. Talk to your local Home Depot or Lowe's hardware store. Remember to stick with neutral colors, nothing too flashy.

Check the stove and oven. The oven should be spotless. If the stove is a glass-top model, scrub it until there is no residue at all on it. A sparkling range looks great. A dirty one leaves the prospect wondering if the rest of the house is any better maintained. Don't let them even "go there".

Freshen up the cabinets. Replacing cabinets is expensive and seldom makes a good investment. But you can paint them, or put new, modern looking pulls on them for very little money. A fresh rub-down with a good cleaner-polish will give them a fresh look.

Check the windows. You'd be amazed how many people forget to wash the window over the sink or the sliding glass doors next to the dining area. if the trim looks dull, a fresh coat of paint there will also add sizzle.

Finally, a trick that works amazingly well. Just before prospective buyers come, bake a fresh batch of cookies in your oven. And, yes, leave the cookies out for them to sample.

In short, buyers will quickly notice any shortcomings in your kitchen, so do everything you can to freshen it up and give it a modern, open, airy and "inviting" look.