In what has been urged as a must-have by real estate professionals and builders, the $8000 tax credit for first-time home buyers (previously due to expire Nov. 30), has been extended through April 30, 2010, according to the Associated Press. Not only has it been extended, but it has also been expanded to include more buyers.

Details on Tax Credit Extension:

• $8000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers extended for buyers who sign a contract by April 30, 2010 (and who close by the end of June).
• $6500 tax credit offered to homebuyers who have lived in their current residence at least five years and who want to “trade up” (buy a new primary residence).
• Couples earning as much as $225,000 a year and individuals earning up to $125,000 would qualify (up from $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples).
• Tax credit not applicable for those buying homes worth more than $800,000.
• Those who sell their new home or stop using it as their main residence within three years would have to repay the credit.

Will the Tax Credit Extension Help?

According to a recent survey Zillow conducted through Harris Interactive, nearly one in five (18%) prospective first-time home buyers said extending the $8,000 tax credit would be the primary influence on their decision to buy a home before the end of 2010, potentially stimulating an additional 334,000 home sales. The caveat here is the survey asked first-time homebuyers if they would purchase a home prior to the end of 2010; this bill will only go through April 2010, not the end of 2010 and it involves a different type of buyer, as well.

We are here to help you with your questions about this extension and to help you take full advantage of any credits available!

While it's tough to be objective about your own home, here are some tips you can use to start to get your house ready to sell.

1. Consider the curb appeal.

Landscaping is nice, but not in everyone's budget. At minimum, lawns should be freshly mowed, leaves raked, or snow shoveled. Consider a hanging or potted plant for the entrance. Sweep the porch, deck and all walk ways and ensure garbage and recycling are tucked neatly away from the front of the house.

Scrub your front door, porch, outside railings and steps. This is cheaper than repainting and makes a world of difference. Once the outside entrance is clean, decide if the paint really needs a touch up.

2. Get rid of clutter!

Pick one closet or area at a time so the task isn't as daunting. Look at every item with a very critical eye and ask yourself why you're keeping it.

Forget about hanging onto items for a garage sale. Pick your favorite charity and donate it. You paid for these things long ago, why not just give them away to others who REALLY need them?

You'll probably have to edit the same closets a number of times to really whittle them down to the "essentials". If rooms and closets still look cramped, rent a storage locker.

3. Turn excess inventory into cash.

If you have a collection of items for projects you never got around to, return them. This also applies to the two-year supply of light bulbs, canned goods or paper products sitting in your basement. Without a receipt you won't get cash, but you will have a store credit that you can use once you move. Less clutter and less stuff to pack, move and unpack again!

4. Watch where the eye goes.

There are speedy and low cost solutions to many of the little problems that together make a home seem shabbier than it needs to.

Walk along each corridor and into every room and check where your eye is drawn (better yet, ask a critical friend or family member). If the eye is drawn to the chipped white paint on the door frame, take some "white out" and fill it in. If it's those old nail holes in the wall, see if you can hang a picture to cover them.

Glue any peeling wallpaper. If it's really horrible and you can't afford the time or money to fix it properly, hang pictures and strategically place baskets. You won't cover the problem entirely (which would be wrong anyway), but you will draw your audience's attention away from the problem and onto something more visually pleasing to focus on.

5. Find a fix-it person.

Ensure cupboards open and shut and that no taps are dripping. Look in all rooms for things you never got around to fixing and decide which ones might be distracting to potential buyers. No, it's not OK for door handles to fall off, even if you have learned to ignore it!

6. Clean, clean and clean again.

Most mortals can't live in a spotless environment all the time. This can be one of the more stressful aspects of having your home on the market— but it's worth the effort to sell your home for top dollar. You can hire a professional service to come in and deep clean everything; then take 20-30 minutes each day to maintain it.

Appliances should sparkle even if you're not including them with the house. After all, you might throw them in later as a negotiating tool. Counter tops, taps, sinks and bathtubs should be shiny and free of water spots.

If you have a pedestal sink, don't forget the dust that collects on top of the plumbing where it attaches to the wall. If the whole sink is spotless and the taps aren't dripping, it will look new!

Dust shelves and vacuum or "Swiffer" the floors. Naturally, all beds should be made. At a recent open house for a home listed over $500,000 (and over 60 days on the market), they hadn't even bothered with these two simple steps! It made you wonder what bigger things had been neglected.

Remember clean windows let in more light and look newer. Hire a service if you have to— it's worth the investment.

If all this attention to detail seems over the top, remember that a very clean home leaves the impression that the house is well cared for. This helps put buyers at ease— especially a first time buyer who may be worried about the responsibilities of owning a house.

7. Let in some air.

Open some windows for at least 10 minutes. There is nothing worse than walking into a stuffy house or one that smells of smoke and pet odors.

8. Let in some light.

If your walls are so dark that they're sucking up all the light, consider repainting. You can even buy a small can of a lighter shade of your wall color, mix it with glaze and rub it onto the wall. It will reflect light and give the room a more open feeling. This approach saves much of the preparation and clean up involved in repainting.

9. Don't forget fresh flowers.

10. Carefully consider music.

Soft background music can help create a soothing environment and camouflage neighbor and traffic noise. But make sure the volume is very low. Blaring TVs are definitely a no-no, but you'd be surprised how many people leave them on for showings!

Does your house look like a show home yet?

Step back and look at your home with the eye of a highly critical buyer. Beware of  "the sock on the TV syndrome." In other words, something has been sitting for so long in one place in your house that you don't even see it anymore.

For more suggestions on how to get your home sold, give us a call, we’ll come to you with a market analysis to help determine the market value and show you how to get your home ready for the market.

Greenville Housing Fund

 

 

 

Greenville Housing Fund Launches Homes for Teachers Initiative

 

 

Greenville, S.C. (September 4, 2008) – Greenville Housing Fund (GHF) is pleased to announce the launch of its new Homes for Teachers Initiative. This innovative financing program, made possible by a generous $250,000 grant over two years from the Community Foundation of Greenville, is designed to provide local teachers with the much needed down payment and closing costs which enables them to become first-time homebuyers.

 

Homes for Teachers targets first-time homebuyers by providing forgivable loans up to $5,000. The loans may be used for all or a portion of closing costs, for all or a portion of a down payment or to reduce the principal amount of a first mortgage. The loan is forgiven if certain conditions are met and the homebuyer remains in their home for more than a five-year period. In addition to benefiting individual teachers, this program is a key element in an overall effort to promote economic stability and growth in Greenville.

 

The Greenville County Schools (GCS), which hires more than 750 teachers each year, is pleased to partner with GHF to enable new teachers to become homebuyers. This program, in turn, will assist in GCS’s overall recruitment and retention efforts by offering teachers financial assistance for establishing roots in Greenville.

 

 

Act Now! The Current 8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Expires Soon.

The clock is ticking and time is winding down. If you are thinking about buying a house in order to take advantage of the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit, you need to act now.

As it currently stands, there are just under 90 days left to do so. If one is to approximate an escrow period of 30 days, they would see that the window of opportunity is closing fast.

When President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of February, it extended the termination date for the first time home buyer tax credit to December 1, 2009. This has resulted in great benefits for first time home buyers and a significant impact on the housing market. The National Association of Realtors estimates that as many as 2.5 million first time home buyers will take advantage of the $8000 tax credit this year.

There is a fantastic inventory of homes available right now, and with mortgage rates poised to rise, waiting another few months to start searching for a home could end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars.

Even if you have only fleetingly considered taking advantage of this credit, call me right away, I am happy to answer any quesitons you have.

If you live or have lived in the Upsate Area of South Carolina, you already know this to be true, but AARP has done a poll and the results are in!  Greenville is the #2 place in the country to live the simple life.  The survey was based on the several different criteria that included housing apprectiation, cost of living, education, hiking and biking trails and even the stress index! 

"Back in the late 1960s downtown Greenville was withering away, suffering the same fate that wiped out thousands of Main Streets. Now, thanks to 30 years of redevelopment—including a pedestrian-friendly Main Street, a performing arts center, condos, and the stunning Liberty Bridge—what was once a desolate stretch of offices is now a vibrant town center. "   States the article. C

Click the link below to read the full story, and keep in mind that if you know anyone that is considering this fantastic location, we would love to help them relocate!

http://www.aarpmagazine.org/lifestyle/the_simple_life.html

Foreclosure bidding process heats up with multiple offers

“Buy foreclosures now — before it’s too late“

That’s the bold headline August 5th from an extensive article on CNNMoney.com. And if you’re among our many frequent visitors then it may look familiar — we’ve been passing along the same important message as often as possible.

Put simply, it’s an incredible time to purchase a home.

Prices are down across the board, allowing first-time homeowners to finally achieve the American Dream at prices they can afford. Desirable neighborhoods that were perhaps out of the question just a few years ago are now within reach.

But how long will these market conditions, and the once-in-a-lifetime prices, last?

Foreclosure.com Founder, President and CEO, Brad Geisen, shared these thoughts in the CNN write up:

“We’re seeing [foreclosures] go very quickly. Offers come in immediately after the listing comes on the market, within 24 hours…. In this market, if [lenders] can liquidate them fast, it makes more sense to get them off the books.”

Indeed, lenders are pricing properties to ensure that they “move fast.” That means unbelievable deals, which in turn creates multiple offers and very few counter offers.

Remember that foreclosed homes are typically — even in the best market conditions — already discounted. So what we are currently experiencing are deep discounts on already discounted homes. That attracts buyers, lots of them, meaning that the distressed real estate will be cherry-picked first before investors/buyers move on to other properties.

The numbers tell the tale — more than half of all recent real estate transactions involve some type of distressed real estate or foreclosure.

So the message is simple and clear: Don’t wait around. Find a great deal. Submit your best offer. Live the good life … for half the cost!

Rates on 30-year mortgages fell recently to the lowest level on record after the Federal Reserve launched a new effort to stimulate the struggling U.S. housing market.

Mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac said Thursday that average rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 4.85% last week, from 4.98% the previous week. This was the lowest in the history of Freddie Mac's survey, which dates back to 1971, and was down a full percentage point from a year ago. These are truly historic times and they present a great opportunity to anyone who is thinking of buying.

If you or someone you know is ready to take advantage of historic low prices and historically low interest rates, please call me or send me your referral. Don't let this opportunity pass you by.

$8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance

• The tax credit is for first-time home buyers only.
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

Call  864-895-9791 for more information on how you can take advantage of this program.

The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was just signed by President Bush with some amazing benefits for first time homebuyers. Call everyone you know who wants to buy their first home (or who hasn't owned one in three years), this is too good to miss - it's a $7,500 tax CREDIT (not deduction but a credit).

If you have not owned a home in three years, you qualify as a first time home buyer. If you buy a home after April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009, you qualify for this credit. Call your friends who just bought a home since April 9th and tell them they may take $7,500 off their tax bill if they qualify. It has to be your principal residence, so rentals do not count.

The tax credit is 10% of the cost of the home, up to a maximum of $7,500. This is not an additional deduction that lowers the amount of income to be taxed, it is a tax credit. In other words, you take $7,500 off your tax bill. But there is a catch; the credit you receive now is actually an interest-free loan that must be repaid.

The loan has no interest, and will be paid back over 15 years. You get the credit on your 2008 taxes, but you start paying it back on your 2010 taxes that are due in 2011, so you get at least two years without a payment. You pay back 6.67% of the credit each year, so for a $7,500 credit the payment is $502.50 per year. If you stay put for 15 years, you pay it off with no interest.

What happens if you sell the house? You pay the balance back at the closing. So, you get $7,500 now, and pay the rest of it back if you make money on the sale of your house. What happens if you do not make enough money when you sell your house? They forgive the rest of the debt.

Other restrictions stipulate that you have to buy your first house in three years before July 1, 2009, not have super high income, not use bond financing and buy anywhere in the US.

If you'd like to learn more about this program, please call me!

I'm often asked if this is a good time to buy a home. Some clients are concerned that home prices may fall further than they have already. They are assuming that the best course of action is to wait for the bottom in the market and then buy. The problem with this approach is that you don't know where the bottom is until you see it in the rear view mirror, meaning until you've missed it!

Home prices are one factor in determining your cost of ownership, but so are interest rates and financing availability. Even though interest rates have gone up in the last six months, they are still near historic lows. Since your monthly mortgage payment is a combination of paying down your principal and paying the interest owed, if home prices come down a little further but interest rates go up, it could cost you even more to service a mortgage on an identical home!

While a home is a major investment, it is also the center of your personal life. It's important to live in a home that reflects your taste and values, yet is within your financial "comfort zone." To that end, it may be more important to lock in today's relatively low interest rates and low home prices, rather than to hope for a further break in prices in the future.

Please give me a call if I can be of any assistance in determining how much home you can afford in today's market.