Tax Credit New Homebuyer Info

First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended Into 2010!
Plus...A New Tax Credit for Certain Existing Home Owners!

It's official. President Obama has signed a bill that extends the tax credit for first-time homebuyers (FTHBs) into the first half of 2010. This program had been scheduled to expire on November 30, 2009.

In addition to extending the tax credit of up to $8,000 through June 30, 2010, the extension measure also opens up opportunities for others who are not buying a home for the first time.

So Who Gets What?
The program that has existed for FTHBs remains intact with the one exception that more people are now eligible based on an increase in the amount of income someone may now earn.

Additionally, the program now gives those who already own a residence some additional reasons to move to a new home. This incentive comes in the form of a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified purchasers who have owned and occupied a primary residence for a period of five consecutive years during the last eight years.

Deadlines
In order to qualify for the credit, all contracts need to be in effect no later than April 30, 2010 and close no later than June 30, 2010.

Higher Income Caps in Effect
The amount of income someone can earn and qualify for the full amount of the credit has been increased.

Single tax filers who earn up to $125,000 are eligible for the total credit amount. Those who earn more than this cap can receive a partial credit. However, single filers who earn $145,000 and above are ineligible.

Joint filers who earn up to $225,000 are eligible for the total credit amount. Those who earn more than this cap can receive a partial credit. However, joint filers who earn $245,000 and above are ineligible.

Maximum Purchase Price
Qualifying buyers may purchase a property with a maximum sales price of $800,000.

First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit – Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the tax credit.

What is a tax credit?
A tax credit is a direct reduction in tax liability owed by an individual to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In the event no taxes are owed, the IRS will issue a check for the amount of the tax credit an individual is owed. Unlike the tax credit that existed in 2008, this credit does not require repayment unless the home, at any time in the first 36 months of ownership, is no longer an individual's primary residence.

What is the tax credit for first-time homebuyers (FTHBs)?
An eligible homebuyer may request from the IRS a tax credit of up to $8,000 or 10% of the purchase price for a home. If the amount of the home purchased is $75,000, the maximum amount the credit can be is $7,500. If the amount of the home purchased is $100,000, the amount of the credit may not exceed $8,000.

Who is eligible for the FTHB tax credit?
Anyone who has not owned a primary residence in the previous 36 months, prior to closing and the transfer of title, is eligible. This applies both to single taxpayers and married couples. In the case where there is a married couple, if either spouse has owned a primary residence in the last 36 months, neither would qualify. In the case where an individual has owned property that has not been a primary residence, such as a second home or investment property, that individual would be eligible.

As mentioned above, the tax credit has been expanded so that existing homeowners who have owned and occupied a primary residence for a period of five consecutive years during the last eight years are now eligible for a tax credit of up to $6,500.

How do I claim the credit?
For those taking advantage of the tax credit in 2009, you may choose to either apply for the credit with your 2009 tax return or you may apply for the credit sooner by filing an amended 2008 tax return with Form 5405 (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5405.pdf).

Can you claim the tax credit in advance of purchasing a property?
No. The IRS has recently begun prosecuting people who have claimed credits where a purchase had not taken place.

Can a taxpayer claim a credit if the property is purchased from a seller with seller financing and the seller retains title to the property?
Yes. In situations where the buyer purchases the property, even though the seller retains legal title, the taxpayer may file for the credit. Examples of this would include a land contract, contract for deed, etc. According to the IRS, factors that would demonstrate the ownership of the property would include: 1. the right of possession, 2. the right to obtain legal title upon full payment of the purchase price, 3. the right to construct improvements, 4. the obligation to pay property taxes, 5. the risk of loss, 6. the responsibility to insure the property and 7. the duty to maintain the property.

Are there other restrictions to taking the credit?
Yes. According to the IRS, if any of the following describe your situation, a credit would not be due.

You buy your home from a close relative. This includes your spouse, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild.
You do not use the home as your principal residence.
You sell your home before the end of the year.
You are a nonresident alien.
You are, or were, eligible to claim the District of Columbia first-time homebuyer credit for any taxable year. (This does not apply for a home purchased in 2009.)
Your home financing comes from tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds. (This does not apply for a home purchased in 2009.)
You owned a principal residence at any time during the three years prior to the date of purchase of your new home. For example, if you bought a home on July 1, 2009, you cannot take the credit for that home if you owned, or had an ownership interest in, another principal residence at any time from July 2, 2006, through July 1, 2009.
Can you buy a home from a step-relative and be eligible for the credit?
Yes. Provided the person you are buying a home from is not a direct blood relative, the purchase would be allowed.

Can parent(s) who will not live in the property cosign for a mortgage for their child and the child that is a qualifying FTHB still be eligible for the credit?
Yes.

Can a separated spouse who has not owned a home for four years qualify for the FTHB tax credit if the spouse has owned a property anytime in the last three years?
No. However, the spouse may be eligible for the repeat buyer credit. The best path to take in any situation regarding income taxes is to speak with a professional tax preparer or CPA

BofA Implements Equator (REOTrans) Platform, as Short Sales Gain Ground

10/22/2009 By: Carrie Bay, reporter for DS News



California-based Equator (formerly known as REOTrans) says it has launched the industry's first-ever short sale module for a large national lender.

Although Equator declined to name the lender, the San Francisco Chronicle has reported that Bank of America is the company in question. A representative from BofA recently told the paper that they were using the Equator platform to manage the short sale process. "This is the first time that short sales have been handled through an electronic platform," said Equator CEO Chris Saitta. "With our new system, everyone works together in real time, dramatically improving communication and approval timelines for our client, its borrowers, vendors, and real estate agents."



Short sales, in which a lender and borrower reach an agreement to dispose of a property threatened by foreclosure at a price that is "short" of the amount owed on the mortgage, have become more popular among lenders lately as a viable method for dealing with distressed properties. According to Equator, the number of successful short sales has increased spectacularly across the country in the wake of the foreclosure crisis.



Kevin Kieffer, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty in Danville, California, told the Chronicle, "A year ago I wouldn't touch a short sale. It would be random prices banks wouldn't agree to, you would be tied up six months hoping to get a property sold. But now we're seeing banks up front negotiating prices and giving us criteria. They're getting creative to make things move."



Equator says the keys to a successful short sale are accessibility, responsiveness, communication, and fulfillment. By adopting its short sale platform, the company says large lenders, such as the unnamed Bank of America, can ensure troubled borrowers have 24/7 access to a portal through which they can provide the necessary information to process a short sale and receive real-time status updates electronically.

"Short sales can be a daunting, complicated, frustrating task for everyone involved," Saitta said. "This fresh approach using our sophisticated platform makes it fast and efficient for all parties involved."



Equator's short sale module also automates decisioning for the lender, handles approvals for faster turnaround, provides quick fulfillment, and assures full compliance with government programs, Saitta said.

PGA West Overseed Opening Schedule

Overseed Clarification

To clarify, the opening dates of your courses will be:

Jack Nicklaus Private Course - Friday, November 6th
Arnold Palmer Private Course - Thursday, November 12th
TPC Stadium Course - Friday, November 20th
Greg Norman Course - Friday, November 27th
Tom Weiskopf Course - Open
Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course - Open

The tax credits apply to home purchases of $800,000 or less .by Jann Swanson on 11/4

The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday night to extend the $8,000 tax credit for home buyers beyond its scheduled November 30, 2009 expiration date. The credit would be available until April 30, 2010. Under the new legislation the credit will also now apply to home buyers who are buying their second or subsequent home. The credit currently applies only to first time home buyer.

The Senate vote was 98 to 0.

Under a compromise reached late last week, the tax credit for veteran homeowners will apply only to those who have lived in their current residence for at least five years. The credit for these buyers will be capped at $6,500 while first time buyers will continue to receive $8,000.

Income levels will be extended from the current limits of $75,000 for a single purchaser and $150,000 for couples to $125,000 and $225,000 respectively. Above those limits there are diminishing credits available.

The bill was passed as an amendment to legislation extending unemployment benefits. The House is expected to vote on the bill before the end of the week.

Housing interests, especially the National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of Realtors, has pushed strongly for the extension and the Obama administration has also lobbied heavily for its passage. However, not everyone was in favor of it.

Some critics have charged that the tax credit has merely moved sales that would have occurred sooner or later to an earlier date and that, when the credit finally does go away, the market will experience another severe downturn. A diametrically opposed opinion would have it that, while 1.4 million claims have been made, few sales were actually inspired by the credit. Others have argued that the current interest rates and low housing prices are enough of an incentive without spending tax money. The extension is expected to cost an estimated $11 billion on top of the $10 billion that has been spent to date.

There have also been charges of fraud in the operation of the program. To combat this the new law has some expanded safeguards including a minimum age of 18 for obtaining the credit, a requirement that a settlement statement accompany the tax return claiming the credit and a prohibition on non-arms length transactions.

Another criticism of the extension has been that it ends just as the "spring market" is getting underway. Diane Olick writing for CNBC's RealtyCheck said it "is sort of like offering cheap snow boots in July."

Amid signs of recovery, Harvey Katofsky takes a fresh crack at desert real estate

HK Lane — President/CEO Harvey Katofsky

Photo By: ETHAN KAMINSKY
Mercedes, BMW s, Audis, and a black Bentley shimmer in the sun on a hot, late-July afternoon at the new offices of HK Lane Real Estate in Palm Desert. The unabashed luxury says 2003, but it’s not. It’s six years later and CNN has reported the first increase of new-home prices and sales in three years and the possibility that we might have seen the worst of the recession.

Inside the building — the 7,200-square-foot headquarters office of HK Lane — President/CEO Harvey Katofsky appears to have perfectly timed the company’s debut.

This is not the first time he has played this card. “I opened Fred Sands Desert Realty during a similar yet slightly worse market,” Katofsky says. “I’ll go out on a limb and say I think we are pretty close to the bottom right now.”

Katofsky — a pharmacist who moved here from Los Angeles in 1986 and opened a luxurious Italian restaurant — earned his real estate license and began brokering transactions for restaurants throughout the Coachella Valley.

He started Fred Sands Desert Realty in 1994 and grew the company to more than 350 agents and the No. 1 market share position before selling it to Coldwell Banker in 2003. Katofsky stayed on as a regional vice president for several years, counting the days until his five-year noncompete agreement expired. “Retirement wasn’t for me,” he says. “I couldn’t wait until I could come back and build a successful boutique brand from the ground up again.”

Katofsky is known for making swift deals and sealing them with a handshake. That’s what he did with Fred Sands and that’s what he did when he enlisted longtime associate Ron Gerlich as HK Lane’s vice president and chief operating officer.

“The timing is right,” Gerlich says.

“If you wait until the market completely turns around, it’s too late.”

In only five weeks, Katofsky recruited more than 42 of the top and well-seasoned agents. Key administrative and marketing staff includes industry veterans who previously worked with Katofsky.

Katofsky has invested heavily in Internet marketing and technology. He’s counting on his stake in Gibson International, a new luxury-oriented firm on Los Angeles’ west side, to provide referrals for agents. Meanwhile, he’s eyeing La Quinta to open a second office.

3 QUESTIONS FOR HARVEY KATOFSKY

Palm Springs Life caught up with HK Lane President/CEO Harvey Katofsky as his firm prepared for its first season.

Why start a real estate company now?

Now is perfect time to open. Agents need a new start. Our company is something new and exciting. It’s the right time to buy and right time to recruit good agents to build your company.

What has changed the most in the real estate business?

The Internet is the main difference. Today, 86 percent of those looking [for a property] go to the Internet first. Those numbers are huge. All our print advertising is crisp and clean, and its purpose is to drive people to our Web site. [Static] virtual tours are old hat. Video is what you do today to market a property. If someone is touting virtual tours, they’re not utilizing the latest marketing tools. We can even create an individual Web site for a listing with a direct link from our Web site.

How does today’s economy affect buyers and sellers differently from the last down market?

Cash is king. Today you need a significant down payment to get a mortgage. The biggest mistake that buyers make in this market is misjudging the deal they are getting because they think they can always do better. Then they blow a good deal and lose a good house. I see that time and time again. Today’s sellers need to take the offer that is on the table if it’s a decent offer. Take it and run with it.

This article appears in the October 2009 issue of Palm Springs Life

Understanding “The Zestimate” (Video)

By: Sara Bonert, Director of Broker Relations


When I talk with people about Zillow, the first question that usually comes up is the Zestimate. How do you come up with this number? Can it be changed? How accurate is it?

Even though we’ve addressed questions about the Zestimate on our blog in the past, we are now pleased to offer a short video, explaining the Zestimate.

If you find this helpful, please forward this post and these videos to anyone who you think would benefit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaeAgfay01o

Sandi Phillips La Quinta Realtor passes the Broker exam and becomes a broker

Congratulations to Sandi Phillips for passing the DRE Broker exam and becoming a broker. We all know passing the brokers test is not easy and it takes dedictation. Sandi decided to get her brokers license to increase her knowledge base of the real estate practice. Way to go!