Articles Posted in Real Estate

Effective November 6, 2009 a new tax credit is available for both repeat and first-time home buyers. The National Association of Home Builders’s website provides specific details.

One can qualify for a tax credit up to 10% of the purchase price of a new home (maximum credit $6500) if one has lived in one residence for five consecutive years of the last eight years.

Income limits apply. For single filers the credits phase out between $125,000 and $145,000 of modified adjusted gross income. For married couples, the phase out is between $225,000 and $245,000.

Other limits apply. The credit cannot be taken if the home is purchased from a spouse or the spouse’s lineal relatives. The person claiming the credit must use the home as a principal residence.

The new law is unclear as to whether one must sell one’s previous home to qualify for the credit.
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In Amy Hoak’s Wall Street Journal article, “Mortgage Lending for Sellers“, she points out the advantages to both buyers and sellers when a private mortgage is used to purchase a home.

With a private mortgage, the seller or some other interested individual holds the mortgage on the property. There are no bank or mortgage company requirements for the buyer to meet such as a steady income history for the past two years or a particular credit report score. Instead, the buyer and the seller reach their own agreement with their own terms.

Private mortgage income is attractive to sellers who are looking for a steady stream of income and are looking to defer capital gains.