Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate

Walkable neighborhoods command price premiums A new study says that homes located in more walkable neighborhoods command a price premium over similar homes in less walkable areas. The study, “Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Home Values in U.S. Cities” was commissioned by CEOs for Cities and conducted by Joe Cortright using data from Walk Score. Key findings include: · In 13 out of 15 metro areas higher levels of walk-ability were directly linked to higher home values. · In the typical metropolitan area, a one point increase in Walk Score was associated with an increase in value ranging from $500 to $3,000. Gains were larger in denser, urban areas and smaller in less dense markets. · In the typical areas studied, the premium commanded for neighborhoods with above-average Walk Scores ranged from $4,000 to $34,000. More info

Contrary to some widely circulated e-mail messages, the new federal health care law does NOT include a 3.8 percent transfer tax on home sales, according to Snopes.com, FactCheck.org and the National Association of Realtors. The new law created a 3.8 percent Medicare tax, which applies to net investment income earned by taxpayers who have an adjusted gross income of more than $200,000 for individuals or $250,000 for married couples. That tax becomes effective Jan. 1, 2013. Net investment income includes capital gains from the sale of a home, so a home sale could push a taxpayer's income into the bracket in which the new tax would apply. However, the existing capital gains tax exclusion of $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for married couples on the sale of a principal residence is still in effect, and that will protect nearly all homeowners from the new tax. "The truth is that only a tiny percentage of home sellers will pay the tax," FactCheck.org reports. More

Getting the Best Tax Break When Selling Your Primary Residence When you sell your primary residence, you may be able to save thousands of dollars by taking advantage of one of the best available tax breaks.  Provided that you have lived in the home as your primary residence and owned it for at least two of the past five years, when you sell your home, you can exclude from income up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly).  This tax benefit can be used once every two years.  Did you know that a married couple can qualify for the entire $500,000 exclusion even if only one spouse has owned the property for two years?  Or that you don’t need to own the home and use it as your primary residence the same two years?  Read on for a few pointers that may help you take advantage of this tax benefit when you sell your primary residence.  Pointer One - $500,000 Exclusion for Married Couples Available Even if Only One Spouse Owns Home for Two Years If you are married

http://www.scvrealty.com   You're probably used to thinking that patience can be a virtue when you're shopping for a bargain on a large purchase. But when that purchase is real estate, the opposite is true. Today's conditions - attractive home prices and interest rates at historic lows - have combined to make the current housing market one of the most affordable in decades. It simply makes no sense to hold out for a better opportunity that isn't likely to come. Signs are already pointing to higher interest rates and, with home prices stabilizing or increasing in most markets, waiting to buy a home could easily cost you several thousand dollars each year. If buying a home is in your future, you won’t want to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Comparison of cost at sample mortgage amount: $275,000 Mortgage At current low interest rate $1476.26 per month

Fannie Mae bites back on homeowners who walk away from the upside down homes and investment properties. The courts will now come to the mortgage giant’s plans to take on those who decide not to make their payments. It also will limit their access to future loans. Foreclosures continue at a rate of 2.5 million a year, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairwoman Sheila Bair said, and some 11 million households owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth. Taking aim at homeowners who are able to pay their mortgage but decide it's not worth it, Fannie Mae plans to go after them in court and to limit their access to home loans for seven years. It was a clarion call to companies servicing its loans to recommend, engaging in a so-called deficiency judgment — a court order requiring a defaulting borrower to pay any remaining unpaid portion of the loan after a seized home is sold. Under California state law, lenders who opt for court proceedings can obtain a deficiency judgment

Fannie Mae extends seller assistance program Fannie Mae recently announced it is extending its seller assistance incentive on all Fannie Mae-owned HomePath properties. Buyers will receive 3.5 percent of the final sales price, to be used toward closing cost assistance or their choice of selected appliances. The offer is available to any owner-occupant who closes on the purchase of a property listed by June 30.   We can help you with your next home purchase and sale in Los Angeles County CA. We serve the area of    Los Angeles County - Santa Clarita Valley real estate - San Fernando Valley real estate Westside LA - Antelope Valley real estate - Santa Clarita Relocation Services

        Owning a home invokes more than a sense of pride and freedom. It is also a long-term investment opportunity. With tax season in full swing, it is a great time to speak to your tax advisor about the tax advantages associated with homeownership. Some of these benefits include: Reduce your taxable income: On your itemized income tax return, you may be able to deduct mortgage interest payments, property taxes and points paid to lower your loan's interest rate. Take advantage of special tax breaks : First-time buyers who get under contract before April 30, 2010, and close by June 30, 2010, may be eligible for an $8,000 tax credit. Some existing homeowners who purchase a new principal residence within the same time frame could get a $6,500 tax credit. Lower tax on capital gains when you sell : When you sell your home, you will not have to pay federal income tax on capital gains of up to $500,000 for a married couple and $250,000 if you are single. This applies

Good crop of foreclosures today. 5+5 near 4,000 sq ft. simi custom home on 2 acres in Castaic. We have smaller homes as well. EZ down payments can start at $100. for qualified properties. Got a house?

Today Dec 11, 2009 the House of Representatives approved the biggest changes in financial regulation since the Great Depression on Friday, marking a win for the Obama administration and top Democrats in Congress. The sweeping bill, which will have to be reconciled with any measure the slower-moving Senate might eventually approve, aims to safeguard the financial system and ward off future crises of the type that punished the nation in the past year with its deepest recession since the 1930s. The House voted 223-202 to pass the 1,279-page bill, which was hammered out in the months since last year's crisis convinced Democrats of an urgent need for reform. All of the chamber's Republicans and 27 Democrats voted against bill. "This legislation brings us another important step closer to necessary, comprehensive financial reform that will create clear rules of the road, consistent and systematic enforcement of those rules, and a stronger, more stable financial system," Pr

Case-Shiller index improves for second consecutive quarter Home prices improved in the third quarter of 2009, posting their second quarter-over-quarter gain in three years, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, released yesterday. See the complete data here.

The new tax credit is an improvement over the existing one which expires on Nov. 30. Some of the enhancements it includes are: The $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers has been extended through April 30, 2010. Current homeowners are eligible for a $6,500 tax credit through April 30, as long as they have lived in the home they are selling as a principal residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight years. Time has been added to allow for closing the home purchase. As long as buyers have a binding contract by April 30, they will then have until June 30, 2010, to close the transaction. Income limits for eligible buyers were increased to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for couples. The passing of this legislation is very positive news for anyone looking to buy or sell a home. Both first-time and move-up buyers can now take advantage of the new tax credit in addition to today's historically low interest rates. We'll help you stay

Myth #2 – You Must Be Behind on Your Mortgage to Negotiate a Short Sale While this may have previously been the case, today lenders are looking for verifiable hardship, monthly cash flow shortfall, or pending shortfall and insolvency. If you meet these three requirements and believe that you soon may be unable to afford your mortgage, act immediately. Any delay could limit your options. Do not wait until the countdown clock to foreclosure has started and you have even less time left. No matter how many payments you are or not behind please call me right away to discuss you personal situation. When we talk will review all your options and advise you with answers to all of your questions, and update you on current laws and rights available to you.

CASH for Appliances— Coming Your Way SOON!! By the end of 2009, consumers nationwide will be able to take advantage of a federal "cash for appliances" program offering rebates on purchases of a wide array of home appliances certified as energyefficient by the EPA's Energy Star program. Backed by an initial $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the state-run rebate program is intended to help make American homes more energy-efficient while further stimulating the economy. Who Will Run the Program? Each state will administer its own cash for appliances program. The states will be free to select which residential Energy Star qualified appliances to include in their programs and the individual rebate amount offered for each appliance. What Can You Buy? The Department of Energy (DOE) has recommended that the states focus their cash for appliances rebate efforts on heating and cooling equipment, appliances, and water heaters as these products

Washington Report: $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit by Kenneth R. Harney Quick passage by the House last week of a bill extending the $8,000 home buyer tax credit next year for military, diplomatic and intelligence personnel serving overseas increases the odds that Congress will agree to an extension, maybe even an expansion, of the entire credit program well into 2010. The White House is also signaling that it sees the overall tax credit program -- currently set to expire November 30 -- as an important element in cutting the unemployment rolls and stimulating new jobs next year. After an economic policy strategy meeting last week in the Oval Office involving President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, congressional aides said Democrats generally support an extension of the housing credit. Reid already has made clear he wants an extension. He is co-sponsoring a Senate bill that would do so for six months. Congressman Charles Rang

Today’s short sale buyer may be at an advantage purchasing a short sale property compared to a foreclosure because if the borrower stills owns the home, he or she is likely to take better care of it. Patience is now required until the approval process is updated and efficiency improves from banks, lenders and investors; who approve the net acceptance price for opening and closing short sale escrows. We have closed new listings in less than 90 days with efficient servicers. Other properties can take over a year with changes in condition, occupancy and legal status. We love helping our sellers, and buyers with shortsales. Our short sale department is tenacious and efficient. And so is our probate, relocation and foreclsure department. David Hoshaw Broker, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Weichert, Realtors - Hoshaw & Associates 28009 Smyth Drive Santa Clarita, CA 91355 661-287-4466 ext. 226 david@scvRealty.com www.scvRealty.com For another take see this article.... Short Sales Spread across Real

When Congress passed an $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers last winter, it was intended as a dose of shock therapy during a crisis. Now the question is becoming whether the housing market can function without it. As many as 40 percent of all home buyers this year will qualify for the credit. It is on track to cost the government $15 billion, more than twice the amount that was projected when Congress passed the stimulus bill in February. In the view of the real estate industry and some economists, all that money is well spent. They contend the credit is doing what it was meant to do, encouraging a recovery in the housing market that is gathering steam. Analysts say the credit is directly responsible for several hundred thousand home sales. Skeptics argue that most of the money is going to people who would have bought a home anyway. And they contend that unless it is allowed to expire on schedule in late November, the tax credit is likely to become one more ex

Fast Facts Calif. median home price - July 09: $285,480 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region July 09: Santa Barbara So. Coast $885,000 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region July 09: High Desert $110,650 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index - Second Quarter 2009: 67 percent (Source: C.A.R.) Mortgage rates - week ending 9/3/09 30-yr. fixed: 5.08% Fees/points: 0.7% 15-yr. fixed: 4.54% Fees/points: 0.6% 1-yr. adjustable: 4.62% Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac) www.scvRealty.com Find Your Next Home Know the Value of your Property? Become our fan on Facebook

Walkable neighborhoods command price premiums A new study says that homes located in more walkable neighborhoods command a price premium over similar homes in less walkable areas. The study, “Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Home Values in U.S. Cities” was commissioned by CEOs for Cities and conducted by Joe Cortright using data from Walk Score. Key findings include: · In 13 out of 15 metro areas higher levels of walk-ability were directly linked to higher home values. · In the typical metropolitan area, a one point increase in Walk Score was associated with an increase in value ranging from $500 to $3,000. Gains were larger in denser, urban areas and smaller in less dense markets. · In the typical areas studied, the premium commanded for neighborhoods with above-average Walk Scores ranged from $4,000 to $34,000. More info

According to recent reports and forecasts by housing analysts, the three-year descent in home prices appears to be at an end. Eight cities, including San Francisco, showed price increases in May, up from four in April, and one in March, according to Standard and Poor’s/Case-Shiller Index. For the first time since early 2007, the index of 20 major cities was virtually flat, rather than down. · Earlier reports show that sales of existing homes nationwide rose last month for the third consecutive month, while sales of new homes increased in June by the largest percentage in eight years, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) and the U.S. Commerce Dept., respectively. · Although some skeptics believe the market is pausing before home prices decline further, the median price in California’s housing market appears to be stabilizing. June marked the fourth consecutive month of rising home prices and the second largest gain on record for the

Down Market Offers Ideal Opportunity for Homeowners Looking to Move Up According to Jim Weichert, many current homeowners mistakenly think it's not a good time to buy because they are focused on what they might have sold their home for in the past. Once they realize how beneficial it can be to trade up now, both financially and personally, they often have a change of heart. Take for example, a homeowner who paid $300,000 for a home several years ago. If prices in their market declined by 25 percent, they would experience a $75,000 loss upon the sale of their home. However, if they are also buying a larger home that had cost $600,000, they would now benefit from a $150,000 savings on their purchase. This is a $75,000 gain in overall equity as a result of moving up. In addition, when prices begin to rise, this trade-up buyer will see greater appreciation in their new home than their previous one. With home affordability near record highs, those looking to move up can get more for the