Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate

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...

How to buy a home at a $100,000 discount With nearly 150,000 foreclosed homes on their books, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are trying to pare down their growing inventory of repossessed properties, in turn providing home buyers with tremendous purchasing opportunities. MAKING SENSE FOR CONSUMERS An analysis by SmartMoney magazine found that home buyers could save $100,000 on the price of a home by purchasing a foreclosed home owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac as opposed to a similar fair-market property just a few blocks away. Fannie Mae’s homebuying program, which requires down payments as low as 3 percent on 30-year mortgages also can help buyers save money. However, buyers should note, smaller down payments generally translate into higher monthly mortgage payments. Another bonus to purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned home, the company doesn’t require private mortgage insurance, which most lenders require for buyers who put down less than 20 percent. Unlike many foreclosed pro...

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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 ...

Foreclosure Timeline Seller's, Borrower's and even novice Realtor's are often confused by the entire foreclosure process; Foreclosure has never been simple but with the current backlog of bank owned properties and other pressures, it's become worse than ever. Here is an easy to read foreclosure process time line. It will help one understand the different methods used to handle and a purchase short sale, pre-foreclosures and foreclosed properties. If you have personal situation we can answer it, or get an answer to your question about your options for staying in your home, selling and moving on your schedule while helping you step by step through the process. 1. First month missed payment. This counts as day one for the bank but notice, the homeowner had 30 days just like normal to come up with a payment. They will always remain 30 days ahead of the bank schedule. 2. Second missed mortgage payment...day 30 for the bank. 3. Third missed mortgage payment...day 60...

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