Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Tax Credit Update - 10 Facts

10 Important Facts about the Extended First-Time Homebuyer Credit

IRS Special Edition Tax Tip 2009-13
If you are in the market for a new home, you may still be able to claim the First-Time Homebuyer Credit. Congress recently passed The Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act Of 2009, extending the First-Time Homebuyer Credit and expanding who qualifies.

Here are the top 10 things the IRS wants you to know about the expanded credit and the qualifications you must meet in order to qualify for it.

You must buy – or enter into a binding contract to buy a principal residence – on or before April 30, 2010.

If you enter into a binding contract by April 30, 2010 you must close on the home on or before June 30, 2010.

For qualifying purchases in 2010, you will have the option of claiming the credit on either your 2009 or 2010 return.

A long-time resident of the same home can now qualify for a reduced credit. You can qualify for the credit if you’ve lived in the same principal residence for any five-consecutive year period during the eight-year period that ended on the date the new home is purchased and the settlement date is after November 6, 2009.

The maximum credit for long-time residents is $6,500. However, married individuals filing separately are limited to $3,250.

People with higher incomes can now qualify for the credit. The new law raises the income limits for homes purchased after November 6, 2009. The full credit is available to taxpayers with modified adjusted gross incomes up to $125,000, or $225,000 for joint filers.

The IRS will issue a December 2009 revision of Form 5405 to claim this credit. The December 2009 form must be used for homes purchased after November 6, 2009 – whether the credit is claimed for 2008 or for 2009 – and for all home purchases that are claimed on 2009 returns.

No credit is available if the purchase price of the home exceeds $800,000.

The purchaser must be at least 18 years old on the date of purchase. For a married couple, only one spouse must meet this age requirement.

A dependent is not eligible to claim the credit.

For more information about the expanded First-Time Homebuyer Credit, visit IRS.gov/recovery.

Links:
First-Time Homebuyer Credit
IR-2009-108, First-Time Homebuyer Credit Extended to April 30, 2010; Some Current Homeowners Now Also Qualify

YouTube Videos:
Recovery: New Homebuyer Credit - November 2009
Consejo Tributario: Consejos Tributarios de Fin de Año Noviembre 2009

Source: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=215827,00.html. Retrieved on December 29th, 2009

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Neighborhood Stabilization Program Launch

Prince George's County NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PROGRAM (NSP)Down Payment Closing Cost Assistance Program

Program Fact Sheet What is the program about? How Could it Benefit You?
"Down Payment on Your Dream" assistance is in the formof deferred loans. There are several scenarios for the "DownPayment on Your Dream" loans:
Down payment and closing costs assistance to purchase a vacant foreclosed home.

The lesser of 3.5% of the purchase price or $15,000to purchase a vacant foreclosed property in one of33 eligible zip codes. 20607, 20608, 20705, 20710, 20715, 20720, 20721, 20613, 20722, 20623, 20735, 20740, 20769, 20770, 20781, 20782, 20784, 20707, 20712, 20745, 20737

The lesser of 7% of the purchase price or $20,000to purchase a vacant foreclosed property in one of12 targeted zip codes. DPCCA Target Areas are defined as:· Bowie (20716)· Capitol Heights (20743)· District Heights (20747)· Fort Washington (20744)· Hyattsville (20783, 20785)· Lanham (20706)· Laurel (20708)· Temple Hills (20748)· Suitland (20746)· Upper Marlboro (20772, 20774)

The lesser of 7% of the purchase price or $20,000to purchase a vacant foreclosed property in one of33 eligible zip codes as workforce housing. Workforcehousing is defined as foreclosed upon propertieslocated in one of 33 zip codes, purchased by teachers,police officers, nurses, firefighters, OR employeespurchasing a home within a 3 mile radius of placeof employment.
Who can participate?

First time home buyers only or cannot have owned a home anywhere in the last three years.
A household with income at or below 120% of the area median purchasing a vacant foreclosed property in eligible zip code.

What are the Steps? CALL The Godfrey Realty Group- Angel S. Brown 240-737-5052

1. I can identify and provide you with a list vacant foreclosedproperties in eligible areas.
2. I can provide you with an NSP approved lending Professional to get you pre-approved.
3. Attend an 8-hour housing counseling course providedby a HUD Certified Housing Counseling Agency.
4. We will work together to help you find a vacant Foreclosed Home of your Choice! 5. Submit Contract to lender that has been accepted by the bank.
7. Settle on your NEW HOME!!!

Workforce HousingWorkforce housing is defined as homes purchased by teachers, police officers, nurses, firefighters, and employees working within a 3 mile radius of place of employment.
LOAN TO VALUE REQUIREMENTThe total of the first mortgage loan plus the DPCCA loan cannot exceed 105% of the appraised value of the home to be purchased.

MAXIMUM LOAN AMOUNTThe DPCCA loan cannot exceed the lesser of 7% of purchase price, or $20,000 for the purchase of a foreclosed home (bank owned) in a Neighborhood Stabilization Program Target Area OR the purchase of a home for workforce housing. The DPCCA loancannot exceed the lesser of 3.5% of purchase price, or $15,000 for the purchase of a foreclosed home (bank owned) in a Neighborhood Stabilization Program Non- Target Area.

MAXIMUM LOAN TERMThe DPCCA affordability loan term is 10 years.
INTEREST RATEThe interest rate will be 0%.

REPAYMENT REQUIREMENTS1. The DPCCA loan will be a deferred payment loan, secured on the property as asecond trust, with the balance due determined by length of time the purchasersremain in the home.

2. The amount of the DPCCA due or forgiven is based on the following:If the Purchaser Remains in their home for

(As % of Total DPCCA Received)0-3 years all funds received will need to be repaid at 100%3-6 years funds received will need to be repaid at 50%6-9 years funds received will need to be repaid at 30%10+ years all funds received will need to be repaid at 0%

Thursday, June 25, 2009

$8,000 tax credit bridge loan

How to Use the Tax Credit for Downpayments
Potential first-time buyers have yet another reason to consider purchasing a home: the monetization of the tax credit. Here are four ways your clients can get access to those funds for upfront costs.
By Robert Freedman
June 2009

Short-term bridge loans are now available from a variety of lenders so that buyers can tap the benefits of the $8,000 Federal Housing Tax Credit for First-Time Home Buyers upfront. If your clients are eligible for the tax credit, these bridge loans will enable them to use the money for their down payment and closing costs with the credit as collateral. Consumers will have to pay the money back after they’ve filed their tax return and received a refund.

There are essentially four sources for this type of financing, and their terms can vary considerably.

1. State HFA Bridge Loans
As of early June 2009, 10 state Housing Finance Agencies offered tax-credit bridge loans, and more were planning to do so. The easiest way to learn whether one is offered in your state is to get your HFA’s phone number through a Housing Finance Agency list maintained by the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA). NCSHA also maintains a list of HFAs that already offer the bridge loans. The HFAs with loan programs already in place are Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

If your state HFA offers the loans, you should be able to get more information about them on the agency’s Web site. Look for “tax credit advance loan” or some variant of that, or else look for information on the HFA’s regular mortgage program, which should include info on the tax-credit advance loan somewhere. Although each state HFA loan differs, here are some typical characteristics:


You’ll need to make a minimum downpayment from your own funds, probably around $1,000.
You’ll have to go through local lenders approved by the HFA to actually originate the loan, since HFAs are not originators.
In some cases, the loans are interest-free; check with the state HFA to find out.
The HFAs have set aside a limited amount of funds for the loans, so they tend to be made on a first-come, first-served basis.
You’ll be expected to use HFA-backed financing for the mortgage on your home purchase. This financing typically comes with a below-market interest rate and usually requires borrowers to meet eligibility criteria. These criteria will vary greatly, but they often require borrowers to be first-timer buyers and meet income-eligibility requirements. For the bridge loans, there’s a good chance the criteria will be similar to what’s required for the tax credit.

Since the bridge loans are made in tandem with your HFA’s financing products, you apply for the loans when you apply with the HFA-approved lender for your mortgage financing. You should be able to find a list of approved lenders on the HFA’s Web site.

2. Local Government or Nonprofit Loans
If your state HFA doesn’t offer the loans, you can ask an HFA staff person to direct you to local nonprofits or state or local government agencies that do. If that person can’t help you, a good place to start a search is with a national nonprofit group called NeighborWorks, which maintains a list of more than 200 local affiliates that provide housing assistance. The loan programs for each of these affiliates differ, so you or your client will need to check with them on their underwriting standards and loan terms—and even on whether they make bridge loans repayable with the tax credit.

3. Local HFAs
Another source, if your state HFA can’t help you, might be the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies. Local HFAs are much like state HFAs but with jurisdictions limited to their locality. To learn whether there’s a local HFA in your area, call NALHFA at 202/367-1197.

4. FHA-approved Lenders
If you’re unable to identify a state or local HFA or other governmental agency or nonprofit to assist you, you can tap bridge-loan assistance if you work with a lender approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to originate FHA-backed loans. HUD maintains a database of FHA lenders on its Web site that’s searchable by a number of criteria including city, state, county, and service area.

In a difference with the assistance provided by state and local agencies or nonprofits, the bridge loans provided by private, for-profit FHA-approved lenders must be structured in the form of a personal loan or line of credit collateralized by the tax credit. The bridge loan can’t be structured as a second mortgage.

Also, although FHA allows you to use the bridge loan to cover your closing costs or to buy down your interest rate, you can use it for the down payment only after you’ve covered the 3.5 percent minimum that’s required on any FHA loan. Thus, you’ll have to come up with the 3.5 percent minimum down payment yourself or else tap another source of assistance for it. That can include gifts from family. Seller-funded down-payment programs are not permitted. HUD provides complete details in a May 29 Mortgagee Letter on “Using First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credits” (2009-15) that went to its approved lenders.

Since it’s the HUD-approved lender and not FHA itself that’s making the bridge loan, actual loan terms will vary. At a minimum, though, the bridge loan must meet certain restrictions, most of them imposed to weed out fraud or ensure borrowers aren’t getting in over their heads. These include:


Loans can’t result in cash back to the borrower.
The amount can’t exceed what’s needed for the downpayment, closing costs, and prepaid expenses.
If there’s a monthly repayment, it must be included within the qualifying ratios and, when combined with the first mortgage, can’t exceed the borrower’s reasonable ability to pay.
Payments must be deferred for at least 36 months to not be included in the qualifying ratios.
There can be no balloon payment required before 10 years.

Start with the Deepest Assistance First
Since state HFA bridge loans are typically allowed for as much of the downpayment as possible (up to the credit limit of $8,000), your client’s best bet is to start with the state HFA. If it doesn’t have a program in place, learn what you can from it about other state or local programs, including nonprofits. If these sources don’t pan out, your buyer can work with an FHA-approved lender. However, since HUD requires borrowers to put down a minimum of 3.5 percent, they can access bridge-loan assistance only for other upfront expenses such as closing costs, an interest-rate buy-down, or a portion of the downpayment above 3.5 percent.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Paying too much in property taxes? Learn to Appeal.

THE ASSESSMENT APPEAL PROCESS
Property owners sometimes feel that the department's estimate of their property value is wrong. The assessment appeal process is available to allow property owners the opportunity to dispute the value determined by the department. Property values rise and fall to reflect the market. A property owner should file an appeal when they believe that their property is not valued at its current market value.
Appeals may be filed on three occasions:1. upon receipt of an assessment notice;2. by a petition for review; and3. upon purchase of property between January 1 and June 30.
APPEAL ON REASSESSMENTProperty owners will normally receive a Notice of Assessment every three years that shows the old market value as well as the new market value. The new value reflects the market influence and other conditions affecting the property from the time of the last assessment.
If you decide to appeal, the first step is to reply to the Notice of Assessment by signing and returning the appeal form within 45 days of the date of the notice. Following this, a personal or telephone hearing will be scheduled. Appeals can also be made in writing, eliminating the need for a hearing.
PETITION FOR REVIEWIf events have occurred since your last regular assessment that you believe have caused your property value to decline or if you failed to respond to the Notice of Assessment within the required time frame, you may file for a petition for review by January 1 of any year. Click here to obtain a Petition form. The completed form should be mailed to your local assessment office. After filing the petition, you will be scheduled for a hearing; or, if you prefer, your written submission can be reviewed eliminating the need for a hearing.
Via Brian Turner Keller Williams Preferred Properties

Neighborhood Stabilization Program


Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grants - Community Development - CPD - HUD
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/commun...
HUD's new Neighborhood Stabilization Program will provide emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight within their communities. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) provides grants to every state and certain local communities to purchase foreclosed or abandoned homes and to rehabilitate, resell, or redevelop these homes in order to stabilize neighborhoods and stem the decline of house values of neighboring homes.The program is authorized under Title III of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.Read HUD's news release.

Angel S. will Race for the Cure on behalf of her clients

This year, I'll be participating in an incredible event called the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure®.
More than 50,000 people will all gather on the National Mall on June 6 to take a stand in the global movement to end breast cancer. Each year, up to 75 percent of the Komen Global Race's net income stays in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to fund local screening, treatment and education programs for the medically underserved. The remaining dollars support the Global Promise Fund, a program of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which is dedicated to reaching underserved people in areas where breast cancer mortality rates are the highest.
I have clients and past clients that are survivors of breast cancer. Some of my clients and past clients have lost loved ones to this desiese. Because of that this cause is near and dear to me.
I've set my personal goal at $125. So I need your help. You can give online at www.GlobalRacefortheCure.org. Just follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising webpage and make a donation.
Without a cure, an estimated 25 million women around the world will be diagnosed with breast cancer - and 10 million could die over the next 25 years. That's why I'm joining the fight. I hope that you'll support me.
Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Sincerely,
Angel S.Godfrey Realty Group @ Keller Williams Preferred Properties240.737.5052
P.S. Ask your employer if they will double your donation through a matching gift program!
Click here to visit my personal page.
http://www.info-komen.org/site/TR/GlobalRaceForTheCure/GlobalRace?px=4128484&pg=personal&fr_id=1140&et=kCh-D6b3xtN8NuXev2cmBQ..&s_tafId=19070