Shopping for a Condo? Ask These 4 Questions before You Buy

Condominium homes have always been, and will likely always be, an efficient and economical route to becoming a first-time homeowner. They can offer the comfort, prestige, and even luxury appointments that apartment living may lack, often at a cost that is not much different than rent. With the current first-time home buyer tax credit and the deadline for the move-up tax credit fast approaching, I advise you move fast on any condo purchase you may be considering.

With my experience as Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I am well aware that not all condominiums are the same, however, so make sure you ask the following four questions before you buy:

What will you own? Read the bylaws and be sure you understand what you will be responsible for and what belongs to the condo association. Will you own the boat dock at the back of your unit? Can you elect to build a spa on your patio? Generally, unit owners own and are responsible for the interior of their condos, while costs for outside maintenance including common areas and sewer lines are the association’s responsibility.

Who lives there? Are the majority of residents owners or renters? Owners generally take more interest in proper maintenance and are more willing than renters to serve on the association board and enforce complex rules and regulations–including the regular collection of homeowner dues.

How effective is the homeowner’s association? Do they have legal counsel, reasonable funds and a capable, caring volunteer board? One way to judge is to check with residents about restrictions, oversight and timeliness of repairs and upgrades. Another is to take a hard look at the grounds and be wary of signs of neglect.

What about special assessments? The association should have the power to special assess for needed, one-time large expenditures. Otherwise, things that need to be done may never get done at all, leaving the complex vulnerable to disrepair and lowered property values.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to become a homeowner or to downsize by buying a condo (remember, the move-up tax credit does not require you to move to a larger or more expensive home). Please e-mail me for more tips on buying a condo and forward this information to any family and friends who may be in the market as well.

Do you Want to ‘Move-Up’? The Clock Is Running!

While you’ve probably heard a lot in the media about the government’s efforts to rejuvenate the housing market with the first-time home buyer tax credit, you might have missed the fact that the most recent expansion of the legislation also includes a $6,500 credit for current homeowners who want to purchase a new home…commonly referred to as “moving up.”

As a Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I’ve worked with many homeowners who have wanted to move to a new home over the past year, but have stayed put due to a lack of confidence in the market. Now, however, thanks to the tax advantages of the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, these homeowners are moving off the sidelines and purchasing the homes they’ve always wanted.

But the time to act is now—there is only a short window of opportunity! The move-up buyer credit expires in April of 2010, which means you must contract and close on your home purchase by June 30, 2010. As you know, selecting a home is not a simple process, so start your search now so you don’t miss the deadline.

For starters, here are the key facts you need to know about the move-up buyer tax credit:

1. A qualified current homeowner who wishes to move to a different home (a “move-up” buyer) must have owned and resided in their residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight. It’s not enough that you have been homeowners for five years—you must have been in the same home for five consecutive years.

2. Single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with a joint income up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit. According to Goldman Sachs, these income limits make approximately 70% of current homeowners eligible for the credit.

3. The maximum credit amount for current homeowners is $6,500. Under the new legislation, a tax credit may only be issued for homes purchased for $800,000 or less.

4. Even though the term “move-up” is used to describe these buyers, the credit is not predicated on buying a home of higher value than your current home.

5. Move-up buyers are not required to sell their current home to qualify for the credit. They must reside in the new home for at least three years, but they can keep their existing home and either leave it vacated or use it for rental purposes.

These are just a few of the key facts surrounding the move-up buyer tax credit. If you would like to find out more, including whether or not you are eligible for the credit, please e-mail me. Be sure to forward this email to all your homeowner friends so they can take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Top 5 Facts You Need to Know about the Expanded Home Buyers Tax Credit

On November 6, President Obama signed the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 into law, extending and expanding the important home buyer tax credit, and thereby providing many Americans with just the break they need to buy a first home or move up to a new home.

One of the requirements for becoming a Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network® is to provide my community with critical real estate information so you can make the best possible decision when buying or selling a home. To that end, I wanted to pass along some key facts about the extended and expanded tax credit that are critical for you to understand in order to take advantage of this opportunity:

1. Eligibility: The tax credit is now available for first-time home buyers and eligible current homeowners. A first-time home buyer is an individual who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. This law applies for both parties in a married couple; if you haven’t owned a home for three years, but your husband has, then neither one of you can qualify for the tax credit. A qualified current homeowner who wished to move to a different home, must have owned and resided in their residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight.

2. Salary requirements: Single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with a joint income up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit. Single taxpayers who earn between $125,000 and $145,000, and married couples who earn between $225,000 and $245,000 are eligible to receive a partial credit.

3. Amount of credit: The maximum credit amount for first-time home buyers is $8,000; the maximum credit amount for current homeowners is $6,500. The federal tax credit amounts to 10% of the cost of the home, up to a maximum credit of $8,000 for first-time home buyers and $6,500 for current homeowners. Under the new legislation, a tax credit may only be issued for homes purchased for $800,000 or less. The tax credit is a true credit—it does not have to be repaid unless the homeowner sells or stops using the home as their principal residence within three years after the purchase.

4. It’s refundable: The tax credit is fully refundable, meaning the credit will be paid out to eligible taxpayers, even if you owe no tax or the credit is more than the tax owed. The credit is claimed using Form 5405, which you file with your original or amended tax return.

5. Timeline: The credit is available for homes purchased on or after November 7, 2009 and before May 1, 2010. The federal income credit can be claimed on one’s individual or joint tax return for the purchase of any single-family home (newly-constructed or resale, single-family detached, townhomes or condominiums) between the dates of November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010. Home purchases subject to a binding sales contract signed before May 1, 2010 will also qualify for the tax credit as long as closing occurs by June 30, 2010.

For more information on the home buyer tax credit, e-mail me or visit www.irs.gov. Please forward this email to friends and family who may also be able to take advantage of this unique opportunity to purchase the home they’ve always wanted.

DONOVAN ANNOUNCES RECOVERY ACT’S HOMEBUYER TAX CREDIT CAN IMMEDIATELY HELP THOUSANDS OF FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS TO BUY A HOME
FHA plan will stimulate new home sales and help stabilize housing market
WASHINGTON – Speaking to the National Association of Home Builders Spring Board of Directors Meeting, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will allow homebuyers to apply the Obama Administration’s new $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit toward the purchase costs of a FHA-insured home. Donovan said that today’s action will help stabilize the nation’s housing market by stimulating home sales across the country.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 offers homebuyers a tax credit of up to $8,000 for purchasing their first home. Families can only access this credit after filing their tax returns with the IRS. Today’s announcement details FHA’s rules allowing state Housing Finance Agencies and certain non-profits to “monetize” up to the full amount of the tax credit (depending on the amount of the mortgage) so that borrowers can immediately apply the funds toward their down payments. Home buyers using FHA-approved lenders can apply the tax credit to their down payment in excess of 3.5 percent of appraised value or their closing costs, which can help achieve a lower interest rate. To read the FHA’s new mortgagee letter, visit HUD’s website.

“We believe this is a real win for everyone,” said Donovan. “Today, the Obama Administration is taking another important step toward accelerating the recovery of the nation’s housing market. Families will now be able to apply their anticipated tax credit toward their home purchase right away. At the same time we are putting safeguards in place to ensure that consumers will be protected from unscrupulous lenders. What we’re doing today will not only help these families to purchase their first home but will present an enormous benefit for communities struggling to deal with an oversupply of housing.”

Currently, borrowers applying for an FHA-insured mortgage are required to make a minimum 3.5 percent downpayment on the purchase of their home. Current law does not permit approved lenders to monetize the tax credit to meet the required 3.5 percent minimum down payment, but, under the terms of today’s announcement, lenders can now monetize the tax credit for use as additional down payment, or for other closing costs, which can help achieve a lower interest rate. Buyers financing through state Housing Finance Agencies and certain non-profits will be able to use the tax credit for their downpayments via secondary financing provided by the HFA or non-profit. In addition to the borrower’s own cash investment, FHA allows parents, employers and other governmental entities to contribute towards the downpayment. Today’s action permits the first-time homebuyer’s anticipated tax credit under the Recovery Act to be applied toward the family’s home purchase right away. Unlike seller-funded down-payment assistance, which was a vehicle for abuse, this program will allow homebuyers to shop for the best home price and services using their anticipated tax credit.

According to estimates by the National Association of Home Builders, the Administration’s homebuyer tax credit will stimulate 160,000 home sales across the nation – 101,000 of which will be first-time buyers who will receive the credit. Another 59,000 existing homeowners will be able to buy another home because a first-time buyer purchased their home. Given FHA’s current market share, it’s estimated that thousands of families will be able to purchase a home by allowing the anticipated tax credit to be applied toward their purchase together with an FHA-insured mortgage.

Homebuyers should beware of mortgage scams and carefully compare benefits and costs when seeking out tax credit monetization services. Programs will vary from organization to organization and borrowers should consider whether the services make sense for them, as well as what company offers the most suitable and affordable option.

For every FHA borrower who is assisted through the tax credit program, FHA will collect the name and employer identification number of the organization providing the service as well as associated fees and charges. FHA will use this information to track the business closely and will refer any questionable practices to the appropriate regulatory agencies, as necessary.

The secretary of HUD made an announcement Monday and a HUD/FHA letter was published on the website Monday night stating the the $8000 could be used for upfront down payment (although the mortgage letter was vague at best and has been removed from the site).

BUT……..the new director of HUD pulled that Mortgagee letter Thursday morning and it is no longer even available on the HUD website because it appeared to violate a federal law that became effective October 1, 2008.

Link below for FHA mortgagee letters

http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/letters/mortgagee/

This theoretical program is now off the table…….and cannot NOT be used until there is a real concept of how to offer borrowers with real answers as to where the money might come from.

Before this happens there will need to be:

1. State agencies approved who have funds for the down payment . Note – Texas is working on this currently and we will probably have more information by June 1, 2009.

2. A Change to the HUD guidelines on the time frame that is allowable for a bridge loan as current guidelines state that loans must be amortized over 10 years with no balloon so this would have to be revised.

3. A change to the IRS guidelines allowing the refund to be assigned to a state or non-profit entity.

It is also important to know that some mortgage companies in the area have already closed loans in which they allowed the buyer to use the $8000 as their down payment. The problem is that those loans cannot now get insured or securitized. As of right now (today), buyers cannot close an FHA or Conventional loan using the $8000 as a down payment

From Doug Martin DFW Mtg

Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, on Tuesday said that the Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow home buyers to use the $8,000 tax credit as a down payment.

Previously, most buyers wouldn’t receive the funds until after they filed their tax return, and that deterred some people from using the credit. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® has been calling for the change.

“We all want to enable FHA consumers to access the home buyer tax credit funds when they close on their home loans so that the cash can be used as a down payment,” Donovan says. His remarks came in an address to several thousand REALTORS® gathered Tuesday morning at “The Real Estate Summit: Advancing the U.S. Economy,” at the 2009 REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C..

He says FHA’s approved lenders will be permitted to “monetize” the tax credit through short-term bridge loans. This will allow eligible home buyers to access the funds immediately at the closing table.