Well, happy new year everyone! Personally I’m glad 2009 is over… it was a strange, but not a wonderful year for me, and it’s good to start fresh again, getting a chance to reevaluate goals, and their desired results.
Now as the principal broker of my own new company, it's going to be exciting to begin hiring agents with similar goals as my own, and dedicate my efforts to helping them succeed with the use of blogging, and social media networking, as a part of our marketing efforts.
In addition to that, I look forward to starting another business with my husband, that we hope fills a need within the industry and local community that is currently not being supplied. I will reveal more of that soon, as we progress into the start-up phases.
I have committed myself to a new blog post every day for the next 365, and this is the first! I’m bursting with ideas, but wanted to start the year out by declaring some of my goals to you, so that I can be held accountable for fulfilling them.
After battling some health issues, and injuries in 2009 that made working very difficult, it is nice to have something to look forward to in 2010, and it seems like everything is working together to help me reach my goals, and get me back on track.
The clients that I currently am working with, and several that I’ve been cultivating, I will continue to work with until their transactions are complete, but my goal is to be non-competing, as a broker, after I get my first 10 agents hired.
I am generating leads now, and will begin giving those leads to my new agents after that goal has been met, to help them be productive while I teach them how to generate their own leads using blogging, and the social media networks.
The real estate industry has taken a beating as well in 2009, so together we will “pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again.” I became pretty discouraged as the past 12 months seemed to just become one set-back after another, but I’ve put that behind me, and look forward to moving forward over the coming year.
How was 2009 for you? Did you find it more difficult than you expected, or were you able to overcome your obstacles and make some progress? What is your most important goal for the coming year? I’d love to hear from you, and any advice you may have regarding my stated goals. Happy New Year, and may we all have a year of dreams come true!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Friday, July 31, 2009
Home Mortgage Deductions About to Be Phased Out
The American Dream is often paired with owning one’s own home. For decades Legislator’s have protected that dream with allowing home owners to claim the mortgage interest paid on their homes as a tax deduction. With a possible phase out of this deduction, could the dream fade?
“There are no cows more sacred in the tax code than the deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes. Together, they add up to at least the $75 billion annual subsidy for housing and Homeowners.” The New York Times
In 2002, 37.2 million taxpayers claimed the deduction, writing off $336.6 billion, or about $9,000 per taxpayer. Representing about 37% or so of itemized deductions, it was slightly more than itemized deductions for deductible state and local taxes, and twice as much in deductions as charitable donations. Clearly, the mortgage deduction is important and worth a huge amount of money.
In 2005 it was estimated that:* The mortgage interest deduction will cost the Treasury $72.6 billion, according to congressional estimates.* The $250,000 and $500,000 tax-free exclusions of home sale profits for single sellers and joint filers, respectively, will cost $23 billion.* Property tax write-offs cost $20 billion, and tax subsidies for local and state housing bond programs account for $1 billion.
When a congressional committee examined the distribution of homeowner benefits for 2004, it found that people earning $200,000 and more a year – just one-half of 1% of all homeowners filing for deductions – pocketed 22% of the $70.2 billion in write-offs in 2004.
In 2007, Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) unveiled a draft of his “carbon tax” legislative reform package. Part of this draft legislation was a phase out the mortgage interest deduction on large homes. The phase-out schedule for the mortgage interest write-off, beginning with houses of 3,000 square feet, which would lose 15 percent of their deductions, and ending with houses of 4,200 square feet and larger, which would receive no deductions at all.
Dingel said: “In order to address the issues of climate change, we must address the issue of consumption-we do that by making consumption more expensive.”
Naturally, with the real estate market bust, the Dingell package was shelved. Once the housing market recovers, lets’ say two years from now, it’s a very good bet the administration will be looking hard at ways to increase taxes to pay down the huge bailouts. The unusual financial troubles and the move to green, will be the perfect time to push through such legislation. Unlike the Dingel proposal, which was aimed at larger homes, the future legislation will most probably cover all mortgage interest deductions. To increase its’ chance at passage, it is a good bet it will be a phased in plan with deductions decreasing over a number of years.
To get the reversal of the sacred deduction started, President Obama’s current impending budget proposes a cap on the mortgage interest rate deduction. Couples earning $208,850 or more would loose the deduction. Where currently households at the 33% and 35% tax rates are allowed the deduction, Obama would reduce their deduction to only 28% of the value of those payments. This is likely a first step to what seems to be a total elimination of mortgage tax deduction. If (when) this passes, Obama will find it easier to lower the earning cap for the mortgage tax deduction, leading up to an even lesser amount in the future. It seems on the horizon that the mortgage interest rate will be only for low income earners.
By: Bob Schwartz, California Real Estate Broker, Certified Residental Specialist
Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.comPermanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=390292&ca=Real+Estate
Read more of Bob's 'tell it like it is' real estate opinions & subscribe to his free RSS feed at: San Diego real estate blog Also visit San Diego real estate & San Diego real estate agents
“There are no cows more sacred in the tax code than the deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes. Together, they add up to at least the $75 billion annual subsidy for housing and Homeowners.” The New York Times
In 2002, 37.2 million taxpayers claimed the deduction, writing off $336.6 billion, or about $9,000 per taxpayer. Representing about 37% or so of itemized deductions, it was slightly more than itemized deductions for deductible state and local taxes, and twice as much in deductions as charitable donations. Clearly, the mortgage deduction is important and worth a huge amount of money.
In 2005 it was estimated that:* The mortgage interest deduction will cost the Treasury $72.6 billion, according to congressional estimates.* The $250,000 and $500,000 tax-free exclusions of home sale profits for single sellers and joint filers, respectively, will cost $23 billion.* Property tax write-offs cost $20 billion, and tax subsidies for local and state housing bond programs account for $1 billion.
When a congressional committee examined the distribution of homeowner benefits for 2004, it found that people earning $200,000 and more a year – just one-half of 1% of all homeowners filing for deductions – pocketed 22% of the $70.2 billion in write-offs in 2004.
In 2007, Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) unveiled a draft of his “carbon tax” legislative reform package. Part of this draft legislation was a phase out the mortgage interest deduction on large homes. The phase-out schedule for the mortgage interest write-off, beginning with houses of 3,000 square feet, which would lose 15 percent of their deductions, and ending with houses of 4,200 square feet and larger, which would receive no deductions at all.
Dingel said: “In order to address the issues of climate change, we must address the issue of consumption-we do that by making consumption more expensive.”
Naturally, with the real estate market bust, the Dingell package was shelved. Once the housing market recovers, lets’ say two years from now, it’s a very good bet the administration will be looking hard at ways to increase taxes to pay down the huge bailouts. The unusual financial troubles and the move to green, will be the perfect time to push through such legislation. Unlike the Dingel proposal, which was aimed at larger homes, the future legislation will most probably cover all mortgage interest deductions. To increase its’ chance at passage, it is a good bet it will be a phased in plan with deductions decreasing over a number of years.
To get the reversal of the sacred deduction started, President Obama’s current impending budget proposes a cap on the mortgage interest rate deduction. Couples earning $208,850 or more would loose the deduction. Where currently households at the 33% and 35% tax rates are allowed the deduction, Obama would reduce their deduction to only 28% of the value of those payments. This is likely a first step to what seems to be a total elimination of mortgage tax deduction. If (when) this passes, Obama will find it easier to lower the earning cap for the mortgage tax deduction, leading up to an even lesser amount in the future. It seems on the horizon that the mortgage interest rate will be only for low income earners.
By: Bob Schwartz, California Real Estate Broker, Certified Residental Specialist
Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.comPermanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=390292&ca=Real+Estate
Read more of Bob's 'tell it like it is' real estate opinions & subscribe to his free RSS feed at: San Diego real estate blog Also visit San Diego real estate & San Diego real estate agents
Increasing the Curb Appeal of Your House
By: Brenda Williams
Have you ever driven through a really nice neighborhood just so you could drool over the gorgeous homes? Have you ever wondered if someone does the same thing to your house? If you don't think that they do, then there are ways to turn this around. Unfortunately, we can't always force our neighbors to be a little cleaner, but we can improve our own house with the hopes that the idea will catch on with the rest of the neighborhood (if they aren't already taking care of their houses).
Increasing the curb appeal of your house can start with something as simple and as small as a can of paint. You would be amazed at how far a can of paint can go to increase the appeal of your home as well as increase the resale value. Other things that you can do externally to your house include maintaining the lawn and garden area (if there is one). The last thing that people want to see is lawn that is unkempt. There have been a few times when I've gone running or walking by houses and wondered if the house was abandoned only to be surprised and somewhat disgusted when someone actually walks out of the front door to get into their car. How can people let their properties go like that? Aren't they embarrassed?
If for no other reason, you should want to increase the curb appeal of your house because your home should be a place that welcomes you when you pull into the driveway. It should be a testament to all of the hard work you have put into it to be able to afford such a lovely place. That being said, you should take care to always maintain things this way you aren't faced with a day where you've suddenly discovered that over the years, everything has fallen apart. If you don't have a fence, you should consider getting one- especially if you have children or pets. Fences not only offer you privacy, but it helps to keep other wild animals off of your property. When choosing a fence, you should opt for a wooden fence, since it has one of the best retail values. The absolute worst fence that you could get is a chain link fence. Not only do chain link fences look trashy, but statistically, chain link fences lower the resale value of your home, not to mention the fact that it decreases the resale value of your neighborhood.
When maintaining your lawn, invest in or rent a lawn edger so that you can go along the edges of your lawn and achieve the neatest look possible. The last thing you want is lawn that is mowed but isn't neatly contained on the edges. If you have an old, broken down car, consider getting rid of it or moving it so that it is in no way, shape, or form visible on your property. In some neighborhoods, having an inoperable, broken down car parked in the street or even in your driveway is not allowed because it drags the neighborhood down. On that note, you should never work on your car in your driveway or anywhere on your property. You can wash your car, however. If you have oil spills or other stains in your driveway, it is advisable that you remove them by simply going to the hardwood store and purchasing the chemical solution to do so. All of this and more will drastically help to improve the curb appeal of your home.
Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com/Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=391625&ca=Real+Estate
Visit Brenda Williams at: http://www.interioranswers.com/
Have you ever driven through a really nice neighborhood just so you could drool over the gorgeous homes? Have you ever wondered if someone does the same thing to your house? If you don't think that they do, then there are ways to turn this around. Unfortunately, we can't always force our neighbors to be a little cleaner, but we can improve our own house with the hopes that the idea will catch on with the rest of the neighborhood (if they aren't already taking care of their houses).
Increasing the curb appeal of your house can start with something as simple and as small as a can of paint. You would be amazed at how far a can of paint can go to increase the appeal of your home as well as increase the resale value. Other things that you can do externally to your house include maintaining the lawn and garden area (if there is one). The last thing that people want to see is lawn that is unkempt. There have been a few times when I've gone running or walking by houses and wondered if the house was abandoned only to be surprised and somewhat disgusted when someone actually walks out of the front door to get into their car. How can people let their properties go like that? Aren't they embarrassed?
If for no other reason, you should want to increase the curb appeal of your house because your home should be a place that welcomes you when you pull into the driveway. It should be a testament to all of the hard work you have put into it to be able to afford such a lovely place. That being said, you should take care to always maintain things this way you aren't faced with a day where you've suddenly discovered that over the years, everything has fallen apart. If you don't have a fence, you should consider getting one- especially if you have children or pets. Fences not only offer you privacy, but it helps to keep other wild animals off of your property. When choosing a fence, you should opt for a wooden fence, since it has one of the best retail values. The absolute worst fence that you could get is a chain link fence. Not only do chain link fences look trashy, but statistically, chain link fences lower the resale value of your home, not to mention the fact that it decreases the resale value of your neighborhood.
When maintaining your lawn, invest in or rent a lawn edger so that you can go along the edges of your lawn and achieve the neatest look possible. The last thing you want is lawn that is mowed but isn't neatly contained on the edges. If you have an old, broken down car, consider getting rid of it or moving it so that it is in no way, shape, or form visible on your property. In some neighborhoods, having an inoperable, broken down car parked in the street or even in your driveway is not allowed because it drags the neighborhood down. On that note, you should never work on your car in your driveway or anywhere on your property. You can wash your car, however. If you have oil spills or other stains in your driveway, it is advisable that you remove them by simply going to the hardwood store and purchasing the chemical solution to do so. All of this and more will drastically help to improve the curb appeal of your home.
Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com/Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=391625&ca=Real+Estate
Visit Brenda Williams at: http://www.interioranswers.com/
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Gorgeous Home For Sale in Coveted Herriman Utah Location
This amazing Herriman Home For Sale sits on a 2.5 acre lot and was built in 1997. It has beautiful hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, 4 wonderful gas log fireplaces, and covered deck.
The home is a total of 8792 square feet that includes 5 bedrooms, and 7 bathrooms, as well as dream kitchen, and lovely mountain views.
There is a 4-car garage, and the terrain is hilly and sits in a natural setting. This Herriman Home For Sale is a Rambler Style with a large 2nd floor Bonus Room and has a second kitchen as well.
The asking price for this property is $939,900 and has a 100% finished basement.
For More Information, or To Schedule a Private Showing call Grace Ojuka with Re/Max at (801) 372-9202
Paragliding and Hang Gliding at Point of the Mountain Utah
20 miles from the downtown area of Salt Lake City Utah, and just 11 miles from downtown Herriman, Utah is an area that has become one of the fastest growing adventure sports areas in the state for Paragliding and Hang Gliding. It has become so popular that the state designated “The Point” as a Flight Park State Recreation Area.
The Point of the Mountain provides excellent flying conditions and is know for its friendly flying community. It is known worldwide as one of the best training sites in the world. It’s a great site for teaching and is a great place to gather experience for novice and intermediate flyers.
This site was first used by foot launched aviation in 1928, or earlier, and is the easiest and safest way to experience flight in its simplest form. People of all ages and all levels of athletic ability can learn how to be safe and successful in this sport and find themselves flying high with the birds in no time.
At an altitude of 5300 feet, the north slope has a vertical drop of 1200 feet, and is available for use April through June each year. If you want to experience a tandem Paragliding, or Hang Gliding flight or introductory lesson to see whether or not this sport is right for you, there are many quality locations that offer expert help, and instructors.
The Point of the Mountain provides excellent flying conditions and is know for its friendly flying community. It is known worldwide as one of the best training sites in the world. It’s a great site for teaching and is a great place to gather experience for novice and intermediate flyers.
This site was first used by foot launched aviation in 1928, or earlier, and is the easiest and safest way to experience flight in its simplest form. People of all ages and all levels of athletic ability can learn how to be safe and successful in this sport and find themselves flying high with the birds in no time.
At an altitude of 5300 feet, the north slope has a vertical drop of 1200 feet, and is available for use April through June each year. If you want to experience a tandem Paragliding, or Hang Gliding flight or introductory lesson to see whether or not this sport is right for you, there are many quality locations that offer expert help, and instructors.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Own a Piece of American Fork Utah History with This Historic Home For Sale
This great turn-of-the-century American Fork Home for Sale was built in 1891, but has an effective age of 1980 with it's remodeled kitchen, and fully preserved original wood. If you want something with character and charm then you must check this beauty out.
The home sits on a generous 0.42 acre lot and is 2,759 square feet with 5 bedrooms, and 2 full bathrooms. This is a full brick home that has some stained glass, and vaulted ceilings. The lot is fully fenced, secluded, and flat with mountain views.
The asking price on this American Fork Utah Home For Sale is just $269,000, and must be seen in person to be fully appreciated.
For more information, or to schedule a private showing of this Home For Sale, contact Grace Ojuka with Re/Max at (801) 372-9202
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