Ann Arbor and Saline Michigan Residents, below is a chart comparing the Extended Version of the Tax Credit to the one that is expiring on November 30th.
Below is a chart prepared by the National Association of REALTORS ® comparing the new changes to the Homebuyer Tax Credit.
The biggest change is that current Homeowners are now eligible if they sell their current homes and then buy AFTER the date of enactment of this extension which is November 6th, 2009.
Because of widespread incidents of fraud, purchasers must now attach documentation proving they actually bought a qualifying home to qualify for the credit.
Additinally the income guidelines have been increased, now a single taxpayer can qualify if they earn up to $125,000 and up to $225,000 for married taxpayers.
The rationale for increasing the income limits and expanding the credit to existing homeowner is that it should encourage more higher priced home purchases. Currently the existing tax credit was driving mostly lower end purchases.
Jim Lee, CRS, ABR, GRI, ACRE, NAR Certified e-PRO Trainer ***************************************************************** Visit my blog: www.KnoxvilleTennesseeRealEstateBlog.com Realty Executives Associates, Knoxville, Tennessee See all Knoxville area Realtor listings at: www.KnoxvilleHomeCenter.com (865) 693-3232, My Personal Toll Free # 1-800-662-2488 ext. 163 mailto:Jim@JimLee.com
Click here to subscribe to my blog and get up to the minute news and reports about real estate in the greater Knoxville, Tennessee area.
When you go to the link above it will take you to the site you vote at. Many folks know,but it can be different in mid-year elections. Once you have doe that you can click to see what and who is on your ballot.
I vote in Pittisfied Township, we only have one question on our ballot.
We ae voting for or against a millage called the Regional Enhancement Millage Proposal. This year there has been strong opposition to this millage. Many people feel the public schools have not done enough to reduce the cost of their budgets.
There is a great post on A2chronicle that goes into the pro's and con's of the milage proposal. I would recommend reading this unbiased report of checking out some of the links to see the pro's and con's before voting. I think Mary did a great job of being fair to both sides.
Below is how it will read on the ballot:
REGIONAL ENHANCEMENT MILLAGE PROPOSAL Pursuant to state law, the revenue raised by the proposed millage will be collected by the intermediate school district and distributed to local public school districts based on pupil membership count.
Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Michigan, be increased by 2 mills ($2.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 5 years, 2009 to 2013, inclusive, to provide operating funds to enhance other state and local funding for local school district operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2009 is approximately $30,000,000?
Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com
Our TEAM of 6 buyer associates are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI.
Michael Lampert Esq., the tax attorney who is Of Counsel to my law office has alerted me that on October 21, 2009 the IRS issued a new form, 4506T-EZ, entitled "Short Form Request for Individual Tax Return Transcript". This new form will make it easier for homeowners trying to short sale, modify, refinance or finance their mortgages to obtain their tax return transcripts.
A transcript is a computer print out that includes most line items on the original return. Many lenders accept the transcript as a substitute for a copy of the original tax return for income and other verification purposes.
Many of you that do short sales or loan modifications are familiar with the old 4506T form usually requested by lenders as part of the request documentation. This new form is a simplified ("EZ") form of the 4506T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return. It is only for obtaining copies of 1040 series (including 1040A and 1040EZ) individual income tax returns. It can be filled out online, printed, and then submitted by fax or mail. Upon the taxpayer's request, the transcript can be sent directly to a third party, such as a lender. It is expected that a request will take 10 days to process.
As a reminder, taxpayers still should keep copies of their original return in a safe place. Copies of the actual tax return can be obtained by filing form 4506, Request for Copy of the Return, usually at a cost of $57 per return and a two month time frame.
Taxpayers also should be careful to fill out all parts of the form, including the years requested and who is to receive the information. Remember that once the IRS sends the information to a third party, such as a lender, the IRS has no control over what a third party does with the information.
Copyright 2009 Richard P. Zaretsky, Esq.
Be sure to contact your own attorney for your state laws, and always consult your own attorney on any legal decision you need to make. This article is for information purposes and is not specific advice to any one reader.
Richard Zaretsky, Esq., RICHARD P. ZARETSKY P.A. ATTORNEYS AT LAW, 1655 PALM BEACH LAKES BLVD, SUITE 900, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33401, PHONE 561 689 6660 RPZ99@Florida-Counsel.com - FLORIDA BAR BOARD CERTIFIED IN REAL ESTATE LAW - We assist Brokers and Sellers with Short Sales and Modifications and Consult with Brokers and Sellers Nationwide! Shortsales@Florida-Counsel.com New Website www.Florida-Counsel.com.
In the Depression of the 1930's, the jobless father of 4 asked the farmer if he could work on the farm for a day in exchange for food to feed his family.
In the Depression of 2010 do we just take the food from the farmer because, after all, you and your family are entitled to eat?
Are we:
Entitled to a life better than our parents had?
Entitled to own real estate?
Entitled to dis-own real estate?
Entitled to be bailed out?
Entitled to a job?
Entitled to health care? And to social security when we grow old?
You would sure think so by what surrounds us.
Why work? Why pay your bills? Why take care of your health and your finances? Why respect what others have earned?
Do we take the course that will help us? Or do we just help ourselves to what others have produced?
When did we start to believe that America owed us more thanlife, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
Is it because the government has redefined the word "rights" to include never needing to suffer?
Is it because a generation came of age when stock market wealth and real estate equity made it seem like real work was obsolete?
Did 100% stated income loans with a few years of teaser rates train us to believe the American Dream was what every American deserved?
Did plastic in our wallets make it seem like our rights included unlimited gratification?
Somehow, we have lost our way.
Let us hope to sprout fresh green grass across America we do not need to completely kill the roots.
Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker and Direct Lender Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area
Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com
Our TEAM of 6 buyer associates are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI.
The Arts in Saline, is where you can find great entertainment from the Saline Fiddlers, Saline Big Band, Fiddlers ReStrung, the New Horizon Band, and the Two Twelve Arts Center.
Be Saline is a place where people say hello with a smile. Saline is a place where you can raise your children without lowering your expectations.
If you like to twitter about Saline, I also have a site where you can add your twitter feed. Just use the #(hash tag) #a2bnsaline and it will automatically post your information. Check it out and you will find our Superintendent and many principals tweet.
Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com
Our TEAM of 6 buyer associates are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI.
The announcement is that you can now search for homes on Google Maps. I had heard "something" was coming. Tonight I had the opportunity to check my listings and see how they were showing up.
First you have to make sure ONE of your sites is syndicating to Google Maps. This is NOT Google Base.
When I check 5-6 of my listings the first one to show up was from my VFlyer of that listing. Another big syndication site taking advantage of this new feature early on it ListHub.net.
According to the Google Blog:
First of all, we've made it easier to find real estate listings. Now, you can simply select "Real Estate" from the 'More' button on the top right of any Google Map to discover listings. From there, it's a simple matter to refine your search using the left hand panel - price, bedrooms, bathrooms, and so on. Of course, you can still pan the map to search for the perfect neighborhood and it'll automatically update with more listings.
Go though and check your listings and see how they are being syndicated. Actually I didn't check all of mine, just enough so that I could see how this would work.
I think it is a really great feature as the it gives buyers or sellers one more way to find you and the listing goes right back to you with your contact information. More questions just read the Official Google Blog.
Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com
Our TEAM of 6 buyer associates are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI.
This is Marine Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani. For more than 20 years, the Colonel has had your back. He's had your back three different times in Iraq including the second battle of Fallujah; once in the first Persian Gulf War and has also served in Panama.
It has been said by his superiors that Col Chessani has unlimited potential and value to the Marine Corps. That he has demonstrated moral courage and that he is a superb leader.
And now on December 1, 2009 he is facing a Military Board of Inquiry (BOI) to figure out if he is guilty of misconduct and should be demoted in rank. All this because of the "Haditha Massacre" - a "massacre" that quite literally never happened.
The question must be asked. Why is the Government going after this fine Marine Officer? Someone who represents the very best America has to offer? And why are they doing it on a trumped up charge? What is the purpose of trying to destroy this truly great American hero?
Let's take a step back first. Almost four years ago to the day (November 19, 2005) a Marine convoy was moving through Haditha in Iraq - a terrorist stronghold. A roadside bomb exploded and the convoy took casualties. One United States Marine dead and two more seriously injured when the bomb went off under a Humvee. Gunfire directed at the Marines started immediately from the ambushing insurgents who were holed up in nearby civilian-occupied home.
The officer at the scene ordered four Marines - at great risk to themselves - to storm those homes from where the terrorists were firing. What happened next was a house-by-house, room-by-room battle in which nine terrorists were killed. There were also 15 civilian casualties who might have been shot by the Marines or the terrorists or a combination of the two. Obviously the death of civilians is always terrible - but not as common an occurrence as some people might think.
The bottom line here is that the colonel IMMEDIATELY reported those 15 deaths to his superiors. In fact the Pentagon had his battlefront report within 24 hours. NOT A SINGLE superior officer - including generals - thought it unusual. NOT ONE OF THEM suggested an investigation. In fact those officers went so far as to commend Lt Col Chessani for a job well done.
Then along came Time Magazine. MASSACRE they screamed. John Murtha jumped on the bandwagon accusing the Marines of cold blooded murder - even saying there was no firefight! He said the Marines were stressed from being in country for too long.
The Liberals went nuts. Our brave military were torturers; murderers; rapists - and of course, responsible for the "Massacre at Haditha" - that has a nice ring to it, don't you think?
The largest investigation in the history of the NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Services) .........
Take that in again!!! - The largest investigation in the history of the NCIS including 65 full time agents went on a year-long, multi-million Dollar digging trip - targeting the Colonel and his four enlisted men.
The Government has LOST at every stage of the criminal process. The four marines have been cleared. At one point they were charging Lt Col Chessani criminally. The Government's case? He did not file the proper paperwork. Had he been convicted he would have faced two and a half years in prison!!
One of the military judges who heard testimony in the case, had the following to say about the Government's evidence and pursuit of this national hero.
"To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary and sets a dangerous precedent that, in my opinion, may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and mission in Iraq. Even more dangerous is the potential that a Marine may hesitate at the critical moment when facing the enemy..." - Military Judge, LtCol Paul Ware, USMC
So now he faces this BOI. There are no rules of evidence as we understand them. No cross examination; no subpoena of witnesses. The Government merely has to prove misconduct by a preponderance of the evidence - not beyond a reasonable doubt. The Board could demote him or force him to retire. He could lose his retirement and health benefits for himself and his family.
And at the end of the day, the Government is charging him with failing to report a criminal incident which EVERYONE now understands DID NOT TAKE PLACE!
On Monday of this week Brian Rooney - one of the owners of the Pitsburg Steelers and a Marine Reserve Major himself - was my guest while I was filling in on 540 WFLA. It's a fascinating interview and you can here it BY CLICKING HERE- the top of Hour Two on 10/26/09.
Brian is one of the attorneys representing this Marine through the non-profit Thomas More Law Center. They are doing it for free. They will examine thousands of pages of reports; personally interview witnesses and travel the 2,000 miles to the BOI in California - an event that is expected to last for weeks.
Please check out their website and see if you can help. They are all that is standing between this Marine and Governmental crucifixion! - http://www.thomasmore.org/
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!!
Make sure Lt Col Chessani understands just how much we Patriots get it!
Simon Conway is the two-time winner of the FIVE STAR Best in Client Satisfaction for Real Estate Agents in the Orlando area.
Please give me a call if you have questions about the Central Florida real estate market. You can reach me on 407 876 8200. Also visit my web site at www.simonconway.net or www.move2orlando.net
Live like you are dying, the lyrics of this Tim McGraw song speaks volumes to many different people.
As I listened to what this song is advocating, It occurred to me many sellers should heed this lesson. They put a price on a property that they think "someday" it may sell for. If moving on with your life requires the sale of a property you own...there is not an infinite amount of time to accomplish this sale. Life is Short.
What got me thinking about this, is I have several short sales a bank owned sale and a probate property that are pending. With these sales the process to close will be longer (in some cases much longer) than the time it took to find a buyer. The price was right, the buyers where motivated and the sellers showed their willingness to sell, by pricing the property to sell.
List like the market is dying. Life is Short.
#1 If you are going to buy after this sale...the sooner you sell the sooner you are in the buyers shoes (you are merely trading equity...if you buy a replacement property).
#2 Moving on is far less painful than hanging on (how many months of mortgages, taxes, insurance utilities will be spend holding...after you admit you want to sell).
#3 You may be better off renting for a time (dropping the major maintenance costs and healing your credit may put you in a better place in the long run than draining your savings, while waiting to score on unrealistic re-sales).
My Bucket list doesn't include living in a home I can't afford...and waiting for someone to over pay me for the same privileges. Life is Short.
Steve Loynd, White Mountain New Hampshire real Estate Expert
We have a ton of content that we have posted on if we have been blogging for any amount of time. Now some posts if we use the long tail stay on Google for a long time. Others posts may drop down if we don't keep fresh content coming. But,there is a way to keep those posts alive and doing their job of continuing to educate consumers and associates.
Several ways I have used to keep that content alive are as follows
In March of 2009, I took the plunge and had a new web site created by Dakno, using my old domain name MissyCaulk.com. I had struggled on what to do for 3 years, as I had worked hard to get that site up from beyond page 49 to page 1 and I didn't want to just drop it even though I did not desire that site anymore.
One of the great features about my Dakno Web-Site is the ability to create as many pages as I want to with Agent Back Door. This makes the site updated with fresh content. I no longer have to call up my web-master and wait 3-5 days to get something changed.
The second place I have used Blog Content is on the Pages for Buyers and Sellers. Both of these pages are from blog posts I had written on Activerain. I have literally filled my neighborhood pages from all my blog posts on Activerain they have been about local neighborhoods.
Why reinvent the wheel?
I have recently hired two new Buyer Agents and just this past week, Kim emailed me and asked for help with getting a data base set up. Rather than write it all down again, I remembered that during the MakeOverToTakeOver Contest that was sponsored by Activerain in 2007, one of our challenges had been to write on our data base.
I found the post and emailed it to Kim.
Rarely a day goes by that I don't get at least one email from someone on Activerain that has questions about lead management, registering on web-sites, my Tiger Lead Site or various other topics.
If I have written on it, which I usually have I answer their question and send them the post.
Last year I received a phone call from a consumer who was considering moving to Saline. She had heard Saline Schools were good and had questions on them. Since all my children had attended Saline, it was easy to tell her as much as possible about them. BUT, the main thing I did was go into my blogs on Activerain and send her all the posts on Saline Schools for her reading.
Lastly, many times when we set up our profiles on different Social Network sites, they would like a blog. I usually just go to my Activerain Archives find a older post, post it there and bring it back to life.
If someone has asked a question on Trulia Voices and I know there is a post I have written, I will link to that particular post rather than just my main blog or web-site.
With the TAG Box on the right side bar it is easy to find the old posts we have written and use them to help one another out, serve the consumer and bring it back to life.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com
In the Depression of 2010 do we just take the food from the farmer because, after all, you and your family are entitled to eat?
Is it because a generation came of age when stock market wealth and real estate equity made it seem like real work was obsolete? 
The City of Saline launched
Posted by 
Steve Loynd, White Mountain New Hampshire real Estate Expert
;)
;)
