Monday, October 5, is the last day for Fulton County residents to postmark voter registration forms in order to vote in the November 3 elections, including city general elections.
Get the registration forms and other info HERE: http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/voter_registration/voter_reg_app.htm
At the National Association of REALTORS® Real Estate Summit on May 12, 2009, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced a program that allows borrowers to use the first-time homebuyer tax credit for a down payment or closing costs on an FHA-insured mortgage. Further details of the program were announced today (May 29). Government entities and instrumentalities of government may provide a second mortgage. Currently, 10 state housing finance agencies offer a product buyers can use that will effectively monetize the tax credit for down payment purposes. These states are Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The 3.5 percent down payment may also be a gift from a family member, employer or nonprofit, charitable organization.
To read a copy of just-released mortgagee letter, click HERE.
Guidance also released allows lenders to offer the monetized tax credit for down payments in excess of 3.5 percent, closing costs and interest rate buy downs. Mortgage industry leaders have indicated that this type of product may not be immediately available to consumers as lenders will need time to develop documentation for what will effectively be personal loans to the home buyer. If you have questions about this new HUD program, please contact me today!
Governor Signs Bill to Change the Factors Used in Determining Property Tax Assessments The Governor signed SB 55 last week giving protection to property owners in the property tax assessment process. SB 55 requires city and county tax assessors to consider foreclosure sales, bank sales, distressed sales, or any combination thereof, of comparable real property when determining the fair market value for property tax assessments. Property owners across the state have seen the value of their homes decrease due to direct competition with undervalued foreclosure and distressed sales. SB 55 aims to protect property owners by requiring the tax assessor’s office to consider foreclosure, bank, and distressed sales during the valuation process helping to ensure the tax digest reflects recent fluctuations in the market and property owners pay ad valorem tax based on actual fair market value. For more information on SB 55, click here: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/sum/sb55.htm
For an Adobe Acrobat .pdf version of the actual bill, click here: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/pdf/sb55.pdf
For new schools! Henry is the 7th largest school system in Georgia. The Referendum will provide revenue for 2 high schools, 1 middle school and 4 elementary schools plus additions and renovations at existing schools.
For more classrooms!Current enrollment is 39,665 students with 7,400 students served in approximately 400 portable classrooms. Over 7,700 additional students are expected in the next 10 years.
For better services! Technology and transportation enhancements are needed to accommodate growth, provide a safe environment for our children and offer the type of education they need to succeed.
The cost of the proposed school bond referendum is $36 per year on a $100,000 home.
For more information visit the FAQ page at www.henry.k12.ga.us or call Lee Spahos at (678) 300-2532.
The Special Election for the Henry County Schools' Bond Referendum will be on March 17, 2009 at all County precincts.
Henry County's Elections and Registration main office: 66 Veterans Drive, McDonough, 30253. Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Message provided by the Committee for Our Children's Future, a coalition of advocates, including HCCC, for passage of the March 17th HCS Bond Referendum, and previously distributed by:
What affect will this legislation have on the South Metro Atlanta market? Will this legislation help reduce the number of foreclosed homes sitting vacant in our communities? Will families who have experienced job loss, overwhelming medical bills or other financial hardships have any options for housing?
While most home buyers are still trying to unravel the mystery of the "First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit", the president is rallying support for more changes. So what is this tax credit? How does it work? Who is eligible? In a nutshell, the current First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit can be explained, as follows:
For First Time Home purchases on or after April 9, 2008:
- $7,500 tax CREDIT (not money paid at closing) for homes with a sales price of $75,000 or more. If the purchase price is less than $75,000, then the credit will be 10% of the purchase price.
- If the home buyer elects to take the credit, it must be repaid over a period of several years. This is essentially a LOAN given by the government when you file your taxes. There is ZERO interest.
For First Time Home purchases between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009:
- $8,000 tax CREDIT (still a credit to be taken when you file your taxes, NOT money paid at closing) for homes with a sales price of $80,000 or more. If the purchase price is less than $80,000, then the credit will be 10% of the purchase price.
- If the purchaser elects to take the credit, they are not obligated to repay it - AT ALL!
South Metro Atlanta will see benefits from the $500 Million approved for Rural Housing programs. Many houses throughout Henry, Butts and Spalding county qualify for these ZERO DOWNPAYMENT loans simply because they are located in a Rural Area. If you would like to see if YOU qualify for this program, Contact Joe Farro with Premier Capital Mortgage. He is very knowledgeable on the Rural Housing programs and his blog is a great source of continuing information on the real estate and mortgage markets in the South Metro Atlanta area.
Neighborhood Stabilization funds (NSP) have been allocated to the Clayton County, Georgia area. These funds will provide grants through the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG) that may be used to take vacant and unwanted homes off the market by allowing local governments to purchase, repair and resell these properties. Potential buyers for these homes may qualify for financing that can be provided by local governments through these funds. Once the property has been purchased and rehabbed, individuals and families with incomes at or below 120% of the local median income will have the opportunity to rent these homes. NSP funds used in a responsible manner through neighborhood stabilization programs have the potential to clean up vacant and unsightly foreclosed homes, and provide housing to families who have been affected by the current economic situation.
So with all of the details of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 still being sorted and implemented, what affect will President Obama's aggressive budget proposal have on the real estate market? The National Association of Realtors (NAR) opposes more changes to the mortgage interest deduction provisions of the budget proposal for several reasons as seen at Realtor.org. If you feel strongly for or against the president's budget proposal or any specific provision within, you have a civic obligation to let your elected officials know how you feel.
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked the stock boy, 'Do these turkeys get any bigger?'
The stock boy answered, 'No ma' am, they're dead.'
When was the last time you turned over that bottle of window cleaner you use every week and read the ingredients. Have you spent time scrubbing grout in your bathroom and left the room after several minutes with your head spinning or later felt the affects of a severe headache? How "ventilated" is a "well ventilated area" when you are cleaning with ordinary household supplies? With all of the media concern over the environment, everybody has probably heard something recently about the environmental concerns over disposal of toxic household chemicals. Have you ever thought about the other dangers of toxic chemicals in your house: indoor air pollution, poisoning of children or pets, or even explosions caused by trapped harmful vapors? More details of common hazardous household products and effective alternatives can be found in The Hazardless Home Handbook, a great publication created in cooperation between the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Metro.
Cleaning supplies are not the only household chemicals that should be considered a concern...air fresheners and deodorizers need to be stored and used carefully as they may contain ingredients such as formaldehyde. What about your arts and craft supplies? Read the labels carefully as some may contain chemicals like mercury or even arsenic. Chemically sensitive individuals / infants have been reportedly poisoned from clothes kept in a closet with naphthalene-containing moth balls.
Several alternatives to the common chemicals found around a typical US home can be explored in the publication US EPA Household Cleaner Alternatives Around the Home. For instance, did you know that baking soda is good for more than idly setting in the back of your refrigerator quietly deodorizing your veggies?
1. Make a solution of 1/4 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and 1 gallon of hot water. This mixture will clean of grease and grime as well as deodorize.
2. Carpet Freshener - just sprinkle baking soda onto your carpet as you would any store bought carpet deodorizer. Wait 30 minutes. Then vacuum as usual.
3. We in Georgia love our sweet tea - you can use a paste of baking soda and a bit of water to clean the tea stains from your plastic pitchers, tea cups or mugs. Can you see how this would be waaaayy better for you than an overnight bleach soak?
4. Want something a little unusual....Kill cockroaches! Mix an equal solution of baking soda and sugar and set out milk jug lids with this concoction in dark corners. They may be rumored to have the ability to survive a nuclear attack, but just let them try to get past your milk lids filled with cockroach death by baking soda!!!
There are even green cleaning options available for Commercial operations. Companies such as One Source in Atlanta (and other cities around the US) are providing green cleaning services to commercial buildings. One Source calls their program Green Sweep and it is totally customizable to your company's collective needs. From using green products and offering specialized recycling programs or even if you are working toward a LEED certification.
If you'd like to explore your green cleaning options further, consider subscribing to the National Geographic Green Guide magazine. This publication, which launched as a newsletter back in 1994, assists consumers in finding new products and practices, while considering the resources required to make them and the waste they will become (consumer environmentalism). As one would expect from a National Geographic publication, the products and opinions presented will reflect information documented in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Results are in from the Georgia Primary Election that took place on July 15, 2008. The highly debated race for the County Chairman seat shows "BJ" Elizabeth Mathis and Fred Auletta as the county favorites on the republican ticket. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top during the run-off scheduled for August 5, 2008. Advance voting will be available July 28 - August 1 at the locations shown on the Henry County Elections website. If you are unsure where to vote, you can find your precinct and voting location here.
As for me, I am spending my week in lovely (but rainy) Savannah, GA at the Graduate Realtor Institute. Forever on my quest for continuing education, I expect to come away from this experience with a greatly expanded network of Georgia Realtors and a book load of new knowledge I can use to improve the level of customer service provided by the team of Olivia Futrell & Assoc. My intentions are to use the GRI designation to satisfy the broker prelicense requirement, then sit for my broker exam within the next month. Wish me luck!
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.
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