first time buyer: Why Our Buyers Receive Preferential Treatment - 03/14/12 12:50 AM
Why Our Buyers Receive Preferential Treatment One of the services we offer to people who are thinking about buying a home in Austin is a referral to a good lender who can give them a pre-qualification for free.  In fact, we go so far as to insist that our clients have a pre-approval letter on file before we go out and look at homes in Austin together.  Why? Why Get Pre-Qualified? Pre-qualification acts as a dry run of the loan application process. The mortgage lender will use details you provide about your credit, income, assets and debts to arrive at an estimate of … (1 comments)

first time buyer: First Time Home Buyer Credit - 2009 Version - 03/04/09 04:18 PM
$8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance
The tax credit is for first-time home buyers only. The tax credit does not have to be repaid. The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home's purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000. The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009. Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit. The two biggest changes other than the amount is that these funds do not have to be … (0 comments)

first time buyer: Don't File Your Taxes Until You Buy A Home! - 01/05/09 02:54 AM
I was reading the fine print in the tax buyer credit (I know, I lead a glamorous life...) and I was pleasantly surprised to learn the folllowing:
If a first time homebuyer buys a home between January 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009 they can use your 2008 tax return to qualify and get the $7,500 in their pocket with their 2008 refund.
The down payment on a $215,000 home under FHA is $7,525 so while they do have to spend that money up front, they can retrieve it almost immediately once they file your 2008 taxes.
There are some AMAZING homes for under $200,000 in Pierce … (0 comments)