Over the past couple weeks I have noticed the number of offers on properties have decreased dramatically. Properties were having 20 or more offers and now I am noticing that properties are having 3 or 4.
Could it be that now that the holidays are coming that people are putting their attention elsewhere instead of real estate?
Could it be that too many people got discouraged because they kept having their offers rejected?
Right now is the best time to buy a home in Victorville, Adelanto, Spring Valley Lake, Apple Valley or Hesperia. The real estate market is in a great position right now and for all those that have been sitting on the fence I advise you to jump off.
Get into or back into the search for your home right now while everyone else is worrying about the holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukah).
Looking for something to do this 2009 fathers day weekend June 19th, 20th and 21st ? Let me suggest the Huck Finn Jubilee located at the Mojave Narrows Regional Park in Victorville Ca right above Spring Valley Lake.
Huck Finn Jubilee is a Country/Bluegrass festival for all ages where you can camp, bbq, watch some concerts and much much more.
Senate Majority leader Harry Reid threw in his support for the Desert Xpress. Desert Xpress is the new proposed high speed rail line to connect Southern California to Las Vegas Nevada. The originating station will be located right here in the city of Victorville Ca.
Before Desert Xpress came along Harry Reid was a strong proponent of the Maglev train project which had been dragging its feet for the last 30 years. I can't tell you how many times I've read stories about a train to Vegas from LA. Mr. Reid was so impressed by the way Desert Xpress has been able to self finance a majority of their expenses including an environmental study along with the swift progress they have achieved in so little time.
I can't wait to be able to waive at all the commuters on the 15 fwy from the comfort of the desert express train.
So you are wondering what to do with yourself this weekend and you are having an itch for some deep fried twinkies right. Well, let me suggest you head on up to the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds this weekend and walk into fried heaven, lol.
I like going to all the county fairs around Southern California. The best one of them all is the Los Angeles County Fair towards the end of Summer but until then you can get a head start with the San Bernardino County Fair .
It's located on route 66 in the City of Victorville California right off the 15 freeways Palmdale exit.
Today and tomorrow May 17, 2009 are the last days of the fair so make sure to head on down.
Winston Westbrook services the entire cities of Victorville, Hesperia and Apple Valley. If you are looking to buy or sell please feel free to contact Winston.
Ok, have you been sitting there having dinner when all of a sudden the phone rings and you pick it up only to find out it's some robot/automated recording telling you your auto warranty is about to expire?
I'm sure you have at least once.
To make things worse my mom just finished purchasing a new car back in November. The car comes with a manufacturer warranty of about 3 years or 36,000 miles which ever comes first. Well, luck would have it that my mom gets one of these robot/automated calls and she just about has a cow. She calls me up giving me an earful about why the heck is her warranty expiring. Of Course it was all my fault, lol. I was wracking my brain trying to figure it out. What happened? I assumed it was a mistake. Funny thing is that i Googled the question and I find out it was a telemarketing scam.
I even got one of those calls myself a couple weeks later. This company called people on the do not call list and everyone in between.
Well, now I find out that the FTC/Feds are finally shutting these jack asses down. Read the story here
Looking for real estate listings in Victorville California? Give Winston Westbrook a call, toll free 888-33-WNREC. He serves the cities of not only of Victorville, Ca but also Apple Valley and Hesperia. Start your home buying journey with Winston. Fire your landlord today!
I got this e-mail from a friend a long time ago but I always kept it because it made so much sense. I thought I would share it with you guys. You never know in case of a major earthquake. Especially over here on the west coast. The life you save might be yours. Now doesn't that sound like a public service announcement, lol.
Save yourself then you can go buy me a coke Slurpee to thank me, lol
EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'
My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.
I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries.
I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.
The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.
Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of life'. The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building.
TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY
1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.
2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.
3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.
4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on The back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.
5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.
6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!
7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.
8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.
9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.
10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.
Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!
'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'
In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle of life' survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions , relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover.
There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe , and it was seen in the USA , Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV
Thinking of making a move? If you want to move to Victorville, Hesperia or Apple Valley, California then Winston Westbrook would like to help you. His realty office is conveniently located in the City of Victorville off the 15 Freeway and Palmdale Road. Help with acquiring FHA or Conventional financing available. First time buyers and investors are welcome.
Ok so you decided to make the jump from a Windows PC to an Apple Mac.
Everything was going fine until you started to notice that little pinwheel/beach ball that comes up when your computer is trying to tell you to hold on a darn second.
I don't know about you but that drives me nuts like that Sham Wow guy, lol
So for one, I went to an authorized Apple repair shop called Di-No computer repair in Pasadena Ca to get some more ram. I bumped up from 1 gb to the max allowed in my mac book to 2 gb. I needed to do this because I needed the extra ram because I needed to install Windows into my Mac due to the fact that some Real Estate related programs only run on Windows.
But before I left the tech also showed me a little trick to get the Mac to perform quicker just like the day you bought it.
This will work on not only Mac Books but all Apples running Mac OSX.
Once every month you should perform a routine called: Repairing Disk Permissions. Just follow these simple steps:
On your hard drive locate and open the "Application" folder then open the "Utilities" folder inside the Application folder.
Launch (start the program) "Disk Utilities" and select the name of your hard drive in the left window pane.
In the right window pane select the button that says "Repair Disk Permissions"
Wait for your computer to finish this process, Then quit Disk Utilities.
After this simple procedure your Mac should be quicker that before.
So I was browsing the LA Times this evening and I saw an article for a retailer that does a little dumpster diving and frequents estate sales to find that perfect piece of antique you just can't find at Ikea. Hence the name, This Is Not Ikea.
I went to their website and they seemed to be having a little trouble due to the high volume generated by the LA Times article.
I took an interest to this article because for the past couple months I've been treasure hunting at numerous antique shops and yard sales. I think I need that sticker that says, "I brake for yard sales", lol.
The owner of TINI states that they purchase antiques but not your grandmas antiques unless she was cool, lol.
Check them out and tell them Winston sent ya. They have an eclectic collection of yesteryear.
Winston Westbrook is a licensed California Realtor and Notary. He buys and sells real estate in the city of Victorville, Hesperia and Apple Valley. This is the new Gold Rush. Call him today with all your real estate needs. His realty office is conveniently located off the 15 freeway and Palmdale Road.
Here is a little question and answer regarding the tax credit everyone is talking about these days. If you have been sitting on the fence now is the time to get off and purchase a home. People are coming out of the wood works and properties have been getting multiple offers on them. Some properties for sale are starting to see price increases in Victorville Ca. Time is of the essence
Winston, who is eligible to claim the tax credit? First-time home buyers purchasing any kind of home—new or resale—are eligible for the tax credit. To qualify for the tax credit, a home purchase must occur on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009. For the purposes of the tax credit, the purchase date is the date when closing occurs and the title to the property transfers to the home owner.
What is the definition of a first-time home buyer? The law defines "first-time home buyer" as a buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. For married taxpayers, the law tests the homeownership history of both the home buyer and his/her spouse.
For example, if you have not owned a home in the past three years but your spouse has owned a principal residence, neither you nor your spouse qualifies for the first-time home buyer tax credit. However, unmarried joint purchasers may allocate the credit amount to any buyer who qualifies as a first-time buyer, such as may occur if a parent jointly purchases a home with a son or daughter. Ownership of a vacation home or rental property not used as a principal residence does not disqualify a buyer as a first-time home buyer.
How is the amount of the tax credit determined? The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
Are there any income limits for claiming the tax credit? Yes. The income limit for single taxpayers is $75,000; the limit is $150,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return. The tax credit amount is reduced for buyers with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of more than $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return. The phaseout range for the tax credit program is equal to $20,000. That is, the tax credit amount is reduced to zero for taxpayers with MAGI of more than $95,000 (single) or $170,000 (married) and is reduced proportionally for taxpayers with MAGIs between these amounts.
What is "modified adjusted gross income"? Modified adjusted gross income or MAGI is defined by the IRS. To find it, a taxpayer must first determine "adjusted gross income" or AGI. AGI is total income for a year minus certain deductions (known as "adjustments" or "above-the-line deductions"), but before itemized deductions from Schedule A or personal exemptions are subtracted. On Forms 1040 and 1040A, AGI is the last number on page 1 and first number on page 2 of the form. For Form 1040-EZ, AGI appears on line 4 (as of 2007). Note that AGI includes all forms of income including wages, salaries, interest income, dividends and capital gains.
To determine modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), add to AGI certain amounts of foreign-earned income. See IRS Form 5405 for more details.
If my modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is above the limit, do I qualify for any tax credit? Possibly. It depends on your income. Partial credits of less than $8,000 are available for some taxpayers whose MAGI exceeds the phaseout limits.
Can you give me an example of how the partial tax credit is determined? Just as an example, assume that a married couple has a modified adjusted gross income of $160,000. The applicable phaseout to qualify for the tax credit is $150,000, and the couple is $10,000 over this amount. Dividing $10,000 by the phaseout range of $20,000 yields 0.5. When you subtract 0.5 from 1.0, the result is 0.5. To determine the amount of the partial first-time home buyer tax credit that is available to this couple, multiply $8,000 by 0.5. The result is $4,000.
Here’s another example: assume that an individual home buyer has a modified adjusted gross income of $88,000. The buyer’s income exceeds $75,000 by $13,000. Dividing $13,000 by the phaseout range of $20,000 yields 0.65. When you subtract 0.65 from 1.0, the result is 0.35. Multiplying $8,000 by 0.35 shows that the buyer is eligible for a partial tax credit of $2,800.
Please remember that these examples are intended to provide a general idea of how the tax credit might be applied in different circumstances. You should always consult your tax advisor for information relating to your specific circumstances.
How is this home buyer tax credit different from the tax credit that Congress enacted in July of 2008? The most significant difference is that this tax credit does not have to be repaid. Because it had to be repaid, the previous "credit" was essentially an interest-free loan. This tax incentive is a true tax credit. However, home buyers must use the residence as a principal residence for at least three years or face recapture of the tax credit amount. Certain exceptions apply.
How do I claim the tax credit? Do I need to complete a form or application? Participating in the tax credit program is easy. You claim the tax credit on your federal income tax return. Specifically, home buyers should complete IRS Form 5405 to determine their tax credit amount, and then claim this amount on Line 69 of their 1040 income tax return. No other applications or forms are required, and no pre-approval is necessary. However, you will want to be sure that you qualify for the credit under the income limits and first-time home buyer tests. Note that you cannot claim the credit on Form 5405 for an intended purchase for some future date; it must be a completed purchase.
What types of homes will qualify for the tax credit? Any home that will be used as a principal residence will qualify for the credit. This includes single-family detached homes, attached homes like townhouses and condominiums, manufactured homes (also known as mobile homes) and houseboats. The definition of principal residence is identical to the one used to determine whether you may qualify for the $250,000 / $500,000 capital gain tax exclusion for principal residences.
I read that the tax credit is "refundable." What does that mean? The fact that the credit is refundable means that the home buyer credit can be claimed even if the taxpayer has little or no federal income tax liability to offset. Typically this involves the government sending the taxpayer a check for a portion or even all of the amount of the refundable tax credit.
For example, if a qualified home buyer expected, notwithstanding the tax credit, federal income tax liability of $5,000 and had tax withholding of $4,000 for the year, then without the tax credit the taxpayer would owe the IRS $1,000 on April 15th. Suppose now that the taxpayer qualified for the $8,000 home buyer tax credit. As a result, the taxpayer would receive a check for $7,000 ($8,000 minus the $1,000 owed).
I purchased a home in early 2009 and have already filed to receive the $7,500 tax credit on my 2008 tax returns. How can I claim the new $8,000 tax credit instead? Home buyers in this situation may file an amended 2008 tax return with a 1040X form. You should consult with a tax advisor to ensure you file this return properly.
Instead of buying a new home from a home builder, I hired a contractor to construct a home on a lot that I already own. Do I still qualify for the tax credit? Yes. For the purposes of the home buyer tax credit, a principal residence that is constructed by the home owner is treated by the tax code as having been "purchased" on the date the owner first occupies the house. In this situation, the date of first occupancy must be on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.
In contrast, for newly-constructed homes bought from a home builder, eligibility for the tax credit is determined by the settlement date.
Can I claim the tax credit if I finance the purchase of my home under a mortgage revenue bond (MRB) program? Yes. The tax credit can be combined with the MRB home buyer program. Note that first-time home buyers who purchased a home in 2008 may not claim the tax credit if they are participating in an MRB program.
I live in the District of Columbia. Can I claim both the Washington, D.C. first-time home buyer credit and this new credit? No. You can claim only one.
I am not a U.S. citizen. Can I claim the tax credit? Maybe. Anyone who is not a nonresident alien (as defined by the IRS), who has not owned a principal residence in the previous three years and who meets the income limits test may claim the tax credit for a qualified home purchase. The IRS provides a definition of "nonresident alien" in IRS Publication 519.
Is a tax credit the same as a tax deduction? No. A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in what the taxpayer owes. That means that a taxpayer who owes $8,000 in income taxes and who receives an $8,000 tax credit would owe nothing to the IRS.
A tax deduction is subtracted from the amount of income that is taxed. Using the same example, assume the taxpayer is in the 15 percent tax bracket and owes $8,000 in income taxes. If the taxpayer receives an $8,000 deduction, the taxpayer’s tax liability would be reduced by $1,200 (15 percent of $8,000), or lowered from $8,000 to $6,800.
I bought a home in 2008. Do I qualify for this credit? No, but if you purchased your first home between April 9, 2008 and January 1, 2009, you may qualify for a different tax credit. Please consult with your tax advisor for more information.
Is there any way for a home buyer to access the money allocable to the credit sooner than waiting to file their 2009 tax return? Yes. Prospective home buyers who believe they qualify for the tax credit are permitted to reduce their income tax withholding. Reducing tax withholding (up to the amount of the credit) will enable the buyer to accumulate cash by raising his/her take home pay. This money can then be applied to the downpayment.
Buyers should adjust their withholding amount on their W-4 via their employer or through their quarterly estimated tax payment. IRS Publication 919 contains rules and guidelines for income tax withholding. Prospective home buyers should note that if income tax withholding is reduced and the tax credit qualified purchase does not occur, then the individual would be liable for repayment to the IRS of income tax and possible interest charges and penalties.
Further, rule changes made as part of the economic stimulus legislation allow home buyers to claim the tax credit and participate in a program financed by tax-exempt bonds. Some state housing finance agencies, such as the Missouri Housing Development Commission, have introduced programs that provide short-term credit acceleration loans that may be used to fund a downpayment. Prospective home buyers should inquire with their state housing finance agency to determine the availability of such a program in their community.
If I’m qualified for the tax credit and buy a home in 2009, can I apply the tax credit against my 2008 tax return? Yes. The law allows taxpayers to choose ("elect") to treat qualified home purchases in 2009 as if the purchase occurred on December 31, 2008. This means that the 2008 income limit (MAGI) applies and the election accelerates when the credit can be claimed (tax filing for 2008 returns instead of for 2009 returns). A benefit of this election is that a home buyer in 2009 will know their 2008 MAGI with certainty, thereby helping the buyer know whether the income limit will reduce their credit amount.
Taxpayers buying a home who wish to claim it on their 2008 tax return, but who have already submitted their 2008 return to the IRS, may file an amended 2008 return claiming the tax credit. You should consult with a tax professional to determine how to arrange this.
For a home purchase in 2009, can I choose whether to treat the purchase as occurring in 2008 or 2009, depending on in which year my credit amount is the largest? Yes. If the applicable income phaseout would reduce your home buyer tax credit amount in 2009 and a larger credit would be available using the 2008 MAGI amounts, then you can choose the year that yields the largest credit amount.
Winston Westbrook runs a realty office in Victorville, California. He is a member in good standing with the National Association of Realtors and the California Association of Realtors. Member of the Victor Valley Board of Realtors and Inland Valley Board of Realtors. Serving the entire Victor Valley area
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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