I Have A New, Complete House Staging Program!
This new staging program has been brewing in my mind for some time now. There is a “ black hole” in the staging world and it’s called AFFORDABLE, PROFESSIONAL staging. Staging is when you bring furniture into a vacant home to make it look like a show room while it’s on the market. Professional staging done well is normally about a $5,000 up-front cost to a seller. Staging done so-so is about $2,500. But what if we could do staging well AND totally undercut the other services out there? I enjoy staging because it gets my creative juices flowing but I LOVE staging because it makes YOU money! So what could be better than really good, inexpensive staging?!
I have come up with a new program called 4Ways Staging. We are offering 4 different styles of whole-home staging for any listing for only $2,000 up to 3 months! If you have ever priced staging you know what a deal that is. Depending on the type of home, sellers can choose to stage their home in one for “4Ways” - Classic, Modern, Boho or French Country. Once you’ve chosen your staging style, we will professionally stage your entire home in that style for only $2,000.
The ASP reports that staged homes sell for an average of 11 days faster and for 11% more than non-staged homes. All homes qualify and the cost is the same, no matter what size. Vacant and occupied homes are ok. It’s just a simple flat fee. You must list your home with me to get this deal. This isn’t being offered to listings with other agents. J To list and stage your home, email me at jen@rlnorthwest.com
Tax Tips for Cranky Landlords Like Me
Almost NOTHING makes me crankier than doing my taxes. If you are also self-employed, then you especially know the pain. All those extra steps and care above normal income tax. Many Realtors are also real estate investors. I have rental properties and so do many of my co-workers and clients partly because of the tax breaks. When we do our taxes every year we have an added layer of work with those rental properties. I say “we” because doing your taxes should be a team sport. Although you likely have an accountant like I do, that accountant is busy, busy, busy this time of year and things fall through the cracks. And they are not psychics. I am on my 4th revision for this year’s taxes because I keep bringing me accountant new information.
Important disclaimer: Consult an accounting professional about these and other tax ramifications of rental property ownership.
Here are 5 key tax benefits for rental property owners in addition to the standard marketing, mortgage interest, repair and property tax deductions:
1. Interest expense: Mortgage interest is usually the largest deduction landlords can take, but it’s not the only type of interest deduction yuo can take. You can also deduct home improvement loan interest and even credit card interest for property-related expenses.
2. Depreciation: This deduction is like a gift of cash off your tax bill, because you don’t actually spend money in order to receive it, but you can deduct a portion of the property’s cost each year as depreciation (land is not depreciable).
3. Insurance: You must insure your investment, and if it’s mortgaged, your lender will require it as well. Insurance premiums are deductible – this includes liability, casualty and any other insurance related to the rental property.
4. Legal, accounting and management services: You may be hiring professionals in any of these disciplines, and what you pay them is deductible in the year expensed. If you hire a management company to handle all of the headaches of rental property ownership and tenant relations, Uncle Sam will pay a share of it through a deduction.
5. Offset other investment income: In certain cases, losses from a rental property can be used to offset income. Why would you lose money? If your depreciation deduction is substantial, it can wipe out a lot of real income without you spending any extra money. You may be enjoying a great positive cash flow, but combining mortgage interest and depreciation you could show a paper loss. Again, check with your accountant to see if this deduction applies to you.
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