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Displaying blog entries 161-166 of 166

4 Compelling Reasons To Buy a Home

Thursday, February 5, 2015
by The Hat Team

According to Fannie Mae the top five reasons people buy a home:

  • To have a better place to raise their children
  • A place where their family can feel safe
  • To have more space; Freedom to renovate to their own taste
  • Being a homeowner is a better investment.

home buyersDoes this hold true for you? Well, let’s take a look at these reasons to get a broader perspective…then you decide for yourself about being a homeowner.

1. To have a better place to raise children and family can feel safe…

This can very subjective and involves a lot of factors. It boils down to community and personal preferences. What is the look and feel of a community where you could see yourself living? The school system and convenience to shopping are important. Local government services provided such as emergency services, hospitals, fire, police, utilities, etc. must be considered. Is there a neighborhood watch, public parks, a community center with activities for everyone in the family, etc.? Try making a list of all the things important to you and use it evaluate where you’re searching for a home.

2. To have more space…

This is also somewhat subjective, but can be looked at analytically as well. Much depends on your lifestyle and the size of your family. There are large and small apartments, and large and small houses. Much has to do with how much space you would like to have versus how much you can afford. And this also really flows into the next topic…

3. Freedom to renovate for your own taste…

Whether you want to add on or simply renovate within existing walls, “freedom” is a huge factor in deciding to buy a house. Buying is not for everyone. Renting is a very good option for a lot of people. But the freedom to do as you please with your home is a powerful motivator. Here’s where lifestyle comes into play. It costs more to own a home than to rent. The money saved by renting can arguably be used to support a different lifestyle, which is also a form of freedom. Only you can decide.

4. Owning is a better investment…

There is no doubt that at the end of a renting cycle you walk away with no financial benefit except for the money you have saved in the process. How that savings compares with what you have when you sell a house you have owned is the question. And the answer is “It all depends.” Being a homeowner costs money. But, a lot of the money spent owning a home potentially can be recuperated. A homeowner is also building equity every month they make a mortgage payment. In that sense home ownership can be viewed as a huge savings fund.

If freedom is your primary key factor, buying real estate and becoming a homeowner is definitely to be considered!

Information courtesy of Montgomery AL Realtor Sandra Nickel.

 

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Verify With Your Lender

Wednesday, November 26, 2014
by The Hat Team

If you have a mortgage with an escrow account to pay your property taxes and insurance, you expect the company servicing your loan to pay this year’s taxes this year so that you can deduct them on your 2014 income tax return.  property taxAfter all, your monthly payment includes 1/12 the annual amount so there will be money available for them to be paid on time.

IRS requires that expenses must actually be paid in the year that a deduction is to be taken.

The predicament occurs when you’ve made your payments but the mortgage company didn’t pay the taxing authority in the tax year they were due.  If they paid your 2014 taxes in January of 2015, they wouldn’t be deductible for you until you file your 2015 income tax return.

Verify with your lender after you make the December payment that they did indeed pay your property taxes.  The question for your lender’s customer service is: "Have you or will you pay the 2014 property taxes this year so I’m eligible to deduct them on my 2014 income tax return?”

Information courtesy of Montgomery AL Realtor Sandra Nickel, Sandra Nickel Hat Team Realtors.

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Enjoy Your Improvements and Profit by Them

Thursday, October 30, 2014
by The Hat Team

Homeowners can raise the basis or cost in their home by money spent on capital improvements. The benefit is that it will lower their gain and may save them taxes when they sell their home.

capital improvementsImprovements must add value to your home, prolong its useful life or adapt it to new uses. Repairs are routine in nature to maintain the value and keep the property in an ordinary, operating condition.

Additions of decks, pools, fences and landscaping add value to a home as well as new floor covering, counter-tops and other updates. Replacing a roof, appliances or heating and cooling systems would be considered to extend the useful life of the home. Completing an unfinished basement or converting a garage to living space are common examples of adapting a portion of the home to a new use.

Other items that can raise the basis in your home are special assessments for local improvements like sidewalks or curbs and money spent to restore damage from casualty losses not covered by insurance.

Here’s a simple idea that could save you money years from now.

Every time you spend money on your home other than the house payment and the utilities, put the receipt or canceled check in an envelope labeled “Home Improvements.” Regardless of whether you know if the money would be classified as maintenance or improvements, the receipt or cancelled check goes in the envelope.

Years from now, when you’ve sold your home and you need to report the gain on the property, you or your accountant can go through the envelope and determine which of the expenditures will be adjustments to your basis.

Some people disregard this idea because of the generous exclusion allowed on principal residences. At the unknown point in the future when you sell your home, circumstances may have changed and the proof of these expenditures will be valuable. The tax laws could lower the exclusion amount or eliminate it altogether. Your marital status may change because of death or divorce. The market value of your home may skyrocket.

Since the future is unknown, it is better to keep track of the improvements as they are made and how much is spent on them. Download an Improvement Register and examples or read more in Publication 523 on Increases to Basis.

Information courtesy of Montgomery AL Realtor Sandra Nickel, Sandra Nickel Hat Team.

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Do You Have Enough Homeowners Insurance?

Friday, October 10, 2014
by The Hat Team

The news lately has been filled with reports of tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and fires, each of which has resulted in untold loss of lives, homes, and possessions.  As we watch with horror the impact these disasters have on those homeowners insuranceaffected, it is only natural that we ask ourselves,” Would I be able to sustain such losses?  Would my homeowners insurance policy cover the costs of rebuilding my home?

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)) recommends that you use your annual renewal notice or any improvements to your home as a reminder to touch base with your agent or insurer to recheck how much insurance you really need.  Do you have sufficient coverage for rebuilding and replacement? Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a consumer advocacy group, urges homeowners not to blindly trust that their home insurer has all the bases covered.

With fluctuations in the real estate market, coverage equal to the current replacement cost (excluding land), is advisable.  The first step in getting adequate coverage is to establish your policy’s dwelling limit. Your target number is the full-replacement cost of your home and its possessions. The dwelling limit bears no relation to your property’s market value, its appraised value, or its assessed tax value. And don’t mistake the cost of new construction for the cost to rebuild, which is more expensive because of factors such as debris removal and higher demand for materials and labor after a catastrophe,

(You can get a pretty good idea of what it would cost to rebuild your home by using an online calculator, available at sites such as HMFacts.com ($7) and AccuCoverage.com ($8).

It’s a good idea to purchase guaranteed replacement coverage, meaning the insurer will pay whatever it costs to rebuild your home with materials of like kind and quality, without deducting for wear and tear. Avoid actual cash value coverage, which pays only the depreciated value of your home.

Check also on your need for flood insurance, even if you don’t live near a body of water, since policies vary in their coverage of many types of water damage.

And lastly, it goes without saying that you need to update the inventory of your possessions at least annually since it is not only a record of the contents of your house and their value, but also a good indicator of whether you have enough coverage.

Information courtesy of Montgomery AL Realtor Sandra Nickel, Sandra Nickel Hat Team.

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Ins and Outs Of Buying a Short Sale

Friday, September 26, 2014
by The Hat Team

Buying a property through a short sale can be financially beneficial. But you need to go into the process understanding your market! That means having a knowledgeable realtor and attorney.

short saleA homeowner is “underwater” with their mortgage when they owe more than the value of their home. The term “short sale” comes from the situation where the proceeds from a sale are less than, or “short” of, the amount of debt.

Lenders are motivated to allow a short sale when they perceive it will create more net income than a foreclosure. Sellers are motivated because it puts them in more control of timing, and causes less damage to their credit than foreclosure.

For the buyer, a short sale means a purchase price that is discounted from the normal sale price. However, the market situation with short sales is very specific to your state and your market. Here are some trends across the country…

25% of US homeowners with a mortgage are underwater. That is 10.7 million homes! That percentage is down from 28% in September 2012. It is important to note that 8.3 million of those homes are on the edge of being underwater with a LTV ratio of 90%-110%. The other 2.4 million have an average LTV ratio of 125%.

A primary factor helping that downward trend is a decline in investors’ interest in short sales. A decline in investors buying at discount means prices are moving upward. Increasing prices means increases in value, which means increases in equity for the homeowners.

However, according to RealtyTrac.com it will take years, not months, for the 125% LTV owners to recover enough equity to allow them to sell. That means the short sale opportunities are available for a while.

As a buyer of a short sale, be aware the process takes time. All parties have many more documents to review and approve. Your due diligence will take longer. And the process leading to a closing will take longer.

Make sure you are working with a Realtor and an attorney who have experience with short sales in your market. One way to qualify a Realtor is to know they are trained as a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE). That means they have specific training in streamlining short sales. It is not mandatory, but it is a valuable credential.

At least, make sure your Realtor and attorney have actual experience with short sales. Go into the process with a lot of patience.

Information courtesy of Montgomery AL Realtor Sandra Nickel, Sandra Nickel Hat Team.

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Montgomery AL Home for Sale: 2105 College Street

Monday, September 15, 2014
by The Hat Team

Montgomery AL Home for Sale:

2105 College Street, Montgomery AL 36106
MLS# 312198

Best Of Both Worlds!


2105 college street

You will find the best of both worlds in this totally renovated Old Cloverdale home. Traditional living and dining rooms, plus a den/family room adjacent to the breakfast bar/kitchen area. The kitchen boasts granite counters and Travertine back-splash. Nice master bath with garden tub and separate shower. Spacious walled backyard is party perfect, and has a wonderful vintage brick terrace. Convenient to shopping, dining, and entertainment!

Marketed by Sandra Nickel, Montgomery AL Realtor, Sandra Nickel Hat Team.

 

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Displaying blog entries 161-166 of 166

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