3 Easy Steps to take Advantage of The Homebuyers Tax Credit

Hard to believe but the Home-owners Tax Credit is about to expire April 30th, 2010.  This leaves only 29 days for 1st time home  buyers as well as current homeowners to put a contract on a  new home which would allow them to receive the tax credit if they qualify.
First time home buyers can receive up to an $8000 tax credit while repeat buyer's can receive up to $6500. Though the tax-credit is going to expire on April 30th, 2010 if a buyer has entered into a written binding contract  by April 30th, and close by June 30, 2010 they may still claim the credit. 
This is a perfect time to purchase a home. With addition to the tax-credit, prices have seemed to level off and interest rates continue to remain low. If you’ve been thinking of entering the market to sell your home now is the time. Buyer’s are scrambling to get into a contract before the tax credit disappears. This gives sellers a chance to move their homes if priced appropriately for their market place faster than in the market times we have grown use to.
It’s NOT to late!! With such a short amount of time left you will need to act quickly.  Follow these 3 easy steps to get you started on your way to a new home and taking advantage of the homebuyers tax credit before it expires on April 30, 2010
Step One: Am I Eligible?? 
Many buyers and sellers are not even aware that they might be eligible.  The first step you should take is by viewing the  Homebuyers Tax Credit Quick Reference Guide published by the National Association of Realtors.  This informative piece will answer your questions regarding eligibility, deadlines, and how to file for your tax credit.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity.
Step Two: Will I Qualify?
Being pre-approved will allow you to know what you can afford and save you time once you find the Home of your Dreams you’d like to purchase. You will want to be pre-qualified with a reputable lender who is familiar with the latest tax-credit being offered. A lender who is aware of your goals will be vital so you can be certain they offer you service that will meet your deadlines.  For a complete list of local lenders who meet this standard please do not hesitate to request a recommendation.  In my 10+ years of working with the top mortgage companies in the area I can lead you to the right professional who will meet your mortgage needs.
Step Three: What is my Current Home Worth?
Find out what your Home is Worth
If you or someone you know is a current homeowner who has lived in their primary residence for five out of the last eight years, they may qualify for this credit.  It will be important for you to know what you can expect to sell your home for before you consider purchasing another home. The “What is My Home Worth link on HomesofSouthernNH.com is a quick and easy FREE Market analysis of your home where you can easily request a report that will be emailed directly to you. Just click on the link below and receive a custom evaluation of your home, including comparisons to other homes that have recently sold or are on the market. This guarantees you receive the most accurate information available.  Click here to Find out what your Home is Worth
It’s as simple as 1-2-3
Final Step: Find Your NEW Home
There are thousands of Home Search engines. Not all are created equal. It is vital to search for homes where the content is updated daily. How many times have you after endless hours of looking for a home you like to find one you love and excitedly call about the home to find out it had sold months ago. Or  more aggravating when a home that you have seen for the first time appears on the website but you find out it has been on the market for weeks and is possible already under agreement?  To give you the competitive edge in this market you can log on and Search for ALL NH home listings on HomesofSouthernNH.com using their Find Your NEW Home link. Being prepared is going to be key in the next 70 days. Need help with any of these steps feel free to contact me.
If you enjoyed the content in this post please join me on these other communities
               

The Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit: The Basics for REALTORS, Homebuyers, and Home owners from the National Association of REALTORS.

The Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit: The Basics for REALTORS, Homebuyers, and Home owners from the National Association of REALTORS.

Shall I supersize that order?

Homeowners for the first time in over 20 years are saying larger might not be better.

With the economic times probably playing heavily into their decision making the home owner of today is downsizing. According to an article written by Maggie Sieger “Living Big in a Small Home” Americans are taking a break from upsizing and are enjoying the benefits of more modest living spaces. She goes on to say that the average square footage of a home in 2009 decreased slightly from 2215 square feet from the year before of 2277 square feet as reported by the U.S.Census Bureau.

This may not sound like much but take into account all the “stuff” occupying those 62 sq feet.  What do you do with it? This is the burning question racking my brain.  How do you put all the items we constantly accumulate into a smaller package?


I know I am constantly fighting and mostly losing the battle to the clutter that mysteriously accumulates on a daily basis.
I have found some very helpful articles on how to organize and de-clutter my home and have decided that I am going to commit to putting a plan in place and sticking to it.  I have a smaller home and enjoy the coziness and closeness I am allowed with my family but I would love to better utilize the smaller spaces that I have. Today is Day 1 of De-cluttering 101. Anyone else care to join me? If so then the following articles will be quite useful in getting you heading in the right direction..

Instructions for Decluttering Your Home (in less than 500 words)

Declutter Your Home in 8 Easy-to-Follow Steps

Conquering Clutter- The 4 Container Method

And my personal favorite…

Simple Stress-Free System to Unclutter Your Home... and Keep It That Way

I’m all for simple and stress free so you know which system I will be trying to tackle in the next few days. Perhaps you have some tips of your own you might like to share. Your comments and helpful hints would be most welcome!


 If you or anyone you know is looking to purchase a new home whether to downsize or upgrade you can now search All Homes in New Hampshire on my NEW website HomesofSouthernNH.com

Technorati Tags: homes,clutter,declutter,small spaces,downsizing,organize,living space,square footage

Inquiring Minds Want to Know......

What's happening in the Real Estate market? It is the single most asked question I've heard in the past 2-3 years. I can tell you I had found myself dreading the moment over these past few years when the questions would inevitably be asked. The main reason being I didn't have any good answers. Oh I had answers, just not any good news I should say. Being one who was always taught if you didn't have anything good to say, best not say anything at all, I found myself uncomfortable telling people that prices were falling and average time on market was well over 180 days. Not to mention all the foreclosures coming down the pike which would only make matters worse.

Good News is on the way!! Something has changed and I find myself now enjoying the moment when this question is asked once again.. This in itself is my indicator that the market is on it's way to recovery.

The Results Are In!
•1. Existing-home sales SURGED in the 3rd qtr up 9.2% over 2008 according to the National Assoc. of Realtors.
•2. Pending home sales for Sept had increased for the 8th consecutive month and is 21.2 percent higher than September 2008
•3. Financial Incentives have been extended and expanded! The much talked about bill has been passed to allow an $8,000 Tax credit to First-time home buyers as well as $6500 Tax Credit available to current homeowners who have lived in their homes 5 consecutive years.
Read the Articles in their entirety by clicking here... ping.fm

My Answer....The market is looking up.
I do believe that based on past history, I, as a realtor, have always known exactly where the market was and where it was heading and the media takes a few months to catch up. Once the media declares that we are heading toward a recovery we are usually well into it. However, when we speak about recovery let me clarify that I am talking about existing -home sales increasing and prices finally leveling off instead of dropping as they have consistently for the past 2-3 years. I believe that many people confuse hearing that the market is turning to mean that the prices will jump right back up to what they were a few years back. Not going to happen in 2010 that is for sure. I believe we could be looking close to 5 + years if we are lucky. What we will be experiencing is Sellers spending less days on market, and buyers getting a more reasonable priced home.
I do believe that we have finally come to a meeting of the minds. The Buyers because they have missed out on some good deals due to trying to put in too many low ball offers realize that perhaps they should make an offer based on what other homes have sold for and not just offering $50,000 or more off the asking price on a home that is listed for $199,000.
The Sellers have finally realized that they are "Not giving their house away" but that the value of their home is no longer what it used to be. Combined we are finally putting more deals together and people are once again starting to enjoy the buying and selling process. Things are looking up!
I welcome your thoughts!

Donna Mahoney, Realtor
Debbie Mackenzie Realty Windham New Hampshire
Direct (603) 548-5487 Office: (603)560-1842 Email: Dmahoney1231@yahoo.com

My First time....Blogging that is!

Today I start my first Blog. Feels like I'm standing on a diving board watching everyone else jump in with ease and I keep thinking just a few more minutes and I'll jump in.
Well that's been me with Blogging. Been reading numerous blogs by my fellow comrades for weeks, looking at various websites, but so worried I'd do it wrong or that my content wouldn’t be as good as everyone else’s, that yup, you guessed it, I’ve been standing on the edge watching everyone one else take the plunge. Well not anymore. Going to count to three and jump in without hesitating any further and join the rest of you who all seem to be having so much fun.
Ready??
1-2-3!!