From the category archives:

Money

Watch your property taxes go up

January 19, 2012 Current News

If the governor gets his way with shifting the cost of the teaches pension to the counties. The main way for the counties to raise money is to raise property taxes. Some people are wondering if the property values have gone down. How could your property taxes go up.?That is what will probably happen. There [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Mortgage insurance tax deduction if officaly gone.

January 17, 2012 Existing Homebuyer

Though its demise drew little attention because of the partisan year-end brawl over the payroll tax cut extension in Congress, a key mortgage financing benefit disappeared at the end of December: the ability of large numbers of home buyers and owners to write off the premiums they pay for mortgage insurance. The loss of that [...]

Share
Read the full article →

The MI tax deduction is on the chopping block

January 11, 2012 1st Time Homebuyer

Unless Congress changes the tax rules this year, mortgage insurance could become both more expensive and less desirable, something that would hurt the housing market nationwide. Under current tax rules, the cost for mortgage insurance–whether it is through the FHA or through the private sector–is deductible to homeowners. For instance, if you pay $1,500 in [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Government Math a payroll tax extension= higher mortgage fees

January 9, 2012 Fannie Mae

It’s about the December 2011 Payroll Tax Extension program that passed into law. The government voted to finance the tax break’s $33 billion price tag via fees collected on new mortgages. If your next mortgage is either conventional or FHA, therefore, be prepared for new, mandatory loan fees. For Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conventional [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Homeowners insurance rates to rise in 2012

January 4, 2012 Money

Originally found at USA Today Homeowners insurance premiums are starting to rise after tornadoes, hail, winds and lightning slammed U.S. insurance companies’ balance sheets throughout 2011. Storms along the East Coast, tornadoes in the Southeast and in Joplin, Mo., and earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand wreaked havoc on insurance company finances, especially firms that [...]

Share
Read the full article →

A way to claim $500,000 tax break if spouse dies and you sell your house.

January 3, 2012 Money

This isn’t the most fun topic to start out the New Year to talk about, but if it can save you $250,000 it’s worth it.   Under the current tax code if a single person sells their home they can only exclude $250,000 in profits from the sale of their home but what if your [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Last minute tax tips for 2011

December 19, 2011 Money

Are you still looking for ways to cut your 2011 tax bill? Here are 10 tax-saving deals for last-minute shoppers. 1. Buy a personal vehicle. For 2011, you can choose to deduct either the state income tax or the state sales tax you’ve paid this year. If you buy a new vehicle in late December [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Top 4 Real Estate New Year’s resolutions

December 15, 2011 Money

If you’re hoping to buy a home in 2012, here are a few New Year’s resolutions you might want to make: Have your lender give you a copy of your credit report. When any lender gets a copy of your report. It’s pulled from all three credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and Trans-Union. Make sure all [...]

Share
Read the full article →

The VA Funding Fee is set till 2016

November 30, 2011 Current News

Military homebuyers finally got some clarity this week regarding the VA Funding Fee, a mandatory governmental charge applied to all VA loans that has been in a legislative limbo. The fee helps fund the VA Loan Guaranty program and ensures this long-cherished lending mechanism remains outside any Congressional appropriations process. Confusion took root this fall when [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Earning A $100,000 Salary in the 1980′s vs 2011

November 29, 2011 Money

$100,000 since the 1980s, the magical “six-figure” salary has been a benchmark for financial success. Not too long ago, that income often meant two nice cars in the garage of a large house, fun family vacations and plenty of money left over to save for retirement and college tuition. But times have changed. Not only [...]

Share
Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →