Browse by Tags

All Tags » Finances   (RSS)
FHA to Allow First Time Buyers Credity Advance
The first-time homebuyer tax credit just keeps getting better. The credit was increased to $8,000 this year and no longer has to be paid back. Now HUD has said that it will allow the credit to be advanced to FHA purchasers for use toward a downpayment Read More...
Posted 03 June 09 08:34 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , ,
Borrowers with Second Liens May Get Help
T he Treasury Department has announced an expansion of its Making Home Affordable Program aimed at encouraging loan modifications for struggling homeowners with second liens. The original version of the program did not address situations where homeowners Read More...
Posted 03 June 09 08:31 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , ,
Mid-Year Mortgage Overview
I t might have better to have titled this article “Condos for Cash,” since it seems that all-cash might be the only guaranteed way to purchase a condo today. Simply put, if you are interested in buying a condominium in today’s market, Read More...
Posted 03 June 09 08:24 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , ,
FICO ’08 LAUNCHED
Fair Isaac Corporation is finally rolling out the latest remake of its FICO credit score , which is the scoring standard for mortgage lenders. Yes, it has taken until 2009 to get FICO ‘08 launched, and even now many consumers, potential homeborrowers Read More...
Posted 28 February 09 06:32 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , ,
Look For New Mortgage Disclosure Rollout
H omebuyers will soon have improved mortgage disclosures to help with their decision-making, the result of Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act rules finalized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in November. Although the new disclosures Read More...
Posted 06 January 09 12:02 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , ,
The 2009 Mortgage Landscape
M ost prospective mortgage shoppers should be aware by now that mortgages are tougher to get. “Stringent” is the word we keep hearing used to describe the tests for borrowers these days. That’s putting it mildly! The traditional touchstones Read More...
Posted 06 January 09 11:50 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , , , ,
2009 Housing Market Preview
W i ll 2009 be the year that we finally see an end to the slide in home prices and the start of a rebound? Some market watchers think so. Of course, recent spells of optimism about the housing market have proven premature and that could be the case again. Read More...
Posted 06 January 09 11:21 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , , , , ,
Credit?
F irst-time homebuyers have another reason to think about buying a home in 2009 , a federal income tax credit of up to $7,500. The credit is 10% of the cost of a home, so a house costing $75,000 will qualify for a full credit. The credit is refundable, Read More...
Posted 01 December 08 10:47 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , , , , ,
ESSENTIAL STEPS FOR GETTING A MORTGAGE
F irst-time homebuyers, who have never applied for a mortgage before, should understand that being totally prepared to do so takes advance planning . The biggest mistake for many first-time homebuyers is waiting until they start looking for a home to Read More...
Posted 01 December 08 10:43 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , , , ,
THE STATE OF LOW-DOWNPAYMENT MORTGAGES
T here was a time, neither long, long ago nor far, far away when 100% financing (no-downpayment) mortgage loans were plentiful. In this fabled age, many potential home-buyers without downpayment funds were still assured a happy ending. Alas, this fairy Read More...
Posted 01 December 08 10:38 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , , ,
HOW EARLY PURCHASE MAXIMIZES TAX BENEFITS
If you have decided that 2009 will be the year you become a homeowner, then consider doing it as early in the year as possible, because delay has one certain cost. For every day that passes after January 1, you will find it more difficult to take full Read More...
Posted 01 December 08 10:33 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , , ,
FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS GUIDE FOR 2009
T he first-time homebuyer in 2009 will have a tricky real estate environment facing them, but negotiating the challenges ahead could prove rewarding. On the positive side, home inventories remain high, so the first-time buyer will have a wide selection Read More...
Posted 01 December 08 10:27 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , , , , ,
EXPIRING TAX PROVISIONS ARE EXTENDED IN RESCUE BILL
S everal important tax provisions were extended in the financial rescue bill, to some extent to help line up crucial votes for the package. These have been continued on an annual basis for several years now in Congress’ version of the two-minute Read More...
Posted 04 November 08 08:26 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , , , , ,
REAL ESTATE AND TAX PLANNING ISSUES
R eal estate is the subject of a number of tax planning opportunities or issues that taxpayers need to be aware of. Opportunity : Flex your mortgage payment. Your mortgage payment for January 2009 actually reflects interest accrued for December 2008. Read More...
Posted 04 November 08 08:23 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , ,
2008 YEAR-END TAX PLANNING GUIDE
T ypically, Congress has dragged its feet on passing extensions of crucial tax provisions expiring at the end of the year. Most vital these days is one needed to keep tens of millions of Americans from taking a hit from the alternative minimum tax. This Read More...
Posted 04 November 08 08:17 by Robert Buckman | 0 Comments   
Filed under , , , , ,
More Posts Next page »