florida real estate

Assault on the Mortgage Interest Deduction

Dec 17th, 2012
by edsmith.
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The big news story this month has been  the perceived “Assault on the Mortgage Interest Deduction” …  It is clear that Americans overwhelmingly oppose any action by Congress that would serve to reduce or (God forbid) eliminate the mortgage interest deduction, which has remained sacrosanct since its inception in 1913.  But as Congress and the White House wrestle with looming deficit reduction challenges, nothing seems safe.

Housing was the leading victim as the overall economy began to falter seven years ago, and it therefore only stands to reason that housing can help lead this economy out of the doldrums. Any tax code change that hinders growth in real estate will serve to hinder growth throughout our entire economy.

The elimination of the mortgage interest deduction would unquestionably weaken demand which would in turn result in lower real estate values. That is to say nothing of the negative impact on millions of American taxpayers with home loans today. Consider that even a modest-sized home loan could result in a $10,000 annual tax deduction for the homeowner.  The tax impact of the elimination of the mortgage interest deduction would be devastating.  Email, write or phone Congress to let them know what you think!

Ed Smith is the the president of RE/MAX Coastal Properties. With 25 years in real estate sales, Ed serves as President-Elect of Emerald Coast Association of Realtors and a Director at Florida Realtor. Ed and wife Terri are ranked among the top RE/MAX teams in Florida, year after year.

Amendment 4 – Good for Florida!

Oct 30th, 2012
by edsmith.
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Amendment 4 Can Help!
  Encourages First-Time Homebuyers
  Amendment 4 offers property tax relief for first-time homebuyers, responsibly encouraging Floridians to buy homes, which grows our economy. 
  Protects Against Rising Property Taxes
  Right now, cities and counties can raise your property taxes, even if the value of your home drops. Amendment 4 allows the Legislature to put an end to property tax increases on homeowners if the value of the home does drop. 
  Helps Small Businesses & Creates Jobs
  Amendment 4 helps small businesses by ensuring that property taxes for non-homestead properties can not increase by more than 5% each year,instead of 10% per year.And, according to Florida TaxWatch, a non-partisan research group, Amendment 4 would create over 20,000 new jobs in Florida. 

That’s something Florida just can’t afford to pass up.

 
 

 

On November 6th,

Vote Yes On Amendment 4!

http://www.TaxYourAssetsOff.com

 

 

Florida made $63 million last year selling our personal information!

Jul 22nd, 2011
by edsmith.
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Channel 10 Miami reported that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has been selling our names, addresses, dates of birth and a list of the vehicles that we drive …  $63 million in “legally” disclosed information and a Florida judge has even validated the practice!

 

So, who gets all this information and what are they doing with it?  According to Ann Howard of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles,  “Per federal mandate, there are companies that are entitled to this information. Insurance companies, for example, are entitled to this information. Employers are entitled to this information.”

 

Companies that buy this information from the state are then re-selling the data. Companies like Lexus Nexus and the nefarious sounding Shadow Soft.  The information is not supposed to be sold to any company that would utilize the information for marketing or solicitation purposes. And although Florida is not selling our driver’s license and social security numbers (yet), many are uncomfortable about this information being so freely disseminated.

 

One possible benefit … If a vehicle manufacturer issues a recall, the Florida database could help identify the whereabouts of the current vehicle owners. That information could be uploaded to the manufacturer who could in turn notify the owners.

 

How to improve your credit score?

Jul 22nd, 2011
by edsmith.
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If you are turned down for a loan, what to do? A provision of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law that went into effect last week mandates that should you be denied a loan, the lender must provide you with an “adverse action” notice that will include your credit score as well as explain why you were turned down.

 

Many factors can affect your credit score such as paying your bills on time, how much debt you have, your available credit limits, length of credit history and applying for new credit. The reason given for your denial will help assist you in improving your score. For more information on factors that impact your credit score,  you can visit: http://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/fivetips_creditscore.htm

 

For information on general real estate topics, short sales and bank foreclosures, please visit Ed and Terri Smith at http://www.FloridaBrokers.com

or email us at smith@realtor.com

Business Looking Up in Florida

May 8th, 2009
by edsmith.
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Remembering that real estate was the first “industry” to feel the impact of a weakening economy, it stands to reason that it may lead way to recovery.

Real estate sales transactions have been increasing around most of the rest of the state for the past year or so. The Emerald Coast, or Northwest Florida in general is typically believed to trail the rest of the state by from 12 to 18 months, depending upon whom you ask.

So, sales transactions are finally increasing here as well. Not as compared with last year, but as compared with recent months. This 2009 positive trend is the result of a number of things:

1. Interest rates are incredibly low.
2. Sales and asking prices are incredibly low.
3. Inventory levels are high – Choices are plentiful.
4. $8,000 tax credit for first time buyers.
5. An overall sense that prices will not decline much further.

Moreover, we have never seen low mortgage interest rates and low housing prices at the same time. This is an unprecedented opportunity for buyers. This helps to explain why we are seeing so many institutional buyers and investors coming back into the market. We are being approached by REITs and others, searching for investment properties, both residential and commercial.

You cannot turn a battleship on a  dime, and neither will this economy rebound in an instant.  What we are seeing now are the early signs of a real estate recovery. Some prices may very well go lower before they go higher, but as sales transaction numbers continue to improve, the brighter becomes the light at the end of the tunnel.

First-time homebuyers: How to get the $8,000 tax credit

Feb 17th, 2009
by edsmith.
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This has been a hot topic, so we thought that this article may help answer a lot of common questions:

First-time homebuyers: How to get the $8,000 tax credit

WASHINGTON – Feb. 17, 2009 – How does a first-time homebuyer take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit that President Obama is expected to sign into law tomorrow? It comes with a few rules. According to the most recent analysis, the following rules will apply – though things could change as tax professionals weigh the details:

• The deduction is worth 10 percent of a home’s value up to $8,000, which means all homes worth more than $80,000 could qualify for the maximum amount.

• There is an income limit to qualify. A married couples’ modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) should be under $150,000 and single filers’ MAGI should be less than $75,000.

• Partial tax credits may be available for married couples with MAGI incomes over $150,000 but under $170,000, and single filers with incomes over $75,000 but under $95,000.

• If married couples file separately, they can both claim 5 percent of the home purchase ($4,000 each for a home over $80,000) on their tax returns.

• It’s a tax credit, not a deduction. That means the entire amount goes back to the first-time homebuyer unlike deductions, such as mortgage interest, that are subtracted from gross income before tax is calculated. If qualified for $8,000, the buyer gets $8,000, even if they would not owe that much in taxes otherwise.

• The tax credit applies to homes purchased between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2009.

• The tax credit does not have to be paid back, providing the homebuyer keeps the property for at least 36 months and resides in the home.

• To qualify as a first-time homebuyer, the purchaser cannot have owned a home within the previous three-year period. However, ownership of a vacation home or rental home does not disqualify the buyer.

• If purchasing a new home, the effective date to receive the credit is the first day the homeowner actually lives in the house. If construction began in 2008, that buyer could still qualify. And if construction begins in 2009 but the owner does not take possession until 2010, the buyer would not qualify.

• The tax credit can be claimed on 2008 income tax forms even though the purchase took place in 2009. A buyer could close on a home the same day that President Obama signs it into law, fill out their income tax forms the next day, and receive the tax credit fairly quickly.

The tax credit is not a downpayment, but it could be used toward a downpayment if first-time homebuyers plan ahead. U.S. taxpayers have money withheld from every paycheck for income taxes. If they owe more tax than the amount deducted, they pay the IRS; if they owe less, they get a tax refund.

By anticipating at least an $8,000 refund in early 2010 when they file 2009 taxes, these buyers could cut down on their tax withholding this year and save the money toward a downpayment. There is one caveat, however: Should they not buy a home in the qualifying period, they would still owe the IRS the money, and reducing their withholding amount could result in a high bill at tax time.

 

© 2009 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®