10 Common Errors Home Owners Make When Filing Taxes

Basics of Buying Real Estate Short Sales

Over the last several years, short sales have received a substantial amount of attention. This type of transaction is done when the seller owes more on his or her mortgage than the value of the property. The lender essentially agrees to accept less than the balance owed as an alternative to foreclosure . On the surface, a short sale (SS) seems attractive for all parties involved. The buyer is able to purchase a property for a price that is below market value ; the seller is able to sell their home without losing it to foreclosure; the lender is able to recover a portion of the mortgage that would otherwise be lost. However, these deals are often more complex than they seem. Some require up to six months to close, and often fall through beforehand. In this article, we’ll explain the basics of buying real estate short sales, starting with the importance of working with an experienced real estate agent . We’ll describe the process and explore some of the factors you shou...

Rebuilding credit after foreclosure or short sale

The ideal of homeownership may have lost its attraction to the millions of underwater owners who have lost homes during the housing meltdown. But it is never too soon for folks who have given up their homes to start pointing to the day when they will once again decide to take the plunge. Whether you were able to persuade your lender to accept a payoff for less than what you owed and dump your albatross in what's known as a "short sale" or lost everything -- lock, stock and doorbell -- to foreclosure , if you start rebuilding your credit now, you may be able to buy another place in as little as two years. Even if you've vowed never again to be an owner, the damage done to your credit profile by your housing woes will impact your everyday needs for at least the next 24 to 36 months. "We live in a credit-dominated society, making it especially critical for those with tarnished credit reports to begin the rebuilding process as soon as possible,"...

Strong rebound in pending home sales

WASHINGTON – Dec. 2, 2010 – Pending home sales jumped 10.4 percent in October, showing another positive uptrend since bottoming in June, according to the National Association of Realtors® . The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator, rose to 89.3 based on contracts signed in October from 80.9 in September. The index remains 20.5 percent below a surge to a cyclical peak of 112.4 in October 2009, which was the highest level since May 2006 when it hit 112.6. The latest surge also reflects market strength, since buyers had an additional push to close quickly in October 2009 to qualify for one version of the first-time homebuyer tax credit that expired in November. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which normally occur with a lag time of one or two months. The data also surprised economists who had expected a decline in pending home sales given current troubles within the housing market . However, Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says excell...

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