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Joseph Foster
October 2009
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Home Buyer's Tax Credit Changes Possible

  The first major change to the $8,000 home buyer's tax credit began moving through Congress the last week of September, giving hope to real estate and building groups pushing for extension of the entire program before it expires November 30, 2009.
      House Ways and Means Committee chairman, Congressman Charles Rangel, a New York Democrat, combined several smaller bills into the "Service Members Home Ownership Act of 2009", with a floor vote expected soon.
      The bill is intended to correct a flaw in the original tax credit legislation: By

Mortgage Rates
U.S. averages as of September 24, 2009:

30 yr. fixed:   5.04%
15 yr. fixed:   4.46%
1 yr. adj:        4.52%




View current rates

requiring buyers to occupy and own their first home for 36 months to fully qualify for the credit, the program creates serious problems when military, Foreign Service and intelligence agency



Wondering What Your Home Is Worth?

Let me show you.

Don't Let An Over-priced Home Be a Humbling Lesson

     Perhaps the greatest influencer in getting your home sold is entering the market with a home that's priced correctly.
      Over-priced homes won't get favorable attention; they lose out to the ones that are reasonably priced.
      All sellers are looking for the highest price for their home. That's why some sellers want to start at the highest point, maybe even asking a higher price than what they really believe they can get -- the continued readjustment of price can be a humbling ride down to finding the reasonable price to sell the home.
      Still dropping the price sounds like an okay strategy, some sellers think.
      Here's the problem, especially in today's current market conditions where numerous sellers are competing for fewer buyers -- adjusting price down may come too late and cost the seller less in gain than if the home were priced correctly from the start.



Job-hunting Strategies For Trailing Spouses

     You're moving. Again. And once again, your spouse's career takes precedence and yours is back at square one. Even if you are in total agreement with the move, you will still experience two of the highest stress factors in existence simultaneously - moving and unemployment.
      Along with death of a family member, loss of a spouse, and disaster, moving and being unemployed rank among the top five stress producers. To be faced with two of the top stressors simultaneously requires the marshalling of all your survival and recovery instincts.
      You're moving to make life better, but that is only true if moving is best for both of you and the rest of the members of your family. Your job as the transferred spouse is to make the best of the transition. Finding the right employment situation will get you well on the road to accomplishing that goal.
      Over 75% of company transferees are married, according to the Employee Relocation Council in Washington, D.C. which means three out of four transferees has a "trailing spouse."
      Although some companies take steps to smooth the transition for employees who are asked to move from


Four Things Not to Forget on Moving Day

     You're likely approaching moving day with equal parts excitement and dread.
      The excitement: a new home, a new life – a fresh start!
      The dread: moving. However, you can't go from "Old, Boring Life" to "New, Exciting Life" without passing through "Moving Day." Thankfully, the day itself needn't be an ordeal, if you keep in mind four things you absolutely should not forget to do.
  • Don't forget to make sure everything is loaded on the van.
          It's not unheard of for moving companies to neglect to load some



    Daily News and Advice

    Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.



    More Articles


    		September Round Up: Rates Remain Low, Increasing Affordability

    		 Mortgage Fraud Remains
    An Easy Con

    		Home Staging Helps Bring
    Top Dollar Sale

    		How to Stay on Top of Mortgage Payments During a Short-Term Financial Crisis



    		• Joseph Foster, P.A.,CLHMS
    E-mail: josephfoster@michaelsaunders.com
    Web: http://www.bradentonwaterfront.com
    Cell: 941.812.7634
    		Michael Saunders & Company
    Phone 1: 941-907-9595; Phone 2: 941-812-7634
    8325 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
    Bradenton, FL 34202

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    Posted by Joseph C. Foster on October 7th, 2009 11:46 AMPost a Comment (0)

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