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Staging your home is the most important thing you can do if you are putting your house on the market for sale.  Here are some tips you can follow in helping you refresh your homes look. 

1.   Curb appeal means you want to entice a buyer to get out of their car and come knocking on your door.  You can do this by raking up those past season leaves, putting a fresh coat of paint on the door and changing the exterior lights if they are rusted.  Also, keep landscaping looking nice and clean of weeds.

2.    If you have little ones running around you may want to do some touch up painting to give it a refreshed look from dirty hands.  Steam clean your carpets to brighten up your living areas and it will give your house a fresh clean smell.

3.    Uncluttered counter tops make the area look larger this will let the potential buyer imagine what it could look like with their kitchen effects.

4.   Install closet organizers to clean up years of clutter that may have accumulated.

5.    Buy new plush bed spreads with the matching pillow shams and add  nice new fluffy towels to your master bath to compliment the new look of your bedroom.

6.    Add some wall mirrors and purchase some ceiling height plants to add perceived height and life to any room.

7.    If you have an open house play some soothing music have your TV on a channel with some  eye pleasing scenes.

 Rejuvenating your home may pay off big time in getting it sold in a timely manner.

Per IRS.gov

Residential Energy Property Credit

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides numerous tax incentives for individuals to invest in energy-efficient products.

Residential Energy Property Credit (Section 1121): The new law increases the energy tax credit for homeowners who make energy efficient improvements to their existing homes. The new law increases the credit rate to 30 percent of the cost of all qualifying improvements and raises the maximum credit limit to $1,500 for improvements placed in service in 2009 and 2010.

The credit applies to improvements such as adding insulation, energy efficient exterior windows and energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems.

Making your home energy efficient saves you money in the long run but could also be a good selling point if you are thinking of selling your home in the future.

For more information regarding this blog, please click the link below:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=206875,00.html

First-Time Homebuyer Credit Extended with New Rules and Restrictions

New legislation, the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009, which was signed into law on Nov. 6, 2009, extends and expands the first-time homebuyer credit allowed by previous Acts. The new law:

• Extends deadlines for purchasing and closing on a home.
• Authorizes the credit for long-time homeowners buying a replacement principal residence.
• Raises the income limitations for homeowners claiming the credit.

Under the new law, an eligible taxpayer must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2010 and close on the home by June 30, 2010. For qualifying purchases in 2010, taxpayers have the option of claiming the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 return.

For the first time, long-time homeowners who buy a replacement principal residence may also claim a homebuyer credit of up to $6,500 (up to $3,250 for a married individual filing separately). They must have lived in the same principal residence for any five-consecutive year period during the eight-year period that ended on the date the replacement home is purchased.

People with higher incomes can now qualify for the credit. The new law raises the income limits for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009. The credit phases out for individual taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) between $125,000 and $145,000 or between $225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers. The existing MAGI phase-outs of $75,000 to $95,000 or $150,000 to $170,000 for joint filers still apply to purchases on or before Nov. 6, 2009.

There’s more to read with additional new restrictions, to find out more click the link below. I hope Uncle Sam helps you get into the house of your dreams.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.html

Growing debt, can’t pay the mortgage, facing foreclosure? You may want to consider calling America Homeowner Preservation (AHP) for help. AHP will negotiate with your lender to approve the best possible short sale available. Then they offer your house for sale to an AHP investor who then buys your home and leases it back to you. So you never need to move out. You have the option to repurchase your home back at anytime during the 5 year period once you are back on your feet. To find out more please click the link below.

www.ahphelp.com/index.php

Before you enter into any loan agreement, remember you have have the following rights:

•    Shop for the best loan for you and compare the charges of different mortgage broker and lenders.

•    Be informed about the total cost of your loan including the interest rate, points and other fees.

•    Ask for a Good Faith Estimate of all loan and settlement charges before you agree to the loan and pay any fees.

•    Know what fees are not refundable if you decide to cancel the loan agreement.

•    Ask your mortgage broker to explain exactly what the mortgage broker will do for you.

•    Know how much the mortgage broker is getting paid by you and the lender for your loan.

•    Ask questions about charges and loan terms that you do not understand.

•    Receive a credit decision that is not based on your race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or whether any income is from public assistance.

•    Know the reason if your loan was turned down.

•    Ask for the HUD settlement cost booklet "Buying Your Home".

If you are in any loan process it is always good idea to bring a second set of ears to make sure you understand what the terms are for your loan.  Check with your local banks when shopping for loans that way you can have face to face customer service.  Remember first time buyers get the $8,000 tax credit hurry before time runs out. Get out there and go get the house of your dreams.

Per John Hines article "How to buy a home in the new economy" found on Housing Predictor's web-site, you don't always have to rely on mortgages from a bank or lending services.  More and more people are using owner financing.  Mr. Hines says that owner financing is emerging as an answer to the financial crisis, and it just may be the way you finally buy that house. Homeowners who own their homes, condos and other property without a mortgage are able to sell their places using a first trust deed, also called a contract in some states.

So get out there and find out where those estate homes that are for sale in your area and see if you can get owner financing.

For more infomation regarding this article and other related material can be found on the link below.

http://www.housingpredictor.com/

Per Housing Predictor web-site appraisers are also taking a hit in the spill over of the mortgage crisis. As a result, many appraisers are tightening under-writing criteria and some banks are requiring two appraisals on some properties in particularly hard hit housing markets.   For more information regarding this article please click the link below.

http://www.HousingPredictor.com