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Homeowners who don’t have enough deductions to make it worthwhile to file an itemized return can take an additional standard deduction for the amount of property taxes they have paid, up to $500 for single filers or $1,000 for joint return filers. This tax change is in effect for 2009 returns, but it's fate for next year is uncertain. This option especially benefits older homeowners and others who have paid off or paid down their mortgage and no longer have the big interest deductions that ... Read Full Post

1) Know your wants & needs- If you’re not certain about your requirements and desires, then you may find they’re not met when the house is completed and you’re ready to move in. Try going room by room and figuring out what features of your current home are lacking or need improvement. 2) Know your builder- A great floor plan isn’t worth much if the builder doesn’t deliver what’s promised. Check past customers, suppliers and subcontractors for references. J.D. Powers and Associ... Read Full Post

Buyers of newly constructed homes too often go it alone when they don't need to and probably shouldn't. Yes, builders usually have a sales office with a friendly representative (who may not be a Realtor) who can show you home designs and site plans, answer questions and write up a purchase contract. What could be easier? Why would you want or need to enlist the assistance of a Realtor? Because going it alone isn't the best idea for a number of important reasons. And having a Realtor on your s... Read Full Post

New disclosure procedures Fall homebuyers and refinancers will be seeing new disclosure procedures. The Federal Reserve Board has issued regulations that significantly change the disclosures you get during the mortgage application process. The change to Truth in Lending Regulations (also known as Regulation Z) took effect for loan applications made after July 30. The revisions implement the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act (MDIA), which was intended to ensure that consumers receive cost di... Read Full Post

If you are first-time Maryland homebuyer who has put off getting into homeownership, you only have a few short weeks left to take advantage of a fabulous incentive: the $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit. Because the purchase must close before December 1, you can’t delay any longer. Mortgages are taking over 45 to 60 days to process, so don’t wait. Making the first-time buyer credit even more attractive is that FHA is permitting the credit to be advanced to a purchaser to cover closing co... Read Full Post

Interest rates for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages have increased from 4.9% to 5.6% in the last two weeks alone. Yields on 10-year Treasury bonds have doubled in the last year--with no end in sight for further increases. The Federal Government is overspending its resources this fiscal year alone by $2 trillion, will do virtually the same thing again next fiscal year, and will be running something like $1 trillion annual spending deficits as far as the eye can see. The Federal Government already... Read Full Post

The below listed properties are close to a METRO station in Fairfax County, Virginia along the Orange Line. These below links show all active listings for sale and rent in the MRIS as of today. This is a keyword search, and sometimes you will also see homes listed from other areas. Whenever you check back you will be updated with the latest listings, as this info is updated daily. ORANGE LINE INTO FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA: walk to Rosslyn metro walk to Clarendon metro walk to Ballston metro w... Read Full Post

Here are some helpful tips for making a successful mortgage application in the 2009 lending world so your loan officer can help expedite a legitimate financing letter for you to give your Real Estate Agent BEFORE you start home shopping. 1. Be prepared when you apply. Get your documentation together for the first meeting with your mortgage professional. Saying you can’t find a document won’t relieve you of the responsibility for getting it. 2. Be sure to disclose everything An IRS form 45... Read Full Post

The below listed properties are close to a METRO station in Montgomery County, Maryland. These below links show all active listings for sale and rent in the MRIS as of today. This is a keyword search, and sometimes you will also see homes listed from other areas. Whenever you check back you will be updated with the latest listings, as this info is updated daily. RED LINE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND: walk to Shady Grove metro walk to Rockville metro walk to Twinbrook metro walk to White Fli... Read Full Post

Anne Arundel county govt. phone# 410-222-1144 Recordation Tax $7.00 per thousand Transfer Tax 1.5% (1% County + .5% State) Property Tax $1.087 per hundred assessed value (.955 County + $.132 State) Property taxes are collected on a semi-annual basis. Each county has it's own fees for what it charges on a Maryland home purchase for state recordation and county transfer taxes at settlement. The state transfer tax is always the same. The buyer is exempt from the state transfer tax if they are a ... Read Full Post