Military Personnel Can Still Claim The $8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit

Filed under Homebuyer Tax Credit by on March 7, 2011 at 7:47 am {no comments}

Tax credit extended for military householdsFor certain members of the military, and for certain federal employees, there’s just 2 months remaining to get use the federal home buyer .

Eligible persons include members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service, and intelligence community employees who served at least 90 days of qualified, extended duty service outside of the United States between January 1, 2009 and , 2010.

Spouses of persons meeting the above criteria are eligible as well.

The federal home buyer tax credit ranges up to $8,000 for first-time , and up to $6,500 for existing homeowners. Existing homeowners must have lived in their “main home” through 5 of the last 8 years to be eligible.

Claiming the is a two-step process. First, eligible persons must be under contract for a new home on or before April 30, 2011.  The home’s closing must then occur on or before June 30, 2011. 

The does not make date exceptions.

Furthermore, both the buyer(s) and the subject property must meet certain minimum :

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Don’t Schedule Your Closing For May 28, 2010

Filed under Homebuyer Tax Credit by on April 14, 2010 at 7:47 am {no comments}

The federal home buyer expires and the deadline is sparking a home sale surge. It figures to burden real estate, mortgage and title offices nationwide over the next 60 days so plan your closing date accordingly.

Especially because the last Friday in May is the Friday before .

Now, if the connection between the tax credit and Memorial Day is not immediately clear, think of your own office on a 3-day weekend’s Friday. Some of your colleagues take a half-day at work, others take the entire day off.

Office-wide, productivity drops.

The same is true in the real estate space. Offices are short-handed ahead of a holiday so, if you’re under contract for a home and plan to close in May, consider a closing date other than Friday May 28, 2010.

And meanwhile, with 6 weeks until Memorial Day, here’s some steps you can take today prepare for other people’s time off later.

  1. Notify your lender of your planned vacation time between now and your scheduled closing
  2. Purchase a homeowners insurance policy and prepay the first year. Send proof of payment to your lender.
  3. Have Power of Attorney forms lender-approved and signed by all parties in advance, if applicable
  4. Deposit gift monies and/or retirement fund withdrawals into an acceptable bank account, if applicable
  5. Schedule your final walk-through as far in advance as is realistic so there’s time to make “fixes”, if needed
  6. Have your closing funds ready at least 1 day in advance

The tax credit’s expiration is around the corner and as it gets closer, real estate-related businesses are taking on more work. Basic title and mortgage tasks are taking longer to complete and that should persist for a while.

Get ahead of the curve and beat your contract dates handily. Use the checklist above and be responsive to your lender’s requests.

And, if at all possible, avoid closing on the Friday before Memorial Day and even the Tuesday after — it’s when office staffs are at their smallest.

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30 Days Remain on First Time Home Buyer Credit

Filed under Homebuyer Tax Credit by on April 1, 2010 at 7:46 am {no comments}

Federal home buyer tax creditThere’s just 30 days remaining to use the federal home buyer .

The credit ranges up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers, and up to $6,500 for existing homeworkers who have lived in their main home for 5 of the last 8 years.

Claiming the is a two-step process. First, you must be under contract for a new home on or before , 2010.  Then, you must close on said home on or before June 30, 2010.

There are no exceptions on the dates (except for certain members of the military).

Timeline aside, homebuyers and the subject property must also meet minimum requirements in order to be tax credit-eligible:

  • You can’t purchase the home from a parent, spouse, or child
  • You can’t purchase the home from an entity in which the seller is a majority owner
  • You can’t acquire the home by gift or inheritance
  • Each buyer in the purchase must meet
  • The home sale price may not exceed $800,000
  • Buyers may not earn more than $125,000 as single-filers; $225,000 as joint-filers

The complete eligibility checklist is published on the IRS website.  Or, if you find -speak too difficult, make a phone call to your accountant.  Asking a tax professional’s advice on a tax-related matter is never a time-waster.

And lastly, don’t forget that if you’re claiming to federal tax credit for , it’s a tax credit and not a deduction.  This means that a tax filer who qualifies for the full $8,000 and for whom the “normal” federal tax liability is $8,000, will owe no federal taxes in 2010 to the IRS.

If you’re an active buyer in Chicago, or anywhere else in the country , mark your calendar for April 30, 2010. It’s 30 days from now and, as the date gets closer, buyer traffic will increase. The likely result is higher home prices and more difficult negotiations.  The best time to act may be today.

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$8,000 Tax Credit Ends In 7 Weeks

Filed under Homebuyer Tax Credit by on March 9, 2010 at 7:47 am {no comments}

In November, Congress extended and expanded the First-Time Home Buyer program to include a subset of “move-up” buyers — homeowners that have owned and lived in their home for 5 of the last 8 years.

The credit ranges up to $8,000 per buyer. There’s now just 7 weeks left to take advantage.

To be eligible, must be under contract for a new home no later than , 2010, and must be closed no later than June 30, 2010.

In addition to meeting the deadline dates, there’s a basic set of requirements to be tax credit-eligible:

  • You can’t purchase the home from a parent, spouse, or child
  • You can’t purchase the home from an entity in which the seller is a majority owner
  • You can’t acquire the home by gift or inheritance
  • Each buyer in the purchase must meet

There’s other criteria, too.

For one, the sales price on the subject property cannot exceed $800,000. Homes sold for more than $800,000 are ineligible for the tax credit. Furthermore, households earning more than $125,000 as single-filers, or $225,500 for joint-filers, are ineligible.

You can read the complete eligibility requirements at the IRS website, or, you may just find it simpler to speak with your accountant about it. There are some nuances in qualifying for and claiming the tax credit on your returns and getting a professional’s opinion is always wise.

And lastly, don’t forget that government’s tax credit program is a true tax credit. It’s not a tax deduction.  This means that a tax filer whose “normal” tax liability is $3,500 and who is eligible for $8,000 in credit will receive a $4,500 refund from the U.S. Treasury.

Mark your calendar for April 30, 2010. It’s 7 weeks away and you can be sure that as the date gets closer, buyer traffic is going to increase.  You may find sellers more willing to negotiate today than several weeks from now.

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There’s 100 Days Left To Claim The Homebuyer Tax Credit

Filed under Homebuyer Tax Credit by on January 20, 2010 at 7:46 am {no comments}

100 days remain for the Home Buyer Tax Credit ExpirationVersion 3.0 of the expires in 100 days.

The end of the first time home buyer $8,000 tax credit has been pushed forward to spring, requiring homebuyers to be under contract for a home no later than , 2010, and to be closed no later than June 30, 2010.

In addition, “move-up” buyers were also added to the program’s eligibility list.  This means that you don’t have to be a first-time home buyer to be eligible for the tax credit.  If you’ve lived in your home for 5 of the last 8 years, you meet the requirements.  Tax credits of up to $6,500 on the “move-up” or “long-term residents” program.

The basic are still the same:

  • You can’t purchase the home from a parent, spouse, or child
  • You can’t purchase the home from an entity in which they’re a majority owner
  • You can’t acquire the home by gift or inheritance
  • All parties to the purchase must meet eligibility requirements

There are still some notable changes.

First, the subject property’s sales price may not exceed $800,000. Over $800k?  Fully ineligible.  The good:  household income thresholds have been raised to $125,000 for single-filers and $225,500 for joint-filers.

    And lastly, don’t forget that the program is a true tax credit — not a deduction.  This means that a tax filer who’s eligible for the full $8,00 credit and whose “normal” tax liability totals $5,000 would receive a $3,000 refund from the U.S. Treasury at tax time.

    The complete list of qualifying criteria is posted on the IRS website.  Review it with a tax professional to determine your eligibility.  Then mark your calendar for April 30, 2010.

    There’s just 100 days to go.

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