If you are looking to buy a home or condo, please view the most recent listings, and our most popular properties by clicking this link!
http://www.coastwalkrealestate.com/idx/search/results.aspx?showcompanyonly=true
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Landscaping Tips
I invite you to view some quick landscaping tips, sure to make a difference.
Click Here For Landscaping Tips
Buying or Selling Real Estate? I can help. I am available seven days a week, at all reasonable hours!
Click Here For Landscaping Tips
Buying or Selling Real Estate? I can help. I am available seven days a week, at all reasonable hours!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Home Improvement Tips - Under $30 (Wilmington, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach)
Real Estate - Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Wilmington, NC: Let me help you find your perfect property. I am available 7 days a week, at all reasonable hours to assist. You can reach me at 910-458-9119, or online at http://www.coastwalkrealestate.com/
Home Improvement Tips - Under $30
Watch 4 Minute Video, Click Here
Home Improvement Tips - Under $30
Watch 4 Minute Video, Click Here
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The Top 5 Tax Perks for Buyers, Sellers and Homeowners - 2009 Tax Edition
The Top 5 Tax Perks for Buyers, Sellers and Homeowners - 2009 Tax Edition
by Tara-Nicholle Nelson
Trulia's In-house Consumer Advocate
It's tax time, but it doesn't have to be excruciating, especially if you bought, sold or owned a home in 2009. While so many of us think of tax time as time to write a check, the Obama Administration's stimulus package promised to reverse that tradition, effectively writing a check (in tax credit format) to buyers, sellers and even short sellers and those who lost a home through foreclosure.
Take this quick list of tax tips to your personal tax guru and cash in your check from Uncle Sam!
1. 2009-10 First-time Homebuyer
Tax Credit
•Who It Helps: Recent (or current!) homebuyers who had not owned a home in the 3 years prior to buying, but bought one in 2009 or this year (must be in contract on or before April 30, 2010). Depending on when you bought (or buy! there's still some time left!) income and purchase price limits may apply.
•How It Helps: Depending on your income and purchase price, you can receive up to an $8,000 fully refundable tax credit. (That means if you were already getting a refund, you'll get a bigger one!) You can claim the credit on your 2009 tax return (the one you file on April 15th), even if you bought in 2010.
•More Info: http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit
•IMPORTANT NOTE: Per the IRS website, "because of the documentation requirements for claiming the credit, taxpayers who claim the credit on their 2009 tax return must file a paper — not electronic — return and attach Form 5405."
2. 2009-10 Move-Up Buyer Tax Credit
•Who It Helps: Current homeowners who have lived in the home they are selling, or have already sold, as their principal residence for five consecutive years of the last eight years who closed escrow between November 7, 2009 and July 1, 2010, so long as they are in contract on or before April 30, 2010.
•How It Helps: Eligible homeowners can receive a tax credit of as much as $6,500, depending on income. You can claim the credit on your 2009 tax return (the one you file on April 15th), even if you bought in 2010.
•More Info: http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit
•IMPORTANT NOTE: Can't e-file to collect this one, either - see #1, above.
3. Energy Efficient Housing Tax Credits
•Who It Helps: Homeowners who invested in making their homes more energy-efficient in 2009 and 2010.
•How it helps: Offers them a 30 percent tax credit on qualifying purchases of energy-efficient furnaces, windows and insulation.
•More Info: http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/gapublic/american_recovery_reinvestment_act_home#energy
4. Private Mortgage Insurance Deduction
•Who It Helps: Homeowners who bought a home in 2009, and put less than 20 percent down on their homes. These are the folks whose lenders required them to pay for PMI, or private mortgage insurance.
•How It Helps: Allows them to deduct the costs - upfront and monthly - of PMI.
•More Info: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p936.pdf
5. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act
•Who It Helps: Short sellers, owners who lost homes through foreclosures or had their mortgage balance reduced through loan modifications.
•How It Helps: Normally, when a loan is cancelled or forgiven through, for example, a short sale or foreclosure, the cancelled debt is transformed into taxable income - and the IRS comes looking for their cut. Under this Act, qualifying mortgage debt forgiven through foreclosure, short sale or loan modification is allowed to be excluded from taxable income. The forgiven mortgage debt must be a loan on your personal residence, and must be related to the purchase of your home (if you pulled a bunch of cash out and did a short sale on that mortgage, you might not qualify).
•More Info: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=179414,00.html
On top of these above-and-beyond tax credits, deductions and exemptions, longtime and brand-new homeowners should also look forward to claiming meaty tax deductions for basic closing costs (origination fees, taxes and points - oh my!), property taxes and mortgage interest deductions.
As always, talk to your tax preparer to see if you qualify for any of these tax perks. And don't delay - the countdown to April 15th is on.
by Tara-Nicholle Nelson
Trulia's In-house Consumer Advocate
It's tax time, but it doesn't have to be excruciating, especially if you bought, sold or owned a home in 2009. While so many of us think of tax time as time to write a check, the Obama Administration's stimulus package promised to reverse that tradition, effectively writing a check (in tax credit format) to buyers, sellers and even short sellers and those who lost a home through foreclosure.
Take this quick list of tax tips to your personal tax guru and cash in your check from Uncle Sam!
1. 2009-10 First-time Homebuyer
Tax Credit
•Who It Helps: Recent (or current!) homebuyers who had not owned a home in the 3 years prior to buying, but bought one in 2009 or this year (must be in contract on or before April 30, 2010). Depending on when you bought (or buy! there's still some time left!) income and purchase price limits may apply.
•How It Helps: Depending on your income and purchase price, you can receive up to an $8,000 fully refundable tax credit. (That means if you were already getting a refund, you'll get a bigger one!) You can claim the credit on your 2009 tax return (the one you file on April 15th), even if you bought in 2010.
•More Info: http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit
•IMPORTANT NOTE: Per the IRS website, "because of the documentation requirements for claiming the credit, taxpayers who claim the credit on their 2009 tax return must file a paper — not electronic — return and attach Form 5405."
2. 2009-10 Move-Up Buyer Tax Credit
•Who It Helps: Current homeowners who have lived in the home they are selling, or have already sold, as their principal residence for five consecutive years of the last eight years who closed escrow between November 7, 2009 and July 1, 2010, so long as they are in contract on or before April 30, 2010.
•How It Helps: Eligible homeowners can receive a tax credit of as much as $6,500, depending on income. You can claim the credit on your 2009 tax return (the one you file on April 15th), even if you bought in 2010.
•More Info: http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit
•IMPORTANT NOTE: Can't e-file to collect this one, either - see #1, above.
3. Energy Efficient Housing Tax Credits
•Who It Helps: Homeowners who invested in making their homes more energy-efficient in 2009 and 2010.
•How it helps: Offers them a 30 percent tax credit on qualifying purchases of energy-efficient furnaces, windows and insulation.
•More Info: http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/gapublic/american_recovery_reinvestment_act_home#energy
4. Private Mortgage Insurance Deduction
•Who It Helps: Homeowners who bought a home in 2009, and put less than 20 percent down on their homes. These are the folks whose lenders required them to pay for PMI, or private mortgage insurance.
•How It Helps: Allows them to deduct the costs - upfront and monthly - of PMI.
•More Info: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p936.pdf
5. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act
•Who It Helps: Short sellers, owners who lost homes through foreclosures or had their mortgage balance reduced through loan modifications.
•How It Helps: Normally, when a loan is cancelled or forgiven through, for example, a short sale or foreclosure, the cancelled debt is transformed into taxable income - and the IRS comes looking for their cut. Under this Act, qualifying mortgage debt forgiven through foreclosure, short sale or loan modification is allowed to be excluded from taxable income. The forgiven mortgage debt must be a loan on your personal residence, and must be related to the purchase of your home (if you pulled a bunch of cash out and did a short sale on that mortgage, you might not qualify).
•More Info: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=179414,00.html
On top of these above-and-beyond tax credits, deductions and exemptions, longtime and brand-new homeowners should also look forward to claiming meaty tax deductions for basic closing costs (origination fees, taxes and points - oh my!), property taxes and mortgage interest deductions.
As always, talk to your tax preparer to see if you qualify for any of these tax perks. And don't delay - the countdown to April 15th is on.
Dust If You Must
Remember...a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it. A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture .'
I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - 'in case someone came over'. Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun!
NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home. They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun.
If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice. Life is short. Enjoy it!
Dust if you must .......but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there's not much time . . . . with shrimp to eat, rivers to swim and mountains to climb , music, to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.
Dust if you must, but the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your
hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind. . .
And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!
Share this with all the wonderful women in your life.
It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.
I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - 'in case someone came over'. Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun!
NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home. They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun.
If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice. Life is short. Enjoy it!
Dust if you must .......but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there's not much time . . . . with shrimp to eat, rivers to swim and mountains to climb , music, to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.
Dust if you must, but the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your
hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind. . .
And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!
Share this with all the wonderful women in your life.
It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.
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