Archive for Real Estate News

First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended & Expanded

On November 6, 2009, President Obama signed a bill into law that immediately extended the popular tax credit program offering up to $8,500 for qualified first-time homebuyers into the first half of 2010. The bill also instantly expanded the program, offering up to $6,500 in tax credits for qualified repeat home buyers, opening the door [...]

The “New” Home Buyer Tax Credit Details

In a nutshell: The existing $8,000 tax credit is extended to May 1, 2010. (The credit is for 10% of the home purchase price, up to $8,000.) If a home buyer is “into a written binding contract before May 1, 2010”, and they close on that contract before July 1, 2010, the tax credit can be [...]

Fed Added Older CMBS to TALF Lending Program in July

May 19 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve will include legacy assets for the first time in a $1 trillion program to revive credit markets, expanding the effort to commercial real estate securities issued before the start of this year. The central bank also expanded the number of credit-ratings companies permitted to rate assets for the Term [...]

Not All Borrowers Need 20 Percent Down, Even in a Tight Economy

Although lending standards have tightened, a wide range of down-payment requirements are in effect today, depending on the borrower's financial situation and the type of product applied for. The minimum FHA down payment requirement, for example, is 3.5 percent. NAR last week issued an educational brief to news reporters to curb inaccurate reporting on the [...]

Columbia Missourian Real Estate This Week - A Realtor Is The Best Investment You Can Make

by Mark Stallmann, GRI, ePRO Chief Executive Officer St. Charles Association of REALTORS® Your doctor has bad news, you need surgery. So you decide to save some money and do the operation yourself! Sounds kind of dangerous, doesn’t it? You get sued over a car accident. You decide to save the lawyer’s fees and represent yourself! Sounds [...]