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Although the Federal tax credit programs ended with purchases occuring no later than 30 April 2010, there are still plenty of reasons to make a purchase in today's market:
1. Mortgage interest rates are still at historically low rates - most recently being 4.75% APR. A one percent change in the interest rate on a 30-year $200,000 loan can [...]
The following article is reproduced in its entirety for the benefit of the readers of our Blog. Now is the time to buy your first home, or to sell your current home and move up to a new home! Don't miss out on this extended and expanded tax credit which is set to expire on June 30, [...]
Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") permits owners of "like kind" properties to trade their holdings and, by doing so, to defer until a future date all or a portion of their capital gains tax obligations on the profits. Real estate held as an investment is considered to be "like kind" and qualifies for a 1031 exchange when [...]
Michigan's General Property Tax Act (GPTA) establishes a process for valuing properties for purposes of property tax assessments. A tax assessor must annually estimate a property's true cash value (TCV) and divide this number by two, the result of which is called the state equalized value (SEV); by law a property's SEV cannot exceed 50% of [...]
This recipe is courtesy of Susan Amory who shared it with me and informed me that her mother is the Casserole Queen. You will see more recipes from Susan and her mother in the future.
2 pounds of ground beef
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup V8 juice (Susan sometimes uses a bloody mary mix instead)
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup chopped celery [...]
The Internal Revenue Code provides for an exclusion on the sale of a principal residence for an amount not to exceed $500,000, for which no federal income tax is due. The term "universal exclusion" refers to the $250,000 ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly) of profit that is excluded from federal taxation when a taxpayer sells a principal residence [...]
This is a family recipe that my grandmother and her neighbor made at the holidays. As a child, I enjoyed it immensely and we called it poppycock, although it isn't exactly the same as what is labeled [...]
This recipe was provided by Josh Westlund of The House Inspector Company. His family bakes it every year during the holidays.
3 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Preheat oven [...]
As Fall has arrived and Winter will soon be upon us, I am reminded that the first-time homebuyer Federal tax credit will expire on 1 December 2009, so first-time homebuyers should be mindful of this date to ensure that they are closing on their purchase by no later than this date. There are also several other important facts regarding this [...]