Marketing Southern California Real Estate and Marketing Your Home at the Highest Level... Here to Help Make Your Move Easier, Questions? Call Us 714•694•0880 jim@jimsalem.com
Feb 28, 2011
Feb 20, 2011
Celebrate Presidents Day at Nixon Library - FREE
MONDAY · FEBRUARY 21 · FREE ADMISSION ALL DAY!
Meet President's Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and Roosevelt
Bring the entire family (and your camera) to meet a Mount Rushmore of Presidents.
Watch author and former Presidential speech writer James Humes perform "Abe Please Don't Go to Gettysburg: The Inside Story of the Gettysburg Address" at 11:30 am.
Attend a special East Room program at 2:00 pm where you'll hear the Presidents at a roundtable discussion of America's role in the world during their respective terms in office.
Plus! A free piece of cherry pie to the first hundred guests!
Meet President's Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and Roosevelt
Bring the entire family (and your camera) to meet a Mount Rushmore of Presidents.
Watch author and former Presidential speech writer James Humes perform "Abe Please Don't Go to Gettysburg: The Inside Story of the Gettysburg Address" at 11:30 am.
Attend a special East Room program at 2:00 pm where you'll hear the Presidents at a roundtable discussion of America's role in the world during their respective terms in office.
Plus! A free piece of cherry pie to the first hundred guests!
Feb 18, 2011
4 Tips to Avoid Foreclosure Scams
More home owners are falling prey to scams that promise to “stop the foreclosure” and “save your home.”
The Federal Trade Commission has released a report to help borrowers avoid falling victim to such scams, here are a few of its tips:
1. Watch for outlandish claims. "Eliminate your debt!" and "We guarantee to stop the auction" are too good to be true. If it sounds like an easy way out, don’t believe it, the FTC warns.
2. Don't pay up-front costs. Consumer investigator Dale Cardwell warns home owners to beware of any deal that requires you to pay up-front fees. Cardwell says you shouldn’t pay any business or person who promises to modify your loan because only your lender can do that.
3. Beware of those imitating government agencies. Watch out for scammers who may capture logos, names, photos, and Web sites to make it look like they are part of a government agency.
4. Make payments only to your lender, no one else. Never write a check to someone else instead of your lender for your mortgage. Scammers may present an official looking reinstatement package and tell you to pay everything to them. Send payments only to your loan servicer, experts recommend.
Source: “In Saving Home, Steer Clear of Scams,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Feb. 13, 2011)
The Federal Trade Commission has released a report to help borrowers avoid falling victim to such scams, here are a few of its tips:
1. Watch for outlandish claims. "Eliminate your debt!" and "We guarantee to stop the auction" are too good to be true. If it sounds like an easy way out, don’t believe it, the FTC warns.
2. Don't pay up-front costs. Consumer investigator Dale Cardwell warns home owners to beware of any deal that requires you to pay up-front fees. Cardwell says you shouldn’t pay any business or person who promises to modify your loan because only your lender can do that.
3. Beware of those imitating government agencies. Watch out for scammers who may capture logos, names, photos, and Web sites to make it look like they are part of a government agency.
4. Make payments only to your lender, no one else. Never write a check to someone else instead of your lender for your mortgage. Scammers may present an official looking reinstatement package and tell you to pay everything to them. Send payments only to your loan servicer, experts recommend.
Source: “In Saving Home, Steer Clear of Scams,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Feb. 13, 2011)
Feb 12, 2011
Million Dollar Home Sales Jump 21%
The sales of California homes over $1 million jumped 21% in 2010 from 2009. 22,529 of these million dollar plus homes sold in 2010 and 29.4% were all cash purchases. This is still far below the 54,773 reported million dollar plus sales in 2005, but may be evidence that luxury home buyers are now returning to the market because the recent price drops have made luxury home purchases an attractive investment.
Feb 10, 2011
Feb 7, 2011
Feb 4, 2011
Does New Health Care Law Contain a 3.8% Home Sales Tax?
The question and debate surrounding whether the Health Care Law actually contains a 3.8% Home Sale tax has been renewed over the past few weeks as the new Congressional session has begun. Not only has our friends from Keeping Current Matters dusted off a blog post from last year but the National Association of Realtors has also come out with their explanation of the process. Both of these will put most minds at ease.
Does Health Care Bill Contain 3.8% Home Sales Tax? from The KCM Crew:
We have received many questions about a possible 3.8% tax which will be put on home sales beginning in 2013. We want to do our best to clarify this situation for everyone. We are not accountants and give you this information just as a simple answer to the misconception. Understand that, when it comes to IRS regulations, you should check with your accountant for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
A little history on the confusion
Fact Check.org explains it this way:
The truth is that only a tiny percentage of home sellers will pay the tax. First of all, only those with incomes over $200,000 a year ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly) will be subject to it. And even for those who have such high incomes, the tax still won’t apply to the first $250,000 on profits from the sale of a personal residence — or to the first $500,000 in the case of a married couple selling their home.
We can understand how this misconception got started. The law itself is couched in highly technical language that only a qualified tax expert can fully grasp. (This provision begins on page 33 of the reconciliation bill that was passed and signed into law.) And it does say the tax falls on “net gain … attributable to the disposition of property.” That would include the sale of a home. But the bill also says the tax falls only on that portion of any gain that is “taken into account in computing taxable income” under the existing tax code. And the fact is, the first $250,000 in profit on the sale of a primary residence (or $500,000 in the case of a married couple) is excluded from taxable income already. (That exclusion doesn’t apply to vacation homes or rental properties.)
The Joint Committee on Taxation, the group of nonpartisan tax experts that Congress relies on to analyze tax proposals, underscores this in a footnote on page 135 of its report on the bill. The note states: “Gross income does not include … excluded gain from the sale of a principal residence.”
And just to be sure, we checked with William Ahern, director of policy and communications for the nonprofit, pro-business Tax Foundation. “Some home sales would see a tax increase under this bill,” Ahern told us, “but it would have to be a second home or a principal residence generating [a gain of] more than $250,000 ($500,000 for a couple).”
Simple Explanation:
The following simple explanation comes from midiShaw:
The tax will affect those sellers of real property who will be otherwise taxed on capital gains under current tax laws. Under current laws, if you sell your primary residence and meet the ‘time ‘ criteria, you are exempt up to $250,000 or $500,000 (filing individually or jointly). Any amount realized OVER that amount is taxable under current tax schedules based on income. As such, this new tax will apparently be added to the current capital gains tax burden IF your income is over $200,000/$250,000 (filing individually or jointly). For those selling second homes and investment properties, the tax, once again, will be applied to the amount of gain realized.
Detailed Explanation:
The following also comes from midiShaw in a comment to the above answer.
Beginning in 2013, the national health care reform legislation that became law in March, 2010, imposes a new 3.8 percent tax on certain investment income. The new tax will apply to single filers with incomes over $200,000 and married taxpayers with incomes over $250,000. Under the law, the investment tax provisions in Chapter 2A of the Internal Revenue Code are placed under the heading “Unearned Income Medicare Contribution.” In general, this new Medicare tax will apply to investment income that is subject to income tax, which includes capital gains. Pursuant to IRC Section 1402 (C)(1)(A)(iii), the investment income to which this new tax applies includes “net gain” (to the extent taken into account in computing taxable income) attributed to the disposition of property that qualifies as a capital asset under Section 1221 (capital gains), as well as gains on other property that are considered part of ordinary income.
We offer this just as an explanation. Remember, when it comes to IRS regulations, you should check with your accountant for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Does Health Care Bill Contain 3.8% Home Sales Tax? from The KCM Crew:
We have received many questions about a possible 3.8% tax which will be put on home sales beginning in 2013. We want to do our best to clarify this situation for everyone. We are not accountants and give you this information just as a simple answer to the misconception. Understand that, when it comes to IRS regulations, you should check with your accountant for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
A little history on the confusion
Fact Check.org explains it this way:
The truth is that only a tiny percentage of home sellers will pay the tax. First of all, only those with incomes over $200,000 a year ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly) will be subject to it. And even for those who have such high incomes, the tax still won’t apply to the first $250,000 on profits from the sale of a personal residence — or to the first $500,000 in the case of a married couple selling their home.
We can understand how this misconception got started. The law itself is couched in highly technical language that only a qualified tax expert can fully grasp. (This provision begins on page 33 of the reconciliation bill that was passed and signed into law.) And it does say the tax falls on “net gain … attributable to the disposition of property.” That would include the sale of a home. But the bill also says the tax falls only on that portion of any gain that is “taken into account in computing taxable income” under the existing tax code. And the fact is, the first $250,000 in profit on the sale of a primary residence (or $500,000 in the case of a married couple) is excluded from taxable income already. (That exclusion doesn’t apply to vacation homes or rental properties.)
The Joint Committee on Taxation, the group of nonpartisan tax experts that Congress relies on to analyze tax proposals, underscores this in a footnote on page 135 of its report on the bill. The note states: “Gross income does not include … excluded gain from the sale of a principal residence.”
And just to be sure, we checked with William Ahern, director of policy and communications for the nonprofit, pro-business Tax Foundation. “Some home sales would see a tax increase under this bill,” Ahern told us, “but it would have to be a second home or a principal residence generating [a gain of] more than $250,000 ($500,000 for a couple).”
Simple Explanation:
The following simple explanation comes from midiShaw:
The tax will affect those sellers of real property who will be otherwise taxed on capital gains under current tax laws. Under current laws, if you sell your primary residence and meet the ‘time ‘ criteria, you are exempt up to $250,000 or $500,000 (filing individually or jointly). Any amount realized OVER that amount is taxable under current tax schedules based on income. As such, this new tax will apparently be added to the current capital gains tax burden IF your income is over $200,000/$250,000 (filing individually or jointly). For those selling second homes and investment properties, the tax, once again, will be applied to the amount of gain realized.
Detailed Explanation:
The following also comes from midiShaw in a comment to the above answer.
Beginning in 2013, the national health care reform legislation that became law in March, 2010, imposes a new 3.8 percent tax on certain investment income. The new tax will apply to single filers with incomes over $200,000 and married taxpayers with incomes over $250,000. Under the law, the investment tax provisions in Chapter 2A of the Internal Revenue Code are placed under the heading “Unearned Income Medicare Contribution.” In general, this new Medicare tax will apply to investment income that is subject to income tax, which includes capital gains. Pursuant to IRC Section 1402 (C)(1)(A)(iii), the investment income to which this new tax applies includes “net gain” (to the extent taken into account in computing taxable income) attributed to the disposition of property that qualifies as a capital asset under Section 1221 (capital gains), as well as gains on other property that are considered part of ordinary income.
We offer this just as an explanation. Remember, when it comes to IRS regulations, you should check with your accountant for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Top 8 Most Miserable Cities
Even plenty of sunshine can’t get the cities that topped the list of the most miserable smiling.
California residents are pretty miserable, according to Forbes’ list of the most unhappy cities in the United States. California cities account for eight of the 20 most miserable places in the U.S., and four of the top five. Falling home prices, high unemployment, high crime, steep state taxes, and a large budget deficit have brought a lot of Californians down in recent months.
Here is the list of the most miserable cities, according to Forbes:
1. Stockton, Calif.
2. Miami
3. Merced, Calif.
4. Modesto, Calif.
5. Sacramento, Calif.
6. Memphis, Tenn.
7. Chicago
8. West Palm Beach, Fla.
Forbes analyzed 200 U.S. cities for its list, taking into account such factors as housing, unemployment, weather, taxes, commuting times, crime, and how the cities’ sports teams performed in recent years.
"Both California and Florida have a history of boom and bust economies,” Kurt Badenhausen, Forbes senior editor, told Reuters. “People flooded to these states because of the weather during the boom years but that helped inflate the massive bubble in housing."
California residents are pretty miserable, according to Forbes’ list of the most unhappy cities in the United States. California cities account for eight of the 20 most miserable places in the U.S., and four of the top five. Falling home prices, high unemployment, high crime, steep state taxes, and a large budget deficit have brought a lot of Californians down in recent months.
Here is the list of the most miserable cities, according to Forbes:
1. Stockton, Calif.
2. Miami
3. Merced, Calif.
4. Modesto, Calif.
5. Sacramento, Calif.
6. Memphis, Tenn.
7. Chicago
8. West Palm Beach, Fla.
Forbes analyzed 200 U.S. cities for its list, taking into account such factors as housing, unemployment, weather, taxes, commuting times, crime, and how the cities’ sports teams performed in recent years.
"Both California and Florida have a history of boom and bust economies,” Kurt Badenhausen, Forbes senior editor, told Reuters. “People flooded to these states because of the weather during the boom years but that helped inflate the massive bubble in housing."
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