Virginia Beach Home for Sale!

New Listing! Va Beach! 3 bdrm 2 bathroom . 1600 sq feet. Totally Remodeled! New Cabinets,New Granite Counters,New Tile Floors,New Stainless appliances. New windows, New HVAC,New Roof, New Siding! Move in Ready! Call Sue 635-2333 for more Info!

Thought for the Day

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”    ~ Maya Angelou ~

 

This should be a thought that goes through everyones mind daily. How true it is!

 

Hope you are having a Great Day!!

Don't miss out on the Tax Credit for up to $8000.00 for homebuyers!

Members of the military and certain other federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and qualify for the credit.

Thus, an eligible taxpayer must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2011. If a binding contract is entered into by that date, the taxpayer has until June 30, 2011, to close on the purchase.

Members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service and employees of the intelligence community are eligible for this special rule. It applies to any individual (and, if married, the individual’s spouse) who serves on qualified official extended duty service outside of the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning after Dec. 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010.

Need more information? Call or email me!

Have a Great Day!

Wow! Busy Weekend!

Well, it was a great and busy first weekend of Spring!

Had a great Friday night at the Elton John Concert at the Ted...As always, he was great! Saturday was a nice day working on the boat, getting it ready for summer and Sunday was spent working on the home that we are flipping....(notice I didn't say a "fun day" on my Sunday)...the good news, is that it should be for sale very , very soon!

On a more serious, Real Estate note....I have a client that wanted to see 5 homes on Saturday...I should be thrilled, and was! However 4 out of the 5 homes were already under contract and one was a home occupied by tenants, and would only let us see the house during the week....kind of difficult when clients work...isn't it?

Our MLS will show a home available on websites until all contingencies (ie..inspection or bank approval etc.) have been removed....so it looks to most people that the homes are available, until your Realtor checks the actual MLS listings. This is happening more and more due to all the short sales that are on the market:(

If you find a home that you are interested in, contact your Realtor to determine whether the home is actually available . It may save you alot of time and energy...

My "Super Moon" pics from our backyard Saturday Night....

Tax Benefits of Home Ownership

Tax Benefits of Homeownership

The tax deductions you’re eligible to take for mortgage interest and property taxes greatly increase the financial benefits of homeownership. Here’s how it works.
Assume:
$9,877 = Mortgage interest paid (a loan of $150,000 for 30 years, at 7 percent, using year-five interest)
$2,700 = Property taxes (at 1.5 percent on $180,000 assessed value)
______

$12,577 = Total deduction
Then, multiply your total deduction by your tax rate.
For example, at a 28 percent tax rate: 12,577 x 0.28 = $3,521.56
$3,521.56 = Amount you have lowered your federal income tax (at 28 percent tax rate)

Note: Mortgage interest may not be deductible on loans over $1.1 million. In addition, deductions are decreased when total income reaches a certain level.

Americans Confident in Recovery of Real Estate Market

March 11, 2011

The majority of America’s potential home buyers and sellers—68%—believe that the real estate market and property values will recover in the next year or two, according to a survey released today by Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Inc., a Prudential Financial, Inc. [NYSE:PRU] company.
That’s way up from last April, when only 47% of people who answered a similar survey thought home prices would recover that fast. Despite the market volatility of the past few years, 86% of Americans believe real estate is a good investment.
The Prudential Real Estate Outlook Survey reveals that six in 10 respondents are more interested in buying real estate (58%) and are optimistic about buying given the momentum of the economic recovery (59%).
It also shows that although the price of many Americans’ homes declined during the recession, 89% recognize they can also buy a new house at a lower price.
“A key takeaway from the survey is although consumers recognize that it is a good time to buy, they are concerned about their ability to sell their homes. This is one of the reasons the market is still struggling to recover,” said James Mallozzi, chief executive officer of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Inc.
For those on the fence about buying, uncertainty about selling an existing home (77%), concern about getting a fair price for the home (67%), and emotions (58%) are holding them back.
Despite the tough market, 78% of Americans who sold a home were satisfied with the sale. Of these, 32% were very satisfied with the final price of their home and 46% were grateful they were able to sell given market conditions. A relatively small number, 22%, were disappointed or resentful about the price they received for their home.

Where to find Cheap Gas!

A little off the Real Estate Subject, but saving on your gas bill can help you save for your house, allow you to look at more homes or update the home you live in...see I can tie almost anything into Real Estate:)

Take alook at Gasbuddy....http://www.gasbuddy.com/

In the Virginia Beach area the prices range from $3.28-$3.45 !!  Exxon seems to be the highest...take a look and save some money!

This is also an app for your Iphone!

Ok, now back to Real Estate..Don't forget the April 18th deadline for the increase in Mortgage Insurance Protection! Will raise your payments 0.25% per year...that can be the difference of qualifying for the home you love ! Call or email me for more information!

Don't forget to vote in my poll...take a look to the right of this blog!

Which Miami Housewife has her house for Sale?
http://www.trulia.com/property/1087652106--Fort-Lauderdale-FL-33316?ecampaign=cnews201103A&eurl=www.trulia.com%2Fproperty%2F1087652106-2571-Del-Lago-Dr-Fort-Lauderdale-FL-33316

House of the week | The Pippens' Pad

$16,000,000 | 6bd | 8 ba | 13,500 sqft Retired NBA player Scottie Pippen and his Real Housewife of Miami, Larsa, are selling their ri-dunk-culous 13,500 square foot mansion. Behind the iron gates of this waterfront home lies an athlete's dream pad. Located in Harbor Beach, Florida this palace is framed by palm trees as far as the eye can see - it also features a private dock with a boatlift (because no boat should have to lift itself), a clubhouse, swing set, basketball court, pool and waterslide. What else could you ask for? I know - a lifeguard!

Everyone Can Dream

I spent a few days in Ft Lauderdale attending a Trawlerfest....I took a navigation class, to hopefully learn more on plotting and reading charts, so I can be a wee bit helpful this summer when travelling....

One day was spent on the intercoastal and the homes along the way were fabulous! I took this picture since the house was for sale and I could look at it and dream:)  Today I found the actual listing, so I thought I would pass it on...for other dreamers out there:)

So, if any of you are dreamers....here it is..

http://www.trulia.com/property/1031052313-1-isla-bahia-dr-ft-lauderdale-fl-33316

Please Vote!

Well, March Madness is here!

Keller Williams Greenbrier had a "Stellar" February and March is shaping up to be even better! The weather is getting better...snow has melted (and hopefully will not reappear), flowers are starting to bloom and people are enjoying the beginning of spring!

Good Homes are moving fast right now! So many homes that my clients want to see are now under contract...this can be good for my sellers, or bad for my buyers..just depends on what side of the fence you are on. If you are thinking of buying...start looking now! With the new FHA MIP increase coming in April and the fluctuation in interest rates, now is the the time to get serious.

Please vote in the Poll...What do you think interest rates will do in the next 6 months?

Thank-you and check back for the results!

FHA announces increase in Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP)

FHA has announced that it will increase the annual Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) for the second time in six months.  The last increase was in Oct of 2010 and resulted in a $58 monthly increase in the payment amount on a $200,000 loan amount.

The recently announced increase in MIP on FHA loans will be 25 basis points, or 0.25%. This latest MIP increase is scheduled to take effect on all loan case numbers assigned after April 18, 2011.

Keeping with our $200,000 loan example, this represents a $42 per month increase in the payment amount.

The bottom line here is, if you are considering buying a house in the next few months, get ahead of this increase.  Get busy looking for a home while interest rates are low and before the FHA implements the new MIP rates.  All you have to do is be under contract by April 18.  That’s about eight weeks from now. 

 Contact me and I’ll be glad to meet with you and get you started searching for your next home.