Archive for February, 2009
North Texas Housing Market Fairing Better Than Most
The S & P has surveyed 20 large metropolitan areas regarding housing values. According to that survey, nationally, home values have plummeted well over 18 percent. In the 20 metropolitan areas that were surveyed, all are reporting decreases and 8 of the top 20 are reporting that values have declined more than 20 percent! North [...]
New Home Buyers Claim Tax Credit on 2008 Taxes for 2009 Purchase!
The new stimulus package will allow new home buyers, defined as those who have not owned a home in the last three years, to take the maximum $8,000 tax credit off their 2008 taxes even though the purchased will take place in 2009. The tax credit is 10% of the purchase price with a maximum [...]
Texas is tops in U.S exports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has just announced that for the 7th straight year, the state of Texas leads the nation in exports. All that exporting means jobs for Texans! The exports coming from the Lone Star State, which include chemicals, electronics, oil and transportation equipment, totaled more than $192 billion which represents a 14% [...]
Time to Buy – Existing home sales begin recovery
This may be the best time in decades to buy a home. With record low interest rates and very low home prices, housing may just lead the way to our economic recovery. And, it may have already stared. According to Business Week, in December there was an increase in sales of existing homes. The inventory [...]
Stimulus package offers real $8,000 tax credit
The new stimulus package, set to be signed in Denver today by President Barack Obama, will contain some help for first time home buyers. The previous tax credit, which had to be repaid over 5 years, has been replaced by a real $8,000 tax credit that does not have to be repaid. Homeowners who purchase [...]
Realtors look forward to stimulus
Recovery in the housing market is key to overall economic recovery and no one knows that better than the National Association of Realtors (NAR). They are looking forward to the implementation of the Presidents stimulus package citing a number of reasons why they back this plan. According to NAR President Charles McMillan, who is also [...]
No Mortgage Brokers? Bad for consumers.
Mortgage Brokers are responsible for finding loan options for home buyers. They work with many banks, increasing competition, to get you the best possible interest rate. But the banks want to change this. They want to cut out what they see as a “middle man” and have their bank loan officers work with buyers directly. [...]
Update: Tax credits for home buyers and homeowners
The bill now being considered offers first-time homebuyers a tax credit of up to $8,000 if they buy homes between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, 2009. Those who haven’t owned a home in the last three years will qualify as first time buyers. Additionally, existing homeowners could get a tax credit of up to $1,500 [...]
Texas Greenbelt Coalition
The Greenbelt Coalition, a newly formed clean energy technology advocate group, wants Texas to lead the nation’s effort to pioneer clean alternative energy solutions. The group, made up of political and civic leaders, wants to find ways to lure jobs to Texas and that is good news! Concentrating on clean-tech jobs, and promoting the expansion [...]
Homeowner bailout? What can we expect?
On Tuesday (2/10/09), Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is expected to reveal the administrations plans for the $350 billion remaining in the financial industry bailout package. The federal government wants to set aside between 50 and 100 billion dollars of the money to address the foreclosure crisis, but exactly how that money will be spent remains [...]