Erin Shawver

With all the changes and updates to the First-Time Home Buyers and the Existing Homeowners tax credits all the information can become confusing to homeowners and new purchasers alike. But everyone wants to know if they will qualify and what the stipulations are for these credits.

First-Time Home Buyers:

First of all with the tax credit for first-timers the amount hasn't changed. It's still $8,000. or $4,000. for married couples filing seperately.

The effective date remained the same, Novemeber 7, 2009.

The termination of the tax credit has been extended however. You now have until April 30, 2010 and as long as your contract is dated on or before this date and you close by July 1, 2010 then you will still be eligible for the tax credit.

The income limits have been increased. You can now make up to $125,000.00 for a single person or up to $225,000.00 for a married couple.

There is now a limit on the sales price however of $800,000.00

This tax credit does not apply for a purchase by a dependant.

And you are now required to attach documentation of purchase to your tax return.

Existing Homeowner Credit:

The mount for the existing homeowner hasn't changed. You will receive $6,500. or $3,250. for a married couple filing separately.

You are eligible for the tax credit so long as you have used the home you are selling as a principle residence consecutively for 5 of the previous 8 years.

The effective date remained the same, Novemeber 7, 2009.

The termination of the tax credit has been extended however. You now have until April 30, 2010 and as long as your contract is dated on or before this date and you close by July 1, 2010 then you will still be eligible for the tax credit.

The income limits have been increased. You can now make up to $125,000.00 for a single person or up to $225,000.00 for a married couple.

There is now a limit on the sales price however of $800,000.00

This tax credit does not apply for a purchase by a dependant.

And you are now required to attach documentation of purchase to your tax return.

*The tax credit will reduce your total tax bill if you owe taxes. Otherwise if you do not owe any taxes then your tax refund will increase dollar for dollar of the amount of the tax credit you qualify for depending on if you are a fire-timer or existing homeowner or if you are married and filing separately.

*You can also file an amendment to your 2008 tax return in order to apply the credit towards that tax return. Or you can file it on your tax return for 2009, which is due on April 15, 2010 or you may choose to file it on your 2010 tax return.

So if you think you qualify for this tax credit please contact me so we can discuss the details and see if you can take advantage of this credit before time runs out. Because if you are thinking of buying or selling and you fit the above requirements why wait, take advantage of the savings today!

Erin Shawver, REALTOR

678-549-2800

erin.shawver@powersoldit.com

There are still a few tickets left! Go to: http://www.brownsbridge.org and click on Classic Christmas on the right-hand side of the page to get yout tickets TODAY!!! You DON'T want to miss out on this event!!!

Fair market value, simply speaking, is what a buyer is willing to pay for a property; in other words, "what the market will bear." This is, in essence, what a property is worth. There are many factors that go into establishing the fair market value of a home, and two weighty ones are the home's square footage and number of bedrooms/bathrooms. The home's age, condition and location are also important factors, and the school district can greatly affect value for home buyers with children. Supply and demand is also a consideration. The fewer comparable listings there are on the market in your area, the more valuable your home, especially if it has hard-to-find amenities or is located in a very desirable neighborhood or sought after area. Conversely, if there are lots of comparable homes on the market, it can lower the value of your home, particularly when there is a scarcity of buyers.

An easy way to determine the value of your home is to request a comparative market analysis (CMA), which tells you how much your house is worth compared to other homes sold in the area in the past year.

But of course this is never to be confused with an official appraisal of your home by a licensed real estate appraiser to determine the value of the property. But these two determinations can often vary for different reasons of course. The facts are this: what the value is on paper verses what the market bears (what a ready, willing, and able buyer is ready, willing, and able to purchase your home for can be different) can always be off sometimes of course.

I will be happy to personally complete this comparative market analysis for you upon request for free! Just contact me and I will go over a few details with you. Give me a call or email me TODAY!

Have a great day! It's a good LIFE!!!

Erin Shawver

770-889-SOLD (OFFICE) 678-549-2800 (CELL) erin.shawver@powersoldit.com

OKAY! So some of you have been asking and some of you have just been wondering what is the deal with all your blogs (personal and now this). Well first I have to admit that I thought the whole "blog" thing was totally weird first of all. The word BLOG itself is just weird to begin with. Then I just thought to myself that no one would ever want to hear or read what I was thinking or had to say anyway so what was the point? And of course the main thing was, I do not have time for this "blog" thing anyway. Which is what everyone says, and I myself do not even have time for it as you can see sometimes my blog posts can be few and far between (which I am trying to become better at). So I will try my best to explain first my personal blog so you can get to know me on a personal level better and why I have that blog since I created it first and then I will explain this blog and why I created it for my business.

First thing's first! My personal blog! You can view it at: http://www.reshawverfam.blogspot.com

1.) I created it mainly to keep in touch with family members that were not on facebook or myspace that wanted a quick and easy way to see and view our family pictures and get family updates like engagements, births (not ours of course!), graduations, family functions, things of that nature. Just a place where out of town family could come and see what was going on in our lives and keep in touch.

2.) Then more and more of our family members got into facebook and myspace, and then I realized that the picture service that I was using wanted to charge me for uploading my pictures to my blog (which I was NOT having). You could only have a limited amount of space to upload picture to. So I was having to manually upload pictures on my blog and then the two other social networking sites and I just got annoyed with that after awhile. So I only post a few pics on my personal blog now and then I post the majority of my pics on facebook because that is where the majority of my friends and family are these days!

3.) Now I blog mainly to inspire others with things that I am reading about. Bible verses from Bible studies that I am involved in, things of that nature. I try to be an uplifting person, I am a person of great faith in Jesus Christ and plan on shining His light in all that I do, not only personally but in my business as well. I post a "Thankful Thursday" blog post almost everyday single week. This is a way for me to keep myself in check and remember that no matter what adversities I may be facing that there are always things to be thankful for.

4.) I was also posting instersting websites that I would run across from time to time because I just feel like when I find something worth sharing that I should share it right?! So I try and post a Wednesday Website...BUT like I said before my blogging sometimes on a consistant basis at least has become few and far between here lately because I seem to have gotten busier lately, which is good. I also LOVE reading comics from time to time and LOVE sharing good ones with my followers (IF I even have any!) So I do post cartoons on there as well on Tuesdays when I get the chance and remember of course.

OKAY now for the Active Rain Blog...My Real Estate Blog...My "Professional" Blog just for "Business" things...well it's not just for business really. BUT yes it is mainly just geared for real estate yes!

1.) I heard about this site from a friend and heard many great things about this as a great tool for agents to not only grow their businesses but also as a networking tool to as agents to help each other and learn. After all we are after the same common thing at the end of the day...a CLOSING and to learn more about the real estate business as a whole!

2.) I really want this blog to be a place where my clients (past, present AND poential of course) can come get good information, learn more about the real estate market and me as an agent of course.

3.) I would like to break the stereotypes that have often been set upon real estate agents and I feel that maybe...just maybe by having this form of blog where I can be as open and honest about my professional practices to my past, present and of course potential clients that they can begin to see that I am set apart and that these stereotypes can be busted. Agents can be good, honest and hard working people.

4.) I try and post not only things about real estate on here but also personal information so that my past, present and of course my potential clients can get to know me, Erin Shawver, as the person and not just as the real estate agent, because I feel that it's when a relationship is formed that a true partnership between the agent and client can be formed and that trust is established.

So there you have it! This is why I blog and why I LOVE blogging now! So if you LOVE reading my blogs PLEASE give me a shout out from time to time so I don't feel like I am just talking or typing to the space that is cyber space out there for nothing.

BROWNS BRIDGE COMMUNITY CHURCH in Cumming, GA is hosting Good Friday services at 5:30 and at 7:00PM on April 10th. The day we remember the death of Jesus Christ. The first service there will be child care provided in Wamaba land. PLEASE come out and share in this time of worship. There will be amazing music and just a time of relection for what Jesus Christ did on the cross for all of us that day.

*Also if anyone is interested in meeting us for dinner before or carpooling please let us know so we can make arrangements. The MORE the better! We would LOVE to have you come and share this time with us!

For more information about our church you can visit the website at:

http://www.brownsbridge.org/

3860 Browns Bridge Road Cumming, GA 30041