Yesterday when talking with a new buyer client who is selling his home to purchase a new home, I mentioned to him that he now qualifies for the extended and enhanced tax credit of $6500. He had no idea what I was talking about! Yes it is true, if you currently own a home that you sell to purchase another, you can receive up to a $6500 tax credit!
All of the the guidelines to qualify for the tax credits are explained at IRS.gov but here are the specifics for current homeowners:
"For the first time, long-time homeowners who buy a replacement principal residence may also claim a homebuyer credit of up to $6,500 (up to $3,250 for a married individual filing separately). They must have lived in the same principal residence for any five-consecutive year period during the eight-year period that ended on the date the replacement home is purchased."
Also included in the tax credit extension were income limit increases:
"People with higher incomes can now qualify for the credit. The new law raises the income limits for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009. The credit phases out for individual taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) between $125,000 and $145,000 or between $225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers. The existing MAGI phase-outs of $75,000 to $95,000 or $150,000 to $170,000 for joint filers still apply to purchases on or before Nov. 6, 2009."
So if you have owned your home for 5 of the past 8 years and want your share of the tax credit, call your Realtor today, to get your current home sold so you can purchase a new home before this extension expires. It's doubtful there will be another extension made by the White House.
The tenth annual Backpacks for Kids campaign has begun. This campaign is amied to benefit local families who are unable to send their children to school with necessary school supplies. During this tougher economy, many families have become the working poor, and need help providing the necessities for their families.
To meet this growing need, the Northshore School District, the Woodinvile Chamber Education Committee and the Northshore Kiwanis are coordinating a community-wide drive to collect back-to-school supplies and backpacks.
This year's campaign will run through August 10th. Local businesses and churches are volunteering to be collection sites, several local banks are collecting monetary donations, and civic and youth groups are volunteering to help assemble backpacks. At the end of the campaign over 700 filled backpacks will be distributed to families in need.
For more information on where you can drop off suppies or to make a monetary donation, visit
Backpacks for Kids. Also if you are a famliy in need, you will find information on how to contact someone for assistance.
Sandy Noll
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Kirkland
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
http://positiverealestateprofessionals.com/sandynollrealestateandmore/
Your Residential Real Estate Specialist
Last year I wrote a post, Prayers for Duane Ranstrom asking for everyone to pray for healing for Duane who's heart stopped and he was in a coma. Those prayers were answered and Duane did come out of his coma and his family got him back. It's been a long tough battle, which you can read on CaringBridge in Duane's journal.
Sadly on April 27, 2009 Duane passed away. While it is a very sad time it is also, a great thing for Duane, he was freed from the pain and medications needed to simply sustain.
I ask now that you add Duane's family to your prayers as they will greatly miss their husband, dad and grandpa.
Sandy Noll
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Kirkland
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
http://positiverealestateprofessionals.com/sandynollrealestateandmore/
Your Residential Real Estate Specialist
Last week on the news, I saw a story about a mother who's three girls died in a house fire last fall with working smoke detectors. This prompted an investigation into which smoke detector was actually needed and why. Did you know there were different types? Ionization vs photoelectric.......I sure didn't.
Most house fires fall into the "smoldering" category. The type that occurs when, for instance a cigarette is dropped on a furniture cushion or something is placed on a baseboard heater. These fires take a long time to fully ignite, but smolder for a long time and that smoldering can be deadly!
This week I received from my local fire department, Woodinvile Fire & Life Safety, an informational brochure titled "A Tale of Two Smoke Detectors" with great tips for keeping your family safe and the difference between the two types of smoke detectors and why you should have BOTH types in your home.
An Ionization alarm is most responsive to flaming fires, but research shows most house fires do not start out as flaming fires. This smoke detector does pick up the presence of smoke, but not nearly as quickly.
A Photoelectric alarm is most responsive to a smoldering fire. This detector uses light-sensing technology to identify the presence of smoke.
The third type is the combination alarm which is both ionization and photoelectric all in one. All three look very similar, so be sure to read the packaging or ask for assistance to determine which one you are purchasing. (For a more thorough explanation of the three types visit Cableorganizer.com).
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Achieving your real estate goals is my number one priority. I'm your real estate professional for Kirkland and Woodinville and the Greater Seattle area throughout King and Snohomish Counties.
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