Non-payment of rent is a serious problem. It is one of those predicaments that places the landlord in a difficult situation. Moral and ethical values are often challenged by the need to collect the rent. If your only two choices are to evict a family that has fallen on hard times, or to go weeks or months without getting paid, the right choice isn't always obvious. Most landlords have a conscience and genuinely care about the safety and well-being of their tenants. So the challenge is finding a solution that works out well for your tenant, as well as for your bottom line.
5 Tips to Reduce Your Property Tax Assessment
Investing in income producing property can be the single-most rewarding aspect of getting into real estate. Yet, it also comes with some significant responsibilities including mortgages, maintenance and property taxes. In some cases, annual property taxes can be astronomical for high dollar value properties and regions where the housing market is popular. Additionally, there are some regions where property tax assessments are not handled well, leaving real estate investors and home owners paying far more than the properties are actually worth.
The good news is that there are some ways to reduce your property tax assessment significantly, to offset the costs of ownership. Learn how to deal with property tax assessments the smart way, and reduce their impact on your bottom line.
National Economic Outlook (February 2013)
Home construction rarely matches the actual demand for new homes, which can change quickly – there's often too much or too little. Because the US population grows one percent per year about 1.5 million new homes are needed every year. During the boom of the mid-2000s, two million homes were built per year; at the bottom of the bust, that number was 600,000.
In 2012, construction was up to 800,000 homes. This is a clear indicator that demand is even higher and will continue higher for years. Home prices will be rising even when more construction takes place. The economic effect is self-reinforcing because most of the cost of building a new home is in the wages paid to the workers, who in turn can afford a better home for themselves or spend money on cars and other stuff.
Reduce Your Taxes by $10,000 with a Solo 401(k)
If you're self-employed or have a small business, the idea of a 401(k) may make you jump to two conclusions: “My company is too small” or “I can’t afford it.” Well, you’re not too small and you can afford it!
A Solo 401(k) is inexpensive to set up and easy to maintain – and it delivers substantial tax and saving advantages. Use a Solo 401(k) plan if you’re self-employed or run an owner-only business. You could add multiple owners and a spouse to a Solo 401(k) plan, but if you add full-time employees you’ll need to convert it to a more traditional IRA plan.
10 Questions on the New Mortgage Rules
Regulators issued new mortgage rules last week designed to prevent a return to lending practices that helped crater the housing market and brought the financial system to its knees during the past decade.
Here’s a look at some frequently asked questions:
What is a qualified mortgage? Congress amended federal lending laws in 2010 to give greater legal rights to borrowers who get mortgages they can’t afford. The new law, part of the Dodd-Frank financial-regulation overhaul, said if banks made a qualified mortgage — one that meets certain easy-to-identify criteria — regulators and courts would presume lenders had reason to assume a borrower could repay.
Real Estate, Inflation and the Fiscal Cliff
There’s been a lot of fuss on how the “fiscal cliff” will get the U.S. economy into trouble in 2013. For starters, here’s a thorough explanation of how it can impact the economy.
(Video published by the WSJ on Oct. 31, 2012.)
National Economic Outlook (December 2012)
It's becoming clear to me that what we've been thinking of as a stage in the recovery actually is the recovery. Job growth at a 1.5 percent annual rate is well below our hopes from previous cycles but its getting hard to imagine faster growth unless the government starts spending more money (ha-ha) or consumers like their finances enough to start clamoring for new homes.
In November, jobs increased by 1.4 percent from last year and unemployment eased to 7.7 percent, basically no change from what we've seen the last six months. Jobs were up 1.4 percent in manufacturing, 1.5 percent in retail trade, 3 percent in business services, 2.2 percent in health care, and 2.7 percent at restaurants. Jobs in government and construction were flat.
Mortgage Interest Deduction on the Chopping Block?
A tax break that has long been untouchable could soon be in for some serious scrutiny. Many home buyers deduct their mortgage interest when assessing their tax bill, a perk that has helped bolster the income of millions of families – and the broader housing market. But as President Obama and Congress try to hash out a deal to reduce the budget deficit, the mortgage interest deduction will likely be part of the discussion.
Limits on a broad array of deductions could emerge in any budget deal. It is likely that any caps would be structured to aim at high-income households, and would diminish or end the mortgage tax break for many of those taxpayers.
5 Reasons Real Estate Prices Have Been Rising
Home prices rose by 0.1% in September from the prior month and by 3.6% from one year ago, the largest gain in six years, according to a report released Monday by Lender Processing Services.
Compared with one year ago, prices are up by 17.7% in Phoenix, the largest gain among the nation’s 40 largest metro areas. Other notable year-over-year increases include Detroit (11.7%), Las Vegas (11.5%), San Jose, Calif. (11.3%), San Francisco (10%), and Sacramento (8.3%).
Among the top 40 metros, only a handful have posted year-over-year declines, led by St. Louis, which was down by 4.1%. Bridgeport, Conn., was down by 2.3%, while Chicago (-0.5%) and Cincinnati (-0.1%) also posted declines.
The Real Estate Indicator Screaming "Buy"
I just locked down a 2.875% interest rate, fixed for the 15-year term of the mortgage. No points. With rates like these, I find myself rethinking the idea that I want to pay off my mortgage.
I can do a lot better than 2.875% investing the money. If I just sock it away in gold, I bet I’ll come out way ahead. Finding investments that clear such a low hurdle is not that difficult.
Right now is a great time to do this, if looked at from a historical perspective. The 10-year Treasury rate is 1.64% as I write. That is what investors are willing to accept to lend money to the US Treasury for a 10-year term. It seems absolutely crazy. But the Treasury rate we see is something of a forced smile.
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