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Texas Real Estate: A Hot Spot For US Real Estate



Out of all the predictions made in regards to the United States economy and real estate scene, many believe that Texas will serve as a hot spot when it comes to buying a house. This means that both buyers and sellers should keep their ears to the ground in regards to the real estate boom that is taking place in Texas. Despite the increases in short-term interest rates that have created a considerably slowed-down housing market, Texas still provides a hearty housing economy. With a little help from a solid low unemployment rate, increases in personal income, and overall low interest rates, the Texas real estate market is thought to prove quite beneficial in the coming years.

For those planning to purchase a home in the summer, you will surely be in luck, especially when you aim to make your residence within the great state of Texas. Today, the million-dollar question of the day pertaining to Texas real estate asks the details on what makes this state so special when it comes to the buying and selling of real estate?

For starters, when you take a look at the housing markets spread across Texas; you will notice that they have kept a consistent pace in providing some of the most affordable shelter throughout the country. Across the nation, cities such as Killeen, Texas (rated fifth least expensive) have been mentioned in housing market reports alerting the public that Texas is indeed a hotbed for residential advancements. Numerous cities in Texas are leading the way in creating a market that easily competes with the national average.

If there were ever a place to situate yourself in Texas, Killeen seems like the place to be. Since 1994, the city has been recognized as a destination that provides housing seen well below the national median. According to a Coldwell Banker survey, the city still presents the fifth lowest prices in regards to Texas real estate. Looking for additional reasonably priced cities located in Texas? Try checking out the ins and outs of El Paso and College Station.

The Lowdown on Killeen, Texas Real Estate

Are you new to the area and wondering what to expect if you’d like to take advantage of the exceptionally satisfying Texas real estate prices in Killeen? This particualar city accommodates more than 100,000 residents, who rely on the close proximity to Fort Hood, a large military base comprised of soldiers and their families. Some of the related activities and attractions found in the city include Central Texas College, the University of Central Texas, rodeos, stock car racing, as well as numerous dining, shopping and entertainment opportunities.

Overall, exploring Texas real estate is highly recommended if you are considering a move to the South. With great weather and great housing opportunities, you can’t go wrong.

Real Estate And Our Economic Future

You ask – when will this thing turn around? Well lets consider a few things here. First how long did it take us to get into this position? Folks it took at least 8 year to get into this position, and some say even longer. Well it may take us as long to get out of it as it took to get into it.

I do not think that things will stabilize until late 2010 or late 2011. It will take at least 3 years for things to stabilize. If you have investments in real estate in Chicago and the greater Chicago land area you must realize that it will take at least 2 or 3 more years for the real estate market to stabilize.

Let look at it!

Inflation is at a 27 year high, while personal income is down 1.6%. Unemployment is 9.5%, housing prices are decreasing over most of the country, foreclosures are very high and expected to climb even higher – the second wave of ARM’s are expected to hit very soon. Defaults on commercial mortgages are increasing, the stock market is not doing well. Pension Plans are taking a heavy hit, many folks have experienced over 30% plus loss of their pension plan funds and are worried about their future.

Even inflation is creeping up and bothersome – gas prices are going up, food prices are going up.

Banks have more properties on their hands then they can handle because of Bank REO’s and foreclosures. Real estate investors are buying Bank REO’s and foreclosures and sell them at wholesale prices for profits. It is however still difficult for the average wage earner to buy a house today because of the credit crunch.

Even though there are great buys in real estate today in Chicago and other cities across this country, the people most able to buy are real estate investors with cash. Chicago homes for sale are not moving like they did 3 or 4 years ago – inventory of homes in Chicago are at 20,399 in July, 2009.

Using Free Software to File State Income Tax



Every year, millions of Americans have to file income tax. There is a separate version for the federal government and there is another one that is for the state. Normally, this task is done by hand and since the documents are quite similar, it is like doing the same task twice.

The individual does not have to do that anymore because companies together with the help of the IRS or Internal Revenue Service have designed a program to cut the time it takes to file this documents in less amount of time.

There are various programs to choose from and some of the best state income tax software are free to download to be able to finish this task. Here are a few examples.

1. One of these programs is called TaxAct. There are different version for this but those who are just using it to file personal state income tax don’t have to bring out a dime to be able to use it.

2. A similar program that can also be used is called Turbo Tax. There is a CD version that can be purchased in stores but the individual can also download this for free to save the trouble of looking for it in the mall.

3. Tax Cut is also an effective state income tax program. The person can use this to file for the federal version since the documents are very similar in nature. It has a step-by-step guide throughout the entire process making the user understand what to do from beginning to end.

4. Another program worth trying is called Tax Slayer. Users have been using this program for the past 8 years and the company believes that the number of people who will this or similar programs will continue to grow.

The examples mentioned are just a few of those that can be used to make filing state income tax faster than before. These are all user-friendly and have a built in help function as well as a 24-hour customer service toll free number should the person need assistance.

Filing state tax is something every one has to whether the person likes to do it or not. It is advisable to get one early to be familiar with how it works so there won’t be any problems later on.

The individual can choose to use a paid software program or use something for free to be able to achieve the same result.

Canadian Tax Write Offs From Real Estate – Part 1



If you are paying taxes, it means you are making money. If you are paying a lot of taxes, then it stands to reason that you are making a lot of money. However much you make, it doesn’t make it any less painful to pass it along to the government though. Unfortunately I haven’t been faced with the problem of paying a big bundle of tax to the government (but I am hoping I have that problem really soon!!), but I have been through enough in the last seven years to give you a few pointers on some ways to minimize taxes surrounding the sale of your real estate investments.

As a real estate investor, you will pay tax on the rental income you earn on the property as well as on any capital gains when you sell. The amount of tax you pay on rental income can be reduced dramatically by expenses such as maintenance, property management, capital cost allowance (depreciation), interest on your mortgage (but not the principal pay down), and other money spent to run your property. In Part 2 of this article series, we’ll address some of these write offs. For this edition, let’s focus in on the second major area you will pay tax on, and that is on Capital Gains when you sell your investment.

A Capital Gain occurs when you sell your property for more than you paid for it. You do not realize your capital gains until you sell.

To calculate your capital gain take the:

Money from the sale of your property

SUBTRACT

Costs of disposition (real estate agent fees, lawyers etc.)

SUBTRACT

What you paid for the property.

You will owe tax on 50% of the amount from the above calculation if the resulting number is positive (a capital gain). This amount gets added (or subtracted if it’s a net loss) to your personal income and you are taxed accordingly.

If the property you are selling is your principal residence, then it is exempt from tax. According to Canada Revenue Agency, a property qualifies as your principal residence if in that year of filing:

* you acquire only to get the right to inhabit

* you own the property alone or jointly with another person

* you, your current or former spouse or common-law partner, or any of your children lived in it at some time during the year

* and, you designate the property as your principal residence.

Now, what if you live in the home for a few years, and then move out and rent it out for a few years as I did with the condo that I owned in Toronto? In that situation, the answer for me was that the condo could still be considered my principal residence for four years after I changed it’s use. The catch is that I could not claim capital cost allowance on the condo, nor could I claim any other property as my principal residence at the same time. For me, this choice was easy because I moved into a property Dave and I already owned and had been treating as a rental property from the accounting sense of things. It was easier to keep the condo as my primary residence and continue to treat my new “home” as a rental property for accounting purposes. It’s important to note that you and your significant other (including common law or same sex partner) cannot own two principal residences at the same time for tax purposes. You must choose one during the over-lapping period.

It’s complicated and that is why both my husband Dave and I have accountants that we consult with on a regular basis to get the best advice.