Get Ready Amherst - The Town of Amherst Reassessment Project is now entering its final stages. New Market Value Assessments have been mailed in the Assessment Disclosure Notices to all of the property owners in the Town. This Notice states the current Property Assessment, our Preliminary Assessment and the estimated effect this change would have had on the Tax Liability to each parcel if all of the Assessments had been in place to calculate the September 2008 School and the January 2009 Town and County tax bills.
Use the link below to access all the information you need to research the Town of Amherst Reassessment Project. The link will also give you sales data for the past several years for the town and necessary forms to complete with the town for various situations.
http://www.amherst.ny.us/govt/it/cpi/cpi_reassess.asp
Monday, June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Extend the First Time Home Buyer Credit
Do you want to see the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit extended? If YES, you might just get your wish. Recent legislation has been introduced to create that extension.
Worried that rising mortgage rates could damp the prospects for a housing recovery, a business group is making a new push for Congress to boost and extend a home-buyer tax credit.
In February, Congress approved a 10% tax credit for first-time home purchases, up to a maximum of $8,000. The credit, which expires Dec. 1, phases out for buyers with incomes above $170,000 for married couples and $95,000 for individuals.
The National Association of Home Builders and other industry groups have long argued that the credit isn't large enough to help reinvigorate the housing sector. Now the groups are being joined in their efforts by the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executives.
The Business Roundtable is calling on Congress to increase the credit to $15,000 and extend it to all home buyers. "What is being billed as a recovery is not showing up in the cash register yet," says Richard A. Smith, chief executive of Realogy Corp. and a member of the Business Roundtable.
The Business Roundtable is also urging policy makers to sustain efforts to keep mortgages at or below 5% for one year. Mortgage rates climbed to 5.74% on Tuesday a six-month high and up from 5.03% two weeks ago, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher. Rates have fallen since the Federal Reserve stepped up debt purchases earlier this year in an effort to drive down rates.
A buyer typically needs income of $92,000, assuming a 10% down payment, to qualify for a $400,000 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. With rates at 4.5%, the borrower only needs income of around $84,000, according to an estimate by real-estate firm Long & Foster Cos.
The real-estate industry made a similar push for a $22,000 tax credit for all buyers and interest-rate subsidies earlier this year as Congress considered a range of measures to stimulate the economy. Congress instead opted to increase to $8,000 an existing tax credit for first-time buyers.
Business leaders say that while the first-time-buyer credit has succeeded in jump-starting the bottom end of the housing market, more needs to be done to lure "trade-up" buyers back to the market. Realtors and builders argue that boosting sales among existing owners as opposed to first-time buyers will spur more sales because each transaction involves two home sales. "That 'move-up' buyer has got to have somewhere to go," says Mr. Smith, who warns that without more incentives for existing homeowners, the housing market's "stalemate will be nasty and protracted."
The business group's campaign also pushes for Congress to make permanent recently expanded limits for loans eligible for government backing or purchase.
Congress in February boosted those limits to as high as $729,750 in the nation's most expensive housing markets, from $417,000, and the February stimulus bill renewed the higher limits through the end of the year. Those limits are set to expire at the end of the year and are tied to median home prices, which have fallen
Worried that rising mortgage rates could damp the prospects for a housing recovery, a business group is making a new push for Congress to boost and extend a home-buyer tax credit.
In February, Congress approved a 10% tax credit for first-time home purchases, up to a maximum of $8,000. The credit, which expires Dec. 1, phases out for buyers with incomes above $170,000 for married couples and $95,000 for individuals.
The National Association of Home Builders and other industry groups have long argued that the credit isn't large enough to help reinvigorate the housing sector. Now the groups are being joined in their efforts by the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executives.
The Business Roundtable is calling on Congress to increase the credit to $15,000 and extend it to all home buyers. "What is being billed as a recovery is not showing up in the cash register yet," says Richard A. Smith, chief executive of Realogy Corp. and a member of the Business Roundtable.
The Business Roundtable is also urging policy makers to sustain efforts to keep mortgages at or below 5% for one year. Mortgage rates climbed to 5.74% on Tuesday a six-month high and up from 5.03% two weeks ago, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher. Rates have fallen since the Federal Reserve stepped up debt purchases earlier this year in an effort to drive down rates.
A buyer typically needs income of $92,000, assuming a 10% down payment, to qualify for a $400,000 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. With rates at 4.5%, the borrower only needs income of around $84,000, according to an estimate by real-estate firm Long & Foster Cos.
The real-estate industry made a similar push for a $22,000 tax credit for all buyers and interest-rate subsidies earlier this year as Congress considered a range of measures to stimulate the economy. Congress instead opted to increase to $8,000 an existing tax credit for first-time buyers.
Business leaders say that while the first-time-buyer credit has succeeded in jump-starting the bottom end of the housing market, more needs to be done to lure "trade-up" buyers back to the market. Realtors and builders argue that boosting sales among existing owners as opposed to first-time buyers will spur more sales because each transaction involves two home sales. "That 'move-up' buyer has got to have somewhere to go," says Mr. Smith, who warns that without more incentives for existing homeowners, the housing market's "stalemate will be nasty and protracted."
The business group's campaign also pushes for Congress to make permanent recently expanded limits for loans eligible for government backing or purchase.
Congress in February boosted those limits to as high as $729,750 in the nation's most expensive housing markets, from $417,000, and the February stimulus bill renewed the higher limits through the end of the year. Those limits are set to expire at the end of the year and are tied to median home prices, which have fallen
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Housung Inventory Drops in May
Housing inventory drops in May
According to data compiled by ZipRealty Inc., a real-estate brokerage firm, the supply of homes available for sale in 28 major metropolitan areas dropped 3.9% in May from April. The data published by ZipRealty include condominiums, single-family homes, and town houses listed on local multiple-listing services. The inventory in May dropped 24% year-over-year. The figures compiled by ZipRealty may not be presenting the exact level of supply since half of foreclosed homes are not included on multiple-listing services at any given time on account of such homes awaiting repairs or being subject to litigation. Thomas Lawler, a housing economist, says the decline in housing inventory indicates "that home prices in many parts of the country could be nearing a bottom." However, some economists have a different view and expect home prices to continue to drop for many years to come. Robert J. Shiller, a professor of economics and finance at Yale, believes that the housing market's poor
performance may linger even if there is a quick end to the current recession. Shiller, in a recent article, pointed out that after the last home price boom, which ended about the time of the 1990-91 recession, home prices did not start moving upward, even incrementally, until 1997. Shiller says, "Something is definitely different about real estate. Long declines do happen with some regularity."
Call LoVallo Real Estate Today with any real estate questions you may have!
According to data compiled by ZipRealty Inc., a real-estate brokerage firm, the supply of homes available for sale in 28 major metropolitan areas dropped 3.9% in May from April. The data published by ZipRealty include condominiums, single-family homes, and town houses listed on local multiple-listing services. The inventory in May dropped 24% year-over-year. The figures compiled by ZipRealty may not be presenting the exact level of supply since half of foreclosed homes are not included on multiple-listing services at any given time on account of such homes awaiting repairs or being subject to litigation. Thomas Lawler, a housing economist, says the decline in housing inventory indicates "that home prices in many parts of the country could be nearing a bottom." However, some economists have a different view and expect home prices to continue to drop for many years to come. Robert J. Shiller, a professor of economics and finance at Yale, believes that the housing market's poor
performance may linger even if there is a quick end to the current recession. Shiller, in a recent article, pointed out that after the last home price boom, which ended about the time of the 1990-91 recession, home prices did not start moving upward, even incrementally, until 1997. Shiller says, "Something is definitely different about real estate. Long declines do happen with some regularity."
Call LoVallo Real Estate Today with any real estate questions you may have!
Monday, June 8, 2009
First Time Home Buyer Credit
With the revised first-time homebuyer federal income tax credit currently in effect, now is the perfect time to consider making that big purchase, your first home.
"Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments a person can make, but first-time homebuyers and qualified return buyers are in an ideal position to take advantage of unique opportunities in the market, such as low interest rates and the choice among an abundance of for sale homes," says Charlie Young, president and chief executive officer for ERA Real Estate.
If you are considering purchasing your first home, or have not owned for at least three years, learn the parameters of the temporary first-time homebuyer tax credit, which is one of 10 provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009. According to FederalHousingTaxCredit.com -- a consumer Web site created by the National Association of Home Builders -- for those who qualify and purchase before Dec. 1, 2009, the bill provides a tax credit of up to $8,000, calculated at 10 percent of the purchase price. Unlike the previously available credit from 2008, the money does not have to be repaid, as long as the homebuyer does not resell the house for at least three years. "The tax credit can help make the American dream of homeownership a reality for potential buyers who previously could not afford the investment," says Young. He adds that potential homebuyers should consult with a professional tax advisor for full details on how the tax credit may benefit them.
"Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments a person can make, but first-time homebuyers and qualified return buyers are in an ideal position to take advantage of unique opportunities in the market, such as low interest rates and the choice among an abundance of for sale homes," says Charlie Young, president and chief executive officer for ERA Real Estate.
If you are considering purchasing your first home, or have not owned for at least three years, learn the parameters of the temporary first-time homebuyer tax credit, which is one of 10 provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009. According to FederalHousingTaxCredit.com -- a consumer Web site created by the National Association of Home Builders -- for those who qualify and purchase before Dec. 1, 2009, the bill provides a tax credit of up to $8,000, calculated at 10 percent of the purchase price. Unlike the previously available credit from 2008, the money does not have to be repaid, as long as the homebuyer does not resell the house for at least three years. "The tax credit can help make the American dream of homeownership a reality for potential buyers who previously could not afford the investment," says Young. He adds that potential homebuyers should consult with a professional tax advisor for full details on how the tax credit may benefit them.
Use the link below to access the first time homebuyer credit form the IRS requires you to fill out to get the credit.
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