The IRS Helps Cut Taxes

by Ray Smith, Staff reporter for Wall Street Journal

A recent decision by the Internal Revenue Service could provide considerable relief to many homeowners facing huge price gains when they sell. The sharp appreciation of house prices in recent years means many people could face steep capital-gains taxes. But in late January, the IRS put forth new guidelines that allow certain homeowners to defer paying taxes on a significant portion of those gains.

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Tips for first time home buyers

Defining Search Parameters

Almost 80% of all home searches today begin on the Internet. With just a few clicks of the mouse, home buyers can search through hundreds of online listings, view virtual tours, and sort through dozens of photographs and aerial shots of neighborhoods and homes. You've probably defined your goals and have a pretty good idea of the type of home and neighborhood you want. By the time you reach your real estate agent's office, you are halfway to home ownership.

How Long Should It Take to Find What You Want?

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Tips to enhance curb appeal - Highlands Ranch

By Jacqueline Soule/Special to The ExplorerWith the real estate market still behaving badly, selling your home can be tough. Luckily it is easy to increase the "curb appeal" of your home with a little landscaping.

The American Association of Nurserymen reports that a nicely designed landscape with ample shade trees can add as much as $10,000 to the sale price of a home (based on identical homes on similar sized lots).

If you have no shade trees, the best time to plant them was 20 years ago. What is your next best strategy at this point? Go with the "nicely designed" landscape, and skip the trees for now. A sapling with stakes will suggest care issues to the prospective buyers, and detracts from curb appeal.

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Avoiding 7 Costly Mistakes of Selling Your Home

Avoiding 7 Costly Mistakes of Selling Your Home

by M. Anthony Carr - Realty Times

Mistake 1: Putting the home on the market before it's ready. Most times this happens because the seller gets impatient or is a procrastinator and has pushed himself up against a moving deadline without getting the pre-sale work done. So it comes on the market with the horrible carpet (that gets replaced during the marketing of the home); or they are painting it while it goes on the market. Presentation is everything --

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Voice of the Expert: 10 ways to sell your home faster

Rana Cash

1. Sellers don’t hire a qualified agent. The biggest mistake sellers can make is they don’t hire a REALTOR to professionally market their home, Bauguss said. All real estate licensees are not the same. Only those who are members of the National Association of REALTORS are properly called REALTORS. No matter whom you hire, as a seller you need to interview the agent for the “job” of selling your home and review marketing plans. Selling (and buying) your home is one of the largest financial investments you’ll make. Considering the small upside cost and the large downside risk, sellers need to hire a professional.

2. Sellers price their home too high. Pricing a home is an art. Of course market value is based on comparable sales but market movement, demand, location and condition are factors also. If the home is overpriced then buyers won’t look at it or they will submit lowball offers.

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Tax Planning Tips For Inherited Properties

By Benny L. Kass
Washington Post

Q: My mother recently died, and her wish was that her estate be divided equally among her four children. My three siblings and I inherited three properties from her. Two were rental properties, of which one has been sold. We will soon be closing on the sale of the other rental. I just recently became aware of the 1031 tax exchange. Is this something we should consider?

A: Once you have sold a piece of property and have received the sales proceeds, it is too late to do a 1031 exchange (also called a Starker exchange). But in your situation, I doubt that it would make sense to consider an exchange for the remaining property, anyway.

Real estate investors generally do a 1031 like-kind exchange to defer the large capital gain they may make when they sell their properties. (Exchanges are not an option for the sale of your own residence.)

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Tips for selecting a real estate agent - Highlands Ranch

If you're thinking about selling your home, you may be considering using the services of a real estate broker or agent. But before you sign a listing agreement, the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission, the agency that works for a competitive marketplace, wants you to be informed about your choices.

Before you hire a real estate professional, it's important to know the difference between a real estate broker and a real estate agent. Real estate brokers are licensed professionals who assist sellers and prospective buyers of homes. Real estate agents are licensed professionals who work under the supervision of a licensed real estate broker. In return, the broker pays the agent a portion of the commission earned from the sale or purchase of the property.

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Begin Your Search for your New Highlands Ranch Home

From Kiplinger.com

Buying a piece of real estate is a science. Buying a home is an art. The science is getting the legal and financial parts right. The art is finding a property that you'll be happy living in.

It can't be overstated: Focus on the location .....


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Seller's Checklist: Inside your Home

From Kiplinger.com

Use this inside checklist to identify areas of your home that need work prior to putting it on the market.

Attic:
Check underside of roof for leaks, stains or dampness.
Look around chimney for condensation or signs of water.
Clean and clear ventilation openings if necessary.
Clean out stored junk.

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Staging Your Home to Get More Showings

By Tina Traver


Staging your home will make it more receptive and inviting to buyers. Has your home been on the market for a while now? Are you getting showings but no offers? A little bit of work on your behalf will help your situation and produce more showings.

The days of just cleaning and painting before putting your home on the market are over. Staging your home is a process of marketing that will make your home stand out above the rest. This process ensures that buyers will be more attracted to your property which will in turn produce more showings and a quicker sale.

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