Dec 6, 2017 | Taxes, Uncategorized
By Patrick Crowley of Hershman, Fallstrom & Crowley, Inc.
There is a Massachusetts income tax credit that many senior citizens may not be aware of. Senior citizens who are homeowners or renters and meet income and other eligibility requirements may be entitled to a Massachusetts refundable tax credit of $1,080 even if they have no Massachusetts taxes due or Massachusetts filing requirement. Senior citizen homeowners may claim the credit if they paid more than 10% of their total income for real estate taxes and water and sewer charges. If you’re a renter you can count 25% of the rent paid as real estate taxes. Those seniors who have no filing requirements due to their limited income should look into filing a Massachusetts income tax return next spring as they may be due a refund of up to $1,080 for 2017. In addition, it’s not too late to file a 2014, 2015 or 2016 tax return to claim the credit if you fall into this category. For those seniors out there who have filed tax returns and weren’t aware of this credit, make sure you determine whether you are eligible for the credit in 2017. If you are, you should look into amending your previous 3 years tax returns to claim the refunds that you are due. http://www.hfctax.com/
Read more of the Tax Minute, daily, here
Nov 21, 2017 | Uncategorized
There are several advantages to being a cash buyer that simplify the process of purchasing a piece of real estate. However, there are additional issues that cash buyers need to be aware that can impact the purchase of property. One of those issues is the importance of a mortgage survey or plot plan.
You may be wondering what a plot plan is, do you really need one and is there an additional cost for a plot plan? The simple answer to these questions are that a plot plan is an engineering diagram or drawing of the estimated boundaries of the property. The plan is created by a Professional Land Surveyor. The plan will indicate the precise location of any major structures on a particular property, including any houses, porches, sheds and in some case driveways and access points. It will also show the approximate shape of a lot as well and the approximate location of structures as they relate to boundary line setbacks.
In some cases where there are multiple lots, the plan may also show the location of each particular lot in relation to the other.
The information disclosed by the plan is important, especially when there may be encroachments, missing lots, or the lots or the property description is not what YOU think it is. A title exam conducted as part of the closing will reveal the owners of the property and any encumbrances or defects that may be of record. A title exam does not show the location of any of the buildings or structures on located on the land.
A conventional bank or mortgage lender will always require a Mortgage Survey as a condition to lending any money on property. A cash purchaser is not required to obtain a plot plan as a condition of the purchase, even though it is highly recommended. The bottom line is that a plot plan may reveal additional information about a property you may not know about. Having a plot plan conducted as part of your due diligence process can save you thousands of dollars by disclosing critical issues before you close.
The cost of a residential mortgage survey is around $150.00, depending on the size of the lot and structures located on the lot.
If you are paying cash for a real estate purchase, contact our office and we can guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have.
Jun 14, 2017 | Uncategorized
While companies may have spam filters and antivirus software, spam and phishing emails can still slip through employee inboxes. Email recipients are the most critical element in preventing an attack. Here are some tips on how to identify the authenticity of a questionable email.
Incorrect Grammar/Spelling/Text Body
Many phishing emails contain misspellings. Some of these messages have been poorly translated from other languages. Additionally, you will want to pay attention if the time or date appears in the message body of an email. If the email contains the date format of DD/MM/YY, 24-hour time or coordinated universal time (UTC,) it’s likely that the email’s point of origin generated outside of the United States.
Email Format/Absence of Logos/Plain Text Email
Most legitimate messages will be written with HTML. It should be a mix of text and images. A poorly constructed phishing email may show an absence of images. This includes the lack of the company’s logo. If the body of an email is only an image as text, it’s possible that it is illegitimate. Outlook blocks showing images by default. If the email is all plain text and looks different than what you’re used to seeing from a frequent sender, you may want to contact the sender directly in a new email or phone call.
Urgent Request for Personal Information
One tactic that is commonly used by hackers is to alert you that you must provide and/or update your personal information about an account (e.g., Social Security number, bank account details, account password). Phishers will use this tactic to drive urgency for someone to click on a malicious URL or download an attachment aiming to infect the user’s computer or steal their information.
Suspicious Attachments
High-risk attachments file types include: .exe, .scr, .zip, .com and .bat. Spam filters will generally do a good job of quarantining those formats. Most companies commonly send and receive .zip, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx and .pdf. However, a malicious sender can implant devious code in those formats as well. Once the attachment is opened, the computer is already compromised. Take caution if you have sent an email that has an attachment and the sender is questionable. You will want to verify the legitimacy of the email first. Next, you will want to examine the context of why the attachment is being sent.
Links in the Email
A common practice is to avoid blindly clicking on links in emails. Outlook allows you to hover over a link before clicking on it. If the link in the body of the email is different than what Outlook hovered preview reports, it is not legitimate. Even if it seems legitimate, open a new browser window and type the URL directly into the address bar. If you’ve clicked on a link, a phishing website will look identical to the original. However, your system may already be compromised. If you’re work email is connected to your phone, you will want to take extra precaution.
Use Work Email for Work Purposes Only
Employees should avoid using their work email address for personal signups. These include social media websites or customer loyalty/ reward programs.
Reprinted with permission of the American Land Title Association.
First American Title Insurance Company makes no express or implied warranty
respecting the information presented and assumes no responsibility for
errors or omissions. First American, the eagle logo, First American Title,
and firstam.com are registered trademarks or trademarks of First American
Financial Corporation and/or its affiliates.
Apr 12, 2017 | Home Mortgage Tips, Uncategorized
If you’ve decided to invest and have finally found your ideal home, it’s probably an exciting time for you and your family. But before the deal is sealed, there will be a closing meeting so that all of the loose ends can be tied up. If you want to be ready for closing and are curious what the final meeting will entail, here are a few things to be prepared for.
The Last Walk Through
The initial home inspection may have already occurred prior to your closing meeting, but a final walk through should also be granted in the event that anything has happened to the house since it occurred. If problems have been made note of and a price or repair has been negotiated, you won’t need to worry, but the final walk through is a good opportunity to cover off any additional maintenance issues.
Discussion Of The Details
It’s a good idea to bring any paperwork you have regarding your mortgage along to the closing meeting as this will enable you to follow up on any outstanding questions and go through the specifics of the home sale. In all likelihood, you’ll be going through items like the closing costs, escrow payments, the settlement costs related to the home sale and the deed of trust to secure your mortgage, so ensure you understand all of the documents and are prepared to sign on the dotted line.
All The Appropriate Parties
You may expect the closing meeting to be rather informal after the offer has been accepted, but there are many parties that will be present in order to transfer the ownership of your new home. In addition to the home seller, yourself and your respective real estate agents, there will also be any attorneys present, a closing agent, and the lender. While it can be overwhelming to have so many people present, it is generally a formality so that the proceedings can take place without a hitch.
If you’ve determined that the home you’ve made an offer on is right for you, the closing meeting will likely be a seamless experience. However, it’s important to ensure you’ve done your final walk through and looked over all the applicable documents to avoid any issues related to the purchase of your home.
Apr 10, 2017 | Mortgage Rates, Uncategorized
Last week’s economic data included releases on construction spending and labor-related reports including ADP Payrolls, Non-Farm Payrolls, national unemployment. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released.
Construction Spending Increases in February
February construction spending grew by 0.80 percent from January’s reading of -0.50 percent. Analysts expected a reading of + 1.00 percent. Housing industry pros and analysts continue monitoring construction spending for indications of future construction projects. Construction spending was boosted by unseasonably warm weather in regions typically subject to cold winter climates.
U.S. homes are in high demand despite rapidly rising home prices due to short supplies of available homes; industry leaders contend that building more homes is the only remedy for the imbalance between would-be home buyers and low inventories of homes for sale. Home builders repeatedly cite shortages of buildable lots and skilled labor as obstacles to building more homes.
Job Growth Dips as New Jobless Claims and Unemployment Rate Falls
ADP reported that 263,000 private-sector jobs were created in March as compared to revised readings of 245,000 jobs created in February and expectations of 170,000 jobs created in March Private-sector employers were encouraged by potential reductions in taxes, regulations, infrastructure and improvements.
Non-farm payrolls dropped significantly in March; the Commerce Department reported only 98,000 new public and private sector jobs added in March as compared to expectations of 185,000 jobs added and 219,000 public and private-sector jobs added in February.
Economists said that rapid growth of jobs seen in the last few years was not sustainable and cited severe reductions in retail jobs as contributing to the drop in the Non-farm payrolls reading for March. The steep drop in job creation could cause the Federal Reserve to hold off on raising the federal funds rate in June, but this is far from certain depending on economic readings for April and May.
National unemployment fell to 4.50 percent in March against expectations of 4.70 percent and February’s reading of 4.70 percent
New jobless claims fell to 234,000 claims as compared to expectations of 251,000 new claims and the prior week’s reading of 259,000 claims. Lower initial jobless claims despite the steep drop in job growth suggests that workers are leaving the workforce and are ineligible to file new claims or that the drop in jobs growth was a “correction” and future jobs growth reports may not show such sharp adjustments.
Mortgage Rates Mixed
Rates for fixed-rate mortgages were lower last week. Freddie Mac reported that average rates for fixed rate mortgages fell; the average rate for a 30-year mortgage was four basis points lower at 4.20 percent. The average rate for a 15-year fixed rate mortgaged dropped three basis points to 3.36 percent. The average rate for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage ticked up by one basis point to an average of 3.19 percent. Discount points averaged 0.50 percent for fixed rate mortgages and 0.40 percent for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage.
What‘s Ahead
This week’s scheduled economic reports include readings on inflation, core inflation and consumer sentiment. Weekly reports on new jobless claims and mortgage rates will also be released.
Apr 7, 2017 | Around The Home, Uncategorized
It’s a very exciting time for most parents when their kids begin to crawl, but it can also be much more difficult to watch over your child and ensure their safety. If your child is starting to get along on their own and you’re preparing to baby proof, here are the main areas and items you’ll want to watch out for.
Clearing Away The Crib
There’s no place your child is going to spend more time, so ensure that there are no toys left in their crib when they’re going to sleep. You’ll also want to stay away from fluffy blankets that can smother their breathing. It’s entirely likely that you’ll have a lot of stuff to store for your baby, but ensure there are no heavy pieces of furniture in the room that they will be able to pull over or move.
In The Bathroom
It goes without saying that you should never leave a baby in the bathtub alone, but there are other things to do as soon as they become mobile. In addition to non-slip mats for the tub and the area outside of the tub, you may also want to invest in soft covers for the knobs and the spout on the bathtub. It’s also good to keep any hazardous cleaning products out of reach.
Care In The Kitchen
Your baby is likely to wreak havoc on all of the door handles they can, so ensure that you have cabinets that don’t close automatically and a latch for your oven door. If you happen to be cooking in the kitchen when your baby is about, ensure that all pot handles are turned in and all cooking items are kept away from the edges of the counter.
Around The House
Your quickly crawling child will be able to find many hazards if they move fast, so ensure you’ve covered up any electrical outlets or cords that can be pulled out. If there are sharp edges your infant can reach, put safety guards on them to protect your baby’s head. Safety gates should also be used at the top and bottom of stairs to avoid any falls.
Most parents get pretty enthusiastic about the idea of their baby starting to crawl, but it’s important to be prepared for that time by baby proofing your home. If you’re currently getting ready to buy a home for your growing family, contact your trusted real estate professional for more information.
