NUMMI: in Fremont, is scheduled to close its plant on April 1 – impacting many thousands of families across the region. While the City continues to work with regional partners to provide training for those employees affected, there are opportunities in the long run to improve land use planning and economic development in Fremont.
There will be a community workshop in the coming months to provide input on the land use alternatives for this site.
The City Council meets the first, second, and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 pm in the city Council Chambers, 3300 Capitol Ave. Fremont.
from Trulia.com
It’s tax time, but it doesn’t have to be excruciating, especially if you bought, sold or owned a home in 2009. While so many of us think of tax time as time to write a check, the Obama Administration’s stimulus package promised to reverse that tradition, effectively writing a check (in tax credit format) to buyers, sellers and even short sellers and those who lost a home through foreclosure.
Here are some tax tips, you can run them by your tax person:
1. 2009-10 First-time Homebuyer
Tax Credit
* Who It Helps: Recent (or current!) homebuyers who had not owned a home in the 3 years prior to buying, but bought one in 2009 or this year (must be in contract on or before April 30, 2010). Depending on when you bought (or buy! there’s still some time left!) income and purchase price limits may apply.
* How It Helps: Depending on your income and purchase price, you can receive up to an $8,000 fully refundable tax credit. (That means if you were already getting a refund, you’ll get a bigger one!) You can claim the credit on your 2009 tax return (the one you file on April 15th), even if you bought in 2010.
* More Info: http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_s…
2. 2009-10 Move-Up Buyer Tax Credit
· Who It Helps: Current homeowners who have lived in the home they are selling, or have already sold, as their principal residence for five consecutive years of the last eight years who closed escrow between November 7, 2009 and July 1, 2010, so long as they are in contract on or before April 30, 2010.
· How It Helps: Eligible homeowners can receive a tax credit of as much as $6,500, depending on income. You can claim the credit on your 2009 tax return (the one you file on April 15th), even if you bought in 2010.
· More Info: http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_s…
Brought to you by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
March 25, 2010
Late this afternoon, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 183, the Homebuyer Tax Credit legislation, into law. His actions today are the result of our efforts in Sacramento over the last several weeks as members and our team in the capital worked for the bill’s passage before it landed on the governor’s desk.
AB 183 will provide $200 million for home buyer tax credits, allocating $100 million for qualified first-time home buyers of existing homes and $100 million for purchasers of new, or previously unoccupied, homes.
The eligible taxpayer who purchases a qualified personal residence on and after May 1, 2010, and on or before Dec. 31, 2010, or who purchases a qualified principal residence on and after Dec. 31, 2010, and before Aug. 1, 2011, pursuant to an enforceable contract executed on or before Dec. 31, 2010, will be able to take the allowed tax credit. Read the rest of this entry »
Your Guide to Keeping House Cleaning Under Control
From the kitchen to the bedroom here is a how to for keeping your home neat and tidy.
FLOORS
The key with floors is to focus on high-traffic areas. If you keep those clean, your floors will stay fresh looking forever — well, almost.
Each week, attend to the most heavily traveled areas of your home. These include the hallways and entryways where your family walks all the time, and of course, the kitchen floor.
For wood floors: Vacuum with an appropriate vacuum or dust with a good microfiber dust mop to pick up dirt before you wash it. Then put hot water and up to six tea bags in a bucket. Make it strong. And wash the floor with that. The tannic acid in tea is really, really good for wood floors. It doesn’t stain; it’s inexpensive, natural and it’s safe for pets and kids.
Read the rest of this entry »
The median price of existing, single-family homes rose 15 percent in January, while sales declined 10.6 percent compared with the prior year, according to C.A.R.’s latest sales and price report. The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during January was $287,440, a 15 percent increase from the revised $249,960 median for January 2009, according to the report.
The market is ripe. How ready are you?
By the way, the best way to do some research on your own is to drive by neighborhoods at different times of the day and night. Chances are, you’ve seen a house in that neighborhood, or had your eye on a home and wished you could buy there. Now you have your opportunity and one pops up that you don’t want to miss.
Ever wonder if other people might be thinking alike? Is there a perfect house? No. But there is a perfect house for every buyer and this could be your lucky day.
So you cal your trusted real estate professional on the phone and you have a zillion questions. How much, how long and how many offers has this property had. After all, the signs been outside for months. It’s probably a dump inside. Right? Wrong.
Turns out the property is a short sale in excellent condition with plenty of upgrades. Problem is seller has to sell due to financial difficulties…………but the bank is not responding fast enough. There are offers on the table, and more coming in daily, but no word from the bank. You would think they would want to sell the place and get it off the books!
Wrong again. They have their reasons for delaying. The reasons are too great to mention here, but if you want a free consultation on a short sale property or any other that interests you, then call me. I do weeknight and weekend appointments to suit your schedule.
Thanks for reading my blog. I wish you success. Serena Russell, Realtor®
serenarussell.com
