Santa Clara Valley Living » tax credit home buyer

FHA Home buyers’ tax credit can be turned into cash at closing

vbrasil — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:30:04 +0000

Buyers who use FHA financing soon will be able to use their $8,000 tax credits for settlement fees, escrow charges, higher down payments or to “buy down” the interest rate.

The Obama administration has put out the official word: Starting soon, first-time home buyers nationwide will be able to turn their $8,000 federal tax credits into cash for use at closing if they use Federal Housing Administration mortgage financing.

But in its final guidelines to lenders and buyers issued May 29, the Department of Housing and Urban Development clarified that buyers obtaining FHA loans through private lenders would have to invest at least some of their own funds — whether from personal savings or gifts from relatives — in the form of a minimum 3.5% down payment.

In other words, you’ll need equity in the house to participate. This won’t be a zero-down plan, with one exception: If you obtain your FHA loan through one of about 10 state housing agency “tax credit monetization” programs, you’ll be allowed to pay for your entire down payment with the help of a bridge loan provided by the agency.

Those bridge loans generally are low-interest or no-interest short-term second liens secured by the property, and convert into second mortgages if they are not paid off with the proceeds of the tax credit.

For FHA lender-supplied cash advances, you’ll be able to use the $8,000 tax credit — or whatever-size credit you qualify to receive — for settlement fees, escrow charges, higher down payments or to “buy down” your interest rate to cut monthly payments.
How will this all work in practical terms? How do you apply? Here’s a quick guide:

To start, you’ll need to qualify as a first-time buyer under the generous definition permitted by Congress — that is, you cannot have owned a principal residence during the previous three years, and your household gross income cannot exceed $95,000 for single taxpayers or $170,000 for married couples filing jointly.

To get the process rolling, you’ll have to write a contract on a house you can afford to buy and apply for a mortgage through an FHA-approved lender. There are more than 12,000 lenders with that designation. Large banks or bank-affiliated mortgage lenders are more likely to be geared up for the program in the near future, according to industry experts. Home builders, who have advocated credit-monetization programs for months, are likely to be major participants. The tax credit program requires all eligible purchases be closed no later than Nov. 30.

Besides the usual mortgage application information, the lender is likely to require some extra paperwork, based on FHA guidelines:

* A filled-out IRS Form 5405, which is your request to the federal government to send you a tax credit check. You can file an amendment to your 2008 return and get the credit within a matter of weeks, or you can file for it on your 2009 taxes. Most buyers are expected to opt for the amended return route. Form 5405 is available for download at www.irs.gov.

* Proof that you have no outstanding judgments, liens, unpaid taxes or other obligations that could reduce or eliminate the tax credit you’re seeking.

* Confirmation from your employer that you are not subject to wage garnishments, which could also affect the amount of the credit.

Your lender will be strictly limited on what it can charge for providing you tax credit money in advance. According to FHA guidelines, fees must be reasonable and nominal — generally no more than 2.5% of the expected tax credit. For example, if you’re in line to receive the full $8,000 credit, that would mean the most you could be charged for the cash in advance typically would be $200.

A senior HUD official said that the agency wanted to keep these fees as low as feasible to avoid abuses or gouging, and that HUD would be monitoring transactions to make sure participating lenders were adhering to the guidelines.Similar Posts:

How the California NEW HOME Tax credit Affects the Santa Clara Valley

vbrasil — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:08:16 +0000

California announced it’s own, $10,000 tax credit for any homeowner buying a new home between March 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010 regardless of whether they’re a first-time buyer or not. This comes on top of the federal first-time home buyer tax credit of $8,000 announced by the Obama administration as part of the federal stimulus package. Unlike the federal bill the California home buyer tax credit does not have restrictions on income qualifications, nor do you need to be a first time buyer to participate. The only restriction is that the home be new construction and be purchased between March 2009 and March 2010.

While it is still unclear exactly how the California Home Buyer Tax Credit program will work, here is what we do know:

Eligible on NEW homes purchased between March 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010 (must be new construction to qualify)
$10,000 credit paid in 3 annual installments of $3,333. Home buyers get the $3,333 off their taxes for the first three years after purchasing the new home.
No income restrictions, meaning that all home prices and incomes can participate.
Any home buyer buying a new home qualifies. You do not have to be a first-time buyer as in the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit.
Pending escrows or recent home sales have not been determined to be eligible at this point, although it will be determined shortly.
The total credit is $100 million (h/t CR) which works out to 10,000 home sales that would qualify under the California Home Buyer Tax Credit program.

Politics aside, this seems like a bad idea for Santa Clara Valley. We have a fundamental problem of high supply and low demand in Santa Clara Valley, a very high proportion of which are older homes. This may take away buyers from those older homes and pursuade them to buy into new developments that should never have come to be.

From all the new developments out there: Summerhill – Village Square, Shea Builders – Mondrian, Shea Builders – Boulevard, Toll Brothers Verona, KB – Cannery Row, KB – Monte Vista, AXIS, Regency Homes – Gables End, Regency Homes – Altaire, 360 Residences, The 88, and City Heights. There have been price drops and incentives some better than others.

As a home buyer for a new development make sure you understand that you can write your own offer and negotiate the terms and conditions of what the builders sales department are quoting you. If you are not a good negoitator make sure your agent is, so you can get the best deal out there.

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Economic Stimulus and Tax Credit

vbrasil — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:02:23 +0000

Tax Credit for Homebuyers

First-time homebuyers who purchase homes from the start of the year until the end of November 2009 may be eligible for the lower of an $8,000 or 10% of the value of the home tax credit. Remember a tax credit is very different than a tax deduction – a tax credit is equivalent to money in your hand, as opposed to a tax deduction which only reduces your taxable income.

The tax credit starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000. Buyers will have to repay the credit if they sell their homes within three years.

Tax Credit Versus Tax Deduction

It’s important to remember that the $8,000 tax credit is just that… a tax credit. The benefit of a tax credit is that it’s a dollar-for-dollar tax reduction, rather than a reduction in a tax liability that would only save you $1,000 to $1,500 when all was said and done. So, if a homebuyer were to owe $8,000 in income taxes and would qualify for the $8,000 tax credit, they would owe nothing.

Better still, the tax credit is refundable, which means the homebuyer can receive a check for the credit if he or she has little income tax liability. For example, if a homebuyer is liable for $4,000 in income tax, he can offset that $4,000 with half of the tax credit… and still receive a check for the remaining $4,000!

Phaseout Examples

According to the plan, the tax credit starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000.

To break down what this phaseout means to homebuyers who are over those amounts, the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) offers the following examples:

Example 1: Assume that a married couple has a modified adjusted gross income of $160,000. The applicable phaseout to qualify for the tax credit is $150,000, and the couple is $10,000 over this amount. Dividing $10,000 by $20,000 yields 0.5. When you subtract 0.5 from 1.0, the result is 0.5. To determine the amount of the partial first-time homebuyer tax credit that is available to this couple, multiply $8,000 by 0.5. The result is $4,000.

Example 2: Assume that an individual homebuyer has a modified adjusted gross income of $88,000. The buyer’s income exceeds $75,000 by $13,000. Dividing $13,000 by $20,000 yields 0.65. When you subtract 0.65 from 1.0, the result is 0.35. Multiplying $8,000 by 0.35 shows that the buyer is eligible for a partial tax credit of $2,800.

Remember, these are general examples. You should always consult your tax advisor for information relating to your specific circumstances.

Homes that Qualify

The tax credit is applicable to any home that will be used as a principle residence. Based on that guideline, qualifying homes include single-family detached homes, as well as attached homes such as townhouses and condominiums. In addition, manufactured or homes and houseboats used for principle residence also qualify.

Take the Credit This year

It is our understanding that you even if you bought in 2009, you can claim this on your 2008 returns. If you’ve already filed your 2008 returns, you can amend them to claim the credit (please check with your tax professional).

Higher Loan Amounts

More good news – there is an extension on the additional tier of conforming loan amounts which had been first established in 2008. This tier of home loans are those greater than $417,000, and with a maximum that depends on the area, but is not greater than $729,750. These loans will again be eligible for rates that are slightly higher than conforming loan rates, but less expensive than the standard “jumbo” loan rates.

Additional Housing-Related Provisions

Tax Incentives to Spur Energy Savings and Green Jobs — This provision is designed to help promote energy-efficient investments in homes by extending and expanding tax credits through 2010 for purchases such as new furnaces, energy-efficient windows and doors, or insulation.

Landmark Energy Savings — This provision provides $5 Billion for energy efficient improvements for more than one million modest-income homes through weatherization. According to some estimates, this can help modest-income families save an average of $350 a year on heating and air conditioning bills.

Repairing Public Housing and Making Key Energy Efficiency Retrofits To HUD-Assisted Housing—This provision provides a total of $6.3 Billion for increasing energy efficiency in federally supported housing programs.Specifically, it establishes a new program to upgrade HUD-sponsored low-income housing (for elderly, disabled, and Section 8) to increase energy efficiency, including new insulation, windows, and frames.

Expanding Housing Assistance—This provision increases support for several critical housing programs. It includes $2 Billion for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to help communities purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed, vacant properties.

More Help for Homeowners in the Future
Another thing to keep an eye on in the coming weeks is President Obama’s plan to help struggling borrowers before they are faced with a default on their mortgage.

According to reports, the Obama administration is discussing plans to help borrowers who are struggling to stay afloat, but who have not yet fallen behind on their payments. At this point, details are scarce; however, reports indicate that President Obama is looking to spend approximately $50 Billion to directly help homeowners before they face foreclosure and financial disaster.

While this is good news for individual homeowners, it will likely be good for the housing industry as a whole. That’s because, assisting struggling borrowers before they default should help stop the wave of foreclosures, which are estimated to top two million this year. That, in turn, will help stabilize home prices.

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