HOME - Towne & Country Realtors Leominster MA Central MA Blog » RealtyMan

The Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit: The Basics for REALTORS, Homebuyers, and Home owners from the National Association of REALTORS.

RealtyMan — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:24:46 +0000

the key...

Realtor.org just posted a great explanation of the extended Home Buyer Tax Credit. As of today, there are now 123 days left to take advantage of this credit, which has been broadened to include current home owners who are purchasing a new or existing home.

In a nutshell:

Extends the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of up to $8,000 to first-time home buyers until April 30, 2010.

Expands the credit to grant up to $6,500 credit to current home owners purchasing a new or existing home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010.

First-time home buyers who purchase homes between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010.

Current home owners purchasing a home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, who have used the home being sold or vacated as a principal residence for five consecutive years within the last eight. (from Realtor.org site)

The credit is dependent on the income of the buyers, and the cost of the home. See the article for details.

As long as there is a binding contract in place by April 30, 2010, the buyer is eligible to receive the credit, time-wise. Interest rates are very low now- hovering below 5%- but indications are that they will begin to rise in 2010.

If you have any questions about the implications of these conditions for YOU specifically, give me a call.

Buying or selling your home, or just interested in general real estate market conditions? Get to know our agents on our facebook page, search home listings from the button on the right, or call the office for no-obligation information at 978-537-6401.

Holiday giving

RealtyMan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:33:10 +0000

Christmas Decorations

The holidays are a time of receiving, but they are also a time for remembering those who are in need. They are definitely a time of giving.

Interested in improving the school system in Leominster? A classroom has a call out for investment in their students’ library. Any amount can be donated, and they are looking for a total of less than $300 to buy a set of Roald Dahl and Beverly Cleary books.

Looking for Toys For Tots locations? Here is all of the local information you need- from the hub in Devens, MA.

Times are hard for many people. If you find yourself in need of assistance, you can call Project Bread to find a local food pantry. YOU DO NOT NEED TO APPLY if you need help. Here is their site, or call 1-800-645-8333.

To donate: Loaves and Fishes in Devens, MA has a specific list of items needed. They serve Ayer, Devens, Groton, Harvard, Littleton, and Shirley but if you are from a different town the list is helpful for shopping more locally:

Flavored rices
“Helpers” (Hamburger, Tuna)
Instant Potatoes
Baked Beans
Cereal
Pasta sauce
Diced tomatoes
Tomato products
Canned vegetables
Diapers

You can check out either the Project Bread site or the Loaves and Fishes site to donate.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

National Real Estate News

RealtyMan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:55:44 +0000

On the National front:

CitiMortgage and Citifinancial- 30 day suspension

You can read the entire article at BusinessWire here . While this isn’t a solution by any means, it DOES give people a little break through the holidays.

Here’s hoping other banks can follow suit.

Local Holiday Fun

RealtyMan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:52:55 +0000

Trying to come up with ideas for the Holidays. There are a lot of things to do in the area, and I am going to post links to things that you can drive to to keep you or the kids busy and happy this season.

Winter In Central MA

Caveat: call before heading out. Sometimes old information is posted on the sites

This one is coming up soon: this weekend in fact, but looks like a must-see. At the Ecotarium, visit with the Polar Bears and hear the Polar Express.
Christmas lights displays
Nutcracker Baller Performances
Take the train in and see the Stone Zoo Zoolights through the end of the year.
Plan on going to First Night Boston. which is really an All-Day event.
A winter concert will be performed by the Lexington Pops in January.
Want something to do with the kids over the break? Why not the Discovery Museums, the DeCordova Art Museum (several events), or check out the suits or armor at the Higgins Armory, where they have fun planned for vacation week.

Let me know what you think. Any events to add?

Central Massachusetts Home & Garden Show- Fitchburg

RealtyMan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:59:35 +0000

flower

I just came across this today on Facebook. I spend a lot of time online making sure that my listings are posted as many places as possible, and it was nice to come across this today: The Facebook Page for the Central Massachusetts Home and Garden Show. It will be in February, on the 27th and 28th, at the Courtyard Fitchburg: 150 Royal Plaza Drive, Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420.

Just about when everyone around here is sick of snow, the flower shows start. Head over to Facebook to follow the announcements, or check out this site for discount coupons and links to other home shows and events. Maybe I’ll see you at one!

While you are on Facebook checking out the Home Show, stop over at Towne and Country.

First snow of the season

RealtyMan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:28:56 +0000

We had our first real snowstorm of the year on Wednesday. Locally, we got anywhere between 7 and 12 inches, and it ended with rain so the snow was heavy to shovel.

I was out plowing and had my camera with me. These are some of the pictures that I took:

Local home sales statistics

RealtyMan — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:41:38 +0000

National news is one thing. What is actually happening at home, in our own towns and cities, is what is really important. Even in the small area of North Central Massachusetts, trends change town to town and month to month.

As we head toward the end of the year, some good news is that the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit has been extended and expanded. The deadline now is April 30 to be under contract, and you need to close by June 30. That seems like a long time away, but when you consider all of the steps involved in purchasing a home, it really isn’t. With restrictions, the credit has been expanded to include buying a replacement home. Here’s the official IRS video:

Mortgage rates are near historic lows, with thirty year fixed rate hovering below 5%.

mortgage averages

Leominster News In a Nutshell:

Leominster MA cumulative stats 6.1 thru 12.1

What do these numbers mean? Properties are still selling, but looking at how many have sold in the past six months compared to what we have on the market we have nearly six months of inventory. This is if no other homes are listed. A house should be priced well and in the best condition in its price range to have the best chance of being sold. Even so, average market time for a home is close to 5 months, and is creeping up a bit.

Need help putting these figures into perspective? Call me.

Here is a quick look at price shifts over the past 6 months for property on the market, broken down by price range:

Price changes in Leominster, MA

Leominster MA Holiday calendar

RealtyMan — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:03:57 +0000

Wondering what to do over the next few weeks? Check this out!

National home sales news

RealtyMan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:01:24 +0000

Is the storm almost over?

This video from NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun has a lot of information on national housing statistics. In a nutshell, based on the figures recently reported, Yun feels that we are nearing the bottom of this downward housing trend:

Home sales were up last month, partly due to the rush to beat the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit deadline. The tax credit has been extended and expanded- good news for first time homebuyers working on credit repair, and good news for sellers who were not quite ready to list.

The video is interesting. It reports regional figures, and that can be helpful for making decisions. Since real estate statistics vary from town to town, regional figures might not be all that you are looking for. Stay posted for local information, and if you have any particular questions that I can help you with, give me a call at 978-537-6401 or shoot me a quick email at Gerry@realtyman.com.

November in Leominster

RealtyMan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:24:15 +0000

Thanksgiving is nearly here

The holiday season is here, and we are all making preparations for being with friends and family as Thanksgiving and Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah approach. Check out the town calendar – note that the Elks have a weekly blood drive on Tuesdays from 1-7.

Want to make an interesting day trip? At the Museum of Science in Boston, you might want to check out Harry Potter: the Exhibit , which will be in Boston through February 21.

A little farther afield is the Santa Express in NH, a magical train ride in the White Mountain area. Looking for some winter magic closer to home? More details will be coming about the Festival of Trees and the Holiday Walk in Leominster. As Mayor Dean Mazzarella said in the Leominster Champion, “Our theme this year is An Old Fashioned Christmas. We can always use more help organizing these events and think about entering a Christmas tree into the Festival of Trees. For more information on these events please contact Sandie Chacon at schacon@leominster-ma.gov (978) 534-7525 ext. 260.”

Leominster and the Central MA area are ideal locations. You are close to the cities of Boston and Worcester, yet able to really enjoy all that a country setting has to offer.