"... now Democrats and Republicans agree that the taxpayer should no longer be responsible for homes valued well above the national average, and are about to turn a top slice of the housing market into a testing ground for whether the private mortgage market can once again go it alone. The result, analysts say, will be higher-cost loans and fewer potential buyers for more expensive homes."

Read the full article at:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Federal-Retreat-on-Bigger-nytimes-3995455694.html?x=0

"...Time to File Form 1040
----------------------------
Miss the deadline and you could get slapped with a substantial, nondeductible penalty. Generally, the penalty is 5 percent of the balance due (the amount that remains unpaid after subtractions for taxes previously paid through withholdings from wages during 2010 and payments of estimated payments) for each month, or portion of a month, that a 1040 is late."
Full Story: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20110407_file.htm

Find foreclosures in Florida and / or in all states of the USA. There are many to chose from.

Visit our AmStarRealty.com website and visit this page:

http://www.amstarrealty.com/florida-foreclosures.htm

You will find information about real estate subjects you are most interested at this comprehensive site.

 

If you are traveling or just curious check out our Currency Converter (some people refer to it as a Money Changer} at:

http://www.amstarrealty.com/currency.htm

We provide it as a free public service. At our site you may search the entire Florida property listing service. Also check out our national and international pages.

The “local mortgage rates” thing is just a marketing strategy.

Read the whole post at : http://www.sundaymorningtalk.com/

To find mortgage rates visit: http://www.amstarrealty.com/mortgage-interest-rates.htm

Mortgage interest rates reached new record lows this week as consumer confidence declined, according data from Freddie Mac for the week ending today. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged a record-low 4.56 percent, down from 4.57 percent last week and 5.2 percent last year.

Go to http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/yourmoney/sns-graphics-real-estate-short-sale-gx,0,5937745.graphic to see the chart explaining the process of a short sale.

Why try a short sale? Homeowners have a mortgage. The market value of the home is less than what is owed on the loan.

This a way you may want to use to sell your property. There are some pitfalls so be sure to study short sales before you enter into one.

The Federal Reserve reports that housing activity is up in 11 of the 12 banking districts. Read more about changes in the housing market at:

http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20100419_realestateoutlook.htm

Also, check out the new, alphabetized, pull down menu at our site, www.amstarrealty.com
The new menu is available from virtually all pages at the site.

Looking for Florida real estate or International real estate? Visit our AmStar Realty Group website. 

Sorry, gave you the wrong address for Twitter.



Here is the correct link to use if you want to follow AmStar Realty Group on Twitter:



twitter.com/amstarrealty



I plan to keep you informed about significant changes in real estate markets.

You may now follow AmStarRealty.com on Facebook

And you can follow AmStar Realty Group, Inc. via Twitter

You may now listen to the LATEST real estate news via our new Real Estate RADIO page at:
http://www.amstarrealty.com/real_estate_news.htm

There is a link to the radio in the left column on our homepage at: www.AmStarRealty.com

"Because of falling home prices, borrowers who always paid their mortgage but who have run into unforeseen circumstances -- like unemployment or a job transfer -- can no longer sell their homes for what they owe. As a result, they are being forced to short sell or foreclose and are getting caught up in deficiency judgments.

"After the banks foreclose, it's very common now to have large deficiencies with houses not worth the balances owed," said Don Lampe, a North Carolina real estate attorney."

Read more about what can happen to you if your lender lets you sell your home for less than you owe on it. Click on the link below for the whole story. 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Mortgage-lenders-pursue-cnnm-3107909798.html?x=0

"More misery on the foreclosure front: Lenders filed more than 7,000 notices in November against property owners in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, according to report from Condo Vultures.

The November tally is a 15 percent increase over November 2008. The region is on pace for nearly 97,000 foreclosure filings this year, up from 75,000 in 2008.

On a related front, Zillow.com said Wednesday that homes in the South Florida metro area lost $45.9 billion in value during the first 11 months of this year, down from $137.2 billion in 2008."

From Sun Sentinel: http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/housekeys/blog/2009/12/foreclosure_filings_skyrocket_1.html

"Existing-home sales bounced back strongly in September with first-time buyers driving much of the activity, marking five gains in the past six months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Existing-home sales–including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops–jumped 9.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million units in September... " RISMEDIA, October 31, 2009

A tax credit of up to $8,000 is available for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009..... Read more about it at: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/2009/index.html

If you have a job and have built some credit this may be a great time to buy that home or condo! There a LOT of properties on the market and fewer buyers. Due to all the talk about the poor economy many are waiting to see what will happen next. BUT, if you need a dwelling and want to buy one at a really low price, now is the time.

Check with a good mortgage lender and find out how much home you can afford to buy now.

The real estate slump is ending.

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan says that the worst of the housing adjustment is over and “sales figures have stabilized.” He predicted that inventory levels will come down at a "reasonably rapid pace.”

A home inspection will tell you just how far from perfect that one day old home is and how much aging went on in that 100 year home.
View a virtual home ispection the way it is done by an inspector who is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). A home inspection is highly recommended for older homes and brand new ones. Click on this link
http://www.ashi.org/customers/vhi_tour.asp to view the inspection.
Read more about the necessity of getting a professional home inspection in an artlcle by Broderick Perkins at
http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20061031_ashiinspection.htm

Even with undervalued prices, the multi-million dollar cost of the replacement properties comes in a game with a higher stake. Players start with $2 million instead of the paltry $1,500 stake in the original game.


Visit the Monopoly site at: www.Hasbro.com

You Might Be A Floridian IF --
"Down South" means Key West
"Panhandling" means going to Pensacola.
Flip-flops are everyday wear.
Shoes are for business meetings.
Sweet tea can be served at any meal.
An alligator once walked through your neighborhood.
You smirk when a game show's "Grand Prize" is a trip or cruise to Florida.
You measure distance in minutes.
You have a drawer full of bathing suits, and one sweatshirt.
You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls.
All the local festivals are named after a fruit.
A hill is any point 50 feet above sea level.
You think everyone from a bigger city has a northern accent.
You know the four seasons really are: almost summer, summer, not summer but really hot, and Christmas.
Anything under 90 is just warm.
You've hosted or attended a hurricane party.
You go to a theme park for an afternoon, and know when to get on the best rides.
You understand the futility of 'exterminating' cockroaches.
You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee and Withlacoochee.
You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.
You were 8 before you realized they made houses without pools.
You were 12 when you first met someone who couldn't swim.
You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas.

Author Unknown