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The Home Buyer Tax Credit: Who Qualifies

The Home Buyer Tax-Credit is getting more popular as we approach the Tax-Credit Deadline.  As that deadline draws near, many home buyers are wondering who qualifies to get the tax credit.  One common misunderstanding is that you have to be a first time home buyer...truth is, you don't have to be a...

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Small is the new Big

Small is the new Big

The recent housing boom was full of McMansion construction focusing on BIG homes.  Today, this isn't the case--buyers are  demanding smaller homes and "move-down" houses.  Just take a look at what kind of homes are for sale in Boise and you'll see that the trends are moving to smaller floor plans. ...

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Construction Begins in Bown Crossing

Construction Begins in Bown Crossing

I'm really happy to give you this post today!  I was over at Bown Crossing watching the crew pour the first foundation of the Riverwalk Collection! Bown Crossing Many people still don't know what Bown Crossing is, so here is a quick video that shows what Bown Crossing is all about!  The Riverwalk...

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Tax Credit Deadline

I just added a Tax Credit Deadline Countdown timer to the far right sidebar of Boise Real Estate Soup!  Check it out! Tax Credit Deadline: [fergcorp_cdt_single date="4/30/2010"] If  you're trying to beat the April 30th deadline, you better get moving to find your home.  Feel free to do a free home...

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What is Appreciation?

What is Appreciation? Appreciation is an increase in the value of an asset, in this case real estate,  over time.  Driving factors that may cause the increase are:  increased demand or weakening supply, or as a result of changes in inflation or interest rates.  This is the opposite of depreciation,...

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The Home Buyer Tax Credit: Who Qualifies

by Aaron Catt on March 2, 2010

The Home Buyer Tax-Credit is getting more popular as we approach the Tax-Credit Deadline.  As that deadline draws near, many home buyers are wondering who qualifies to get the tax credit.  One common misunderstanding is that you have to be a first time home buyer…truth is, you don’t have to be a first time home buyer!

I’ve put together a simple list of basic home buyer requirements:

Home Buyer Tax-Credit Requirements

$6500 Tax Credit For ‘Repeat Buyers’:

  • Must have owned and resided in your current home for 5 of the last 8 years.
  • Income limits for single taxpayers is $125,000;  limit is $225,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return.
  • Any Home less than $800k that will be used as a principal residence qualifies.
  • Must be under contract to purchase by April 30th, 2010 and closed by June 30th, 2010.

$8000 Tax Credit For ‘First Time Home Buyers’

  • All First time home buyers purchasing a new or re-sale home are eligible.
  • Income limit for single taxpayers is $125,000; the limit is $225,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return.
  • Tax credit is equal to 10% of the purchase of price of the home, up to $8000 of credit.
  • Any Home less than $800k that will be used as a principal residence qualifies.
  • Must be under contract to purchase by April 30th, 2010 and closed by June 30th, 2010.

For more Frequently Asked Questions, check out this site!

Looking to Buy? Find your home now!

Still don’t know if you qualify? Give me a call and I’ll walk you through it!

Don’t miss any important updates, subscribe now!

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Poll Question: Text Message or Flyer???

by Aaron Catt on February 22, 2010

When you’re looking at homes for sale in Boise, Meridian, Eagle etc., you often times can get a flyer off of the sign in the flyer box.

BUT

Today you can text a code number thats listed on the sign and get a text message sent to your phone with pictures, details and even a virtual tour!

POLL QUESTION: Which would you prefer: A color flyer or an INSTANT interactive Text Message?

Flyer or Text Message: What would you prefer?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

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Advice on Negotiating Short Sales

February 11, 2010

How to Negotiate a Short Sale
Lots of questions come up about how to negotiate with the bank on a short sale and with 30% of the Homes for sale in Boise, Meridian and Kuna etc. listed as short sales ,  I thought I’d address the issue here as a reference for you!
One quality of a good [...]

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What is the MLS?

February 1, 2010

The MLS is the real estate industry’s favorite acronym.   For those of you that know what the MLS means, congrats, but for those that don’t know what the MLS means, this article is for you!  For example, if you’ve used my Boise MLS Home Search feature, then you know what I am talking [...]

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Construction Begins in Bown Crossing

January 28, 2010

I’m really happy to give you this post today!  I was over at Bown Crossing watching the crew pour the first foundation of the Riverwalk Collection!
Bown Crossing
Many people still don’t know what Bown Crossing is, so here is a quick video that shows what Bown Crossing is all about!  The Riverwalk Collection is the last [...]

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Tax Credit Deadline

January 23, 2010

I just added a Tax Credit Deadline Countdown timer to the far right sidebar of Boise Real Estate Soup!  Check it out!
Tax Credit Deadline:

If  you’re trying to beat the April 30th deadline, you better get moving to find your home.  Feel free to do a free home search to find all of the Boise Homes [...]

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The Swiss Army Knife Of Boise Real Estate

September 29, 2009

Swiss Army Knives can do almost anything, so can the new and improved Boise Real Estate Soup! It’s taken some time but I’m excited to get the new site up an running. The changes were pretty straight forward; mostly design/graphic, but more important are the navigational changes, but, I’ve added some great features that are very useful for home buyers and home sellers alike!

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East Parkcenter Bridge Opens Gate To New Boise Real Estate Developments

October 1, 2009

At 2 o’clock on Tuesday, the new East Parkcenter Bridge helped the first public drivers cross the Boise River and closed another chapter on the 30 year plus plan.  One year ago to the day, I wrote another story on the East Parkcenter Bridge as a ‘Perspective’ piece about the project.
During the Ribbon Cutting and [...]

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Free Boise MLS Home Search: Including Bank Owned & Distressed

October 3, 2009

Need a simple and effective way to search for homes in Boise without having to submit your name and email?  Look no further! I just unlocked the code to the easiest way to search for homes on the Boise MLS and it’s right here on Boise Real Estate Soup!  Oh, yeah, you can also [...]

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Will The First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit be Extended?

October 7, 2009

November 30th, 2009 is the deadline for the current First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of $8000.  If you want it, you better go out and buy your home and have it closed by then.  The buzz however, is that the first-time home buyer tax credit is not only going to get an extension, but also [...]

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Boise Real Estate Market Quick Stats #1

October 13, 2009

Of the 1962 homes on the Boise MLS listed as single family for sale, 503 of them are subject to ‘Short Sale’ and 143 of them are ‘In Foreclosure’ and 86 of them are REO, or owned by the bank.
Good deals are still out there, but if you have to wait for banks approval, don’t [...]

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Boise Real Estate Market Quick Stats #2

October 20, 2009

I had a client (you know who you are) ask me today what the median home price is for the Meridian area.  I didn’t know it right off hand, so I thought that I’d look.  It would be a waste of information if I didn’t share it with you so here goes:
The Median Home Price [...]

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Don’t Forget to Blow Out Your Sprinklers

October 29, 2009

If you’re new to the Boise area or are new to owning a home in the Boise area, then chances are, you might also be new to the idea of blowing out your sprinkler system.
There are cheap-o signs everywhere advertising this service for around $25 and it is worth every penny of it.  In addition, [...]

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Breaking News: Senate Plans on Extending and Expanding The First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

October 29, 2009

The Senate reached a compromise today to extend the $8000 tax credit for first-time home buyers in an effort to help the flailing real estate market out of it’s tail spin.  We’ll see if the bill passes.
The Wall Street Journal reports that not only will the tax credit of $8000 be extended, but that it [...]

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Get Off Your Lazy Butt and Go Vote for Boise City Council–TODAY!

November 3, 2009

Ok, I just left the polls and the ladies who were volunteering were nearly asleep.  In case you didn’t know, there are 3 seats up for Boise City Council and you need to vote for your favorite candidate who is going to represent your ideology and the City you live in.
A Few Important Issues

The Trolley- [...]

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My New Job with O2 Marketing Group

November 6, 2009

I am pleased to announce my new position with O2 Marketing Group here in Boise.  I’ve been offered a chance to work with some of the best agents in the new construction business, Kami Brandt and Alicia Lopez.  They have  combined experience, education and vision unrivaled by many.

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Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension a Reality–Expansion Joins

November 11, 2009

Like it or not, the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit has been extended from it’s original deadline of November 30th, 2009 to April 30th, 2010. Not only did the Tax Credit get extended, it also got expanded.

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Changes
Extension

Tax Credit Expires April 30th (must have a binding contract to purchase), [...]

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The Market Has Bottomed Out and 3 Other Lies Real Estate Agents Tell

November 11, 2009

Buying and selling real estate can be easy, it can also be very complicated.  Making the right choice as a home buyer and getting all your ducks in a row as a home seller is also very difficult.  For these and many other reasons, people hire Realtors.  But, how can you know for sure that [...]

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New Rentals Page

November 15, 2009

Property Management is just one of the services that I provide as a Real Estate Agent.  As such, I’ve decided to ditch my old property management website and put all of my available rentals here on Boise Real Estate Soup.
You’ll notice that at the top of the site along the navigation bar, you’ll see a [...]

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FHA Loans: The Next Real Estate Mess

November 17, 2009

You’ve heard that when you buy a new car and the minute you drive it off the lot, it’s already worth less than what you just paid for it, right?  Parts of the Ada County Housing Market might be the same!  First it was ARM’s (Adjustable Rate Mortgages), then it was the ‘Pay Option’ Arms, [...]

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Meridian Rental–Move in by December and get $300 CASH

November 20, 2009

In an effort to get this home off the market, I’m offering something special:
Move into this Meridian home for rent by December 1st and I will give you $300 CASH!!!
OR
Refer this home to someone qualified who is looking and if they sign a lease, I will give you $100 CASH!!!
It’s as simple as that! [...]

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Think Before You Buy: The Homebuyer Tax Credit is a Bonus, not a Reason

December 3, 2009

Some Home Buyers are making a purchase just because they can get $8000.  Is this a good enough reason to buy a home?  There are many benefits of home ownership and last time I checked a one-time $8000 bribe was not one of them.
A while back I posted a video about the first time home [...]

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Top 5 Selling Subdivisions in Meridian

November 30, 2009

If you’re going to buy a home in Meridian, it’s worth your time to read this short article about which subdivisions are selling best!
Out of curiosity today I decided I would go through the MLS and find the top selling subdivisions in Meridian year-to-date.  I had pretty good idea which subdivisions I thought would be [...]

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6 Tips for Driving Snow Covered Roads

December 7, 2009

I have a client who is considering moving to Boise, however one of her biggest concerns is the weather; especially in the winter weather.  Not everybody has driven in the snow, some people the idea frightens them to death and others forget that it can be very dangerous.
3-2-1 Contact
A slide out occurs when your tires [...]

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Check This Out: Bown Crossing for less than $250k !!!

December 12, 2009

I’m happy to announce a new project that I am very fortunate to be a part of:  The Riverwalk Collection at Bown Crossing.  If you’re not familiar with Bown Crossing, click play on the video to the right.

What is Bown Crossing?
Bown Crossing is a mixed-use development in South East Boise built around the way neighborhoods [...]

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Good Real Estate Sells Fast–Bad Real Estate Doesn’t

December 17, 2009

Less than a few weeks ago I posted an article about the new Riverwalk Collection at Bown Crossing.  Today, I am happy to say that we are 50% sold with another 25% on the horizon.  I’d like to attribute it solely to our great marketing, but I think that would be grossly typical of most [...]

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Bown Crossing: Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

December 23, 2009

Yesterday I ran through Bown Crossing real quick to see what kinds of things I could find as last minute gifts. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to hit all of the great stores, shops and restaurants, but I did make it into two of them and was able to find some last minute ideas–not to [...]

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Does a Multifamily Home Qualify for The Homebuyer Tax Credit?

December 29, 2009

You’ve heard me call the Tax Credit a bribe, but if you’re in the market anyway, its a bonus.  The Home Buyer Tax Credit can be a useful tool for some multifamily real estate purchases as long as one of the ‘units’ is your primary residence!
Check it out!

If you have any questions you’d like to [...]

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Small is the new Big

January 22, 2010

The recent housing boom was full of McMansion construction focusing on BIG homes.  Today, this isn’t the case–buyers are  demanding smaller homes and “move-down” houses.  Just take a look at what kind of homes are for sale in Boise and you’ll see that the trends are moving to smaller floor plans.  When you think about [...]

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What is Appreciation?

January 22, 2010

What is Appreciation?
Appreciation is an increase in the value of an asset, in this case real estate,  over time.  Driving factors that may cause the increase are:  increased demand or weakening supply, or as a result of changes in inflation or interest rates.  This is the opposite of depreciation, which is a decrease over time.  Obviously the Boise Real [...]

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