Faith Between Us

Posts Tagged ‘Estate’

It doesn’t matter who you are or the size of your estate – if you have any kind of assets, and a spouse, children or favorite charity, you NEED to create an estate plan and update it OFTEN. Be sure to protect your estate and heirs from overpaying any kind of taxes. In the meantime, be sure you take every deduction available to you – more deductions mean more money for you and less money going to the IRS. While you must pay your taxes, you don’t need to pay them a penny more than you legally owe. And if you’re filing your return later than usually this year, exercise patience. Even though the IRS is running a bit behind, they eventually collects what’s “Theirs” – and that’s spelled, “t-h-e-I-R-S”?

And now for Matt’s weekly tip, tool or technique…
Let’s now learn from the estate planning mistakes of the rich and famous. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we’re going to cover the 4 C’s that your spouse or significant other will really appreciate. No, we’re not talking about diamonds – we’re talking about the four C’s to ensuring your financial wishers are honored.

Child actor Gary Coleman passed away in 2009, after a divorce with his ex-wife Shannon Price. One Will named a friend as the beneficiary of his estate, and a handwritten addendum named Shannon Price as the beneficiary, however the couple had divorced since it was written. While the courts were deciding which Will was valid, two more estate planning documents surfaced that further complicated the estate and extended the probate process. The 1st C: Be sure you have only one COMPLETE estate plan that details who is to receive your assets, how much they are to receive and when they are to receive them.  Read more...

As the real estate market continues to grow rapidly and new technology gains ground, widely accepted beliefs that were true a few years ago may not be true today. Don’t jump into anything blindly or sign a real estate contract or home mortgage loan contract or any other type of contract without giving it some serious thought. Before you commit to a real estate purchase you’ll need to find a lender for the real estate financing of your potential home or investment property.

Your income and your debts will typically play the biggest roles in determining what price range you should be looking at. Fifteen-year mortgages are an ideal option if you can handle the higher payments and if you’d like to have the loan paid off in a shorter period of time. Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages offer consistent monthly payments for all of the 30 years that you have the mortgage. And if the market is good, you can benefit considerably from locking in a lower rate for the full term of the loan.

Most adjustable rate mortgage programs offer what is called “rate cap” protection, which limits the amount the rate can be increased each year and over the life of the loan and all adjustable rate mortgages are amortized over 30 years. Make sure to get an estimate of your real estate financing closing costs from the lender you’ve chosen. By law, the lender is required to give you a statement within three days of receiving your loan application. Any of the loan programs for down payments of 20% or less require you to purchase Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI).  Read more...

It’s important to know when looking for real estate financing that the advertised mortgage rates are not always what you’ll get from the lender. The change in rates can be due to market fluctuations, economic news and any other of a dozen reasons. Interest rates can change throughout the day. With adjustable rate mortgages the initial interest rate is usually lower than a fixed-rate mortgage and the monthly payment is also lower. An adjustable rate mortgage may or may not be a good choice because on the average, most people move or refinance within seven years.

Check to see if the property taxes are deductible. Talk with your CPA or other tax advisor for current tax information. The 30-year loan is your best choice if you’re looking for a long-term stable loan; for instance, if you’re planning to stay in your house for a long time. It’s usually the safest home mortgage you can get also. If you’re buying a second home or second property, you’ll need to identify the sources for your down payment, since you will not be selling your current house and using the proceeds to buy the home. You’ll need to expect a larger monthly payment for housing or other expenses too.

The disadvantages of fixed-rate mortgage include higher cost; they are usually priced higher than an adjustable-rate mortgage. The real estate financing situation for each buyer is different. Check with your CPA or accountant, you may be able to deduct the interest you pay on the mortgage loan and some of the financing costs of the home, such as points on your income tax return.  Read more...

You can begin your real estate financing education by asking friends, family, co-workers, real estate agents, real estate brokers, mortgage brokers and real estate professionals for help and search the Internet for local lenders and get current interest rate quotes. First of all you’ll need to find a lender for your real estate financing and potential residential, home or other investment. Keep in mind when financing real estate that the lenders will be able to tell you only what you MIGHT be able to afford based on your salary and level of debt including credit card debt.

Most adjustable rate mortgage programs do offer “rate cap” protection, which limits the amount the rate can be increased, both each year and over the life of the loan; all adjustable rate mortgages are amortized over 30 years. An adjustable rate mortgage may be a good choice because on the average, most people move or refinance within seven years. The FICO credit score is just one of many myriad factors that are considered in loan or mortgage applications; although it’s taken into account there are no minimum scores expected.

The 30-year loan is your best choice if you’re looking for a long-term stable loan; for instance, if you’re planning to stay in your house for a long time. A fixed-rate mortgage means the interest rate and principal payments remain the same for the life of the loan but the taxes may change. Interest rates can go up if a rosy picture is painted that the economy is flourishing – like more jobs being available; this can lead to inflation which will send the rates up.  Read more...

This year alone, Americans are expected to borrow about .33 trillion in acquiring 7.4 million houses, condominiums and co-ops. Real estate financing has its secrets and you’ll gradually learn them by continuing to research everything you can find online and offline about home mortgages, mortgage loans, commercial mortgages or investment mortgages, current interest rates and get quotes when you can too. Before you apply for any real estate financing, if you have a lot of bad credit because of consumer debt for credit cards or personal loans, you’ll want to try to eliminate or reduce this debt. It may affect your ability to qualify for a home mortgage and make the estimated monthly payment.

An adjustable rate mortgage may be a good choice if the market is good or appears to be good for a few years, because on the average, most people move or refinance within seven years. But interest rates can go up if a rosy picture is painted that the economy is flourishing – like more jobs being available. This can lead to inflation, which will send the interest rates up. Finding the best loan program for your needs depends on a number of factors, including: how long you think you’ll stay in the home, how much money you have to put down, how you’ll finance the closing costs.  Read more...