Useful Real Estate Web Sites Here's a short list of some of the more useful real estate and real estate related sites on the web. When you click on any of the links below, you'll see the site you chose, along with a form at the bottom of your screen. Use it to get answers for any questions you might have about anything you find. Remember: It's my job to know more about real estate than any web site! Ann Arbor Movers
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GOVERNMENT REAL ESTATE RESOURCES
Try the US Census
Bureau,
FedStats.com, or the
Bureau of
Labor Statistics for useful information. The
HUD web
site is full of resources. Don't forget
Fannie
Mae,
Freddie Mac, or
Ginnie
Mae. Get home buying tips from the
Federal Consumer Information Center.
LOCAL INFO
Find your local
Chamber of Commerce or
State Government.
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First Time Buyers >Your Principal Residence
The Federal Tax Code allows married taxpayers to exclude from capital gains taxes up to $500,000 in profits from selling a home (singles can exclude $250,000). In order to qualify for this exemption, you must prove that that the home has been your principal residence for at least two out of the last five years. The establishment of the home as a principal residence depends on the facts of each homeowner's circumstance. Here are two cases to consider.
Homeowner A has lived at 25 Pine Drive for 12 years. Although he stays at his vacation cottage in another town for up to three months out of each year (sometimes more), 25 Pine Drive is his principal residence, where he lives most of the time. When he sells the home, Homeowner A (filing as a single individual) can keep up to $250,000 in tax-free profit.
Homeowner B buys 108 Maple Street, intending to live there. He rents it out while waiting to sell his current home, where he has lived for six years. His principal residence sells at the end of two years. Homeowner B moves into his new house, lives there for three months, and then decides to travel. After a six-month trip, he regrets buying 108 Maple Street and sells it. Even though he has owned the house on Maple Street for over two years, it won't qualify as "owner-occupied", because he only lived in it for a few months. Thus Homeowner B is not eligible to claim the tax exemption when he sells the house on Maple Street.
Consult your tax advisor for advice about your particular circumstance.
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| Q |
Nearly every state has a mandate for seller disclosure. What must a seller disclose?
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| A |
The seller must disclose any existing problems, defects or conditions that could affect the value of the house.
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