Federal Estate Tax - gone or just on vacation?

Jeff Jacoby, writing in the Boston Globe, says,

"not all deaths are sad. The federal estate tax died at 12:01 A.M. on January 1, an occasion of joy if there ever was one. Allowing it to expire was one of the few sensible things Congress accomplished in 2009. Keeping it dead should be a congressional goal for 2010."

Lawyers and financial planners have become familiar with the federal tax's demise over the past 10 years; down from a tax of 55% to zero this year. However, while there is no tax in 2010, the tax comes back in full vigor in 2011 at the 55% rate on all assets over $1,000,000. We know from experience by reviewing hundreds of Wills over the past 10 years how planners had to structure estates to minimize the impact the federal levy has on families.

"Needless to say, this temporary vanishing act is wreaking havoc on estate planning, and many analysts expect lawmakers to revive the tax sometime this year, perhaps even making it retroactive to January 1. But if the goal is clarity and certainty in the tax code, a far better option would be to make the repeal permanent."

Jacoby argues for the complete abolishment of the federal tax over the whoops and hollers of the "class warriors." After all, the tax doesn't hurt the Rockefellers and the Buffets, but the family business entrepreneur.

Says Jacoby, "The estate tax is pernicious because it punishes precisely the kind of behavior society should want to reward -- work, prudence, savings -- and it rewards behavior that should be discouraged -- profligacy, overconsumption, and leisure."

What to you think?

Read the full column here.

For your next title order
or if you have questions about what you see here,
contact Stephen M. Flatow
Vested Title Inc.
648 Newark Avenue, P.O. Box 6453, Jersey City, NJ 07306
Tel 201-656-9220 - Fax 201-656-4506
E-mail vti@vested.com - www.vested.com

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Foreclosures Offer Deals, But Be Wary - The New York Times

The Times picks up on our article regarding buying foreclosed homes.
In Saturday's section on Your Money, the Times' Tara Siegel Bernard writes,

So you’re looking to buy a new home, and you think a foreclosed house may be the best deal. You’ve probably noticed, then, that many of the big banks' Web sites are beginning to look a bit like real estate brokerages, showcasing the many properties that they’ve repossessed.

While prices may be much lower, the Times points out

Despite the seemingly high inventory, though, anyone considering buying a distressed property should heed the classic warning: Caveat emptor, or let the buyer beware.

There are risks aplenty in trying to get a good deal in the REO market and, as the Times says, "Closing a deal in a desirable neighborhood can be hard to do."

To read the Times' take on this aspect of the real estate market, read the full article.

For your next title order
or if you have questions about what you see here,
contact Stephen M. Flatow
Vested Title Inc.
648 Newark Avenue, P.O. Box 6453, Jersey City, NJ 07306
Tel 201-656-9220 - Fax 201-656-4506
E-mail vti@vested.com - www.vested.com
We're the New Jersey Specialists

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Buying a foreclosed home – 5 tips from Bankrate.com

We get many inquiries from prospective real estate investors about buying a home that has come through foreclosure.

Our friends at Bankrate.com have published 5 tips to help a buyer negotiate the sometimes tricky path to buying a foreclosed home.

"Buying a foreclosed home is a little different from buying a typical resale.

"In many cases, only one real estate agent is involved. The seller wants a preapproval letter from a lender before accepting an offer. There often is little, if any, room for negotiation. The home comes as is, and it's up to the buyer to pay for repairs.

"On the upside, most bank-owned homes are vacant, which can speed up the process of moving in."

Here are the tips.

1. Get preapproved for a mortgage.

2. Find an agent specializing in foreclosures.

3. Know how long it takes to sell a home in your price bracket.

4. Study the sale prices of comparable homes in your area.

5. Remember the sale is for the home as is.

Read the full article.

For your next title order
or if you have questions about what you see here,
contact Stephen M. Flatow
Vested Title Inc.
648 Newark Avenue, P.O. Box 6453, Jersey City, NJ 07306
Tel 201-656-9220 - Fax 201-656-4506
E-mail vti@vested.com - www.vested.com
We're the New Jersey specialists.

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From Realty Times - Realtor Organization Opposed FHA Anti-Flipping Rule

Writing in Realty Times, Bob Hunt discusses the position of the California Association of Realtors that now opposes the FHA 90-day anti-flipping rule.

The primary component of FHA's anti-flipping policy is the 90-day rule. No FHA funding will be provided for properties purchased within 90 days of the seller's acquisition of the property. The intent of this policy is to protect buyers from overpaying (and, of course, to protect FHA's insurance program). Now, being against that sounds like opposing motherhood and apple pie.

However, proponents of the CAR motion argued that, in the current environment, the effect of the anti-flipping rule was actually to harm potential FHA buyers and to shut them out of the real estate market.

What it boils down to this-- you can never eliminate fraud in the sale of real estate, but FHA may be throwing the baby out with the bath water by blocking all sales within 90 days of acquisition.
Food for thought.

Read the full article.

What do you think?

For your next title order
or if you have questions about what you see here,

contact Stephen M. Flatow
Vested Title Inc.
648 Newark Avenue, P.O. Box 6453, Jersey City, NJ 07306
Tel 201-656-9220 - Fax 201-656-4506
E-mail vti@vested.com - www.vested.com

We're the New Jersey specialists.

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What a Surprise- "Banks aren't modifying loans" says Treasury

Something many of our readers are familiar with is now news at the New York Times. "U.S. Will Push Mortgage Firms to Reduce More Loan Payments" is the headline of today's story. It continues,

The Obama administration on Monday plans to announce a campaign to pressure mortgage companies to reduce payments for many more troubled homeowners, as evidence mounts that a $75 billion taxpayer-financed effort aimed at stemming foreclosures is foundering.

“The banks are not doing a good enough job,” Michael S. Barr, Treasury’s assistant secretary for financial institutions, said in an interview Friday. “Some of the firms ought to be embarrassed, and they will be.”

To those who have been frustrated dealing with mortgage companies, such as Wells Fargo, in requesting a modification or approval of a short sale, for that matter, this may come as welcome relief.

Will Treasury be effective? Doubtful, my personal experience on behalf of a client dealing with Wells Fargo indicates that Wells is blaming Freddie Mac for the hold-up in approvals. Unless the ultimate investor is pressured, don't expect any relief; you just can't embarrass these guys.

Read the full article.

For your next title order,
or if you have questions about what you see here,
contact Stephen M. Flatow
Vested Title Inc.
648 Newark Avenue, P.O. Box 6453, Jersey City, NJ 07306
Tel 201-656-9220 - Fax 201-656-4506
E-mail vti@vested.com - www.vested.com

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