How the Fiscal Cliff Has Impacted the Real Estate Industry

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At long last, a deal was reached with the Fiscal Cliff situation in Washington as far as the tax cut aspect of the fiscal cliff discussion. But as real estate agents, one of our concerns is how does it impact our clients and the real estate industry overall? Particularly in terms of capital gains taxes and other taxation issues, the Fiscal Cliff deal has created some changes for the better in the real estate industry. Here are some major points to keep in mind that will indeed have an impact on how you make your real estate decisions in 2013 and beyond.

Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act Extended Through 2013

One of the most beneficial programs set up to help boost the housing industry and help homeowners with underwater mortgages has been the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act. With the latest discussions, through the end of the current year homeowners that face short sales are still able to write off forgiven debt as opposed to being taxed on what is considered taxable income.

Tax Deductions for Mortgage Insurance Premiums Still In Place

Borrowers earning $110,000 or less annually that pay expensive mortgage insurance premium can still deduct that annual amount when they file their taxes. Had this conclusion not been reached while Congress was settling all issues at hand, homeowners with less than 78% equity would be taxed on the PMI payments made every month. This has been extended through 2013 and is retroactive for 2012.

Energy Efficiency Tax Credits Available to Homeowners

Energy efficient homes continue to create tax benefits for homeowners choosing to install approved home improvements in their existing homes. The tax benefit is a credit of 10% (up to $500) and is retroactive to cover 2012.

No Change in Previous Capital Gains Tax Rates

As it was in the previous year, capital gains rate will remain at 15% for individuals making $400,000 and households earning $450,000. After that, the tax rate is 20%. There are no changes to the tax exclusion for the sale of a single-family home for gains of $250,000 for individual and $500,000 for couples.

Estate Tax Guidelines Allow For Additional Leniency

The first $5M in individual estates and the first $10M in family estates are now exempt from estate taxes. After that, the tax rate is 40%, up from 35% in the previous years.

Leasehold Improvements Have Been Accounted For 2013, Retroactive to 2012

Qualified leasehold improvements on commercial properties can continue to receive a 15-year straight-line cost recovery.

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We hope this update will assist you in making informed decisions in your real estate endeavors. As always, we invite you to contact us for any of your real estate needs, whether buying, selling or investing in a property.

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Team Lally Testimonials

Genette - "We bought one house and sold that with them, and then bought the current house that we're in, and now we're selling this one. We always had a good experience, so when it came time to sell this one, really we didn't give it a second thought. We just called Ray Wolmers, who we've worked with before, and just got him on board right away. It just seems like with everything they handle every detail, and I love the "team" concept; that there's always somebody who handles everything. They never miss a detail. We did have one instance with our original house where we had the termite inspection, and they actually found termites. We had to have the house tented as that was just one of those where I was so glad they handled all the details for us and got it taken care of. They got it scheduled when we needed it scheduled and found a good price for it. It was just amazing. I wouldn't even consider another realtor here in Hawaii, because they handle everything and they're very professional. They just have always taken care of everything."

Maurice - "My results were very positive. Team Lally was very efficient and always kept me informed during every step of the process. I was never left in the dark wondering what was going on. She worked in the middle between myself and the escrow company or the lender and really just was my point of contact. She would explain any questions I had about the paperwork and kept me informed of what they needed from me. They really did a great job and I appreciated everything they did! "

Peter - "I had been looking at the search function on their website and then Cherie got in touch with me. We started scheduling houses to look at and as soon as I found anything I liked, she would schedule it immediately. She was always able to meet my schedule and willing to drive all over this island to find my house. The whole process went very smoothly! "

Paul - "Team Lally was really helpful and great to work with! They worked to my needs in what I was looking for and were very good at identifying houses that would be a good fit for us. Cherie, our agent was very patient and kept the same enthusiasm from the day I met her through the very last house we ended up purchasing. It was like a breath of fresh air with her professionalism throughout the entire process."

Shawn - "One person that really stood out to us during the whole process was Keli’i. It’s definitely a seller’s market here in Hawaii so houses are on and off the market very quickly. We expressed our frustrations about that with him and that night he was emailing us with prospective houses and times we could go look at them. He really took the initiative and reached out to us. I would recommend Team Lally fully."

Eric - "We had good results when we worked with Team Lally. Our first buyer unfortunately bailed out but it wasn’t for a lack of trying from Team Lally. They put in a lot of effort with their marketing and the exposure of the property. It was all great and they had really good customer service! "

Ryan - "I’ve worked with Team Lally twice now. I’m in the military and was stationed in Hawaii so I reached out to Team Lally to help me buy a home. They were helpful and we found a place quickly that I was happy with. After a few years I had to move for the military and plenty of times Adrienne was able to step in and helped me out when I needed someone to watch the house or find a renter. I didn’t want to rent it because I was coming back maybe 5 months later so Adrienne went out of her way to find someone that was trustworthy to stay there to watch my house and my dog until I came back. They were very understanding of my needs and able to find exactly what they could do to help me. "

Benito -"We were able to get into a house quickly, and it was a pleasant experience. Our Realtor, Kailyn, was constantly checking up with us. When we started to close, she made sure everything was done on time. On top of that, after we had moved in, the marketing manager came to the house to congratulate us. He brought us some gifts, too. I thought that was really great!"

Phil -"We bought a home and sold a home with them. Both experiences were excellent. They helped us with everything we didn’t understand. When I was looking to purchase a home, Adrienne herself picked me up and drove me around to look at homes. She was at our call whenever we wanted to look at a home!"

Brendan -"They were phenomenal! They were very quick to respond to all my phone calls and emails. They gave me great guidance on how to get the house prepped for the open house. We had an offer the first day, and a second offer the next day, and the house pretty much sold itself after that! Alesia Borja was great in the closing process. I had lots of questions because there were so many details that needed to be taken care of in order to close on time. She responded quickly and made lots of phone calls after hours in order to make sure the house closed on time!"

Geri -"I really enjoyed them helping me. We had a lot of paperwork going on at once, because we were selling a condo, purchasing a house, and doing the 1031 Exchange. They really helped out. I was in California, so there was a three hour time difference. I had a lot of questions, and some were pretty early in the morning for them, but they always got back to me promptly. When we were getting ready to sign the final papers, I noticed that the 1031 Exchange wasn’t on there. I got in touch with Alesia from Team Lally, and she helped me out. I enjoyed working with them, and I would do it again!"

Team Lally- Hawaii Real Estate

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How the Fiscal Cliff Has Impacted the Real Estate Industry