My New Outside Blog

Moving Tips

 

Via Lori Salzman - senior move management/home staging (Room To Improve):

Moving Box

In case you don't already have enough on your mind when planning a move, here are a few more thoughts to consider when planning your moving date and choosing a moving company.

First of all, remember that loading up the truck usually is NOT the last thing you have to do in your old home. Often you need to get your charitable donations picked up, junk removed or, at the very least, a cleaning crew into the home so it is left in "broom clean" condition. So be sure to leave a little time between the moving van pulling out and the new homeowner coming in for their final walk-through or passing papers.

Most moving companies offer packing or unpacking services. If this of interest to you, be sure to ask about the time and costs required. Sometimes there are local companies which specialize in selling packing materials or even packing but not moving. Often they are a more affordable option than the movers.

Interstate moves and local moves are very different. Local movers usually charge by the hour. Interstate moves are more regulated and cost is determined by weight rather than by hour. Some local companies will not do out-of-state moves or they will contract the work out. The local companies I work with will still use their own crew if the move is within 400 miles but that distance will vary from company to company. Remember: if you're traveling cross-country, you will most likely not have the same moving crew on the other end of the trip. Local companies will contract this work out and you have NO control over who will be unpacking you on the other end. To ensure the same standard of service on both ends of the move, you may want to consider hiring a national moving company so you know the moving crew on both ends of the trip will have had similar training.

Prices also vary depending on when you move. A move on the first day or last day of the month will sometimes cost more than dates in the middle of the month. Many moving companies have "seasonal" rates. Their busiest time of year usually corresponds with the beginning or end of the school year. Weekdays also are often cheaper than weekends. If you have some flexibility with your moving date, ask your mover if one date would be cheaper than another.

Moving companies should be willing to provide you a complimentary in-home estimate. If they're not, look elsewhere. Get estimates from multiple moving companies. If you like one company more than the other but not their rates, ask them if they are willing to work with you. Ask for references. Make sure they are bonded and insured. You may also want to ask if their employees have passed CORI checks.

All moving companies are not alike. If you do your due diligence though you should be very satisfied with the service your receive.

*******

Lori Salzman is the owner of Room To Improve, one of Boston's few full-service home transitional companies.

1 comment • Joe Garcia • May 11 2009 11:11PM

My Contract of Attitude - Permian Basin

Contract

Of

Attitude

 

 

I Joe Garcia agree that each day when I wake that I can Choose My Attitude.

 

I can choose to be angry, disinterested, bitter, sad, or frustrated about life. Instead,

 

I Joe Garcia, choose to have an attitude that is caring, energetic, important, supportive, creative, and overall smiling about life. 

 

          I know that:

          There is always a Choice about the way I do my work, even if there is not a

          choice about the work itself. (Fish Book) 

 

I CHOOSE to make today a great day!

 

I Choose to PLAY; be serious about my work without taking myself too seriously at work.

 

I Choose to BE PRESENT; not to let distractions destroy the quality which is present in each of life's moments.

 

I Choose to find someone who needs a helping hand, a word of support, or a good ear - and

          MAKE THEIR DAY!!!!

  

Smiling,

Joe Garcia

 

10 comments • Joe Garcia • May 07 2009 11:10PM

Permian Basin - Free Service For Home Buyers!

 

Via Mike Giles (Keller Williams Realty):
Use A Free Listing Update Service Whether you are buying or selling, a listing update service will help you to keep your eye on your local market. This is a service that most Realtors can provide to you and normally it is a free service. How it works:
  1. Set up your Home Profile: create a profile including specific details such as # of bedrooms, lot size, price range, desired cities/towns etc...
  2. Receive your initial list of homes: Receive an e-mail with all current listings that match your profile , (TIP: The more specific the profile the fewer homes you will have to weed through, you can always widen the search later)
  3. Receive update e-mail every day: each morning as you log on to your e-mail account you will have one e-mail alerting you to any new listings or any changes to listings that have already appeared on your list.

Benefits:

  1. Stay ahead of the competition: Learn about listings as they come on giving you a chance to get in before others looking for the same type of listing
  2. Only look at current listings: Most of the large listing sites rely on the agents to post their listings and mark them as sold once they are no longer on the market. The Realtor's service is drawn directly from the MLS and assures you that you are getting all current listings and none that have already been put under agreement or sold.
  3. Request Showings: Stop chasing open house signs and simply hit the request showing button on any property of interest. This will allow the Realtor to set up a private showing at a time that fits your schedule.

Even in a slow market if a property comes on that is priced properly and has desirable features and location, you can miss out by finding it too late. If you are interested in properties in Massachusetts you can set your profile at MY FREE LISTING UPDATE SERVICE Otherwise, find a local Realtor that has the ability to provide this service and start looking at relevant properties that are still for sale.

Contact Mike

Buyer Agency Information

First Time Home Buyer

Search Properties In Massacusetts

3 comments • Joe Garcia • May 05 2009 08:51AM

Permian Basin -First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit

Some 2008 homebuyers are eligible for a tax break, essentially an interest-free loan worth as much as $7,500, under The Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008.

Known as the first-time homebuyer credit, the tax break is available if you purchase a home on or after April 9, 2008 and before Jan.1, 2009, and meet certain income and other requirements. The credit is equal to 10 percent of the home purchase price, up to a limit of $7,500. Unlike other tax credits, this one must be paid back to the government, over a 15-year period.

 

Under recovery bill, greater benefits for 2009 buyers

NOTE:

If you plan to claim the credit for a home you bought in 2009, wait until the IRS form is updated in mid-March before you file, or before you amend a return you have already filed.

The new law increases the $7,500 first-time homebuyer credit to $8,000 for primary residences purchased between Jan. 1, 2009 and Nov. 30, 2009, and eliminates the requirement that the credit be repaid, as long as the house isn't sold within three years.

The credit is equal to 10 percent of the home purchase price, up to a limit of $8,000. Those who qualify for the credit will have their refunds increased or their taxes reduced by up to $8,000, on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Unfortunately, for those who purchased homes in the eligible 2008 period, the credit remains at $7,500 and MUST still be repaid.

The details below apply to both the 2008 and 2009 credits, except where indicated.

 

Who is considered a "first-time" homebuyer?

Any taxpayer who has never owned a home as a principal residence.

However, you could qualify if you've owned a home before, but not as your principal residence during the three years prior to the purchase.

Married couples cannot qualify for the credit unless both spouses meet the three-year rule.

What qualifies as a principal residence?

Your principal residence is where you live for most of the year. That can be a house, a condo, co-op, house trailer or houseboat, within the United States. Vacation and rental homes are not eligible.

What are the income limitations?

For single taxpayers, the credit decreases as modified adjusted gross income rises above $75,000, and it disappears altogether above $95,000.

Modified adjusted gross income is your adjusted gross income, or AGI (your gross income minus certain deductions such as IRAs and alimony) with tax-free foreign income counted.

For married couples, the credit starts to decrease at modified adjusted gross of $150,000 and disappears after $170,000.

 

When would I get the money from the credit?

You get the money only after you claim the credit on your 2008 or 2009 tax return, NOT when escrow closes on the home.

 

What is considered the "purchase price"?

The purchase price is generally your down payment, if any, plus your mortgage. A mortgage can be a first or second mortgage or notes you gave the seller in payment.

How does the credit affect the taxes I owe and the refund I get?

The credit reduces your tax liability, that is, the amount of taxes you are required to pay. Depending on your tax withholdings, you could get a bigger refund or owe less in taxes when you file.

If, for example, your taxes owed for one year are $6,000, you've had $4,000 withheld from your wages, and you buy a home worth $100,000, the housing credit would entitle you to a refund, as shown below.

 

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law Feb. 17, 2009, the first-time homebuyers credit offers buyers a much better tax break. Taxpayers who buy in 2009 can claim the credit when they file their 2008 tax returns, assuming they meet other qualifications.

Tax liability

$6,000

Minus housing credit

-7,500

Minus withholding

-4,000

Refund

$5,500

But if, for example, your tax liability was $10,000, but you had paid no withholding, then the credit would reduce the taxes you owe, as illustrated below.

Tax Liability

$10,000

Minus housing credit

- 7,500

Minus withholding

0

Taxes due

$2,500

For the 2008 credit, how do I repay the credit?

If you bought your home in October of 2008 and claim the credit, you start repaying it in the second year after the tax year that the home was purchased.

So you would begin repayment when you file your 2010 tax return. Your payments are set at $500 per year for 15 years.

They are "paid" as part of your tax liability. Depending on your tax situation, you either get $500 less on your refund each year, or you owe $500 more in taxes.

You might need to increase your withholding or make quarterly estimated payments to cover for the repayment and ensure that you don't get penalized for under-withholding.

What if circumstances change?

For homes purchased in 2008:

If you sell the house before the end of 15 years, you will have to pay the balance remaining on the credit on the tax return for the year the house was sold.

If you no longer use the home as your principal residence (say you rent it out), you pay the remaining balance on the tax return for the year the use changed.

If you die before the 15 years, the balance does not need to be repaid.

If you get a divorce and the home is transferred to your spouse, your spouse will be responsible for future payments.

For homes purchased in 2009:

If you sell the home or otherwise don't use it as your main home within the first three years, you must repay the credit. If you live in it as your main home for more than three years, you don't need to repay the credit.

Other considerations

The credit is not available if:

You buy your home from a close relatives, such as your spouse, parents, grandparent, child or grandchild.

Your home financing comes from tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds.

You are, or were, eligible for the District of Columbia first-time homebuyer credit for any year

12 comments • Joe Garcia • April 13 2009 09:55PM