Special Rules for Members of the Military, the Foreign Service and the Intelligence Community
Congress has acknowledged the unique circumstances affecting members of the military, the foreign service and the intelligence community by making the following exceptions that apply to both the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and the $6,500 tax credit for repeat home buyers.
Exemption From Tax Credit Recapture Rules
* Typically, homes that are sold or that cease to be used as a principal residence within three years of the initial purchase are subject to recapture of the tax credit.
* However, qualified service members who sell or move from a tax credit home within three years of the initial purchase due to official extended duty are exempt from the recapture rule.
Extension of Tax Credit Deadlines
* The home buyer tax credit is available for qualified purchases with a binding sales contract in place on or before April 30, 2010 and closed by June 30, 2010.
* However, for qualified service members who are ordered on a period of official extended duty, these dates are extended for one year. For these home buyers, the tax credit applies to sales with a binding sales contract in place on or before April 30, 2011 and closed by June 30, 2011.
* A person who is forced to return to the U.S. for medical reasons before completing an assignment of at least 90 days of qualified official extended duty outside of the United States may qualify for the one-year extension.
Definitions
* “Qualified service member” means a member of the uniformed services of the U.S military, a member of the Foreign Service of the U.S., or an employee of the intelligence community.
* “Official extended duty” means any period of extended duty outside of the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning after December 31, 2008 and ending before May 1, 2010.
Source: National Association of Home Builders
http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/service_mem.php
For more information, please contact us at info@casafinarealty.com.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Become a Fan!
Now that we are REAL LIVING CASA FINA REALTY, we created a new fan page on Facebook.
Take a look, become a fan, and spread the word!
Take a look, become a fan, and spread the word! 
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Florida Open House Weekend
For Immediate Release
Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate to Take Part in
Tampa, FL (Grassroots Newswire) February 11, 2010 -- Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate will be offering clients the opportunity to reach dozens of prospective buyers in a single weekend as part of the Florida Open House Weekend sponsored by the 115,000-plus member Florida Realtors.
On Saturday and Sunday, April 10-11, Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate will participate in the multitude of Open Houses in the
The Florida Open House Weekend comes just before the April 30, 2010, deadline for the federal homebuyer tax credit. Homes need to be under contract by April 30, 2010, and closed by June 30, 2010, to take advantage of up to $8,000 in tax credits.
“This event offers people a convenient way to see as many homes as they wish in one weekend and gives our members a chance to be part of this massive effort to match buyers to their sellers,” says Mehdi Belhassan, Broker-Owner.
He adds that the weekend will be a fun way to attract buyers and help them learn more about what is available in the local housing market.
For more information, email
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Customer Satisfaction
Here at Casa Fina Realty, we strive for your utmost satisfaction. Once your transaction is complete, we even survey you to see how we did. Take a look at the latest feedback our agent Lisa Prisco received!
Do you know of many companies who have a 99% customer satisfaction rate, as surveyed by an independent third party? Can you think of other companies who put their service guarantee in writing? This is the level of service you will consistently find at Casa Fina Realty.
If you are in need of the services of Tampa's premier real estate agents, you came to the right place. Let us show you what we have to offer -- info@casafinarealty.com.
Do you know of many companies who have a 99% customer satisfaction rate, as surveyed by an independent third party? Can you think of other companies who put their service guarantee in writing? This is the level of service you will consistently find at Casa Fina Realty.
If you are in need of the services of Tampa's premier real estate agents, you came to the right place. Let us show you what we have to offer -- info@casafinarealty.com.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Letter from the Broker - New Year, New Market
Happy New Year to you! May all your wishes come true. 2009 was a rough year in our industry and the economy, to say the least
However, the real estate market is starting to show some positive signs of improvement. In our New Tampa luxury market, there are only 17 active listings (eight to ten less than other quarters!). The average list price per square foot is $210. There are four pending transactions at an average price of $160 per square foot. Eight luxury properties have sold in the fourth quarter at an average of $183 per square foot, compared to only three sales in the previous quarter and five sales one year ago.
These statistics and the overall market performance are making me quietly optimistic. The first quarter of 2010 will give us a great indication of what to expect for the rest of the year. I don’t foresee a recovery in pricing yet, but at least the market is more dynamic.
Interest rates are still very low! The tax credit has been extended and expanded which should stimulate the market and entice buyers to purchase properties before the contract deadline of April 30. The biggest potential downfall of our recovery would be an excessive inventory of short sales, foreclosures and bank owned properties.
For more information, please contact us at info@casafinarealty.com.
For more information, please contact us at info@casafinarealty.com.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
GMAC merges with Real Living!
We're going through some big changes... take a look at our press release below:
REAL LIVING, THE NATION’S FIRST CONSUMER LIFESTYLE REAL ESTATE BRAND, IS ABOUT TO GET BIGGER – MUCH BIGGER
GMAC Real Estate to be Re-Branded ‘Real Living’ as Brookfield Continues
Expansion and Ongoing Commitment to the Industry by Acquiring
Real Living Network Services
Oak Brook, Ill. and Columbus, Ohio (November 11, 2009) – Real Living (http://www.realliving.com), the real estate industry’s first consumer lifestyle brand, and GMAC Real Estate (http://www.gmacrealestate.com) today announced they are merging to become one of America’s leading residential real estate franchises with more than $20 billion in annual home sales.
The move was set in motion late last year when Brookfield Residential Property Services (Brookfield RPS), a division of Brookfield Asset Management (Brookfield), acquired GMAC Real Estate. Earlier this month, Brookfield RPS acquired Real Living Network Services, a subsidiary of Real Living Inc., and as a result will now rebrand GMAC Real Estate as Real Living throughout the United States.
Columbus, Ohio-based Real Living is a national award-winning brand known for its innovation, customer service and track record of attracting results-driven brokers and sales professionals, along with a culture of partnership and collaboration within its network.
“In Real Living, we found the ideal partner and brand for what we are hoping to accomplish with our real estate operations, which we are committed to building even further,” said Graham Badun, Managing Partner & CEO of Brookfield Residential Property Services. “We explored a number of options, including creating an entirely new brand from the ground up, but our customer feedback and research kept leading us back to Real Living. Both companies share many of the same core values and combined will be part of a bigger, stronger network of brokers and sales professionals.”
Badun added, “We are thrilled to have Real Living as our flagship U.S. real estate brand, and welcome Real Living’s 2,000 brokers and sales associates into Brookfield RPS’ North American real estate network of almost 30,000 real estate professionals. We look forward to further expanding the size of our network by adding new franchisees that are truly looking for something fresh and different, and we are excited about the opportunity to take the brand to new markets internationally. Adopting and expanding an already established and respected brand will benefit the entire GMAC Real Estate network of brokers and sales professionals from day one,” he said.
Badun also announced the appointment of Real Living’s Harley E. Rouda, Jr., a longtime real estate industry broker, owner, operator and franchisor, as President of the newly combined operations.
Real Living was founded in 2002 and the company has grown to become one of the nation’s premier real estate companies and brands. Its technology platform has been recognized by Inman News as one of the best in the industry, the company has been named “Most Promising New National Brand” by The Swanepoel TRENDS Report, and Entrepreneur Magazine listed Real Living as one of the Top 50 New Franchises.
“We brought a truly fresh approach to the industry earlier this decade when we launched Real Living as the firstever consumer lifestyle real estate brand, and we will continue to do so by bringing new programs, services, support, training and technology, to our brokers and sales professionals,” Rouda, Jr. said.
“There is an incredible need for a broker and agent-centric brand that is consumer-focused, yet managed by an experienced team that understands real estate. Combined, Real Living and GMAC Real Estate have that team as well as a truly differentiated brand,” he said.
Brokers and sales professionals looking for more information on the launch and rollout of the Real Living brand can click www.realliving.com for more about the announcement. Company executives will also be available at this week’s annual NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Diego.
About Real Living
Real Living is a full-service real estate company with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources and services for franchisees, sales professionals, and consumers. Real Living was named one of the best new franchisors by Entrepreneur magazine. The firm also won the Inman Innovator Award and was named the most promising new national brand by the Swanepoel TRENDS Report. For more information, visit http://www.realliving.com
About GMAC Real Estate
GMAC Real Estate is one of the industry’s leading real estate firms with offices throughout the United States, Canada and Portugal. The company’s unique service delivery model, Premier Service®, has earned it a national Customer Satisfaction Rating of 95% since its inception in 2002 – the best in the industry. For more information, visit http://www.gmacrealestate.com
About Brookfield Residential Property Services Brookfield Residential Property Services is a division of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., a global asset manager focused on property, power and infrastructure assets. Brookfield has approximately USD $90 billion of assets under management and is co-listed on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges under the symbol
BAM and on NYSE Euronext under the symbol BAMA. Brookfield Residential Property Services was named in the 2009 Swanepoel TRENDS Report as the number one real estate trendsetter in 2008. For more information, visit http://www.brookfieldrps.com
# # #
For more information please contact:
Hugh Siler
Siler & Company PR
(949) 646-6966
hugh@silerpr.com
REAL LIVING, THE NATION’S FIRST CONSUMER LIFESTYLE REAL ESTATE BRAND, IS ABOUT TO GET BIGGER – MUCH BIGGER
GMAC Real Estate to be Re-Branded ‘Real Living’ as Brookfield Continues
Expansion and Ongoing Commitment to the Industry by Acquiring
Real Living Network Services
Oak Brook, Ill. and Columbus, Ohio (November 11, 2009) – Real Living (http://www.realliving.com), the real estate industry’s first consumer lifestyle brand, and GMAC Real Estate (http://www.gmacrealestate.com) today announced they are merging to become one of America’s leading residential real estate franchises with more than $20 billion in annual home sales.
The move was set in motion late last year when Brookfield Residential Property Services (Brookfield RPS), a division of Brookfield Asset Management (Brookfield), acquired GMAC Real Estate. Earlier this month, Brookfield RPS acquired Real Living Network Services, a subsidiary of Real Living Inc., and as a result will now rebrand GMAC Real Estate as Real Living throughout the United States.
Columbus, Ohio-based Real Living is a national award-winning brand known for its innovation, customer service and track record of attracting results-driven brokers and sales professionals, along with a culture of partnership and collaboration within its network.
“In Real Living, we found the ideal partner and brand for what we are hoping to accomplish with our real estate operations, which we are committed to building even further,” said Graham Badun, Managing Partner & CEO of Brookfield Residential Property Services. “We explored a number of options, including creating an entirely new brand from the ground up, but our customer feedback and research kept leading us back to Real Living. Both companies share many of the same core values and combined will be part of a bigger, stronger network of brokers and sales professionals.”
Badun added, “We are thrilled to have Real Living as our flagship U.S. real estate brand, and welcome Real Living’s 2,000 brokers and sales associates into Brookfield RPS’ North American real estate network of almost 30,000 real estate professionals. We look forward to further expanding the size of our network by adding new franchisees that are truly looking for something fresh and different, and we are excited about the opportunity to take the brand to new markets internationally. Adopting and expanding an already established and respected brand will benefit the entire GMAC Real Estate network of brokers and sales professionals from day one,” he said.
Badun also announced the appointment of Real Living’s Harley E. Rouda, Jr., a longtime real estate industry broker, owner, operator and franchisor, as President of the newly combined operations.
Real Living was founded in 2002 and the company has grown to become one of the nation’s premier real estate companies and brands. Its technology platform has been recognized by Inman News as one of the best in the industry, the company has been named “Most Promising New National Brand” by The Swanepoel TRENDS Report, and Entrepreneur Magazine listed Real Living as one of the Top 50 New Franchises.
“We brought a truly fresh approach to the industry earlier this decade when we launched Real Living as the firstever consumer lifestyle real estate brand, and we will continue to do so by bringing new programs, services, support, training and technology, to our brokers and sales professionals,” Rouda, Jr. said.
“There is an incredible need for a broker and agent-centric brand that is consumer-focused, yet managed by an experienced team that understands real estate. Combined, Real Living and GMAC Real Estate have that team as well as a truly differentiated brand,” he said.
Brokers and sales professionals looking for more information on the launch and rollout of the Real Living brand can click www.realliving.com for more about the announcement. Company executives will also be available at this week’s annual NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Diego.
About Real Living
Real Living is a full-service real estate company with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources and services for franchisees, sales professionals, and consumers. Real Living was named one of the best new franchisors by Entrepreneur magazine. The firm also won the Inman Innovator Award and was named the most promising new national brand by the Swanepoel TRENDS Report. For more information, visit http://www.realliving.com
About GMAC Real Estate
GMAC Real Estate is one of the industry’s leading real estate firms with offices throughout the United States, Canada and Portugal. The company’s unique service delivery model, Premier Service®, has earned it a national Customer Satisfaction Rating of 95% since its inception in 2002 – the best in the industry. For more information, visit http://www.gmacrealestate.com
About Brookfield Residential Property Services Brookfield Residential Property Services is a division of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., a global asset manager focused on property, power and infrastructure assets. Brookfield has approximately USD $90 billion of assets under management and is co-listed on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges under the symbol
BAM and on NYSE Euronext under the symbol BAMA. Brookfield Residential Property Services was named in the 2009 Swanepoel TRENDS Report as the number one real estate trendsetter in 2008. For more information, visit http://www.brookfieldrps.com
# # #
For more information please contact:
Hugh Siler
Siler & Company PR
(949) 646-6966
hugh@silerpr.com
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Want to Sell Your Home? Make Sure it’s Advertised Online
Want to Sell Your Home? Make Sure it’s Advertised Online
Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate Says Nine Out of 10 Buyers 44 and Younger Use Internet as Part of Home-Finding Process
Tampa, FL (Grassroots Newswire) Sept. 16, 2009 -- The Internet increasingly is becoming the go-to resource for home buyers, with a national survey showing that more than nine out of 10 buyers 44 years old or younger used the Web to help find their dream home.
Additionally, it takes approximately 12 weeks for first-time home buyers to find the home they want, according to Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate officials.
"We’re finding that the typical first-time buyer spends about two weeks looking at homes and reviewing information on the Internet, before they contact a real estate agent," said Mehdi Belhassan of Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate. "In other words, the Internet is playing an important role in helping first-time buyers gain information about the local market and the homes available. By the time they contact us, they have a fairly good idea of what they’re looking for, and are very motivated to begin their search in earnest."
Belhassan said that locally, home buyers are mirroring key trends uncovered by the National Association of Realtors® in its "Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Survey." Among the survey’s key findings:
- Some 87 percent of all buyers reported using the Internet as one of several information sources at some time in the process.
- The second most frequently cited information source was a real estate agent, used by 85 percent of buyers seeking more information about properties or the home-buying process.
- Among buyers who used a real estate agent when searching for and purchasing a home, the median length of the total search was 10 weeks. Before contacting an agent, these buyers typically searched for two weeks.
- The median length of the home search for first-time buyers (12 weeks) was significantly longer than the typical search time for repeat buyers (nine weeks). First-time buyers also searched for a somewhat longer period before contacting an agent.
For more information on the federal tax credit program and the local housing market, contact Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate: 17407 Bridge Hill Court Ste B, Tampa, (813) 569-6294.
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