Lynn Afton

Hi Shanna-

Osceola County does not have their information on line. Send me an email with the address & I will be glad to help you find the information that you need.

-Lynn
lafton@greenridge.com - Mon Mar 16 2009, 09:41

Hi Jeremy-
Yes, it is a 1985 manufactured home, according to the listing.
-Lynn - Fri Mar 13 2009, 09:06

Jeff-
One other comment to go with my answer below -

To protect yourself, let a buyer know that their tax advisor can tell them if they will qualify for the 1st time home buyer credit, as other factors such as income limits, etc. apply as well. Then it is up to the buyer to find out rather than sue you later for telling them they qualified, if they end up not qualifying.

From what I have read, someone could already own three "vacation" homes, and as long as they didn't live in any of them "most of the time", they could buy another home and claim the tax credit as long as they live in the home "most of the time" for the NEXT three years. If you don't live in for the next three years, or sell the home in that time, you have to pay the credit back. There are some strange rules to this credit.

Anyone thinking of claiming it (or recommending it to someone) should seek advice first from a qualified tax person. - Thu Mar 12 2009, 22:56

Jeff-
It's not just if you own a home in the 3 years prior to the purchase date of the new home, it's if the home you previously owned was your main residence "most of the time", according to the new revision of IRS form 5405, revised in February 2009.

The following is excerpted from the form:

Who Can Claim the Credit (2008 & 2009)
In general, you can claim the credit if you are a first-time
homebuyer.

You are considered a first-time homebuyer if:
You purchased your main home located in the United
States after April 8, 2008, and before December 1, 2009.
You (and your spouse if married) did not own any other
*main home* during the 3-year period ending on the date of
purchase.

Main home.
Your main home is the one you live in most
of the time. It can be a house, houseboat, housetrailer,
cooperative apartment, condominium, or other type of
residence.

************************************
There are many other rules that apply to the credit, including that the home you claim the credit on cannot have been purchased from a relative.

Read the form at IRS.gov : http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5405.pdf

Hope this helps to clear up some of the many misunderstandings of this credit. -Lynn - Thu Mar 12 2009, 22:38

Actuallly this property is under contract and is scheduled to close next week. - Thu Mar 5 2009, 06:24

Hi Bonnie-

In today's market, you really need to focus on what your BUYERS are looking for in order to sell your home.

It looks as though you have had sufficient marketing, and sounds like your Realtors have performed.

There are really only a few reasons that a home doesn't sell.

It is probably one or more of the following.

Because the potential buyers looking at your home think:

It is priced too high for the roof age, exterior design, landscaping , lot size or area in which it is located;
It is priced too high for the style, layout or decorating inside the home.
It is priced too high for its square footage size or the rooms are (or seem) too small

What feedback have you received from showings? Have you heard any of the comments from buyers?

Many showings today are buyer-driven, meaning the buyer finds the home and requests the Realtor show it.

The buyer doesn't know what fees the Realtor will be getting, so raising the % fee may not help, but one thing can really drive Realtors to try and sell your property, is to have an extraordinary bonus to the buyers agent who has a buyer under contract by a certain date - such as in 30 days - and payable only at closing of the sale.

Best things you can do to make your home the most sell-able:

Keep it spotless. Keep it uncluttered. Keep it neutral.
Remove collections, bookcases, unnecessary furniture.
You are selling space, not stuff.

Make sure there isn't a hint of damage, cracks, water stains or mold anywhere in the home.

Good Luck! -Lynn - Mon Mar 2 2009, 19:43