Belize Real Estate Links 
| Belize Real Estate Links | |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
|
How Home Buyer Rebates Work
In today's tight housing market, many buyers are looking for ways to stretch their dollars far enough to make that dream home a reality. One little-known strategy that's gaining popularity with consumers is the home buyer rebate. At the same time, rebates have become a hot-button legal issue for the traditional real estate industry and the U.S. Justice Department's Antitrust Division. Buyer rebates are loved by consumers, at least those who know about them, because they can make getting into a home more affordable. More and more so-called non-traditional real estate companies ¬- those offering alternatives to full-service, full-commission brokers - are offering to share their paydays with buyers. At the same time, many traditional brokers around the nation are trying to block rebates because they threaten fat margins with price competition in the form of commission discounts. Since buyers pay the lion's share of closing costs in addition to down payments, many are interested in receiving rebates to ease the cash crunch of moving into a new home. This can be a real advantage for buyers who have a solid income and credit history, but little cash up front. In this case, the term "rebate" is little confusing because home buyers are not getting a portion of their cash outlay back. The buyer representative (agent, broker or both) is rebating a portion of his or her commission back to the buyer. The rebate process seems confusing to some buyers because it runs counter to the common belief that home buyers don't pay real estate commissions. In fact, commission costs are passed on to buyers as part of the home's sales price. Buyer-agents typically are paid half the standard 5-6 percent of sales price commission. That money doesn't come from thin air?chances are that the sellers have factored commission into their price. When traditional listing agents tell sellers not to stress over commissions, because they can recover the costs through a higher sales price, someone is paying the freight. So how do home buyer rebates work, and what's in it for you? - In traditional real estate transactions, buyer representatives and seller representatives typically share commissions of 5 to 6 percent. Selling brokers usually offer half this commission to a broker who brings them a buyer. As an incentive to drum up business, some brokers now offer to rebate a portion of their buyer-representative commission to home buyers. For example, suppose you buy a $400,000 home on which the seller pays a six percent commission. The buyer and seller representatives split the $24,000 commission evenly. In this case, a one percent rebate means that the buyer representative receives $12,000 from which they pocket $8,000 and "rebate" $4,000 back to the buyer. - Buyer rebates generally depend on the home's sales price, total amount of commission and the commission split. Some rebates may be advertised as a percentage of the buyer-representatives commission. In the example above, the rebate is $4,000, or about 33 percent of the $12,000 buyer-side commission. Other companies offer fixed-amount buyer rebates, such as $1,000 in cash or a $1,000 gift certificate. Homebuyer rebates: To ban or not to ban? At the same time consumers are looking to rebates to help relieve the high cost of home buying, traditional real estate brokers are trying - and succeeding in some cases - to prevent their use. Broker lobbying groups around the nation, concerned about price competition and downward pressure on commissions, have successfully lobbied lawmakers in 10 states to make home buyer rebates illegal. Four more states limit home buyer rebates to credits at closing. Fortunately for Florida buyers enduring record-setting home prices, rebates remain legal in the Sunshine State. Industry watchers recently have looked to the state of Kentucky to see where the rebate debate might lead. In March, the U.S. Department of Justice sued that state's Real Estate Commission, alleging that its rebate ban violated antitrust laws. The DOJ investigation alleged that Kentucky's rebate ban may cost consumers "several thousand dollars" extra for each real estate transaction. In July, rebate fans received a victory when the DOJ and the Kentucky Real Estate Commission reached an agreement permitting rebates in that state. If you're shopping for a rebate, get the facts: Some points to keep in mind if you are a home buyer looking to take advantage of rebates: - Shop around. Some rebate programs included other buyer services, such as contract preparation or review, or escrow services. Even in a sellers' market, buyers have some leverage. After you have established the rebate amount, ask what else is in the package to help simplify your purchase and control transaction costs. - Consider your tax picture. Getting a rebate in the form of funds applied to closing can be double-win because that money may go untaxed when applied to closing costs. If the rebate or a portion of the rebate is not available until after closing, it may need to be reported as taxable income. Of course, this isn't an issue if you have plans for your rebate other than closing costs. Be sure to consult your tax advisor for this and other tax consequences of home buying. - Rebates won't be available on many homes, including sale-by-owner homes and some homes sold by discount brokers. That's because in these cases, the traditional commission percentage and split - from which the rebate is derived - doesn't apply. Some real estate companies don't offer buyer-agent commissions, and owners selling their own homes probably are doing so to avoid commissions. Finally, check to see if rebates are legal in your state. Money Magazine's 2005 Real Estate Guide reported that rebates were banned in Alaska, New Jersey, Kansas, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi, West Virginia and Missouri. Rebates were reported as restricted to credits at closing in Alabama, South Dakota, Oregon and Tennessee. If rebates aren't available in your state, you might ask your buyer agent what incentives are available. After all, for being a smart buyer in today's challenging real estate market, you deserve some type of reward. You can estimate your rebate savings at http://www.homekeys.net. Charles Warnock is Interactive Marketing Manager at Homexperts in Miami, Florida. Their Web site is http://www.homekeys.net. Charles writes frequently on real estate, finance, advertising and interactive marketing. This entire article can be reproduced without permission with author bio and link to author's Web site.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How To Get The Best Rental Accommodation In The Area By Using Your Capital My report is for you to use your power to negotiate, not only a reduced weekly cost of accommodation, but also to get the best accommodation available in the area in which you wish to live.Hello Colm Dillon here . FSBO: For Sale By Owners Chapter One She reached the phone on its second ring. "This is Tami!" She confidently answered. Odors Can Make or Break The Sale of Your Home It's amazing how important the sense of smell is to many people. If you're selling your home, and this applies across the board to houses, townhouses, condos, apartments, or whatever, you need to be aware of the power of odors. Buying Property in Portugal Portugal has long been a popular choice for people, particularly from the colder climates of Northern Europe, looking to purchase a holiday home or a retirement home. Traditionally they have done so using offshore companies, mainly to avoid estate taxes. Make Money As A Slumlord Be a slumlord? Okay, I got your attention, now the truth. I really don't recommend that anyone endanger their renters with unsafe housing. Real Estate: The Consumers Will Have The Final Word! "The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance". Why Average Sale Price Statistics are Misleading One of the most common statistics used when gauging the strength of an area's real estate market is the average sale price of its homes, but looking into that figure more deeply reveals just how misleading it can be.When listing a home for sale, most realtors establish a price for the home based on market comps of the area - taking into account what other houses sold for and how the home they are listing compares to those. Tenant/Buyers Have Multiple Options Lease Purchasing affords the tenant/buyer a wonderful opportunity to get into a home today, that he or she can buy tomorrow. But what options are available at the end of the contract? Fortunately, Lease Purchasing provides multiple options here also. Santa Visits a Just-Moved Newcomer in South Florida Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house Not a creature was stirring, just the Mac and the mouse, When all of a sudden a wail filled the air As the burglar alarm detected a hair.I ran to the keypad, pushed down on the code Hoping neighborly tempers would not explode. Staging® Your Home for Sale: a Superior Real Estate Home Marketing Technique: Part 1 Every Realtor KNOWS that a home should be shown in its best light to help sell it faster and for more money! We also know that, properly done, it Is a lot more than putting fragrant pies, breads or cookies in the oven, opening the drapes and turning on all the lights; although even that helps greatly.Setting the stage to obtain the highest value, fastest, for a home has recently evolved into a real estate specialty that can pay of grandly for the seller and help the buyer overcome the immense emotional strain of making a decision on which, of many similar properties, to purchase. Realtors Brainstorm For Business Even though rates are down opening up the market for even the otherwise unqualified buyers, realtors are desperately brainstorming to keep their professional status above in the real estate field.People are learning how to sell their own real estate. Zero Down Real Estate Investing Zero down? Why would a seller want to walk away from closing with nothing? Well, they wouldn't, and that brings up the most important point about real estate investing with no downpayment: The seller almost always needs cash at closing, but it doesn't have to be YOUR cash.A Zero Down ExampleI'm selling a small rental property right now, with payments of $400/month. Think You Can't Afford Your Own Home, Think Again! Do you have bad credit, no credit, filed a bankruptcy, have a ton of late pays, medical bills, or been through a divorce? Well, we have the perfect solution for you - Lease Purchasing your own home!What is Lease Purchasing?A Lease Purchase is a process that combines a basic rental lease with an agreement to purchase, or with an option to purchase the property. The Buyer (or Lease-Purchaser) pays to the seller a monthly payment that usually approximates a rental amount or a typical mortgage payment on the home. Unravelling The Real Estate Buying Process in Canada If you're a foreign national thinking about investing in the real estate market in Canada here's a run down of the typical buying process you should expect to encounter together with a general explanation of mortgages available to assist with the purchase.First things first though, you have to find your ideal property of course!But let's assume you've done that with the help of a good estate agent and you're ready to move forward with an offer. Dont Overpay for a House, Even in Todays Market If there's one thing American investors love, it's an over-inflated market. Which is why they keep buying houses and new ones keep coming onto the market. Sell Your Home Without Paying Any Commissions All of us know that real estate commissions can work out to quite a bit of money - anything from a few thousand dollars with discount brokers to 6% in commissions with full-service agents. That's a substantial sum of money to be paying for something you could very well do on your own. Sell your Property Faster Learn how to sell your property faster and at the best possible price. Selling your property quickly and at the highest price is the target for everyone looking to move. Do Open Houses Work? What are the odds that you'll find your dream at a Sunday open house? What is the likelihood that your home will sell at an open house? Open houses are an integral part of the home sale business. But, do they work?There are two types of open houses. Real Estate Wealth Protection Through Short Sales Is a sharp correction in store for the real estate market?Fannie Mae, the largest buyer of mortgages in the US, is worried. They recently warned that the probability of a housing bust has risen sharply in certain parts of the country. Prepare Your Rental Property for Occupancy Among your many responsibilities as a landlord, the law provides for a warranty of implied habitability. This means that the dwelling must be considered habitable and any known problems must be fixed before you allow a tenant to take occupancy.
|
| home | site map | Colorado Log Homes | Homes for Sale in Denver Metro |
| © 2006 |
