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Countrywide Financial - Real Estate Mortgage Lender - Home Loans - Equity Loan Mortgages contact us | careers | sitemap | help | log in Homepage Home Loans Home Loans Main Page Today's Rates Purchase a Home Refinance Your Home Use Your Home Equity Less Than Perfect Credit Loans en Español Start Your Application Calculators Your Home Loans Accounts Customer Service Banking Banking Main Page Today's Rates Certificates of Deposit (CD's) Money Market Accounts Savings Accounts View All Banking Products Open an Account Your Banking Accounts Financial Centers Insurance Insurance Main Page Homeowners Condo Home Warranty Life Disability Auto Health Commercial Employee Benefits Other Products Planning for Life Insurance Checkup Get a Quote Your Insurance Policies Your Accounts With over 35 years of service and one of the widest selections of loan programs , Countrywide Home Loans is an expert at finding solutions for all kinds of situations. log in to manage all of your Countrywide accounts username: password: destination: my account summary my home loans make a payment view transactions view loan details view statement my banking view account details my insurance view account details register | help forgot password forgot username Find more ways to : See what our customers are saying. purpose: Purchase Refinance Home Equity loan amount: property ZIP code: ZIP code finder Check today's high yield CD and Money Market rates Compare your rate Compare your coverage Get a free online quote home insurance calculator rate watch home loan calculators learn about our loans your credit report I want to: Purchase a home Refinance my home Use my home equity Click here to learn more about our great CD rates. SPECIAL ALERT: If you live in the areas affected by hurricanes, and need information regarding loans-in-process, new loans, or information on your account, please log in or call our customer service line: 1-800-669-6607. Click here for FAQs . PURCHASE REFINANCE HOME EQUITY for more information about new loans 1-800-556-9568 LESS THAN PERFECT CREDIT Countrywide Home Loans' Full Spectrum® Lending Division 1-800-871-1756 Customer service on existing loans 1-800-669-6607 BANKING top CD and money market rates , compare rates and terms 1-800-817-4383 INSURANCE homeowners , home warranty , auto , life , individual health , disability , commercial and employee benefits 1-800-262-4240 Countrywide Financial offers these products through our family of companies.* home loans | less than perfect credit loans | home loans en español | we house america | banking | insurance | investments | your accounts | log in contact us | site map | about us | investor relations | careers | privacy and security | licenses and registrations Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. and Countrywide Bank, N.A. are Equal Housing Lenders. ©Countrywide Financial Corporation. Trade/service marks are the property of Countrywide Financial Corporation and/or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. If you use a pop-up blocker, you should disable it while using our sites. * Countrywide Financial offers these products through our family of companies. Home Loans provided by Countrywide Home Loans; Banking services provided by Countrywide Bank, N.A., member FDIC; Insurance services provided by Countrywide Insurance Services, Investment Services provided by Countrywide Investment Services.

Rental Property How do

FAQ on Taxes & Rental Property Intuit Home Intuit Products Support | Order Status | Shopping Cart Home Online Products Desktop Products Business Tips & Resources Sign In Automatic Renewal My Downloads Tax Tips & Topics Business Taxes Education & Taxes Employment Taxes Family & Taxes Homeowners & Taxes Investments & Taxes Retirement & Estate Taxes Tax Law & the IRS Tax Planning & Savings Tax Prep & Filing E-mail this Print this FAQs on Taxes and Rental Property How do I handle taxes on my rental property? When you rent out your own property, you may face two kinds of headaches: tenants and taxes. We can't do much about the tenants, but we can help you with tax questions. TurboTax Premier walks you through rental property issues. Learn more Consider this scenario: Just after graduating from college and getting married, Sue started her first job. Her new job is 800 miles from where she had lived while in school. The condo that her spouse had purchased a few years before they met has dropped in value. Sue and Steve would be out of pocket several thousand dollars if they sold the unit. So they decided to rent out the condo. Now they’re faced with figuring out whether, and how, to report this rental on their tax return. Does this story sound familiar? If so, you're not alone. Taxpayers in similar circumstances find themselves asking these questions: Is rental income taxable ? When do I owe taxes on rental income ? Are security deposits taxable ? What can I deduct ? When can I deduct improvements and repairs ? How do I calculate depreciation ? How do I report a rental activity on my tax return ? What are passive activities, and how do they affect me ? Is Rental Income Taxable ? Yes, rental income is taxable. But you're allowed to reduce your rental income by subtracting expenses that you incur to manage, conserve, and maintain your rental property. When Do I Owe Taxes on Rental Income? As a cash basis taxpayer (which includes nearly all individuals), you must report all income in the year you actually receive it regardless of when it was earned. If you receive rent for January 2006 in December 2005, report the rent as income on your 2005 tax return. If you receive a deposit for first and last month's rent, it's taxed as rental income in the year it's received. If you receive goods or services from your tenant in exchange for rent, you must value the goods or services at their present worth and report that value on your return in the year that they are received. You must also report income that you have received constructively . This means that you have the opportunity to receive the income. For example, if your renters place their January checks in your mailbox late in December, you cannot avoid reporting it as income simply by not removing it from the mailbox until January. Are Security Deposits Taxable ? Security deposits are not included in income when you receive them if you plan to return them to your tenants at the end of the lease. (Deposits for the last month's rent are taxable, because they are really rents, paid in advance.) What If I Pocket Some of the Security Deposit? If you eventually keep part or all of the security deposit because the tenant does not live up to the terms of the lease, you must include that amount in the income that you show on your tax return for the tax year in which the lease terminates. So you should keep track of the security deposits from year to year. This record-keeping isn't difficult if you only own one rental, but as the number of rentals you own increases, so does the paperwork. What Can I Deduct? All expenses incurred and paid by you to manage, conserve, and maintain a rental property are deductible in the year paid. Even if your rental property is temporarily vacant, the expenses are still deductible while the property is vacant and held out for rent. Deductible expenses include, but are not limited to, the following: Advertising Cleaning and maintenance Commissions Depreciation Homeowner's associations dues Insurance premiums Interest expense Local property taxes Management fees Pest control Professional fees Rental of equipment Rents you paid to others Repairs Supplies Trash removal fees Travel expenses Utilities Yard maintenance All expenses deducted must be ordinary and necessary and not extravagant. If you deduct travel expenses, you must allocate your expenses between rental and non-rental activities. For example: John, who loves to ski, owns a rental condo in Park City, Utah, which he visits in January. His travel expenses are deductible if, for example, the primary purpose of his trip is to clean and paint the unit after his tenants have moved out. If during the week, he spends three days cleaning and painting and two days skiing, he may deduct 60 percent of his travel expenses on his tax return. Keep good records. To deduct any expense, you must be able to document the deduction. That means keeping current and accurate records of your expenses paid, including all receipts, checks, and bank statements. When Can I Deduct Improvements and Repairs? Any improvements to the property must be depreciated over their useful lives (which are defined by the IRS), rather than deducted in the year paid. Improvements are actions that materially add to the value of the property or substantially prolong its life. Examples include: Additions to the structure Adding a swimming pool Installing a water filtration system Modernizing a kitchen Installing insulation Repairs, on the other hand, are deductible in the year paid. Unlike improvements, repairs just keep the property in good operating condition. Examples of repairs: Minor repainting Fixing broken gutters or floors Fixing leaks Replacing broken windows or doors For more information see IRS Topic 414: Rental Income and Expenses . How do I Calculate Depreciation? Depreciation is a deduction taken over several years. You generally depreciate the cost of property that has a useful life of more than a year, but gradually wears out, or loses its value due to wear and tear, or wind and rain, when the property is used in business, or to produce income. To figure out the depreciation on your rental property: Determine your cost or other tax basis for the property. Allocate that cost to the different types of property included in your rental (such as land, buildings, so on). Calculate depreciation for each property type based on the methods, rates, and “useful lives” specified by the IRS. 1. Determine Your Cost Basis Your cost basis in the property is generally the amount that you paid for the property (your acquisition cost plus any expenses in making the purchase). Your payment, then, includes any loan proceeds that you used to acquire the property. Review your purchase closing documents to identify any other expenses that you may deduct. Examples include: Financing costs Interest and taxes Homeowner's association dues If you are converting your property from personal use to rental use, your tax basis in the property is calculated differently. Your basis is the lower of these two: Acquisition cost The fair market value at the time of conversion from personal to rental use If the property was given to you or if you inherited it, or if you traded another property for the current property, there are special rules for determining your tax basis in your rental property. Consult IRS Publication 551, Basis of Assets , for more information about computing your tax basis in these situations. 2. Allocate the Cost by Type of Property After determining the cost or other tax basis for the rental property as a whole, you must allocate the basis amount among the various types of property you're renting. When we speak of types of property, we refer to certain components of your rental, such as the land it is built on, the building itself, any furniture or appliances you provide with the rental, etc. If your rental is a condo or other property that shares property within a community, you're deemed to own a portion of that property. Therefore, even a third floor condo is deemed to own a portion of the land and a portion of the purchase price must be allocated to the land upon which the building is built. Why this effort to divide your tax basis between property types? The different types of property are each depreciated using different rules and different lives. 3. Calculate the Depreciation for Each Type of Property Here are the most common divisions of tax basis for a rental property, followed by explanations of the different methods of depreciation. Type of Property Method of Depreciation Useful Life in Years Land Not depreciated N/A Residential rental real estate (buildings or structures and structural components) Straight line 27.5 Nonresidential rental real estate Straight line 39 Shrubbery, fences, etc. 150% declining balance 15 Furniture or appliances Double (200%) declining balance Straight-Line Depreciation In straight-line depreciation, the cost basis is depreciated (or, allocated) evenly over the tax life of the property. Example: A residential rental building with a cost basis of $150,000 would generate depreciation of $5,455 per year ($150,000 / 27.5 years). In the year that the rental is first placed in service (rented), you are allowed a deduction based on the number of months that the property is in service, with 1/2 month for the first month. In the example, if the property is placed in service in August, you are allowed a deduction for 4-1/2 months of $2,046 ($5,455 x 4.5 / 12). Declining Balance Depreciation This kind of depreciation is calculated by multiplying the rate, 150% or 200%, by the straight-line depreciation calculated based on the adjusted balance of the property at the start of the year over the remaining life of the property. To make matters somewhat easier, the IRS and others publish tables of percentages that can be applied to the original cost to determine yearly depreciation. Here's the five-year property table as an example: Year Percentage 1 20.00 2 32.00 3 19.20 4 11.52 5 11.52 6 5.76 Total 100% Example: Declining balance depreciation on furniture used in a rental with a cost of $2,400 in Year 3 would be $461 ($2,400 x 19.20%). Tables for all types of properties can be found in IRS Publication 946: How to Depreciate Property . For general information on depreciation of rentals, see IRS Publication 527: Residential Property . How do I Report a Rental Activity on My Tax Return? As an individual, you report the income and deductions for rental properties on page 1 of Form 1040, Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss. The total income or loss computed on Schedule E carries to Form 1040. Report the depreciation of rentals on Form 4562: Depreciation and Amortization . The instructions for these forms explain in detail how to complete these forms. TurboTax products assist you with compiling rental data and reporting the information on the appropriate lines of the appropriate forms. What are Passive Activities and How do They Affect Me? Rental properties are, by definition, passive activities and are subject to passive activity loss rules. These rules are quite complex. In general, the passive activity rules limit your ability to offset other types of income with net passive losses. In other words, if you have losses from a passive activity, such as a rental property you own, you can't always take those losses on your tax return in the current year to reduce income from non-passive activities such as wages, salary, interest, dividends, or gains from sales of stocks. Passive losses can offset income from other passive activities. If you have a net passive loss in any year, that loss is generally suspended (delayed to a later year) until either you have passive income or you completely dispose of the passive activity. But if you actively participate in a rental activity you can deduct up to $25,000 of the rental loss. To actively participate means that you own at least 10 percent of the property and you make management decisions in a significant and bona fide sense, such as approving new tenants, setting rental terms, approving improvements, and so forth. This exception isn't available to everyone. If you have modified adjusted gross income over $100,000, your maximum loss available decreases by $0.50 for every dollar over $100,000. The maximum loss is completely phased out when your modified adjusted gross income reaches $150,000. Modified adjusted gross income is determined by calculating adjusted gross income without regard to deductions for IRA contributions or pensions, taxable social security benefits, adoption assistance payments, income excluded from U.S. savings bonds used to pay higher education tuition and fees, interest on qualified student loans, the tuition fees deduction, and any passive activity loss of taxpayers in a real property business. Example: Phil and Mary have modified adjusted gross income of $90,000 and a rental loss for the year of $21,000. They actively participated in the rental. Since their modified adjusted gross income is below the limit of $100,000, their entire rental loss is deductible. If their loss had risen to $28,000, they would have been limited to a deductible loss of $25,000 this year - the balance of $3,000 would be considered a suspended passive activity loss and therefore would be "carried over" to future years' returns until completely used up. If you're married and you file a separate tax return from your spouse, and if you lived apart from your spouse at all times during the year, the maximum rental loss deduction under the exception is $12,500. Your loss begins to phase out at $50,000 instead of $100,000. If you're married, file separately, but you did not live apart from your spouse at all times during the year, the active rental real estate loss allowance is not available to you at all. You may need to complete Form 8582: Passive Activity Loss Limitations , following the published IRS instructions . If you earn your living working in a real estate arena, you may be considered a real estate professional. The passive activity rules don't apply to real estate activities for many properties owned and managed by real estate professionals. For more information regarding this important exception, consult IRS Publication 527: Residential Rental Property . For more on passive activities, see Tax Topic 425: Passive Activities-Losses and Credits . Home | Online Products | Desktop Products | Business | Tax Tips & Resources | Support Center | Site Index Intuit | Privacy Promise | Feedback | Quicken | Affiliates ©1997-2005 Intuit Inc. Trademark Notices By accessing and using this page you agree to the Terms of Service Software License Agreement

Real Estate Agent! --

Find a Real Estate Agent Real Estate Agent Home faq contact sitemap Home Buy a Home Sell a Home Directory Glossary FAQ Contact Us Dec 29,2005 Find a Real Estate Agent! -- Whether you're planning on buying or selling a home, choosing the right Real Estate Agent is one of the most important decisions youll make. Let Real Estate Agent.com help. Please enter in your zip code of interest below or browse our city and county directory to find a local real estate agent. Buy a Home Enter Your Zip Code of Interest: Sell a Home Enter Your Zip Code of Interest: You can also browse our Directory to find a Real Estate Agent in your State, County, and/or City. Real Estate Agent .com is one of the fastest growing directories of Real Estate Agents on the Internet, so if you are unable to find an agent in your area, contact us and we will find an agent to contact you shortly! Advanced Search Buy a Home Sell a Home City OR County State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Why Use A Real Estate Agent? When selling a home , a real estate agent can be an indispensable resource. Real estate agents can give you up-to-date information regarding prices, financing, terms and conditions of competing properties, and information about the housing market in general. A real estate agent will market your property to other real estate agents as well as to the public, and will know the best way to go about doing so. A real estate agent can also help you objectively evaluate buyer proposals, and then, finally, help you close the sale. In fact, a 2002 study on Home Sellers reports that the median sales price of an agent-assisted home was 27% higher than one sold "by owner". When buying a home , having the assistance of a real estate agent can be equally as important. Real estate agents have access to resources for assisting you in your home search not available elsewhere. A real estate agent can also provide you objective information about each property, and give you advice based on years of experience. A real estate agent will help you negotiate and also steer you through the closing process to make sure everything goes smoothly. We understand how difficult it can be to buy a home for your family or to sell your home on today's real estate market. We aim to build the bridges between people like you and your local real estate agent professional to ensure that you receive the help you need on a one on one basis. Down payment on a home will be 3% or more, depending on the type of financing you get. 5 Most Popular Questions How big is an acre? Why should I use a real estate agent? What is equity? What is a REALTOR? What is comprehensive homeowners insurance? Mortgage Calculator Real Estate Investment Software Moving Supplies Advertise Link Exchange About Us Testimonials Contact Us Links RealEstateAgent.com 2003 - 2005 Privacy Policy Terms Of Use Client Login Developed by Volico Web Consulting RealEstateAgent.com is a method of advertising for Real Estate Agents and Agencies. In no way is RealEstateAgent.com responsible for the services provided by the advertisers on this site, nor can it be held liable for any damages resulting from the services, contracts, or deals resulting from agents found within this site. Please view our Disclaimer for more details.

Land Loan Tools

Indymac Bank Construction Lending Indymac Bank home | about us | contact us | privacy | ID notice | security | careers 1-800-HCL-LOAN (425-5626) HCL for Individuals Main Page Get To Know Us Get Started Now! My Project Application My Loan Information Loan Products · Construction-to-Permanent Loan · Remodeler Loan · Bridge Loan · Lot/Land Loan Tools · Line Item Budget Calculator Find A Builder -- · Cost To Build Calculator -- Event Calendar -- Help · FAQs · Glossary Customer Service -- · Contact Us Lot/Land Loan Found the perfect location to build your dream home ...and now you need the perfect loan? Our Lot Loan is the right loan if you're looking to purchase a residential lot to build your primary residence or second home. Once you have purchased your land, you will have time to design your new home and choose a contractor. Best of all, Indymac Bank will fund your Construction-to-Permanent Loan once you're ready to build. · Loans to $500,000. -- Frequently Asked Questions Check to view all answers. Q. How do I know where I should build my home? A. Location may be one of the most important factors to consider. Although many people have a geographic location in mind, some are open to alternatives. It's important to consider your lifestyle (and those you'll be living with) as well as the cost. If you're planning a family, schools will be important. If not, you may want to consider other factors such as proximity to work, or accessibility to the beach, the mountains or leisure activities. Q. What is a "finished lot"? A. A "finished lot" refers to a portion of land that already has road access and utilities in place to the lot boundary. Additionally, it has been approved by the city or county as a separate parcel of land on a parcel map. Q. Can I buy a piece of land that is not a finished lot and save some money? A. While it may be possible to purchase an unfinished lot, generally this is not advisable for an individual building their own home. The costs of bringing roads and utilities to the first lot in a new area are usually very high. Typically, the first person to build pays for others who will build later. There are land developers who specialize in preparing lots for building (this may include zoning and/or soils issues, as well as bringing roads and utilities to the site, and creating a building pad). Often, these lots are in a planned community. Q. What do you mean by "planned community"? Aren't all communities planned? A. No, many older communities were not planned; they evolved. Certainly, as a city has grown, plans have taken shape. But in many cases the nucleus of a community was started many years before the community or city planning existed. In many instances, it is this unplanned characteristic that gives a community its charm. A planned community, in contrast, generally offers a specific style and certain amenities at a package price. Depending on the size and location of the community, these amenities may include greenbelts, landscaping, biking trials, swimming pools, even schools and shopping centers. Some amenities, such as the community pool and greenbelts, are paid for through a homeowners' association. Others are paid through taxes or mello roos. Still others are design enhancements intended to encourage potential buyers to purchase in an area or to attract more commercial business. Many of the more costly amenities included in a planned community may not be affordable for a homeowner on an individual basis. However, some of these amenities may not be important to you. After all, priorities, like lifestyle, vary. If you select a home in a planned community, you'll generally have a more structured community where decisions are made jointly rather than by the individual homeowner. These community decisions include individual home design and landscaping. While some homeowners may consider this an acceptable trade-off to ensure an attractive environment, others may consider it an infringement on their rights. It's important that you know how you feel before selecting the type of lot you want. Q. Can tax bases differ within the same community? A. Yes, they can. While some cities already have parks, schools, and streets, newer communities built within the same city may have special assessments that cover the costs to develop or maintain new or existing parks, schools, streets, etc. These assessments may be for a prescribed period of time or may continue indefinitely. A little research goes a long way. Here again, a good real estate agent or title company officer can often provide you with this information. Q. I've found the perfect location, but I'm not ready to build my dream home. Can I obtain financing for the land only? A. Yes, you can obtain a Lot Loan. Typically, this is short-term financing for the purchase of a residential lot suited for future construction. This loan allows you time to select an architect, builder, and design your dream home. IndyMac Bank's Lot Loan program allows you to finance up to 50 acres. And when you're ready to build, we offer a one-time close Construction-to-Permanent Loan. ^ back to top Still have questions? Call toll-free 1-800-HCL-LOAN (425-5626) to speak with a construction loan specialist, or downloada copy of our booklet (pdf) that answers the most frequently asked questions about building your own home. Information Center · Glossary · FAQs -- FAQs · Get To Know Us · Building Your Dream Home Magazine (pdf) · Owner Builder Guide (pdf) Consumer Guide to Construction Financing (pdf) Did You Know A Construction Loan Is A Reimbursement Loan? (pdf) subscribe now -- Get Started Now! Apply online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and get a loan approval in minutes! get started -- e-mail/mail us | 1-800-HCL-LOAN (425-5626) Licensing | Terms of Use | Site Feedback -- Licensing | Terms of Use | Site Feedback Licensing | Terms of Use | Site Feedback -- Licensing | Terms of Use | Site Feedback -- ©2005 IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. Registered trade/service marks are the property of IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. and/or its subsidiaries.