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San Diego real estate, MLS real estate listings, San Diego County real estate San Diego real estate San Diego county real estate - San Diego homes San Diego real estate Search the San Diego MLS San Diego real estate source San Diego real estate . . .Buying, selling, relocating . .to INSURE the BEST POSSIBLE DEAL Use the expertise of Bob Schwartz, Certified Residential Specialist Cell/Pager: 619-300-8819 Home office: 619-286-5604 *This site is continually (usually twice weekly) updated. Just Listed! San Carlos - Cosmetic Fixer! SAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS 4Br./2.5Ba.+Fam. Rm 1,800+Sq.Ft. . Click Here for more info on this San Carlos home Westerly Sunset Views Value Ranged just $499,000 to $529,000 San Diego local real estate facts . Sellers - Expose your property to over 96 Times more traffic than most real estate sites! 17,341 Unique visitors in March '05 San Diego county real estate - San Diego homes San Diego real estate Search the San Diego MLS San Diego real estate news that affects you ! San Diego Neighborhood real estate activity Certified Residential Specialist --- The'inside' secret to your BEST real estate deal! San Diego Home appreciation San Diego CA real estate value growth San Diego California Population Growth San Diego Communities Real estate San Diego - Hi-Tech marketing California Real Estate Prices San Diego (92120) Average Residential Detached sales price Nov. 2005 -- $ 632,434 (Source:S.D.A.R.) Calif. median home price - Oct. 05: $538,770 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region Oct. 05: Santa Barbara So. Coast $1,225,000 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region Oct. 05: High Desert $315,870 (Source: C.A.R.) Come surf the San Diego California real estate market with the assistance of Bob Schwartz , a C ertified R esidential S pecialist with 27 years experience Bob & his long board. In surfing, selecting the right board is very important. When buying or selling real estate, selecting the right real estate professional is even more important! Many times, your real estate transaction is going to be the largest monetary decision you'll ever make! This is not something you want to trust to just anyone! Bob Schwartz, Certified Residential Specialist Just 5% of all Realtors have earned this coveted nation designation! San Diego real estate table of content s Sellers -Expose your property to over 96 Times more traffic than most real estate sites! www.brokerforyou.com Summary by Month Month Monthly Totals Visits Pages Files Hits Mar 2005 17341 41148 238856 309153 Feb 2005 14726 34034 221890 281081 Jan 2005 15353 35013 239054 295682 San Diego rentals For San Diego rental information on these rental and others, visit the free San Diego rental & sale photo site at: San Diego for sale by owner Find YOUR San Diego Dream Home Get FREE local real estate news ! 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Featuring La Jolla real estate Del Mar real estate Encinitas real estate The expertise of Bob Schwartz, real estate broker , Certified Residential Specialist = Your BEST POSSIBLE Deal Buying or Selling San Diego real estate Contact Information Bob Schwartz Telephone: Toll-Fre e : Only for sale/purchase real estate inquires: 1-866-895-3715 Cell/Pager: 619-300-8819 Home office: 619-286-5604 fax: 619-229-0048 Postal address: Brokerforyou c/o Bob Schwartz 7966 Laurelridge Road, San Diego CA 92120 Electronic mail: ***Privacy Policy*** We will NEVER release, sell or give any of your information to any other party or organization. You will only receive requested information or updates and only from us. SAN DIEGO REAL ESTATE INTERNET WARNING: The Internet is a great source for information, but can never be a substitute for 27 years of actual real estate experience! California real estate sales, with their myriad of disclosure laws, makes for one of the most complicated sales transactions. From Natural Hazard Disclosures to City water retrofit transfer of responsibility forms, anyone entering into a real estate transaction here, without proper advice, guidance, and professional opinion is gambling with one of their biggest monetary investments. I care about my clients and strive to help them reach their goals in a conservative, professional manner. There is no substitute for the real estate experience I can bring to any negotiation. To insure an accurate understanding of any Internet real estate data, please contact : BOB SCHWARTZ, real estate broker, Certified Residential Specialist. brokerforyou.com/Bob Schwartz does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose of the information contained in brokerforyou.com. brokerforyou.com does not in any way endorse the individuals described in brokerforyou.com, nor does brokerforyou.com verify qualifications, licenses, practice areas or suitability of the listed service providers or web links. In no event shall brokerforyou.com be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken by you in reliance on such information. Any damages or expenses of any kind, for any reason, shall be limited to the amount paid to access brokerforyou.com. The above warranties are the only warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Del Cerro, Santee, La Mesa, San Carlos Epson inkjet cartridges View our partner real estate websites Best Real Estate website Award Click here to apply for this FREE real estate website award. San Diego Excellent Website Award ... is presented to those San Diego websites whose web content provides useful, instructive information, shows superior design and has achieved levels of excellence deserving of recognition Click here to apply for this FREE San Diego California website award. Web Genie Website Award is presented by search engine placement - Promotions Unlimited San Diego real estate source = brokerforyou.com San Diego real estate broker, Bob Schwartz is a Certified Residential Specialist and is active in San Diego residential sales throughout San Diego County. Just a few of the San Diego communities Bob is active in are: San Carlos - La Mesa - Fashion Valley - Mission Valley - Point Loma - Pacific Beach - Clairemont - North Park - Hillcrest - Mission Hills - Kensington - San Diego State College -Santee - El Cajon - Lakeside - Allied Gardens - Del Cerro



Sell House

Selling a Home - Top Reasons Why Good Homes Don't Sell  You are here: About > Home & Garden > Home Buying / Selling > How To Sell a House > Selling a Home - Top Reasons Why Good Homes Don't Sell Home & Garden Home Buying / Selling Essentials 10 Things Home Buyers Shouldn't Do Best Tips for First Time Home Buyers "Must-Do" Tasks Before You Sell How to Buy a Home, Step by Step For Sale by Owner Advice Articles & Resources How To Buy a Home How To Sell a House Celebrity & Historic Credit Reports & Scores Design & Remodel Home Maintenance Inspections & Appraisals Investing & Foreclosures Modular & Manufactured Mold, Radon, Lead, etc. Mortgage Advice Moving & Relocation Real Estate Careers Real Estate For Sale Vacation Homes Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Home Buying Books Foreclosure Books Mortgage Books Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Home Buying / Selling newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Home Buying / Selling Stay up to date! 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Common Home Selling Problems that Slow Down Your Sale There are lots of reasons why offers might not come in when you're selling a home, but let's get past the top home selling killer–overpricing. It's the first thing you should consider if your house is still sitting on the market while others around it are changing owners. Price the House for its Market Some home sellers want to price their homes way above market value, because they think the cushion gives them more negotiating room. But what overpricing actually does is eliminate potential buyers. A home with a true value of $200,000 has a certain set of features that contribute to its value. A house valued at $160,000 in the same market normally has less to offer than the higher priced home and simply can't compete with it. Buyers in the $200K range won't be impressed with the home's features and buyers looking for homes nearer its true market value won't even see it because of the too-high pricetag. It doesn't matter what you want for your property, what's important is what your property is worth . Overpricing is usually easy to correct, but there are plenty of homes that buyers pass on for other–sometimes simple–reasons. If you're a home seller, and your house isn't selling, it's time to anaylze the situation and figure out why. Four Simple Reasons Homes Don't Sell 1. A Horrible Photo in the MLS You might be surprised how many buyers say NO! to houses simply because of poor photos used in ads or Multiple Listing Service handouts. It's even more amazing that agents let them discard a house based on that criteria, but it happens all the time. Good photos are not always easy to get. Houses aren't built on lots with thought to future photo opportunities. The sun isn't always in an ideal position for the photo. The agent might not be capable of taking a good picture. Home selling rule number one is to make sure the house is well represented in all photographs. 2. It's Hard to Sell a Dirty House Some sellers don't bother to clean a house before they try to sell it, and if they don't even clean when they know people will be inspecting the house, they sure won't freshen up the paint, sort through clutter or handle odor control. Home buyers nearly always think that dirty houses need repairs, when all they usually require is some thorough TLC. After a few turned-off buyers, agents hesitate to show dirty houses. No showings, no sale. Take a hard look at the property to make sure your house doesn't fall into the needs-cleaning category. 3. Curb Appeal is the Pits Home buyers like to do drive-bys. Imagine driving by a house that's for sale and finding that the yard hasn't been mowed recently or worse, that it's full of weeds. Or seeing loose items scattered everywhere on the lawn. Or dirty windows. Or discovering that the home's color is just one shade shy of outshining the sun. If the home's curb appeal is terrible, the majority of buyers won't even make an appointment to go inside. Improve your curb appeal before the first buyer has a chance to view your property. 4. Outdated, Worn Out Components We are creatures of habit. That old vinyl on the kitchen floor has worked forever, so why don't the buyers like it? The dated light fixtures are just fine, too, and the sellers wouldn't think of replacing the orange shag carpeting in the family room. Look at the house with a fresh attitude and try to see it as buyers do. How can you make improvements? If your house is listed with an agent, ask for written feedback from buyers who have seen it. If the same negative comments show up repeatedly on feedback forms, you'll know where to start working on the house. Move carefully with updates, analyzing the work to determine which updates make sense from a cost vs. recovery standpoint. You'll find more home selling tips in 10 Ways to Make Home Buyers Hate Your House Important disclaimer information about this About site.        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About Oprah's Life Vacation Ideas Shop Safely Online VIDEO: Craft Rooms VIDEO: Christmas Traditions What's Hot Coping with Unethical People How To Buy Land Real Estate Appraisal Before You Buy a Log Home Package Home Buying / Selling - GuideReviews



Investment Property Mortgages Reach

Freddie Mac: Investment Property Mortgages Search In order to browse this site effectively, please enable Javascript in your browser. Investment Property Mortgages Reach Your Investment-Oriented Borrowers and Reap the Rewards of Cross-Selling Additional Services Want to expand your investment property mortgage business? As part of our Single-Family Seller/Servicer Guide (Guide), you can extend more options to your investment-oriented borrowers by originating 1- to 4-unit investment property mortgages and selling them to Freddie Mac. Originating mortgages for investment borrowers allows you to tap an abundant market and boost your business with cross-sell opportunities for your other financial products. Freddie Mac offers loan options for investment property mortgage originations. You can originate these mortgages as fixed-rate mortgages, Treasury-indexed ARMs, and others. Our flexible execution options include Cash and Guarantor. Use Loan Prospector ® to quickly and easily approve your investment property borrowers. Freddie Mac will purchase investment property mortgages for borrowers who own up to 10 financed properties, however, those who own more than one financed property will need to meet additional requirements. Executions Gold Cash® Guarantor MultiLender Swap Key Advantages 1- to 4-unit investment properties LTV/TLTV/HTLTV ratios per Guide Section 23.4 Purchase, no cash-out and cash-out refinances Additional eligibility requirements apply for borrowers who own more than one investment property Eligible for Cash and Guarantor executions Eligible Mortgages If the subject property is the borrower's only financed investment property: 15-, 20- and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages 5- and 7-year balloon/reset mortgages All ARMs A-minus mortgages If the borrower owns more than one financed investment property: 15-, 20- and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages 7/1 or 10/1 Treasury-indexed Hybrid ARM only The following mortgages are not eligible for delivery as investment property mortgages Mortgages with temporary subsidy buydowns Streamlined Purchase for Homeowners mortgages Alt 97® mortgages Freddie Mac 100 mortgages Affordable Merit Rate® mortgages Streamlined Refinance mortgages Affordable Gold® mortgages Seller-Owned Modified Mortgages A-minus mortgages, when the borrower owns more than one financed investment property Eligibility Requirements LTV/TLTV/HTLTV ratios per Guide Section 23.4. If the LTV ratio is greater than 75 percent, the mortgage must be an Accept or A-minus mortgage or, if manually underwritten, must have a minimum Indicator Score of 720. For More Information Contact your Freddie Mac Account Manager Call (800) FREDDIE Refer to Section 22.22.1 of your Single-Family Seller/Servicer Guide For further details about this product, print out an Investment Property Mortgages fact sheet [ PDF 191K ] © 2005 Freddie Mac Doing Business With Freddie Mac Single-Family Multifamily Debt Securities Mortgage Securities Vendors and Suppliers About Freddie Mac About Us Public Policy News and Information Investor Relations Careers Buying and Owning a Home Preparing for Homeownership All About Mortgages Purchasing a Home Owning and Keeping a Home Calculators and Tools Properties for Sale



Home Loans Home Loans

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 espaƱol | 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




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