Rental Property If you

Tax Deductions for Rental Property Home | About Us | Office Locator | Tax Resource Center | Investor Relations | FAQ | Contact Us | Site Map Tax Resource Center Tax Forms Tax Changes Tax Tips Deductions@Work Tax Calculators Tax Links What to Bring Checklist Top 50 Overlooked Deductions Top Overlooked Credits Tax Topics Disasters and Casualties Tax Education Tax Glossary Tax Trivia for Tax Year 2005 Home : Tax Resource Center : Tax Topics Rental Property If you own rental real estate, you should know how it impacts your personal tax return. Rental income must be reported on your tax return, and generally, associated expenses can be deducted from your rental income. Reviewing answers to the following common questions regarding rental property may help you understand the tax implications of rental property ownership: What is considered rental income? What deductions can I take as an owner of rental property? What are some things I should know about rental property? Contact your local Jackson Hewitt office for more information or assistance. Use the Office Locator feature available on this Web site or call 1-800-234-1040 to find the Jackson Hewitt location most convenient to you. What is considered rental income? Rental income is any income you receive for the use or occupancy of property you own. Some examples are: Rent Payment to cancel a lease Advance rent Expenses paid by the tenant Any security deposit kept because a tenant did not fulfill their part of the rental agreement Do not include: A security deposit you are holding with the intent of returning it to the tenant at the end of the lease Income received from renting your home for fewer than 15 days per year Back to Top What deductions can I take as an owner of rental property? Deductible expenses for rental property are the ordinary and necessary expenses to manage, conserve, and maintain your property. Deductible expenses include: Advertising in the newspaper for tenants and cost of signs Cleaning supplies Real estate taxes Mortgage and other interest paid for the rental property Cost of insurance-hazard, flood, fire, or liability Payments for service such as lawn care, pest control, and trash collection Payments for maintenance of the property Professional fees for tax advice and tax return preparation fees for the part of the tax return dealing with rental property Cost of new locks and keys Commissions paid for finding tenants Cost of necessary transportation to and from the rental property for the purpose of maintenance, management, rent collection, picking up supplies, or checking the property (if you use your personal vehicle, either keep track of actual expenses and miles traveled or just the miles traveled) Cost of repairs and maintenance (not improvements) to keep your property in good condition (this includes items such as repainting and fixing floors and windows) Cost of renting equipment used for the rental property Depreciation of the property (not including the land) Depreciation of appliances, furnishings, and improvements Any long distance calls associated with your rental property The court costs for evicting a tenant Legal fees pertaining to the rental property or tenants Utilities Expenses incurred when the property is not rented as long as you are actively trying to rent the property (even if you are renting it for the first time) You cannot deduct: Rental income lost due to vacancy The cost of improvements which increase the value and/or extend the life of the property or modify it for a new use (includes such things as a room addition, new carpet, new appliances, fencing, or a new roof - these items can generally be depreciated) Back to Top What Are Some Things I Should Know About Rental Property? If you rent only part of your property, certain expenses must be divided between the part used as rental property and the part used for personal purposes. If you do not rent your property for profit, you can deduct your rental expenses only up to the amount of your rental income. When rental property is sold, the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or capital, depending on the circumstances. The rental of personal property such as equipment or vehicles is reported as business income. You are in the business of renting personal property if the primary purpose for renting the property is income or profit and you are involved in the activity on a continuous and regular basis. If your rental of personal property is not a business, other rules for reporting will apply. Losses from residential rental properties are subject to certain limitations. If you are considered a real estate professional, special rules apply for the reporting of income and losses. For more information, contact your local Jackson Hewitt Tax Service office. Back to Top Back to Tax Topics Tax Tips JOB-RELATED EXPENSES Some of your job-related expenses that may be deducted include union dues, job-related magazines and books, and other related business expenses. Generally, you must depreciate the cost of tools used in your work. If your employer requires you to wear work clothes or uniforms that are not suitable for everyday wear, you may deduct the cost and upkeep. home | about us | tax news | tackle your taxes | learn & earn | own a franchise | work with us | privacy/terms of use © 2004 Jackson Hewitt Inc. All rights reserved.

Real Estate Investing

Foreclosure Real Estate Investing Course Foreclosure Real Estate Investing Course Vandema Real Estate Guide to Making Big Money With Real Estate Foreclosures ! Fast Cash in Foreclosures By Steve Maletos A to Z course on buying, selling and flipping foreclosed properties for huge profits, with no money down. The course covers: Acquiring Financing Hard Money Lenders Hard Money Financing Process Private Investors Interaction with a Private Investor No Money Down Hard Money Lenders: A National Directory Identifying Distressed Properties Pre-Foreclosures Courthouse Records Abandoned Homes REO Properties Divorce Properties Probate Properties Out-of-State Owners Real Estate Auctions Property Inspection and Valuation Learning from Appraisers Residence Type Secret Valuation Tool Inspection Process Inspecting Property Yourself Calculating Repair Costs Repair Issues Submitting an Offer to Purchase Reviewing Valuation Elements Working the Numbers REO Bids Privately Owned Property Offers Sample Offer Submission #1 Sample Offer Submission #2 Locating Buyers Pricing Property Condition The Secret to Selling Property Locating Practices Pre-Qualifying Buyers for a Mortgage The Pre-Qualifying Process FHA Mortgages Completing Contracts with Buyers HUD-1 Closing Statement Assigning Contracts Contract Assignment Process Joint Ventures Cautions and Contingencies Getting Started Your Company Your Office Target Area Target Group Financing Property Search Continuing Education A Final Word Legal Forms and Business Letters Agreement Between Owner and Contractor Amendment to Contract of Sale Assignment of Contract of Sale Authorization to Release Mortgage Information Construction Contract Contract for Sale and Purchase Joint Venture Agreement Letter, Abandoned House Letter, Divorce Letter, Divorce Attorney Letter, Probate Letter, Probate Attorney Letters, Pre-Foreclosure Mortgage Pre-Qualification Form Mutual Rescission of Contract Offer to Purchase Real Estate Required Information for FHA Mortgage Application Uniform Residential Loan Application Go to: Fast Cash in Foreclosures - A to Z course covers everything from buying to financing to reselling foreclosed real estate for big profits. Go to: National Directory of Foreclosed Homes For Sale - Search this database of real estate foreclosures in your area and get property details, photos, location map and contact information. Get in touch with us by

real estate agents. While

TREC - Salesperson Application Information -- Licensee Info Search Quick Links -- To Popular Pages -- Licensee Info Search R. E. Contract Forms Renew or Apply Online Salesperson Application Real Estate License Forms Education Providers Core R.E. Course List Freq. Asked Questions Real Estate License Act TREC Rules Data File Downloads License Information Licensing Main Page MCE Requirements FAQs Timeshare Registration Residential Service Company Program Licensed Residential Service Companies Fee Schedule Applications, Requirements Applications & Other License Forms Real Estate Salesperson Requirements Real Estate Broker Requirements R.E. Broker (Corporation & LLC) Requirements Candidate Info. Brochure Reciprocity Information Inspector Applications Renew Your License Renewing a Salesperson License Renewing a Broker License Online Renewal (Brokers, 2yr Salespersons) Duplicate of License Renewal Notice Inspector Renewals KEY To Symbols =Page is in area (folder tab) of this color = Adobe PDF file format = Web site external to TREC Applying to Become a Real Estate Salesperson (PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION CAREFULLY) To be eligible to apply for a real estate Salesperson License, an individual must be a citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien, eighteen (18) years of age or older and a legal resident of Texas. This next requirement depends on the date of your planned application For Those Applying Prior to January 1, 2006 To be eligible to apply for a real estate Salesperson License, an individual must furnish the Commission satisfactory evidence of successfully completing the following education: Principles of Real Estate core real estate course [60 classroom hours] Law of Agency core real estate course (30 classroom hours) Law of Contracts core real estate course (30 classroom hours) An additional four semester (60 classroom) hours in core courses or in related courses acceptable to the Commission. Evidence of successful completion shall be presented via credit transcript or certificate prior to filing a Salesperson License Application form. DO NOT submit original transcripts and/or course completion certificates. Keep the originals for your personal files and send photocopies to the Commission. For Those Applying On or After January 1, 2006 To be eligible to apply for a real estate Salesperson License, an individual must furnish the Commission satisfactory evidence of successfully completing the following education: Principles of Real Estate core real estate course [60 classroom hours] Law of Agency core real estate course (30 classroom hours) Law of Contracts core real estate course (30 classroom hours) An additional core real estate course (30 classroom hours) Another four semester (60 classroom) hours in core courses or in related courses acceptable to the Commission. Evidence of successful completion shall be presented via credit transcript or certificate prior to filing a Salesperson License Application form. DO NOT submit original transcripts and/or course completion certificates. Keep the originals for your personal files and send photocopies to the Commission. To be eligible to apply for a real estate Salesperson License you must first obtain a letter from the Commission attesting to satisfaction of all education requirements. THE EVALUATION OF EDUCATION DOCUMENTS MUST BE PERFORMED BEFORE THE APPLICATION CAN BE FILED. To obtain an evaluation of your education documents submit the form, Request for Evaluation of Education Documents . A fee of $20.00 is required for the evaluation of education documents for the purpose of determining if education requirements have been satisfied. This fee is good for one year. Please submit copies of your transcripts or course certificates with your request for evaluation. DO NOT submit original documents. The following required fees must be submitted at the time of filing an application. AN APPLICATION RECEIVED WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE FEES WILL BE REJECTED AND RETURNED. The following fees should be submitted in ONE CHECK OR MONEY ORDER payable to the Texas Real Estate Commission. ALL FEES LISTED BELOW ARE NONREFUNDABLE. Fees Required with Real Estate Salesperson License Application Fee Amount Comment Original Application $69.50 Required for all applicants Recovery Trust Account (formerly Recovery Fund) $10.00 Required for all applicants unlesspreviously paid File your Salesperson Application and Pay for it Online! License examinations are administered by PSI, a testing service company. Once your application has been received, processed and accepted, you will receive notification that you may obtain a copy of the Candidate Information Brochure (CIB) to register for the exam. The CIB will provide instructions on how to make reservations to take the examination and contains study material and instructions about licensing. A copy of the CIB can be downloaded from the PSI web site at http://www.psiexams.com . Please DO NOT attempt to register for the exam without first receiving notification from our office. The filing of an application authorizes an investigation of the applicant's background. Information revealed in an investigation may be cause for disapproval of an application eventhough other requirements for a license are met. If an investigation is necessary, it may not be conducted until the applicant has passed the examination. State law prohibits issuing more than one license once a licensee has defaulted on astudent loan guaranteed by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TGSLC) unless the licensee has entered into a repayment agreement with TGSLC. YOU SHOULD CONTACT TGSLC BEFORE FILING THIS APPLICATION if you have defaulted on a student loan. An application or renewal may be rejected if this agency has received information from TGSLC that the applicant has defaulted on a student loan. The Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation can be contacted at: Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation P.O. Box 15996 Austin, Texas 78761-5996 Telephone: 1-800-222-6297 Before you can practice as a licensed salesperson you must arrange for a Texas real estate broker holding an active license to sponsor you as a salesperson. Applicants and inactive salespersons are not authorized to act as real estate agents. While you are not required to have a sponsoring broker to file an application for a license, a sponsorship request form is included with the application materials. If you wish, you may file the sponsorship request along with the application. Once all licensing requirements have been satisfied, TREC will send an active salesperson license to the broker, and you may act for the broker on receipt of the license. You may also file the application and arrange for sponsorship after TREC notifies you that you have been issued an inactive license. Once a broker holding an active license has mailed a request to TREC to act as your sponsor, you may begin to act for the broker as a salesperson. The time involved in processing an application depends on work volume. Inquiry as to thestatus of an application delays processing work. Inquiry should not be made unless there isreason to believe that information submitted to the Commission has not been received. An incomplete application will not be returned for completion. A letter will be mailed requesting the incomplete information. The examination must be passed within six months from the date the application is filed with the commission office. You are not authorized to perform any act for which a real estate license is required until an ACTIVE Texas Real Estate Commission license is in the possession of your sponsoring broker. Submit Documents And Applications On Plain Paper. Do Not Send "Thermal" Type Paper. Page last modified: 11/21/2005 Site Map Privacy & Security Policy Open Records Accessibility Texas Online Statewide Search TX Homeland Security

Home Mortgage Student Loans

Wells Fargo Home Page 1. Username : Forgot username? 2. Password : Forgot password? 3. Sign On to : Account Summary Transfer Bill Pay Brokerage Trade Messages & Alerts Account Services Need to set up online access? Sign Up Now or Learn More Customer Service | ATM/ Banking Stores | En Español About Wells Fargo Commercial Small Business Individuals Learn More About: Banking Online Banking Bill Pay Checking Savings & CDs Credit Cards More >> Loans Home Equity Loans Home Mortgage Student Loans Personal Loans Auto Loans More >> Investing & Insurance Mutual Funds Brokerage IRAs Private Client Services Insurance More >> Self Service View Account Balances View Check Images Request Statement Set Up Direct Deposit View Messages & Alerts More >> Our Security Guarantee We guarantee your online security and partner with you to prevent fraud . Check Today's Rates Mortgage , Home Equity , Credit Card , Personal Loans and more . Open an Account Online Its fast, secure, and easy! Apply instantly, or finish a saved application. Check application status for select accounts. Learn about your new account. About Wells Fargo | Employment | PRIVACY, Security & Legal | Report Email Fraud | Home Diversity & Accessibility | Online Access Agreement (9/10/05) | Important Notice on Trading in Fast Markets © 1999 - 2005 Wells Fargo. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Brokerage Products: Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value Brokerage is offered through Wells Fargo Investments, LLC (member SIPC), a non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company and is intended only for United States residents. System response and account access times may vary due to a variety of factors. Equal Housing Lender

Selling Home

MSN Money - 6 reasons your home isn't selling MSN Home Hotmail My MSN Sign In Money S earch MSN Money: Help Home News Banking Investing Planning Taxes My Money Portfolio Loans Insurance Banking Home My Accounts Bill Pay Mortgages/Loans Services Credit Reports Financial Tools Track your bills Resources Decision Centers Home Buying Guide Home Financing Your Credit Rating Financial Privacy Better Banking Credit Card Smarts Bankruptcy Guide Commentary Index Related Links Manage Debt More on Budgeting Print-friendly version Send this to a friend Tap your home for extra cash Mortgage rates in your area Your credit score in seconds Home mortgage FAQs Find It! Article Index Finance Q&A Tools Index Site Map Recent articles by Bankrate.com: • Will I lose my frequent-flier miles? , 10/6/2005 • Should you insure your airline tickets? , 9/26/2005 • 10 after-the-disaster do's and don'ts , 9/21/2005 More... Related Articles Speed your home sale with these fast fix-ups The hidden financial truth about remodeling Smart -- and stupid -- ways to pay for your remodel The Basics 6 reasons your home isn't selling advertisement So, you're in agony because your home has languished on the market week after week. Here are some culprits that may be keeping buyers away in droves. By Bankrate.com Has your lawn grown up around that "For Sale" sign? Have the wasps moved into the lock box on your front door? Did you just receive an invitation to your real estate agent's retirement party? If so, chances are your home sale fizzled. Here are the six most-common reasons why homes don't sell and what you can do about it. Your home is overpriced Optimistic home sellers love to parrot the old adage, "There's a buyer for every home." But they often leave off the qualifier: "at the buyer's price." Find a loan that's right for you at the Loan Center The fact is that buyers, not sellers, ultimately determine the market value of a home. You can ask for the moon and set your listing price well above comparable properties in your neighborhood, but at some point it will be up to you, the seller, to accept what the buyer thinks your home is worth. Overpricing is the most common reason homes don't sell. When you ask an unrealistic price, it sets in motion a process that often works against you. Here's why: Most real estate agents, and hence most qualified buyers, will see your new listing within 30 days. If it is overpriced by as little as 5%, it will be duly noted and interest in your property will wane, especially if you show no intention of coming off your asking price. You likely already priced out buyers who might have qualified for financing at a more reasonable price. Even if you manage to find a buyer at your inflated asking price, the property may not appraise at that figure and the financing will fall apart. Your real estate agent may have approved or even suggested the inflated asking price to secure your listing. Conversely, other agents often use overpriced properties like yours to help sell their own listings. ("Here's what they are asking. Now would you like to take a second look at that first house I showed you?") "If you have a house that really should be priced at $200,000 and you've got it listed at $260,000, you are trying to compete against homes that really are worth close to $300,000 and all of a sudden your home really is not competing well," says Jeri Fisher of Jeri Fisher Real Estate in Missoula, Mont. "You want to compete with what is available out there among homes similar to yours." If your home remains on the market for too long, agents and buyers may begin to wonder if there are other, perhaps more serious reasons why it isn't selling. "It becomes shopworn, the same as a jacket hanging in the store week after week," says Fisher. "People are aware that it has been on the market a long time and agents stop showing it." Your home doesn't 'show' well Your home is competing against shiny new houses in those pristine subdivisions out in the suburbs with their attractive prices, incentives and community amenities. Face it: Even the best old house needs a little makeover if it hopes to attract a qualified buyer. The good news is most of the work will be cosmetic and relatively inexpensive: a new coat of paint, a few attractive window boxes, a thorough cleaning of floors and carpets. Voila! The place may look good enough to reconsider. A good real estate agent can advise you on where your time and money are best spent. "Price and condition are two things that the seller can do something about," says Fisher. "I always give people my 'honey-do' list. I think paint is probably a seller's best friend because it makes things smell fresh and look fresh. If it's time to paint, it's time to paint. It's the best return on investment." You're in a bad location Nothing has a greater effect on your home's value than its location. Your humble abode might be worth a king's ransom were it located in Palm Beach, Aspen or San Francisco. It might even jump thousands in value just two streets over in the next (and far superior) school district. "If you're in one of the higher-ranked schools around here, you're going to add $50,000 to $100,000 to the price of the same house," says Lenn Harley, a broker with Homefinders.com Inc. in Maryland and Virginia. The point is, location rules in real estate. If your home's location is less than desirable, your options are somewhat limited. A good real estate agent will do his best to help you accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative of your circumstances, say by using foliage to screen off offensive adjoining properties or dampen traffic noise. The best way to compensate for a poor location is to reduce your asking price or offer attractive incentives such as seller financing or a lease option with rent credit. You have a lousy listing agent Yep, they exist: Real estate agents who mislead, misfire and misbehave. Their bad advice can cost you plenty in time, money and the sheer hassle of keeping the place show-ready 24/7. The agent from hell will allow you to overprice your home ("Here's what I can get for you if you list with me!"), not market it properly, fail to screen for qualified buyers, be unresponsive to interest from other agents (if they sell their own listing, they don't have to split the commission) and keep you totally in the dark throughout the process. What's more, if your agent is abrasive, arrogant or otherwise difficult to work with, other agents may not want the hassle of showing any of their listings to prospective buyers. You are battling competition or market conditions We've all heard the terms "buyer's market" and "seller's market." In real estate, market conditions are affected by any number of external forces, some of them predictable (the weather, sort of), some of them unpredictable (the local economy, interest rates, public optimism or pessimism). In a "hot" or seller's market, homes go fast. Inventory (homes on the market) may be low, meaning less competition for you. Chances are better that you will get your asking price in a hot market; in fact, it is not uncommon to even be offered more than your listing price. But in a "flat," "cold" or buyer's market, sales slow to a trickle, inventories grow and buyers can find bargains, especially when they know the seller is motivated (i.e., paying on two mortgages). If you're trying to sell in a flat market, you're not only competing against all that vacant new construction, but against rentals as well. In this case, be prepared to settle for less than top dollar, or wait to sell until the pendulum swings once again in your favor. You have ineffective marketing Gone are the days when an agent could simply place your listing with the local multiple listing service, hold a halfhearted open house and wait for another agent to bring forth a buyer. Today's top performers launch a multilevel marketing plan that includes listing tours for area agents, newspaper and even TV ads, weekend open houses, listing fliers and placements in local real estate publications. Computers and the Internet also have changed the face of real estate. According to the National Association of Realtors, today more than one-third of all home buyers use the Internet for house hunting. The best real estate agents are computer-savvy. They have your listing in color on their laptops to show clients and communicate frequently via e-mail, a particular boon when working with out-of-town buyers. Suffice it to say that if your real estate agent isn't listing your home online through the company Web site as well as with the local MLS, you may not be getting the exposure necessary to find a buyer. "There are those who just put the listing in the multiple and pray it will sell and those that put a lot of effort into marketing their listings," says Fisher. "Unfortunately, with this weird system of compensation we have, they all get paid the same, whether they know nothing or have many years of experience." 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