Archives: January 2020

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Take the Standard Deduction & the Home

Now that the standard deduction is increased to $12,200 for single taxpayers and $24,400 for married ones, many homeowners are better off with the standard deduction than itemizing their deductions to write off their mortgage interest and property taxes. There was some speculation that without the tax advantages, homeownership is not the investment it once […]

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Understanding Reverse Mortgages

Reverse mortgage loans are like traditional mortgages that permits homeowners to borrow money using their home as collateral while retaining title to the property. Reverse mortgage loans don’t require monthly payments. The loan is due and payable when the borrower no longer lives in the home or dies, whichever comes first. Since no payments are […]

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4 Challenges That Come with Marketing Your Own Home

If you’re looking to list your home this year, we have some good news—2020 is forecasted to be a seller’s market, which means most properties will sell quickly and for a higher price than normal. Although buyers are scrambling to find somewhere to settle down, even the most desirable homes still need some marketing to […]

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Downsizing in 2020

Approximately 52 million or 16% of Americans are age 65 and over. It is easy to understand that some of them are thinking of downsizing their home because they don’t need the same space they did in the past. It can be liberating to divest yourself of “things” that have been accumulated over the years […]

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Another Source for a Down Payment

Borrowing from a 401k, 403b or the cash value of life insurance policy is a common financial strategy. While taxpayers are not allowed borrow from either a traditional or Roth IRA, they can withdraw funds before age 59 ½ for specific purposes like a first home purchase, qualified higher education expenses or permanent disability without […]