Pittsburgh Education

Moving with children can be very stressful-especially if your children are in school, or getting ready to go to school.  While most moves are for jobs or job relocation, you will still feel pressure to find the best schools in your new area and you may feel at a loss on where to start.

Schools in Pittsburgh

If you are moving to Pittsburgh with children though, you actually are very lucky; all of our schools are amazing, and the school districts consistently rank well for performance, test scores, graduation rates and percentage of students and go on to college. In fact, our schools are so highly coveted and desired by people relocating to Pittsburgh, that new schools and school renovations are currently going on so as to ensure our low classroom ratios of students/teachers and superior learning environments with access to the latest technology and after-school activities.

Pittsburgh Featured in Parenting Magazine

The very popular Parenting Magazine July issue has a feature on Best Cities for families-and Pittsburgh is ranked in the Top 10 for Education and number 50 overall for Best Cities for Families.

About The Pittsburgh Area

The cities were all ranked based on health, safety, education, economy and recreation and overall, Pittsburgh is a well rounded city in all categories-offering a wonderful lifestyle for families and singles.  Pittsburgh homes for sale vary from luxury downtown condos to beautiful single family homes; you are sure to find the perfect fit for your needs after browsing the Pittsburgh MLS.

Contact A Pittsburgh Realtor

To learn even more? Simply contact me, Jim Dolanch. I am here to answer anything and everything about our area and our wonderful Pittsburgh real estate neighborhoods .

Until next time,

Jim

Pittsburgh Real Estate For Sale

While everything isn’t all roses, there aren’t too many thorns, either. Our market could be -and has been-better, but on the flip side it could also be much worse, as we can see in other large city markets around the nation. Pittsburgh is lucky it has been able to stabilize all the fluctuation of the national market. Our wonderful area, businesses,schools and great communities have kept our real estate market strong and helped to make Pittsburgh a great place to raise a family.

If you are interested in learning more about how to buy Pittsburgh real estate,  what steps are needed to make an offer on a foreclosed property, browse the Pittsburgh MLS or just want to know more about the market report, simply contact me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh real estate agent.

Until next time,

Jim

The tax credit is for first time home buyers only,  which the IRS defines  as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. The credit does not have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be used as the buyer’s principal residence within three years after the initial purchase.

Pittsburgh Real Estate For Sale

What is also great? The tax credit can be taken for THIS YEAR, but simply submitting and amendment to your 2009 taxes, so you should get your tax credit before the end of the summer. The tax credit is for 10% of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000 on homes priced at $800,000 or less. That is quite a nice sum of money to put towards your house, decorating your house, or even saving for a rainy day or a new roof down the road.

For homes purchased on or before April 30, 2010, single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit. Additionally, so long as a binding contract is signed by April 30, 2010, the IRS will also grant the tax credit, so long as you close by June 30, 2010.

Relocate to Pittsburgh

So while I don’t want you to feel pressured or rushed into buying Pittsburgh homes for sale, if you are certain you will be buying a home in the next few months, it would be a shame to miss out on the tax credit by only a few days.  If you have questions, or want to put your Pittsburgh MLS home search into high gear, simply contact me, Jim Dolanch, your trusted Pittsburgh real estate agent, to learn more about Pittsburgh PA home buying and make sure you can get the Federal Housing Tax Credit.

Until next time,

Jim

For those of us here in Pittsburgh? We are weathering the storm quite nicely. In fact, Forbes Magazine just named Pittsburgh one of America’s Best Housing Markets.

Buying Pittsburgh Real Estate

If you are looking to relocate, here are some of the tings you should look for in the real estate market before you buy:

• Appreciating real estate prices-look at  6 month and 1 year figures, and remember that real estate can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and even street to street.
• Affordable housing for middle-class, good credit families
• Very low foreclosures

Pittsburgh is a city with all three positive factors, so it is no surprise we were listed in Forbes. Pittsburgh suffered a decline when most of the big business manufacturing left; however, that ended up being a blessing. Since we had a bit of a slow start bouncing back from the manufacturing leaving, Pittsburgh actually avoided the huge jumps in home prices, that were artificially inflated by a seemingly endless supply of quick loans.

Pittsburgh real estate has come back stronger than ever from the small decline over a decade ago,  and Pittsburgh homes for sale have kept their great value, great prices, and steady market.

When you buy Pittsburgh real estate for sale, you know you are getting a strong and solid investment, because our home prices have not ever dropped they way they have in Phoenix, Miami, LA and NY, just to name a few.

Relocate to Pittsburgh

If you are ready to make a sound investment in one of the Best Housing Markets in America, then be sure to contact me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh real estate agent. I have a Pittsburgh Home Buying Guide and a Pittsburgh Relocation Guide that will help to make your real estate journey smooth and easy and as always, if you ever have any questions about real estate, the area, or anything at all, know that I am here to serve you.

Until next time.

Jim

Pittsburgh Homes For Sale

If you are looking to buy Pittsburgh area condos for sale, you will want to have Oak Hill at the top of your list. The development also includes an impressive 8,500 sq ft community center around a town square, environmentally friendly  and breathtaking landscaping, and wonderful streetscapes.

Contact a Pittsburgh Realtor

If you want to see the floor plans or get on the list at Oak Hill, be sure to contact an expert Pittsburgh real estate agent so you can take advantage of our local Pittsburgh relocation package, Pittsburgh buying guide, and browse the Pittsburgh MLS home search.

Until next time,

Jim

But wait, you say? We have until Nov. 30, 2009, right?

Yes and no. You have until Nov. 30th to be closed on a Peters Township area property.

That means you have to find a Pittsburgh home for sale, make an offer (or two or three counter offers), get inspections, get the Peters Township, PA real estate appraisal (which might come in low, probably sending you back to the offer table), check Pittsburgh, PA property titles (perhaps clear titles), get your Peters Township, PA real estate loan approved, get the loan money on time, and get all problems found during the inspection fixed. All before Nov. 30th.

By Nov. 30th, you must have the house keys in your hand in order to take advantage of the tax credit, so the sooner you start the Pittsburgh area home buying process, the better.

Search Pittsburgh Homes for Sale

An expert Peters Township, PA Real Estate Agent will try to foresee all the potential problems that could arrise in the process of buying a Pittsburgh real estate home, but there always things that could arise that are beyond anyone’s control. Overall, the more time you allow for buying a Pittsburgh area home the better chance you have of closing in time for the credit.

Because though you shouldn’t be buying a home just for the credit, it would really stink to close on Dec. 1, 2009 and miss out on an $8000 tax credit.

If you have questions about Pittsburgh Real Estate or want to browse the Pittsburgh and Peters Township MLS home search, then contact me, Jim Dolanch, for all your Pittsburgh and Peters Township first time home buying tips.

Until next time,
Jim

 The First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit is a simple plan, but it brings many pages of paperwork, explanation, and rules. To help answer all the questions that can arrise from about the credit, I have chosen some of the top questions I hear, from Pittsburgh Home Buyers as well as, Peters Township Home Buyers:

Pittsburgh and Peters Township Home Buyers Tax Credit Top Questions

1. Are there restrictions on the type of home? What types of homes will qualify for the tax credit?

It is important to note that you cannot purchase a home from your ancestors (parents, grandparents, etc.), your lineal descendants (children, grandchildren, etc.) or your spouse. Please consult with your tax advisor for more information. Also see IRS Form 5405.

2. I read that the tax credit is “refundable.” What does that mean?

 
The fact that the credit is refundable means that the home buyer credit can be claimed even if the taxpayer has little or no federal income tax liability to offset. Typically this involves the government sending the taxpayer a check for a portion or even all of the amount of the refundable tax credit.

For example, if a qualified home buyer expected, notwithstanding the tax credit, federal income tax liability of $5,000 and had tax withholding of $4,000 for the year, then without the tax credit the taxpayer would owe the IRS $1,000 on April 15th. Suppose now that the taxpayer qualified for the $8,000 home buyer tax credit. As a result, the taxpayer would receive a check for $7,000 ($8,000 minus the $1,000 owed).

3.What if I purchased a home in early 2009 and have already filed to receive the $7,500 tax credit on my 2008 tax returns. How can I claim the new $8,000 tax credit instead?

Home buyers in this situation may file an amended 2008 tax return with a 1040X form. You should consult with a tax advisor to ensure you file this return properly.

In contrast, for newly-constructed homes bought from a home builder, eligibility for the tax credit is determined by the settlement date.

Yes. The tax credit can be combined with the MRB home buyer program. Note that first-time home buyers who purchased a home in 2008 may not claim the tax credit if they are participating in an MRB program.

Participating in the tax credit program is easy. You claim the tax credit on your federal income tax return. Specifically, home buyers should complete IRS Form 5405 to determine their tax credit amount, and then claim this amount on line 67 of the 1040 income tax form for 2009 returns (line 69 of the 1040 income tax form for 2008 returns). No other applications or forms are required, and no pre-approval is necessary. However, you will want to be sure that you qualify for the credit under the income limits and first-time home buyer tests. Note that you cannot claim the credit on Form 5405 for an intended purchase for some future date; it must be a completed purchase.

Buying a Home in Pittsburgh Area

All the previous information is just the tip of the iceberg. As you can see, there are many items Peters Township home buyers need to understand about the $8,000 tax credit. You can get the best information form a knowledgeable Pittsburgh Realtor or Peters Township Real Estate Agent; however, make sure you consult your tax professional for the full run down on how the tax credit may affect your taxes or effect savings for you!

And as always, if you have any questions about Pittsburgh Real Estate, Peters Township Homes for sale, or would just like to browse the Pittsburgh Area Real Estate MLS Listings, feel free to contact me, Jim Dolanch, your Peters Township Realtor, anytime.

Until next time,

Jim

Since the entire tax credit document is very long , I thought I would do a brief overview, with future posts on more specific aspects to the tax credit. 

Please note  the short overview below pertains to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:

• The tax credit is for first-time home buyers only. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first-time home buyer as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

If you are ready to start the search for Pittsburgh real estate, you can begin by using my free Pittsburgh and Peters Township MLS Search or by contacting me, Jim Dolanch, your Pittsburgh and Peters Township Realtor. Questions about whether buying Peters Township real estate will qualify for the tax credit? I can help you naviage the waters and together we will get you the best deal possible on your Peters Township area property.

Until next time,

Jim

Pittsburgh Short Sales

When you are trying to sell your home, but can not sell it for what you owe on it, then you are caught in a short sale. Short sales can be maddeningly frustrating for all involved, because each one has to be approved by the mortgage lenders and that whole process can take a very long time.

Lenders can often take weeks or, in worst cases, months, to respond to a short sale offer. Why? Because they are getting overloaded with requests AND in a short sale, they are getting paid less than what was originally promised. So even though someone may be able to prove hardship in making their Peters Township home payments, the lenders still aren’t super excited to lose the money, even though in the long run they could up getting less if it goes to foreclosure.

So what is a home owner to do? Make sure you work with an Expert Peters Township Realtor, who understands the short sale process for your area inside and out.

Because even when things do go smoothly and your short sale is approved, there can still be mistakes in how long it takes the paperwork to get back to you, making it impossible to close in time and forcing you to start over. Unless you contact an expert Pittsburgh REALTOR and let me help with every step of the process.

Short sales can be frustrating, but don’t worry; the real estate team at JimDolanch.com is here to help you every step of the way.

Are you thinking about how to start the short sale process, or what to see if a short sale might be an option so you can avoid foreclosure? Then contact us, your expert Peters Township, PA real estate agents, with all of your questions and concerns.

Until next time,
Jim

Jim