First Blog Posts

The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted on December 27, 2020, deals with the annual tax extenders. Congress made some of them permanent, while others got short- or long-term extensions.These are the big five Form 1040 tax breaks that were scheduled to expire on December 31, 2020: Exclusion from income for cancellation of acquisition debt on your principal residence (up to $2 million) Deduction for mortgage insurance premiums as residence interest 7.5 percent floor to deduct medical expenses (instead of 10 percent) Above-the-line deduction for tuition and fees Non-business energy property tax credit for energy-efficient improvements to your principal residence Here is what Congress did with each of these five provisions: Cancellation of debt. Extended through ... 02/18/2021

While Cambridge is technically outside of the City of Boston, data trends in the housing market and in particular the rental market in Cambridge closely mirror that of Boston.  Both are highly cyclical markets that depend heavily on apartment turnover from the local student population.  So while Boston’s rental market is reeling due to inventory spikes, it should come as no surprise that the same supply issues are occurring in Cambridge.Cambridge may be best known as the home of two famous universities:  Harvard and MIT.  Like most of the area’s Universities, both adopted remote learning for the 2020-2021 school year, severely hampering the influx of students we normally see in September.   As a result, the real estate market in Cambridge has experienced quite a bit of fluctuation in te... 02/18/2021

It was a strange year.... probably the strangest I've ever had.... sales were good, yet social distancing made it odd for sure!   02/03/2021

Exclusive buyers agents is the only agent that can represent the principal...While being an agent of the principal one would have the principal sign to ensure the agent exclusive right to work with and represent the prinicpals property purchase.  This ensures the agent to get paid on the property if the buyer does end up working with a differnet agent and would be subjecting themselves to pay commission to botht the agreed upon agent under the contract as well as the othe agent. 01/24/2021

HOME SELLINGPleasanton | Laguna Oaks NeighborhoodSOLDGorgeous 4 bedroom , 3 bath home with with Large Bonus Room . Full bed and bath downstairs. Stunning updated kitchen equipped with stainless steel Thermador appliances that opens into a family with one of three fireplaces. Beautiful hardwood floors on first level , brand new carpet on second level . Custom Plantation shutters throughout . Formal living has high vaulted ceilings. This beautiful west side home is located in sought after neighborhood Laguna Oaks Estates that sits on a large lot meticulously landscaped with stamped concrete , firepit , double gated side access and 3 car garage .Enjoy the community pool , tennis , basketball court , playground and clubhouse. Close to Award Winning Schools , Historic Downtown , shopping , f... 01/17/2021

Money Problems is one of the 21 ways that you can lose your Real Estate License.  Money problems can include commingling, failing to account for funds, or failing to remit money that belongs to another.  I feel that money problems is the biggest threat to principals and of the 21 ways to lose a license this one impacts the principals the most.It is prudent that you have a seperate bank account for Real Estate funds and that you deposit any funds that a principal is trusting you with into that seperate bank account.  An agent must not touch these funds as they do not actually belong to the agent.  If the funds are deposited into an agents active bank account, the funds could get confused with their own and spent.  Commingling of funds has resulted in many Real Estate fraud cases.Your pri... 01/12/2021

             I’m just starting out in real estate. I’m actually still in school. And full disclosure this post is part of an assignment. I want to take a minute to talk about integrity. The US Army defines integrity as “a quality you develop by adhering to moral principles. It requires that you do and say nothing that deceives others. As your integrity grows, so does the trust others place in you.”  Which means basically to be honest. I think everyone is different in terms of beliefs and values. I define integrity as adhering to the values that you hold dear. What matters to you? What do you truly see as your values? For most honesty would be included in that. It is for me.             One practice I try to do, an admittedly struggle with is to ask my self before taking an action, “is t... 01/12/2021

A larger house has several advantages, including more space for your family, more room for entertaining, and the chance to designate specific areas as an office. However, the decision to purchase a bigger home should not be taken lightly, as bigger houses cost significantly more to purchase and maintain. If you are considering purchasing a larger property, below are a few signs that indicate it is time to do so: You Don't Have Enough Storage Space Mounds of clothing on furniture and floors, books everywhere, and kitchen appliances and other items cluttering up your kitchen are indications that you need more space. Not only does clutter hinder movement, but it can also leave you feeling stressed and prove to be a fire hazard. There is also the risk of attracting vermin such as rats and c... 01/09/2021

The greater Tucson, Arizona area has been experiencing phenomenal growth.  It's a very dynamic area and a very pretty setting.  Real Estate has proven over and over throughout the years to be a great investment.  Tucson's real estate market as well as it's surrounding suburban real estate market offers buyers and investors alike great opportunities.Tucson, Arizona, and its surrounding areas enjoy relatively reasonable priced real estate.  In general, housing can be found priced from $70/sq/ft up to about $500/sq/ft.  One can reasonably expect to find a great home under $200/sq/ft.  One's dollars go far here!  Consistent appreciation in all areas of the city is being enjoyed and capitalized on.  Our fantastic weather year-round makes Tucson a great place to live or enjoy a second home.  ... 01/06/2021

7-Unit Building 553 29th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94121 GREAT POTENTIAL WITH 4 VACANT UNITS Coldwell Banker Commercial is pleased to present the opportunity to acquire 553 29th Avenue, San Francisco, a 7-unit building located one half block from Geary Blvd in the sought after Central Richmond District of San Francisco. Built in 1966, this asset consists of Five (5), 2-Bedroom, 1 Bath units and Two (2), 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath units. All units have wall heaters and separate gas and electric meters. Some units have spectacular Golden Gate Bridge and water views. 4 units are vacant. This is a value-add opportunity for investors looking to add value through renovation and potential ADU.Probate Sale:  Contact Listing Agent for more information.  For offering memorandum email nick.johnson415@gmail... 01/02/2021

There are many differences between homes in northern and southern climates and one of them is how folks in the South like to cook. I did a search on Google Trends for the term “Outdoor Kitchens” and saw that interest spiked to a five year high during the summer of 2020.Google Trends also showed that the interest was greatest in the states of Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama. I am having a hard time getting images to upload here so I am also providing a link to the data. The folks over at This Old House estimate that an outdoor kitchen can be built for between $3,000 and $15,000 depending upon how upgraded you make it.  You can actually build a great outdoor kitchen on a budget as you will not necessarily need appliances like a refrigerator or dishwasher. I have heard i... 01/02/2021

Do you know how to determine the TRUE market value of your home or property in Baltimore? Whether you are selling your house or not, its a good idea to keep tabs on the value of your home. We can help! Learn how to do it in our latest post!Many sellers think they know what their house is worth but in many cases, their numbers can often be off. It is never as simple as relying on Zillow or your property tax appraisal to tell you exactly how much your house will sell for. Before you decide whether to sell your house directly (FSBO) or hire a real estate agent, you’ll want to determine on your own what your home is worth. There are a few things you can do to get an accurate value of your house in Baltimore.1. CMA (Competitive Market Analysis)A Competitive Market Analysis or CMA, are often ... 12/30/2020

Whether good news or bad news, any communication is 🔑 when it come to a professional relationship. Communication does what to people? Ah yes, brings them together! If you are in constant communication with someone you will develop a???? You got it, a relationship, now what comes in a relationship?...trust, honesty, respect, those have to be the top three that come to mind right off the top of my head, You see, because we have “communication” we have naturally developed a relationship thats based on a set of core values that any person would to give, better yet want in return. What I’ve learned in my short time so far in real estate is the communication with my clients is the most vital part of the process, it gives me a chance to LISTEN. I get an opportunity to hear their wants, needs, ... 12/27/2020

It may seem obvious that in any professional setting if you break a rule, there will be a consiquence. But what are the consequences to breaking a rule in the real estate industry? How serious are these consequences? The severity of the consequence will depend on the action- but can be serious enough to lead to criminal conviction and prison time. It's shocking how many Licensed agents have and continue to misuse their license. When running a google search of agents that have been caught mis-using their licenses I was suprised to see there were pages and pages of cases, wether it was an agent contiuing to work with an exired license or an agent engaging in fraudulent activity. It's always been hard for me to understand and relate to how someone could defy someone that is trusting them w... 12/27/2020

I work with many Realtors who fall behind on taxes, and then don’t know the steps to settle with the IRS.It's easy for good people to fall behind. No one's withholding taxes from your commission checks. Your business is seasonal; strong sometimes, but weak at other times. And then closings that get delayed. It makes your cash flow harder to manage and your tax payments harder to maintain.If you or someone you know is behind on taxes, here’s 3 steps to settle with the IRS. File your return.Even if you can’t afford it.Even if don’t have the time for it.Even if you don’t have your tax records together.  Because until you're in “compliance”, any effort to fix your tax problem is dead on arrival at the Internal Revenue Service.Until you're in compliance, your bank account may be subject to l... 12/26/2020

Blue River Apartments is a boutique block of 4-holiday apartments located at the ocean end of Wooli, on the north coast of NSW. We provide activities like fishing, kayaking, cycling, walking, boating, whale watching, oysters, diving, mud crabs etc.Blue River Apartments has a fabulous 2 person ocean Kayak with fishing rod holders if required available for FREE use to guests. Kayaks can also be hired from the dive shop. Wooli River Kayak experience starts directly in front of Blue River Apartments and offers you some 30 kilometers of pristine national park waterways to explore.There is always something happening in Wooli but not like the city.  Here it is nature that dictates the action.  Is it the whales passing on their annual migration, the snapper running in June, the full moon rising... 12/22/2020

AWESOME SURPRISE HOME FOR SALE!!! 👉Two bedroom, one bath home in the desirable Happy Trails neighborhood👉Enjoy all the amenities of this Great 55+ CommunityFor virtual tour/preview of this home, call Lisa at (602)920-7007. 12/17/2020

That old coffee pot is what got her dating again….Sharon was a recent widow and knew she had to make changes in her to life to get out of her funk.The problem was, she didn’t know how.Until she met me and …..had the coffee pot incident.You see I knew when I walked into her home, something was amissHer home was decorated in the 1960s stylesAnd the worse part it was her late husband’s ex who had decorated it.Yah cra cra right?!And to an Interior Design Specialist that uses intuitive strategies to turn your home into your favorite living space ever -This made my mouth drop.I went into the kitchen and saw the old coffee pot.I asked about it and when Sharon told me it belonged to the ex…I said you have to get rid of that right now.She went out to the garage and found another coffee pot that ... 12/17/2020

In brosing the blog posts here I noticed a post about Unauthorized Consideration. Some knew the term. Some had never heard it. For those unfamiliar with the term:Paying or offering to pay valuable consideration, as defined by the commission, to a person not licensed, except that valuable consideration may be shared as follows:- With a principal broker of another jurisdiction.- As provided under: Title 16, Chapter 10a, Utah Revised Business Corporation Act; Title 16, Chapter 11, Professional Corporation Act; or Title 48, Chapter 2c, Utah Revised Limited Liability Company Act, or Title 48, Chapter 3a, Utah Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act.When a person, not a licensed agent, might give you a referral. If this happens, you will need to remember not to give or even offer them a... 12/05/2020

I represent taxpayers in Leander and the rest of Texas who have civil and criminal tax issues, and have recently seen an uptick in those folks coming to us who have not filed tax returns, some for many years. In fact, the non-filer is a major priority for the IRS, who have stated publicly that they have identified more than 7 million taxpayers who have failed to file returns, and that the IRS plans to roll-out an initiative to target these tax scofflaws.In addition, it is worth noting that the willful failure to file a tax return is a federal tax crime under the Internal Revenue Code's Section 7203.So what can non-filers do, and how can we help them get their tax return issue resolved with the IRS? It depends upon why they failed to file in the first-place.If the failure to file the tax... 11/29/2020