Double Your Tax Credit

Current Escondido Homeowners

Find out how to get up to double on the $6,500 tax credit for existing Escondido homeowners.  That’s right, existing Escondido homeowners can get tax credit also.  Current Escondido homeowners buying a house between Nov. 7, 2009, and April 30 and who have used the Escondido home being sold or vacated as a principal residence for five consecutive years within the last eight can qualify for the $6,500 credit. Most people know about the original $8,000 tax credit  for first-time homebuyers, but few know about the $6,500 credit for existing Escondido homeowners.   This incentive was added when the original $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, which expired Nov. 30, was
extended.

Escondiodo homes purchased for $800,000 or less are eligible for you as a repeat Escondido home buyer. Single buyers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples up to $225,000 may receive the maximum tax credit for both repeat and first-time purchases. The credit decreases for Escondido homebuyers who earn between $125,000 and $145,000 for single buyers and between $225,000 and $245,000 for Escondido homebuyers filing jointly. The amount of the tax credit decreases as his/her income approaches the maximum limit. Escondido homebuyers earning more than the maximum are not eligible for the credit. If a binding written contract to purchase is in effect April 30, the purchaser will have until July 1, 2010 to close.

To find out how to get up to double your existing Escondido homeowners$6,500 tax credit, contact Gary Harmon, your Prudential California Realty Escondido Realtor.

Advice for Buyers

Escondido home buyers should be aware as long as incentives are in place Escondido home sales in the conforming loan ranges will be brisk.
Get pre-qualified with a reputable lender like HomeServices Lending powered by Wells Fargo.  Keep mortgage interest rates in perspective
with Escondido real estate prices. The historical median for mortgage interest rates is 9%, over three and a half points higher than it is today. Home prices are almost where they were ten years ago in some areas of Southern California. If you pay a higher interest rate now than last month, remember you’re way ahead on price.

The graph below shows how many months of  home inventory is on the market by price.  For more information, contact Gary Harmon, you informed Escondido Realtor.  Please click on graph to enlarge.

Months of Inventory

Escondido Property Tax Refunds -Where Are They?

Escondido Property TaxProperty Tax Refunds on Escondido Real Estate

Where is your Escondido property tax refund on your Escondido home.  The price of your Escondido property has gone down every year for the last four or five years. You have filed a request with the County to refigure your assessed value on you Escondido home, but you keep paying the high property taxes here in San Diego.  You are in the same  boat as thousands of other Escondido home owners.
I am including an article from the North County Times to expose the problem.

“The San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office continues to take in millions of dollars more in property taxes than is owed and then lags in returning the money to taxpayers, according to a 2009 audit. The examination of the treasurer’s property tax refund account concluded that nearly $8 million needed to be refunded or funneled to the county’s general fund if the person or entity who was owed the money could not be located.

It’s been a problem that stretches back to 2003 and has dragged on, despite a series of examinations in the years since. The most recent independent audit, conducted over nine months by the firm of Kessler International, found a variety of problems in how the treasurer’s office manages what is known as the Property Tax Trust and Refund account. That report was issued in March but never shared with the public.” Of course, this is an election year and Dan is running again.

This problem will not be easily solved, but Dan McAllister vows changes are being implemented to correct years-old problem.  If you would like to find out how to lower your property taxes, contact Gary Harmon, your Escondido Realtor.  Gary Harmon will provide you with a property tax reassessment form along with instructions on how and when to file.

Escondido Homes for Sale and Escondido Foreclosures

Welcome to my Escondido Homes featured listing page.  Click on the hot links below by price to get a fast start.  If you would like to see an area not shown you can set up your own personalized search by zip code, area, price, features, and much more.  Start your own custom serarch here.   You can also see Escondido foreclosures, auction, or pre-forclosure homes at “Free Foreclosure Search.”  For a personalized tour of any of these Escondido homes contact Gary Harmon.
Escondido Homes $300k – $400k
Escondido Homes $400k-$500k
All Other Price Ranges 
See Video and learn how to SEARCH LIKE AN AGENT!

Free Foreclosure Search

Free Foreclosure SearchUse Foreclosure Radar, America’s favorite foreclosure search, to search for auction , pre-foreclosues, and Escondido foreclosures.  Start searching now with Free Foreclosure Search.  Please be patient it takes a few seconds to load the search map.

ListingBook Search

Search for Escondido real estate and Escondido foreclosures like a Pro.  Get a free Listingbook account here and search all Escondido homes for sale.  Listingbook lets you set up your own Escondido property search parameters.  You are notified when new Escondido homes for sale come on the market or when there is any type of price reduction on the Escondido property.  Listingbook is always up to date and is affiliated with the San Diego North County multiple listing service.  Join Listingbook, and search like an agent!

Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) – Escondido Real Estate

Escondido KitchenThe most common question I get as your Escondido real estate expert from friends, family, and clients is “how is the real estate market doing?”  That is always a very difficult question to answer correctly because the answer can be case specific.  What I mean is it can depend on what type of Escondido real estate help you need.  In general, the market for Escondido homes is very complex.  No one can be sure if prices are still going down or going to rise.  One thing I can say for sure, the change in Escondido real estate prices should be slow either way.  If you are waiting for prices to go up so you can sell your Escondido home, you should probably have a plan “B” and consider selling now.

A comparative market analysis helps you if you are thinking of either buying Escondido homes or selling an Escondido home.  You can’t get an accurate number of the value of your Escondido property by just looking at an Internet site like Zillo.  To get an accurate picture you need to have your Escondido Realtor do a personalized CMA for your particular need.  Your Realtor will dig deeper,  make numerous phone calls to other Realtors, rather than just look at the most recent sales prices in the multiple listing service.  He will evaluate how long each Escondido home has been on the market.  He will look at the motivation of the Escondido seller.  Your Escondido Realtor will check out the condition of the home and what type of sale took place.  Was it a short sale, REO, or regular sale?  All have an affect on the final sales price of the Escondido home.  As you can see the superficial comparison of Escondido homes and their sales will no longer do.  Such an approach could even be misleading.

Before you buy an Escondido home or sell Escondido real estate, get an accurate picture by contacting Gary Harmon, you top Escondido Realtor.

Tax Man and Escondido Real Estate

YouTubeAfter that solem State of the Union speach last night, I think everyone can use a little humor. If you don’t find this YouTube video funny, you must at least admit this video is creative.  With a little research, I found the music was based on the Beatles song, Taxman. To avoid the tax man, read below.

On of the best ways to avoid the tax man or to save on taxes is to own Escondido Real Estate. If you buy an Escondido home now through April 30, 2010 and close escrow by June 30, 2010 you can take get up to an $8,000 tax credit if you are a new first-time  home buyer. You can use the credit on 2009 or 2010 taxes.  If you are an existing Escondido home owner you can get up to $6,500 as a tax credit for buying an Escondido home. If you own your Escondido home as a principle residence can write off your interest and taxes. If you have Escondido investment property there are many ways to help avoid the taxes. Escondido real estate ownership is still on of the best ways to help avoid the tax man.

For more information on owning Escondido real estate, contact Gary Harmon, your Escondido Realtor.

Before you take anyones tax advice, talk to your own “tax man.”

Lots of Escondido Real Estate Available

Escondido Real Estate and Escondido Foreclosures

Welcome to my Escondido Homes featured listing page.  There are more Escondido homes available for sale than there are in other San Diego North County locations.  Click on the hot links below by price to get a fast start.  If you would like to see an area not shown you can set up your own personalized search by zip code, area, price, features, and much more.  Start your own custom serarch here.   You can also see Escondido foreclosures, auction, or pre-forclosure homes at “Free Foreclosure Search.”  For a personalized tour of any of these Escondido homes contact Gary Harmon.
Escondido Homes $300k – $400k
Escondido Homes $400k-$500k
All Other Price Ranges 
See Video and learn how to SEARCH LIKE AN AGENT!

Escondido Homes Quick Search

Escondido Homes for Sale $300k  – $500k

Welcome to my Escondido Homes featured listing page.  Click on the hot links below by price to get a fast start.  If you would like to see an area not shown you can set up your own personalized search by zip code, area, price, features, and much more.  Start your own custom serarch here.   You can also see Escondido foreclosures, auction, or pre-forclosure homes at “Free Foreclosure Search.”  For a personalized tour of any of these Escondido homes contact Gary Harmon.
Escondido Homes $300k – $400k
Escondido Homes $400k-$500k
All Other Price Ranges
See Video and learn how to SEARCH LIKE AN AGENT!

When is the best time to buy your Escondido Home?  NOW!   Interest rates are still at record lows and buyers are not flooding the market right now.  This gives you, the Escondido buyer a better selection of Escondido Real estate.  For more information, contact Gary Harmon, your top Escondido Realtor.