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November 13, 2012

Is the Mortgage Interest Deduction on the (Chopping) Block?

That’s the concern amongst Realtor-types — and anyone else who has a vested interest in the health of the housing market. Which really means . . . everyone. I think there is a strong, two-part argument for leaving it alone:  1) don’t do anything to effectively make housing more expensive, while it’s still in recovery mode; and 2) something...
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Housing Market Heat Map

  “Realtors Property Resource” I actually discussed the idea with a University of Minnesota Computer Science professor 5 years ago (or was it 7?), but ultimately decided not to pursue anything. Or should I say, couldn’t find any investment capital to back it (admittedly, I didn’t look that hard). The idea? To convert megabytes of...
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“Best Real Estate Agents” Plaque

Lose the “S” and I’ll Think About it Apparently, if I pay $159, a marketing outfit will sell me a plaque (above) saying that I am one of the “Best Real Estate Agents.” Or, so they keep telling me in the (spam?) emails I’m receiving rather regularly. I’m eligible to buy that plaque based on my...
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Seller Pays For It; Does Buyer Get to Deduct It?

How to Make $1 Worth Up to $1.38 True or False:  the home Buyer gets to deduct closing costs even if the Seller pays for them. Answer:  True (subject to the Buyer’s individual tax circumstances, e.g., whether or not they itemize their deductions, their marginal tax rate, etc.)  What the foregoing means is that 3%...
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