Posted by Annalisa Burgos | November 6, 2009
Tags: economic stimulus, expanded credit, first time buyers, FTHB, housing market, tax credit, tax incentive
It’s official. The popular first time homebuyer tax credit, which many say is responsible for keeping the housing market afloat, has been extended and expanded to include repeat buyers.
You now have until April 30, 2010, to secure a contract for a home purchase and until June 30, 2010, to close on it. Buyers had been scrambling to close by the previous deadline of Nov. 30.
President Barack Obama signed into law a $24 billion economic stimulus bill today, which includes these incentives. With numerous reports of people abusing the credit, Congress included a provision that requires buyers to submit documentation with their tax returns to claim the credit. The new program is estimated to cost taxpayers $11 billion.
So go out there. Hit up some open houses this weekend. Get house hunting tips and advice at openhouse.com.
You just may find a house you love and get paid for buying it.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | November 5, 2009
Tags: food, free prizes, home, product reviews, research group, TV reviews
We want to hear your opinions about food, home and lifestyle! Become an insider for HGTV’s FrontDoor.com and help shape the future of Scripps Networks.
By joining this exclusive panel, you’ll be able to share your ideas and review new TV programs, products and more. Plus, you can enter to win great prizes!
Click here to be a FrontDoor insider.
Everyone who completes the recruitment survey will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of nine prizes, including five $50 and four $25 Amazon.com gift certificates.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 30, 2009
Tags: buy a haunted house, foreclosure, halloween, home buying tips, real estate tips, sell a haunted house, sell a house, selling tips, stigmatized property
It’s hard enough to sell a house in this market, but try selling a haunted house! It’s a challenge but not impossible. HGTV’s FrontDoor offers tips and advice to get the job done.
If you’re a buyer looking for the ultimate bargain, a haunted house or other stigmatized property may be right for you — if you can deal with the home’s gruesome past or unexplainable issues.
If the idea of living in a haunted house scares you, there are plenty of haunted houses to visit. Whether it’s the creepy abandoned Victorian at the end of your block or the fancy haunted house attraction you pay to enter, be safe and have a happy Halloween!
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 30, 2009
Tags: advice, bank own, bank owned, foreclosure, halloween, homebuying, investment property, real estate investing, real estate tips, REO, short sale, trick or treat
For those of you who’ll be house hunting as well as trick-or-treating this Halloween weekend, your friends at FrontDoor.com have come up with some tips for foreclosure buyers. We call them:
And check out these other Halloween-themed homebuying and selling tips on FrontDoor.com:
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 27, 2009
Tags: 50 cent, barry manilow, ben stiller, celebrity home, house for sale, joan rivers, listing, luxury home, luxury real estate, mel gibson, musician, ricky martin, short sale
Even celebrities are having a tough time unloading their multi-million dollar properties in this market.
From rapper 50 Cent’s money pit to pop star Ryan Cabrera’s short sale, you may find a deal if you’re in the market for a luxury home.
Check out these 10 celebrity homes for sale:
http://www.frontdoor.com/home-finance/Top-10-Celebrity-Homes-For-Sale/55319
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 26, 2009
Tags: Designed to Sell, free money, grand prize, home value, sell a house, sell it fast, selling tips, staging, sweepstakes, win cash
You still have a chance to win $3,000 in our “Designed to Sell” Sell-It-Fast Sweepstakes. The contest ends Tuesday.
Enter now at
www.frontdoor.com/Sell/Designed-to-Sell-Sell-It-Fast-Sweepstakes-Entry/55243
And if you’re selling a home, be sure to check out our valuable tips and advice so you can get your home ready for buyers and make it stand out from the competition.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 16, 2009
Tags: food network, HGTV, home showing, home tour, listings, MLS, open house, open house sunday, openhouse.com, real estate, real estate tips, recipes
HGTV’s FrontDoor.com is proud to welcome real estate open house listing site OpenHouse.com to the HGTV family!
On OpenHouse.com, you can find open house schedules and addresses and view hundreds of thousands of virtual home tours to enhance your house hunting experience.
Combine that with FrontDoor’s 4 million real estate listings and expert articles and videos and you’ve got all you need to take charge of your home search.
OpenHouse.com also offers homebuyers and sellers great insider tips and advice, including:
Read the news release here. And be sure to watch HGTV’s Open House Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET for more news!
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 15, 2009
Tags: 5040 Greenwood, Barack Obama, buy a house, celebrity home, Chicago, cool houses daily, Hyde Park, listing, Obama, obama neighbor, U.S. president
Live next door to the President of the United States — the Obamas’ Chicago neighbors have put their home on the market.
Apparently, Matt Garrison, the listing agent with Coldwell Banker, hasn’t put an asking price on the house and will let the market dictate its value. How appropriate.
According to a report in The New York Times, the current owners paid $35,000 for the 6,000-square-foot house at 5040 South Greenwood Avenue in 1973. Other homes in the Hyde Park area have sold for $1 million to $2.5 million. But surely the appeal of living next to the President should tack on a few more mil. I wonder what kinds of background checks you’ll have to go through to close this deal.
About the property: The turn-of-the-century home is directly next to the Obama’s home, and the neighborhood is filled with Chicago’s business, political and intellectual rock stars. From this distance, you could ask the President for his famous chili recipe, borrow a cup of sugar from First Lady Michelle, or watch “First Daughters” Sasha and Malia, as the current owners often did.
The home was built in 1906 by A.R. Clark, who was also the original owner of President Obama’s home at 5046 South Greenwood. During World War II, the home was used to house officers, and eventually became a boarding house for a small military school.
The current owners purchased the home from the Colonel who ran the school. The home needs a little restoration, but still has all the original woodwork, stained glass windows, 6,000 square feet of living space, and a hefty yard by Chicago standards. Plus, as long as you don’t mind the occasional security hassles and Secret Service agents milling about, you can’t beat the location.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 9, 2009
Tags: annalisa burgos, art, Manhattan, mediterraneo, metropolitan musuem of art, museum row, neighborhood, neighborhood tour, New York City, park avenue, real estate, restaurants, upper east side
Looking for a quiet neighborhood with the big city perks of world-class museums, outdoor restaurants and cool bars? Then check out Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where the post-college crowd blends with old money and the Park Avenue elite.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 7, 2009
Tags: buy a house, drama free, foreclosure, halloween, haunted house, HOA, home finance, home inspection, horror stories, housing market, real estate, real estate agent, real estate tips, sell a house, short sale, squatter
The housing market can be very scary. Just ask any homebuyer or seller — a seemingly normal situation can easily turn into a nightmare.
In this month’s Top 10, read 10 hair-raising real estate horror stories, from showings gone awry to frightening HOAs to houses plagued with unwelcome guests and ghastly pasts.
Plus, get tips on how to avoid these nightmares and ensure your homebuying or selling experience is drama free.
Happy Halloween!
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