Raving Fan – Testimonial

TRULIA REVIEW

o Vincent Cassano reviewed Kathleen Carlson

o 04/30/2015

o Helped me sell a home

Choose Kathleen Carlson and her team, and you’ll never regret it! She knows what to do, and how to do it. She’s the best real estate agent we’ve ever used and we’ve sold 4 homes in two different states. No one works harder than Kathy and her staff.
When we ran into problems with a building inspector from the buyer’s side, she went above and beyond and helped turn a negative into a positive. You can ask her what happened, but it turned out well. Ann and Sheila in the office are always available, including nights and weekends, to help out, answer questions, and offer their full support. You can tell by their smiles and positive attitudes that they love their jobs and working with and for Kathy.
If you want the best realtor in the area, you need look no further than Kathy Carlson’s Imagination Realty.

Seven homeownership tax-time tips

Buying a home – particularly your first home – can be intimidating. Plunking down thousands of dollars for a downpayment is not to be taken lightly.

To many Americans, navigating the labyrinth of potential tax deductions and credits can feel like yet another burden of homeownership. But the good news is that with a little knowledge and the right documents to back you up, tax time can quickly move from being a chore to being a satisfying payday thanks to benefits and deductions on your annual return.

So how can you get the most out of your home this tax time? Here are seven important items for homeowners to note so they can unlock the biggest possible return.

1. PMI deduction survives – Thankfully for homeowners, legislators passed a package in December to extend a number of tax breaks – including one for Personal Mortgage Insurance (PMI).
2. Mortgage interest – This tax break alone opens the door for many taxpayers to itemize other, smaller breaks instead of settling for the standard deduction. Simply use Form 1098 if you have paid more than $600 in mortgage interest in the tax year.
3. Local real estate taxes – Many taxpayers overlook the fact that homeowners can deduct local, state and even foreign real estate taxes on their federal returns. There also may be special property tax benefits for lower-income homeowners based on your state or municipality of residence, so look into further breaks specific to your community.
4. Losses by weather, fire or theft – While obviously nobody wants a tree to fall on his house or for burglars to make off with his flat-screen TV, the IRS grants a break to any property or casualty loss that is more than 10 percent of your gross income and is not reimbursed by your insurance. Just remember that documentation is key, both to prove values and the circumstances of what was lost.
5. Renovations cut taxes at sale time – Though the majority of renovations you make on your home are not tax-deductible, that doesn’t mean you should simply throw out your documents – particularly if you’re in a hot real estate market or have an expensive property.
6. Selling costs count too – For those who sold a home in 2014, the commission paid to a real estate agent to sell your home is tax-deductible, as are any legal fees and closing costs.
7. Don’t forget moving expenses – If you moved more than 50 miles for a new job, you might be able to deduct moving expenses. And for the record, you must not only meet a distance test but also a time test.

For detailed information on the above mentioned hints, click this link: http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?p=3&id=321665

Celebration Real Estate Sales Totals for March 2015

Imagination Realty is pleased to provide the Celebration Real Estate Sales Totals for March 2015.

Please click the two links below to review the SOLD/CLOSED Single Family and Multifamily (condos, townhouses, villas) properties in Celebration as reported on the MLS.

Click the link below to see details of the 14 Single Family homes reported as SOLD/CLOSED.

http://mfr.mlsmatrix.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?k=3658417X8M08&p=DE-32654459-45

Click the link below to see details of the 9 Multi Family homes reported as SOLD/CLOSED.

http://mfr.mlsmatrix.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?k=3658417X8M08&p=DE-32654651-216

Looking Back – MLS Closed Statistics……..

March 2014: 20 Single Family – 11 Multi Family
April 2014: 15 Single Family – 14 Multi Family
May 2014: 19 Single Family – 11 Multi Family
June 2014: 10 Single Family – 12 Multi Family
July 2014: 10 Single Family – 16 Multi Family
August 2014: 14 Single Family – 12 Multi Family
September 2014: 16 Single Family – 20 Multi Family
October 2014: 14 Single Family – 9 Multi Family
November 2014: 14 Single Family – 22 Multi Family
December 2014: 12 Single Family – 17 Multi Family
January 2015: 3 Single Family – 15 Multi Family
February 2015: 12 Single Family – 5 Multi Family
March 2015: 14 Single Family – 9 Multi Family

If you would like us to research other parameters (time periods, specific price ranges, other areas),
please call or email Kathy Carlson at:
Kathy@ImaginationRealty.net
Courtesy of Imagination Realty
617 Celebration Ave
Direct # 407-361-7653

Visit us on our website at http://www.imaginationrealty.net/