Check out our new Hood River Real Estate Resource Center!

Here’s the deal:

1. There is no easy clearing house for Hood River Rental Real Estate that works in both directions
2. Copperwest is right downtown, and we have so many people looking to lease and looking to lease their homes that we thought….
3. If we helped connect the Leasees and the Lessors, that would probably be a good thing.
4. So come in, if you are looking for a place to lease, or have a place to lease. When you post something, we’ll leave it up for about a month.
5. If you have a place to lease, you can post, and then call the people who are looking
6. If you need a place, you can post, and then call the people who have a place.
7. Yes, we know it’s not very high tech. Remember. Free is a very good price.

Here’s the video version of the view from here!

The written breakdown:

1. Good month for Hood River Real Estate

2. Underwriting continues to be tricky

3. Some Hood River Westside neighborhoods have “written down” in value

4. But Prices for Hood River Properties in general have been getting very attractive, and with interest rates being low, along with soft prices…….

Well, you get the picture! See you next month!

Check it out!

Click Here to see the “Havens” Article in the New York Times on Hood River.

The Home Valuation Code of Conduct is going into effect on May 1st. Here’s a quick breakdown of what it is.

For more information, go to this post, I put a link here for people who want to read the whole thing. It’s only seven pages, and the FAQ sheet is pretty comprehensive.

We are going to try something new this month. Video blog entry. See what you think.

The breakdown is as follows:
Buyers are still waiting for a signal to move off the sidelines
In a slightly declining market, the best Seller’s strategy is to “get ahead of it” on price
This is causing some areas in town, to reset.
Makes for an interesting time right now!

Attended a few meetings last week: Take Aways were:
1. Rural is a cool place to be right now. Lots of interest and inbound residents
2. Pent up Buyer pool will firm up prices once they start moving off the sidelines.

IR-2009-14, Feb. 25, 2009

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that taxpayers who qualify for the first-time homebuyer credit and purchase a home this year before Dec. 1 have a special option available for claiming the tax credit either on their 2008 tax returns due April 15 or on their 2009 tax returns next year.

Qualifying taxpayers who buy a home this year before Dec. 1 can get up to $8,000, or $4,000 for married filing separately.

“For first-time homebuyers this year, this special feature can put money in their pockets right now rather than waiting another year to claim the tax credit,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “This important change gives qualifying homebuyers cash they do not have to pay back.”

The IRS has posted a revised version of Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit, on IRS.gov. The revised form incorporates provisions from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The instructions to the revised Form 5405 provide additional information on who can and cannot claim the credit, income limitations and repayment of the credit.

This year, qualifying taxpayers who buy a home before Dec. 1, 2009, can claim the credit on either their 2008 or 2009 tax returns. They do not have to repay the credit, provided the home remains their main home for 36 months after the purchase date. They can claim 10 percent of the purchase price up to $8,000, or $4,000 for married individuals filing separately.

The amount of the credit begins to phase out for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is more than $75,000, or $150,000 for joint filers.

For purposes of the credit, you are considered to be a first-time homebuyer if you, and your spouse if you are married, did not own any other main home during the three-year period ending on the date of purchase.

The IRS also alerted taxpayers that the new law does not affect people who purchased a home after April 8, 2008, and on or before Dec. 31, 2008. For these taxpayers who are claiming the credit on their 2008 tax returns, the maximum credit remains 10 percent of the purchase price, up to $7,500, or $3,750 for married individuals filing separately. In addition, the credit for these 2008 purchases must be repaid in 15 equal installments over 15 years, beginning with the 2010 tax year.