The Missouri Property Tax Credit Claim gives credit to certain senior citizens and 100 percent disabled individuals for a portion of the real estate taxes. The credit is for a maximum of $1,100 for owners who owned and occupied their home.

Click here for the Property Tax Credit Qualification Chart.

Lake of the Ozarks – Tax Benefits of Second Home Ownership

The tax deductions you’re eligible to take for mortgage interest and property taxes greatly increase the financial benefits of second home-ownership and makes Lake of the Ozarks real estate an attractive investment that can be enjoyed by friends and family.  Here’s how it works.

You Purchase:

You have a loan of $150,000 for 30 years, at 7 percent (yes, they are much lower than this right now, but they won’t stay that way forever).  Your payment would be $997.95 per month.  The first payment is made, $122.75 goes to pay down the principal amount of the loan, and $875 is interest paid for that month.   You are allowed to deduct the interest portion of the payment (for this example we will keep the amount of interest paid at $875 for 12 months).

$10,500 = Mortgage interest paid
$  1,200 = Annual property tax
______

$11,700 = Total deduction

Then, multiply your total deduction by your tax rate.

For example, at a 33 percent tax rate: 11,700 x 0.33 = $3,861

$3,861 = Amount you have lowered your federal income tax (at 33 percent tax rate)

Note: Mortgage interest may not be deductible on loans over $1.1 million. In addition, deductions are decreased when total income reaches a certain level.

Call John Garrett with any questions about Lake of the Ozark real estate.  573-480-6420.

Lake of the Ozarks Common Closing Costs for Buyers

When you buy a house at the Lake of the Ozarks, you’ll be glad to know that Missouri is one of the lowest closing costs state in the US. This along with low interest rates and great seller concessions make it an ideal time to buy at the Lake.

You’ll likely be responsible for a variety of fees and expenses that you and the seller will have to pay at the time of closing. Your lender must provide a good-faith estimate of all settlement costs. The title company or other entity conducting the closing will tell you the required amount for:

• Down payment
• Loan origination
• Points, or loan discount fees, which you pay to receive a lower interest rate
• Home inspection
• Appraisal
• Credit report
• Private mortgage insurance premium
• Insurance escrow for homeowner’s insurance, if being paid as part of the mortgage
• Property tax escrow, if being paid as part of the mortgage. Lenders keep funds for taxes and insurance in escrow accounts as they are paid with the mortgage, then pay the insurance or taxes for you.
• Deed recording
• Title insurance policy premiums
• Land survey
• Notary fees
• Prorations for your share of costs, such as utility bills and property taxes

A Note about Prorations: Because such costs are usually paid on either a monthly or yearly basis, you might have to pay a bill for services used by the sellers before they moved. Proration is a way for the sellers to pay you back or for you to pay them for bills they may have paid in advance. For example, the gas company usually sends a bill each month for the gas used during the previous month. But assume you buy the home on the 6^th of the month. You would owe the gas company for only the days from the 6^th to the end for the month. The seller would owe for the first five days. The bill would be prorated for the number of days in the month, and then each person would be responsible for the days of his or her ownership.  Call John Garrett Prudential Lake Ozark Realty at 573-480-6420 with any questions. 

If searching the Lake of the Ozarks area for foreclosures, you’ll notice in the MLS comments a line that reads “This is a Fannie Mae HomePath property you can purchase for as little as 3% down.”

Sounds great, right? The problem is that it must be your primary residence to qualify for this low down payment option. The good news is you can buy with as little as 10% down, IF you use the right lender.

John Garrett is an expert on getting these kind of deals done. Call him to get started today, having your financing in order makes all the difference, especially in these challenging times. 573-480-6420

Lake of the Ozarks Condominiums sold in May were a strong dollar volume of $8,560,140. The average sale price was $174,697. That is much higher than the yearly average of $159,515.

An early preview of June sales shows fewer 2011 sales year to date, but a higher average sale price and a higher price per square foot.

Foreclosures sold in June 2011month to date were 2, the same period in 2010 there were 6 foreclosure sales. Foreclosure condos sales are definitely declining this year over last.

Here are a few good commercial or rental residential deals in Lake Ozark/Osage Beach. Now is a great time to buy one of these properties, the rental market is very strong and there is no new construction to compete with. At these prices, you will not have competition for these properties in the future either. You can 1031 exchange another highly appreciated property and start a new depreciation schedule, or even use your self directed IRA to buy one of these great opportunities.

Call John Garrett for details. 573-480-6420

Lake of the Ozarks Fannie Mae listings get 3.5% closing closing costs paid for the next quarter!

I had several buyers last year take advantage of this, it really is a great program with no strings attached.

E-mail me for a current list of Fannie Mae properties.  John Garrett 573-480-6420

Let’s hope #2 is proven to be true this year at the Lake of the Ozarks!

Daily Real Estate News  | December 10, 2010  | Share 5 Predictions for 2011
Freddie Mac analysts point to five features that they believe will likely characterize the 2011 housing and mortgage markets:

1. Low mortgage rates. With Fed observers expecting the central bank to keep the federal funds rate at its current target range of 0 percent to 0.25 percent for most (or all) of 2011, relatively low mortgage rates will be a feature of the 2011 mortgage market. Thirty-year fixed-rate loans are likely to remain below 5 percent throughout the year, and initial rates of 5/1 hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages will likely remain below 4 percent in 2011.

2. Prices have hit bottom. House prices are likely to begin a gradual, but sustained recovery in the second half of 2011.

3. Housing will remain affordable. With affordability high, many first-time buyers will be attracted to the housing market in the New Year, likely translating into more home sales in 2011 than in 2010.

4. Refinances will dwindle. Many eligible borrowers have already refinanced and the federal Making Home Affordable refinance program is expiring on June 30. While fixed-rate loans are likely to remain low, they will move up gradually, making it even less likely that refinances will be attractive to most home owners.

5. Delinquency rates will decline. Based on the last several business cycles, the share of loans that are 90 or more days delinquent or in foreclosure proceedings — known as the “seriously delinquent rate” — generally crests within a year of the start of the recovery in payroll employment, and this economic recovery appears to fit within that pattern. Payrolls began to rise last January, and by the spring the seriously delinquent rate had begun to fall.

Source: Freddie Mac (12/09/2010)

That is higher than the average sale at REMAX Lake of the Ozarks.  For Information on The Villages, Porto Cima, or and other Luxury homes at the Lake of the Ozarks, call the Luxury Experts.

John Garrett, Broker Sales Prudential Lake Ozark Realty. 573-480-6420

All property types sold in February 2010 totaled $24,183,890.  The same time period last year was $16,154,427.  That is an increase of 50%.  Average sale price was up as well an impressive $39%.