WaMu cuts 1,200 more jobs

Posted by Housing Wire staff on Jun 19th, 2008
2008
Jun 19
We’d heard rumors about this, via MarketWatch: Washington Mutual said Thursday that it is cutting 1,200 more jobs as part of the lender’s efforts to reduce costs and return to profitability. More than half of the job cuts — 775 positions — are in California and Florida, two formerly booming real estate markets that have been [...]

Tax Benefits for Home Owners

Posted by eddie on Jun 19th, 2008
2008
Jun 19

You might have heard about all the tax benefits that you can get if you are a home owner. Well, some people understand that this can be a possibility, but they do not understand how to take advantage of it. Well, today is your lucky day! The following are some of the ways that you can take advantage of your tax breaks while you are a home owner. Make sure that you are setting yourself up to be in the best position possible, because you want to take advantage of anything that can help you financially. Let’s read on and talk about some different tax breaks that might be possible for you, now that you are a home owner.

Interest on Your Primary Residence

If you have your first mortgage and you pay interest and principal each month, or if you have an interest only mortgage then this is for you. You will receive a Form 1098 from your lender at the end of each year. You will submit this with your tax returns like normal. The result could be that your taxes decrease or the amount that you get back will increase. You need to make sure that your tax preparer, or if you prepared them yourself, that everything is included. If you are able to get some of your interest back then you need to.

Interest on a Second Mortgage

If you have a second mortgage on your own then you can also look to gain some money back. If the total amount of your loans does not exceed what your home is worth, and you the interest you have paid is under $100,000 then you will be in line to get some if not most of that money back. If you have more loans out that exceed the value of your home then you will be able to write off some of those charges if you can prove that the money was actually spent on home improvements. This is why it is important to use a second mortgage wisely.

Property Taxes to State and Local Governments

You can gain some of the money that you pay in taxes to your state, your city, or your local taxes. This is also going to be based on your home’s assessed value, and everyone around you must be paying property taxes as well. The assessed value is the local government’s estimate of the value of your home. This value could even be lower then what your home is actually worth. Sometimes this value will come about even though no inspector has looked at your home. This is why it is important that your home is accurately judged.

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Feds Charge More than 400 with Mortgage Fraud

Posted by Paul Jackson on Jun 19th, 2008
2008
Jun 19
The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation said at a press conference today that more than 400 people have been charged across 144 mortgage fraud cases spanning March 1 to June 18, in a sting operation dubbed “Operation Malicious Mortgage.” Yesterday alone, 60 cooridinated arrests were made in mortgage fraud-related cases spanning 15 [...]

Feds Charge More than 400 with Mortgage Fraud

Posted by Paul Jackson on Jun 19th, 2008
2008
Jun 19
The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation said at a press conference today that more than 400 people have been charged across 144 mortgage fraud cases spanning March 1 to June 18, in a sting operation dubbed “Operation Malicious Mortgage.” Yesterday alone, 60 cooridinated arrests were made in mortgage fraud-related cases spanning 15 [...]
2008
Jun 19
Mortgage rates continued their upward climb this week, as growing concern over inflation overshadowed concerns of a slowing economy. Freddie Mac (FRE: 23.13, -1.32%) said Thursday morning that its weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey found rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.42 percent, with an average 0.7 point, for the week ending June [...]
2008
Jun 19
Mortgage rates continued their upward climb this week, as growing concern over inflation overshadowed concerns of a slowing economy. Freddie Mac (FRE: 23.13, -1.32%) said Thursday morning that its weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey found rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.42 percent, with an average 0.7 point, for the week ending June [...]

Big mortgage fraud bust to be announced Thursday afternoon

Posted by Housing Wire staff on Jun 19th, 2008
2008
Jun 19
CNN is reporting this morning that an investigation by the FBI and Justice Department has netted arrests of more than 300 alleged perps tied to various mortgage fraud rings across the country, totaling more than $1 billion in the aggregate. Citing an unnamed government source, CNN said most of the arrests were made yesterday in Miami, [...]

Big mortgage fraud bust to be announced Thursday afternoon

Posted by Housing Wire staff on Jun 19th, 2008
2008
Jun 19
CNN is reporting this morning that an investigation by the FBI and Justice Department has netted arrests of more than 300 alleged perps tied to various mortgage fraud rings across the country, totaling more than $1 billion in the aggregate. Citing an unnamed government source, CNN said most of the arrests were made yesterday in Miami, [...]

Former Bear Stearns Mortgage Fund Managers Arrested

Posted by Paul Jackson on Jun 19th, 2008
2008
Jun 19
Federal officials arrested two former hedge fund managers from once high-flying Bear Stearns Cos. on Thursday morning, in a very public display by officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York office. Both Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin were taken into custody at their homes, and processed at FBI headquarters in Manhattan; both men [...]

Former Bear Stearns Mortgage Fund Managers Arrested

Posted by Paul Jackson on Jun 19th, 2008
2008
Jun 19
Federal officials arrested two former hedge fund managers from once high-flying Bear Stearns Cos. on Thursday morning, in a very public display by officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York office. Both Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin were taken into custody at their homes, and processed at FBI headquarters in Manhattan; both men [...]

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