A tax tip for this week

Happy New Year

If you bought or sold real estate  last year 2011, make sure you have a copy of your HUD or settlement statement. You will need this when you file your taxes so make sure to keep it in a safe place!

Longmont Parade of Lights 2011

Bring in the holiday season with family and friends at the Longmont parade of lights. Dec 9-10th from 5-8pm. Visit with Santa and his reindeer or take a ride around town on a horse-drawn trolley. Sit at the fire pit with a warm cup of hot coco while watching amazing fireworks sponsored by yours truly Wright Kingdom Real Estate.

Scheduled Events (schedule courtesy of City of Longmont website)

Friday, December 9^th:

Longmont Lights in Roosevelt Park: 5 to 8 pm

A visit with Santa & his friends: 5 to 8 pm

Visit Santa on this magical evening. This parent/child activity is geared for children ages 10 and under. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the moments. Free.

Hot Cocoa Carts: 5 to 8 pm

Enjoy a free cup of hot cocoa from one of the hot cocoa carts in Roosevelt Park at the Fire Pits. Sponsored by Longmont Meals on Wheels. Free.

Reindeer Visit: 5 to 8 pm

Enjoy a visit with two live reindeer outside the front of the St Vrain Memorial Building.

Trolley Rides: 5 to 8 pm

Take an accessible horse-drawn trolley ride around Old Town Longmont. Trolley rides begin and end on the east side of the Longmont Senior Center. Free.

Fire Pits, Carolers: 5 to 8 pm

Visit the warmth of the fire pits as you walk around Roosevelt Park and see the millions of lights sparkle!

Ice Carving: 5 to 8pm

Enjoy custom ice carvings by Jess Parrish that celebrates Longmont Lights by the Rose Garden in the south side of Roosevelt Park.

Holiday Ice Show: 6:30 to 8 pm

As part of the 2011 Longmont Lights celebration, the City’s Ice Pavilion hosted a Holiday Ice Show featuring ice skating instructors and professionals from the Denver area performing on Friday, December 9, 2011.

 

Night Parachute Drop : 7:45 pm – weather permitting

Mile High Skydiving Club proudly sponsors the pyrotechnic night parachute drop at 8pm in Roosevelt Park.

Sounds of the Holiday: 6:30 to 8 pm

Enjoy the holiday sounds of the Longmont Concert Band at the Longmont Senior Center. The Longmont Concert Band is a nonprofit organization composed of volunteer musicians whose goals are to provide quality concert band music to the general public, to provide a fun and invigorating atmosphere for local amateur musicians to create music, and to increase the sense of community in the local area by being active participants in local events. While you are there enjoying the Longmont Concert Band’s music, enjoy hot cocoa and cookies!

Saturday, December 10^th:

Parade line-up begins at 3:30pm along the streets of Longs Peak Avenue and Bross Street.

2011 Parade Marshall: P.K. Bonde is a retired vice president of flight operations for United Airlines, and U.S. Army Air Corps and U.S. Air Force pilot, as well as a 2011 inductee into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame. Read more about P.K. Bonde.

Longmont Lights in Roosevelt Park:5 to 8 pm Longmont Lights Holiday Parade, 5 pm

This year’s theme is “Lights on Parade .” Main Street will be illuminated with more than 60 floats twinkling with lights.Come watch this magical parade filled with marching toy soldiers, high school marching bands, ice castles, 12-ft. balloons, costumed characters and much more.

Extended viewing route continued in 2011! The parade will proceed from 3rd avenue up to 8th avenue, creating an extra block of viewing space for spectators!

Download map of parade route.

Download 2011 Longmont Lights Parade Line-Up.

Fireworks: 6:30 pm – weather permitting

Fireworks will fill the air at Roosevelt Park (north end of the St. Vrain Memorial Building) following the parade.

Hot Cocoa Carts: 5 to 8 pm

Enjoy a free cup of hot cocoa from one of the hot cocoa carts in Roosevelt Park at the fire pits. Sponsored by Longmont Meals on Wheels.

 

Fire Pits, Carolers: 5 to 8 pm

Visit the warmth of the fire pits as you walk around Roosevelt Park and enjoy the millions of lights!

Sounds of the Holiday Season: 6:45 to 8 pm

Enjoy the music of two different groups at the Longmont Senior Center! From 6:45-7:15, enjoy the performance of the New Creations Worship Choir. At 7:15, enjoy the all-female band Take Note. Take Note is a group of musically talented women based in Longmont singing Jazz, Holiday Favorites, Religious Hymns, Broadway Classics and much more. While you are there, enjoy a free cup of hot cocoa and a cookie!

Hope to see you there!

Do you love art?

Looking for something to do this weekend. Its a free day at the Denver Art  Museum Dec 3. Pack up your friends and family and spend a wonderful day indoors looking at breath taking artwork

Real Estate Investments Trusts

According to The Wall Street Journal and Citigroup Global Markets, So far this year, investors have poured roughly $6 billion into publicly traded funds of U.S. real-estate investment trusts, or REITs, which mostly buy commercial properties like apartment buildings, office parks and shopping malls. That is up 18% from all of 2010 and 400% from 2009, and a pace unseen since before the financial crisis. Given investors appetite for income, this is not a surprising move. Some commercial real estate hasn’t gone through the same prolonged slump as the residential market and recovered a while ago.

Now is the time to buy a home!

I just read this great article about how now is a great time to buy a home. I know…. You probably feel like you have been hearing this over and over again. Now is a great time to buy…… Now is a great time to buy…… Now is a great time to buy. Guess what???? It is a great time to buy a home and here’s why:

• It’s a great time to buy a home to live in for the long run, or investment income (but not to fix and flip)
• The nation’s ratio of house prices to yearly rents is nearly restored to its prebubble average
• When mortgage rates are taken into consideration, houses are the most affordable
  they have been in decades
• 30 year fixed mortgages with good credit are down to 4.12%  this week. Even lower last week at 3.94%
• It is becoming cheaper to buy a home then it is to rent

Here’s an example: Lets say you but a home in the Phoenix for $121, 700 with 20% down and a rate of 4.12%. Your monthly payment will be $420. For a comparable home to rent your monthly payment would be $1,100. Come on…. now this is a brainer. Wouldn’t you rather buy a home and save money?? Go ahead read the whole article!!! http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970204774604576629443313035736-lMyQjAxMTAxMDAwNzEwNDcyWj.html?mod=wsj_share_email

Foreclosures fell 6% in September from August

According to Realty Trac foreclosure filings dropped below $215,000 in September 2011.  Colorado sits just below the US average of foreclosures per capita for september 2011, while Nevada, California, and Arizona are amongst the highest. North Dakota, District of Columbia and Vermont are amongst the lowest. If you would like to read more please visit http://themortgagereports.com/7013/buy-a-foreclosed-home-get-a-great-low-mortgage-rate.

Correct Way To Shop A Mortgage

If you are looking to buy or  just refinance this article titled The Right Way To Shop For A Mortgage is a great place to start. It covers topics such as:  Don’t comparison shop by APR, Solve for a single variable, Option 1: Shop by mortgage rate, Option 2: Shop by mortgage fees, and You can’t shop for two variables at once.

Great News For Wright Kingdom!

And the award goes to…….. Wright Kingdom for the Best Real Estate Company/Office.

Income Tax Distribution

Looks like the rich are paying their fair share don’t ya think?

http://www.spesend.net/CampResource/2R0QE581I062LWKG/6/text.pdf

What Homeownership Expenses are not Tax-Deductible

Most people know that with owning a home comes great tax breaks….Home mortgage interest rate, property taxes. Here are some of the expenses that cannot be deducted:

• insurance (other than mortgage  insurance premiums), including fire, title and homeowners insurance;
• rent for occupying the home before  closing;
• wages you pay for domestic help;
• depreciation;
• the cost of utilities, such as  gas, electricity, or water; or
• forfeited deposits, down payments,  or earnest money.