Today, House Bill 261 was signed by Governor Sonny Perdue. This bill provides an $1800 tax credit which would be taken over three years. This bill is immediately in effect and is meant to spur the housing market. The amount of the credit will either be $1800 or 1.2 percent of the purchase price (whichever is less).

If you are a first time home buyer, this tax credit would be in addition to the $8000 federal credit. Eligible properties include single family residences including condos, previously occupied homes that were listed for sale before May 11, 2009 and are still listed, and bank owned properties. The bill did not include investment properties.

The goal of this bill is obviously to provide an incentive to move current inventory and to get would be home buyers back in the game. If you, or anyone you know, are ready to purchase a home, Signature Lending Group would love an opportunity to earn your business and to help you take advantage of the new tax savings. We are more than willing to hold your hand throughout the entire process. Call us anytime at 678-387-5580.

In recent months, I have been talking to you about the “window of opportunity” when it comes to mortgage lending.  As I type this post, rates are within a half a point of the lowest rates in country’s history.  If you have been sitting on the fence waiting for 4% interest rates, here are a few items to be mindful of:

1)  I have reviewed key components of Obama’s Stimulus Package – and nothing in the plan guarantees 4% mortgage interest rates the media keeps talking about.  In fact, as Fed Chairman Ben Bernacke alluded in his March 15th “60 Minutes” interview, the Fed’s long term plan is to raise rates as the economy shows signs of recovery.

2)  Lenders are continuing to tighten guidelines, which means:

       a)  Credit scores needed to qualify have increased significantly in the last 30 days.  I expect this trend to continue.

       b)  Many lenders are asking borrowers for larger down payments than in recent years.  Fortunately, Signature Lending Group is still offering programs with as little as 3.5% down on FHA loans. 

Again, my message here is that we are very likely entering the late stages of our “window of opportunity”.  If you or someone you know are wondering if the time is right to purchase a new home or refinance an existing one, please call me immediately.  I promise to give you the straight answers that will help you make the most of these chaotic economic times.

Chuck Walden, President

Signature Lending Group, Inc

678-387-5580

According to the Washington Post this morning, the Treasury Department is considering intervening into the mortgage market.  This intervention would dramatically force down interest rates.   They are actually talking about driving rates down to an interest rate of no more than 4.5%.  The National Association of Realtors feels this would definitly boost the housing market.  In the meantime, if you are considering refinancing your current residence, DO NOT wait for the rates to drop.  You need to go ahead and get your application in and ready to go with a target in mind.  Signature Lending Group has been ramping up thier staff for months in anticipation of the huge influx of applications.  The time is now.  Do not hesitate or you may miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

I spent some time looking at available homes today in Trilogy Park.  I’ve looked at A LOT of houses in the last few years, so it’s pretty hard to surprise me.  Especially with a new construction house from a known builder, I can pretty much guess what it’s going to look like on the inside — give or take a few details.

Well, that was not the case today.  This Trilogy Park home really blew me away.  First of all, it has a 3 car garage which is pretty rare in Trilogy — and not very common at all in the $300’s.  It felt like it was twice as large as many of the other homes in Trilogy.  I’m sure it was not really twice as large, but I bet it was 800 to 1000 feet larger.  What a terrific layout with 5 bedrooms upstairs and a huge loft too.

Trilogy Park in Hoschton

I’m working on getting a floor plan to post here too.

We spent some time up in Hoschton this weekend. Didn’t sell much real estate, but we saw a LOT of scarecrows! The city of Hoschton has set a new record with some 4400 scarecrows now lining the roadside. It’s just a few miles up the road from Hamilton Mill. Take hwy 124 up past the Mill Creek Schools and turn right when you reach hwy 53.

Originally posted on HamiltonMillDwellings.com