Tips on Cutting Your Business Taxes

As the calendar turns to another year, it's time to get 2008 tax information in order. Taking advantage of all opportunities can reduce the burden. Here are some opportunities, courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service, that are not widely known. If they don.t apply to your 2008 returns, this is a good time to consider them for the new year. In hiring, consider taking advantage of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

This was designed to provide an incentive to hire from certain groups with particularly high unemployment rates, including urban youths, government assistance recipients, ex-convicts, veterans and vocational rehabilitation referrals. The credit has been extended a number of time. Now it's combined with the welfare to work tax credit and extended through August 31, 2001. The combined credit is available for employers hiring from one or more of nine targeted groups. Depending on the group and circumstances, the maximum credit per employee ranges from $1,200 for qualified summer youth employees to $5,000 for long term family assistance recipients. If you own real estate, you might benefit from cost segregation.

Real estate holdings represent a significant capital investment. Cost segregation carves out shorter lived assets, which qualify for five, seven and 15 year write off periods, normally embedded in a building's construction or acquisition cost, and thus depreciated over 38 years. Reclassifying assets and accelerating depreciation could bring tax savings and easier write offs when items become obsolete. Reclassifying assets is most effective for property valued at $1 million or more. For retailers that are considering buying equipment, enhanced Section 179 may help. The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 has two incentives for business that purchase, tangible personal property, for use in the business. The first enhancement Section 179 is expensing.

For property placed in use during the 2008 tax year, business can deduct up to $250,000. the deduction begins to phase out if the business spends more that $800,000. Before the Act, the Section 179 expense limit was up to $238,000, with a phase out beginning at $510,000. What property qualifies? Generally, the property must be newly purchased tangible personal property, actively used in the business and for which a depreciation deduction would be allowed. It must be used more than 50 percent for business.

Bonus depreciation is back, offering another incentive to purchase equipment. It is the second incentive in the Economic Stimulus Act. This incentive was used after 9/11 and after the gulf cost hurricanes, to encourage businesses to invest. The new law provides qualifying taxpayers 50 percent first year bonus depreciation of the adjusted basis of qualifying property.

To claim bonus depreciation, the assets must be new, qualified property put into service after December 31, 2007. Qualified property must be: "Property with a depreciation recovery period of 20 years or less." "Depreciable computer software that is not amortizable over 15 years." "Water utility property." "Qualified leashold improvement property." If purchasing equipment isn't practical, there are tax advantages to leasing. If you lease your equipment, you are allowed a full write off of lease expenses each year, no matter the size of your business or the dollar value of the leases.

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How to make sure you get the highest price for your mortgage note.

How to make sure you get the highest price for your mortgage note.

1. Buyer's credit.
   The better the credit rating of the buyers, the more valuable your note.
   1. If they are a husband and wife, find out the credit rating of both of them. many time the wife is earning more than the husband.
   2. If you don't have a credit report, you can order a free report from us.
2. Sale price of real estate.
   If this is MORE than the actual value of the real estate expect to take a bigger discount when you sell the note. An experienced note buyer wants to have some equity in the property in case the buyer defaults.
3. Third party buyer.
   If you sell to a family member or friend you WILL have difficulty collecting your payments.
4. Actual, provable value of the real estate.
   If you are taking back a first mortgage note there is no legal reason to have an appraisal. But if you intend to SELL the note, any experienced note buyer will want to know what the property is worth. It may be harder to access the property and have an appraisal done after you close on the sale.
   
5. Loan to Value ratio. LTV.
   For a note to be marketable the total LTV, that is including the first and second mortgage (if any) should be no more than 75% of the actual value of the property. However, if the buyer's credit is good, this 75% could refer to the Investment to Value or ITV. In other words, the amount the note buyer is investing in the note. Thus if the property is worth $100,000 and the buyer has put down a 10% payment and has a $90,000 mortgage, you could get $75,000 (75% of the value) for your note.
6. Who are the buyers?
   If the buyers are husband and wife they BOTH need to sign the note. If the buyer is a corporation, trust or LLC then make sure the principals also PERSONALLY sign the note. If they refuse to do so this could be an indication they will let the note default if the deal doesn't work out for them. Of of, this need not apply if the buyer is a substantial corporation. (I wouldn't ask Bill Gates to personally sign on a note from Microsoft. :-) But how about a note from WorldCom or Enron?) If the borrower is NOT a substantial corporation then the note could be either unsaleable or only saleable at a much larger discount to reflect the lack of personal liability.
7. Seasoning, aging.
   There is no doubt that a seasoned note, where the buyers have made payments for a year or more, is easier to sell and will get a higher price  than a new one. But of course you won't have this option if you want to do a simultaneous closing.
8. Institutional lender allows secondary financing.
   There are many institutional lenders, banks etc. that will not allow secondary financing behind their note. Why not? After all, their lien is senior anyway. One answer is simply that they do not want to the borrower to be stretched to make their payments. Also they would sooner the buyer put down more cash or pay for mortgage insurance (a fancy way of saying a higher interest rate.)
9. Loan properly secured.
   If your mortgage is a second mortgage, it should be a properly recorded mortgage or deed of trust to comply with your local laws. Any documentary and intangible taxes should be paid. Without this the mortgage may be unenforceable.
10. Title insurance.
    You should have proper mortgagee's title insurance.
11. Rights with respect to first mortgage, if you hold a second.
    If you are holding a second mortgage it should contain language to the effect that a default on the first mortgage is a default on the second. Also that you, as second mortgage holder have the right to check on the payment status of the first.
    
12. Interest rate.
    Other things being equal, the higher the interest rate, the higher the price you will receive. But be aware of laws concerning Usury and Predatory lending. A below market interest rate will demand a hefty discount to be saleable.
    
13. Length of note to short.
    Typically it is hard to sell a note with a short balloon, or a balloon due in just 6-12 months. The note buyer will be concerned that the borrower won't be able to refinance and pay them off.
    But a loan with for example, 3-5 years to run, and a 30-year amortization is going to be saleable, other things being equal.
14. Length of note too long.
    The note buyer won't usually want to wait 30 years to get paid off, but these notes can often be sold to institutional note buyers.

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Creative Real Estate Funding for Buyers and Sellers

When it comes to selling real estate, one of the biggest obstacles sellers face is a so-called “depressed” market. Even when a property is highly desirable, it can be hard to get the price you want in this real estate environment. You could end up losing a lot of time, money, and opportunities, waiting for a “perfect buyer” who may NEVER materialize!
The traditional solution is to drop your asking price. But this common strategy doesn’t always work in your favor. In fact, it can work against you, making your home seem undesirable and your position seem weak.

But there IS a way to turn this challenge into a profitable opportunity! I am not selling anything. I am in the business of paying cash for mortgage notes and trust deeds.

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Mortgage Note Buyers Helping You Get The Most Money For Selling Your Mortgage Note

All mortgage note holders want to know more about selling their mortgage note. Don't you?

Well, the popular way to get a lump sum of cash for your future payments is by using a mortgage note buyer.
Most people don't realize they have different creative options when using a contract buyer that can keep them from getting the most money for their owner-financed mortgage note.

It may seem scary or challenging, but truly it is not, unless you do not know the answer to this question.

Can I receive cash now and still hold part of the note? In other words, do I have to sell all of my note at once?

At first glance, this may seem obvious that this is the best choice because it will get you the most money up front. For some people, it is. When it comes down to it, it is up to you and your needs. If you need or want a large all cash payment and want to be out of the deal, rid of headaches and worries of a default buyer, avoid destruction of property, taxes and insurance, and would like a larger sum of money now instead of collecting small monthly checks, then a full sale is best.

But let 's take a look at some more needs. If you are just looking to get a
larger down or some money to take care of some immediate needs or
pleasures, then a partial payment may be better. Maybe you just want to
lessen the amount of strain or burden of carrying the note and would like to sell just a portion of each monthly payment. Then a split payment option will be better for you. (This way you can go on vacation, consolidate debt buy a new car...)

What is a partial? A partial is the purchase of a portion of an income streams remaining payments, or a purchase of a portion of a specific payment, or any combination thereof.

There are many times when this may make sense. Let 's say that you have a new note and it has not been seasoned (length of time that a note has been in place and paid on), it has little or no down payment, and has poor credit by the payer. In this case, it would be better to sell only part of the future payments. It will get you more money in the long run because the mortgage note buyer would have less risk should the buyer default on the note. Then after the note has experienced seasoning you could sale the rest of the payments at a much higher percentage.

Let 's look at an example of this:
Sales price: $100,000
Down payment: $5,000
Original note balance: $95,000
Payers credit: poor
Seasoning: 1 month
Appraised property value: $100,000
Term: 360 months
Interest: 10%
Remaining payments: 359

This is a low quality note because the buyer is not putting much money down,
the pay back period is very long, and the buyer 's credit is bad. But you could still make out like a bandit by selling it as a partial. Let 's say you sold the first 120 payments (10 years) for $51,000. After the 120th payment, the contract would be returned back to you. The balance owed to you would be $86,391.12. You would then start to collect the payments from then on. Let 's see how this looks.

Sales price: $100,000
Down payment: $5,000
Original note balance: $95,000
Contract written for 30 years @ 10%
Monthly payment: $833.69
Note buyer purchases first 120 payments for: $51,000
Total cash to home seller $56,000
(down payment + cash from note buyer)
After 120 payments contract is returned to you with a balance of $86,391.12

Total money to you: $142,391.12 (including interest). Not shabby for a house that sold for $100,000.

So, what is a Split?

A split is a purchase of a specified monthly amount. If you're getting to the point where you would like to enjoy some of the finer things in life, while still receiving a good monthly income, then a split payment is a great choice for you.

For example, if the monthly payment on a seller-financed note is $1,000, we could purchase $200, $500, $750, etc. of the monthly payment. This will allow you to get cash now and then still collect a monthly income from the note.

All in all, each situation is different and may need to be tailored differently to meet your needs. I can't say exactly what you will get for your individual situation, but I can say that you should walk away happy. Selling your mortgage note should be much easier and more profitable now that you are armed with some creative options.

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How To Figure Out Mortgage Payments Without a Mortgage Calculator

In today 's world, taking out a mortgage is necessary for anyone who wants to invest in real estate or simply wants to put a roof over his head. Usually, to find out what a mortgage payment will be on a particular property, a potential buyer needs to contact a Realtor or bank to get a quote.

By contacting either one, the buyer risks harassment from a Realtor who won't let go of a qualified buyer, or a lender who needs to lend mortgage money to stay in business. Any buyer in his right mind will only go to one of these salespeople when he is ready to go full speed ahead toward a closing.

So, what does a person who is in the early thinking stages of buying a home do? How do you know what the payment will be on a house a seller is asking $250,000 for when the bank is advertising 30-year mortgages at 7%?

By the end of this article you will be making such a calculation in your head. You will be sprouting out the answer to complicated home buying scenarios just as fast as you can find the terms on the mortgage and the price on the house.

$66.53 a Month

First, remember this: $10,000 borrowed for 30 years at 7% will require a monthly payment of $66.53. So, it stands to reason $100,000 for 30 years at 7% requires a monthly payment of $665.30. Also take note you could figure out on a piece of paper with a pencil, $50,000 for 30 years at 7% is $332.65.

Knowing these figures, you automatically know a $250,000 mortgage at 7% for 30 years will require a payment of $665.30 (for $100,000) and another $665.30 (for the next $100,000) and $332.65 (for $50,000). This means the payment will be $1,663.25, or really, really close. A mortgage calculator gives the answer as $1,663.26, but for a wild guess, I'll take it.

A 6% or an 8% Mortgage

Of course, here you ask, "What if I find a mortgage with a lower interest rate?" Well in that case, remember this, $10,000 borrowed for 30 years at 6% costs the borrower $59.96 a month. This means a $1,000,000 mortgage for 30 years at 6% will be 100 times $59.96 or, a monthly payment of $5,996.00. Now, certainly that was easy. All we had to do was add 2 zeros!

Okay, what about if the interest rate is 8%? Here, a 30-year mortgage for $10,000 is $73.38 each month. So a $300,000 mortgage will come at a cost of 30 times that or, $2,201.40 a month.

How About a 71/4% Mortgage?

In reality, most times interest rates will not be exactly 6 or 7, or 8%. Even when this is the case, you still don't need a mortgage calculator. If you read about a 30-year $260,000 mortgage at 71/4%, for instance, and you want to know what the monthly payment will be, here 's what you do. Are you ready? Guess!

That 's right! Just guess! You know 7% will cost you $66.53 per $10,000 a month and 8% will cost $73.38 per $10,000 a month. You also know 71/4 is somewhere on the lower side between 7 and 8 so take a guess how much 71/4% will cost per $10,000 a month. My guess would be maybe, $68.50?

I'll go with that. So, since it is a $260,000 mortgage we're trying to figure the payment for, we will multiply 26 (260,000 / 10,000) X $68.50. The answer is: $1,781.

When I run $260,000 at 71/4% for 30 years through a mortgage payment calculator the answer comes out $1,773.66. So, our answer wasn't precisely right, but it was pretty close.

In a case like this, even if we came out with an answer that is $20-$30 off, who cares? Before the real mortgage payment is determined, the cost of a homeowner 's insurance policy and property taxes will have to be calculated anyway. So, the best anybody can do at this point is guess.

There you have it. Now, you're a human calculator! As long as you're only concerned with 30-year mortgages, and today 's going interest rates, which are 6% to 8%, you can figure out mortgage payments in your head, or maybe with just a little help from a pocket calculator.

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Creative Real Estate Funding with Mortgage Notes!

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When it comes to selling real estate, one of the biggest obstacles sellers face is a so-called “depressed” market. Even when a property is highly desirable, it can be hard to get the price you want in this real estate environment. You could end up losing a lot of time, money, and opportunities, waiting for a “perfect buyer” who may NEVER materialize!
The traditional solution is to drop your asking price. But this common strategy doesn’t always work in your favor. In fact, it can work against you, making your home seem undesirable and your position seem weak.

But there IS a way to turn this challenge into a profitable opportunity! I am not selling anything. I am in the business of paying cash for mortgage notes and trust deeds.

Most Often Asked Questions About Selling A Mortgage Note

Mortgage note buyers exist to help you create, sell and understand your mortgage notes, contracts for deeds, trust deeds, and promissory note

both residential and commercial.

Below you will find 5 frequently asked question about selling your mortgage note.

5 frequently asked questions, that most note sellers have about selling their owner-financed mortgage note are:

1. How much cash can I get? There are many factors in determining the offer price for selling a mortgage note The main four are equity, seasoning, interest rate, and credit of payer.

The more of these you have in your favor the larger lump sum you will get. This is why many mortgage note buyers offer a free no obligation quote.

If you look through some of the questions there, you'll see that they are simple and only take a few minutes to fill out.

These type of questionnaires are designed to keep you from having to dream about how much money you will get. The coolest part about it is, if nothing else, you know how much money you could receive if you wanted it.

2. How do I sell my note? Selling your note is easy. The first step is finding and contacting a mortgage note buyer or contract buyer and simply telling them that you want to sell your note.

This initial contact could be by phone, email, or through filling out a free mortgage note quote form. More than likely, if you are reading this, then you are at a site that can help you get a cash offer for your note.

If not, then there is a link to a good website and company above, that can give you a "No hassle, No obligation" quote.

Once you give the contract buyer some required information, they will be able to get back to you, usually within 24-48 hours, with an offer.

3. How long does the process take once I decide to move forward? After you have given the mortgage note buyer the required information, either by calling, email, or filling out an online form, they will get back to you in 24-48 hours.

Usually, it only takes 2-3 weeks to complete the deal and have a huge certified check deposited, or wired to your bank account.

4. When I convert my note to cash, how will it affect the person(s) paying me? Not at all. The terms, payment, and amount owed stay the same.

This is a really neat thing about selling your mortgage note. You can get a large sum of cash and it doesn't affect the person(s) paying you. Sounds like a "win-win-win" situation to me.

5. Where would the closing take place? Usually, at the closest title company near you. Sometimes it takes place in the town or city in which the property is located...which brings up another question.

Do you have to be there for the close? Nope, not generally. The person handling the title and closing the deal can send you the closing package. This is all done to make it as convenient and as easy for you as possible.

As you can see, getting a large sum of cash now for your future mortgage payment is an easy process that can put a lot of money into your pocket for a vacation, to consolidate bills, and buy or enjoy any other necessities or pleasures.

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Mortgage Note Questions - How To Sell Your Mortgage Note

When it comes to selling real estate, one of the biggest obstacles  sellers face is a so-called “depressed” market. Even when a property  is highly desirable, it can be hard to get the price you want in  this real estate environment. You could end up losing a lot of time,  money, and opportunities, waiting for a “perfect buyer” who may  NEVER materialize!
The traditional solution is to drop your asking price. But this  common strategy doesn’t always work in your favor. In fact, it can  work against you, making your home seem undesirable and your  position seem weak.

But there IS a way to turn this challenge into a profitable  opportunity!  I am not selling anything. I am in the business of paying cash for  mortgage notes and trust deeds.

Keep in mind that it has to make financial sense. Although having regular income is a nice idea, there comes a time when you might need a lump sum of cash for an investment, a large purchase or just to pay.

A cash flow notes statement documents the amount of incoming and outgoing cash and its equivalents. Only cash sales are recorded in a cash flow statement – all future sales including those made on credit are not declared.

 Most banks refuse to accept a short sale or modify the terms of a mortgage unless the owners are numerous months behind in payments. The homeowners come to the bank to ask for help to avoid foreclosure. Individuals sell structured settlements to get liquid cash. They can be sold to special financial institutions. The main advantage of selling structured settlements.

In situations where you are holding the sell mortgage notes and receiving payments from the sale of commercial and residential real estate, and you are want to cash in on those payments, there are service agents who provide help. This technique has been the key in making up an estimated 20% of all private note sales.

Right now, thousands of people across North America are stuck with investments that they don’t want. They would rather have the cash now! Whether it’s a real estate note created when selling a property, a business note created when selling a business or even a structured settlement, there are thousands of notes out there that could be turned into cash!

Get cash now and forget those monthly payments FOREVER! We work with buyers who are ready to pay top dollar for your notes. If you have a trust deed, a mortgage note or any private loan, it's time to find out exactly how much CASH you could be entitled to.

    * It's Quick: Learn how to cash out in minutes
    * It's Easy: You could have cash in just days
    * It's Secure: Get real quotes directly from certified buyers

There has never been an easier or faster way to cash out of your investment. Whether you need money to pay bills... to buy a home... to fund an education... or even if you just need some spending cash... We'll show you the money for your mortgage note or trust deed!

http://www.smilingdogenterprises.com
getcashnow@smilingdogenterprises.com

Technorati Tags: mortgage notes, trust deeds, real estate notes, mortgages, fsbo, for sale by owner, money, mobile home paper, cash flows, commercial real estate, finance, financial-planning, financial planning, annuities, sell mortgage notes, buy mortgage notes, real estate funding