Buying Your First Home? Real Estate Agents Are Your Professional Guides. Make Sure You Choose Top Experts. You might be a bit afraid or intimidated by the whole process of buying your first home. As top Naperville, Plainfield and Joliet real estate experts, it's our job to guide you, from beginning to end. We will take the time to go through each and every step of the buying process. There are no dumb questions! Together, we will consider: - How much can you really afford? - How to qualify for a mortgage. - How much cash you should put down. - How to buy a home with little or nothing down. - What it takes to get approved for financing. What banks and other financial institutions are looking for. - How much your payments will be. - The tax advantages of buying. - Is renting or buying better for you? Tell us a bit about your situation below. We'll get right back to you. There is absolutely no charge, and we offer this to you with no strings attached.  New to the home buying process? Tell us your concerns. Ask us questions. It's our job to help! There's no obligation, and we promise to get back to you quickly...
Tax Considerations >Tax Rewards for Homeowners
The Federal Tax Code has significantly improved the American taxpayer's ability to profit by selling a principal residence. Prior to 1997, homeowners could take advantage of a tax benefit termed the "rollover", which granted exemption from capital gains taxes on the net profit from the sale of a home. Homeowners who used profits to purchase a bigger and better home did not have to pay tax. And homeowners over the age of 55 were given a once-in-a-lifetime exclusion from taxes on profits of up to $125,000 on the sale of their principal residence.
Compare those tax breaks with our current, streamlined and potentially more profitable arrangement that replaced both the rollover and the one-time exemption. If you are a married home-seller filing jointly, you may enjoy up to $500,000 in tax-free home sale profits, provided you have occupied the property as your principal residence during two of the last five years. Taxpayers who file singly get a $250,000 capital gains exclusion. Homeowners are eligible to exclude capital gains on the sale of a principal residence as often as once every two years.
The law allows capital gain exclusions whether you "buy up" to a more expensive home or "buy down" to a less expensive one. The tax-free dollars can be used in any way you want. Consult your tax advisor for detailed advice about your particular circumstance.
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| Q |
What is the least affordable metropolitan housing market in the United States?
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| A |
California's Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale is currently rated as the most expensive metro area in the nation. |
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