You may have seen a report today in The Wall Street Journal (subscription and login required) stating that the Internal Revenue Service is working on guidance that would clarify the deductibility of expenses for client meals under the new tax law. According to the report, this guidance is expected to say that the cost of… Continue Reading Clarity on Deductibility of Meal Expenses May Be Coming
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes a 20 percent deduction for sole proprietors and owners of S corporations and other business entities. This was designed to provide roughly the same rate cut provided to regular corporations. It is unclear, however, whether owners of rental real estate will be able to claim the deduction. This… Continue Reading Realtors Urge Deduction for Rental Income
An easy way for Listing Brokerage and Listing Associated Licensees to remember their duty when the buyer submits a written offer...ALWAYS RESPOND. "Always respond" means one of these three responses: 1. Seller sends a written counteroffer to the buyer side. or 2. Seller sends a written acceptance to the buyer side. or 3. Brokerage sends… Continue Reading Listing Brokerage Must Always Respond to Buyer Offers
NAR released a summary of pending home sales data showing that August’s pending home sales pace was down 1.8 percent last month and fell 2.3 percent from a year ago. Pending sales represent homes that have a signed contract to purchase on them but have yet to close. They tend to lead existing-home sales data… Continue Reading August 2018 Pending Home Sales
By FCA US LLC (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) Put in the simplest terms, the role of a real estate agent is to facilitate the sale of one property and the purchase of another on behalf of your clients. Of course the job is far more complex than that. You must often take on additional roles as… Continue Reading Drive Clients in Style with Modern Vehicles, Auto Deals
In a monthly survey of REALTORS®, respondents are asked “In the neighborhood(s) or area(s) where you make the most sales, what are your expectations for residential property prices over the next year?” Based on the responses of approximately 3,000 REALTORS® who answered this question in the August 2018 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey, the median expected… Continue Reading REALTORS® Expect Modest Rise in Home Prices, According to NAR August 2018 Survey
Pending home sales fell slightly in August and have now decreased on an annual basis for eight straight months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, decreased 1.8 percent to 104.2 in August from 106.1 in July. With last month’s decline, contract signings… Continue Reading Pending Home Sales Dip 1.8 Percent in August
With just six weeks remaining until the 2018 midterm election, today marks National Voter Registration Day in America. This morning, National Association of Realtors® President Elizabeth Mendenhall, a sixth-generation Realtor® from Columbia, Missouri and CEO of RE/MAX Boone Realty, called on America’s 1.3 million Realtors® to ensure they are registered to vote this November. “An… Continue Reading Realtors® Recognize National Voter Registration Day
https://www.nar.realtor/money-laundering-and-terrorism-financing The crime of money laundering continues to be a growing area of concern in the United States. Therefore, law enforcement agencies and the financial sector devote considerable time and resources to combatting these illegal financial activities. While money laundering is most often associated with banks and other financial institutions, real estate transactions can also… Continue Reading NAR on Money Laundering
Based on REALTORS® who reported about their transactions in August 2018, home buying activity slowed compared to the level of activity one year ago, according to the August 2018 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey. The REALTORS® Buyer Traffic Index[1] slid to 57 in August 2018 from 69 one year ago. To be clear, homebuying activity was… Continue Reading REALTORS® Reported Slower Homebuying in Many States in August 2018