Article by Jason Wheeler | Read our Feed | 925-285-2172

I’ve been helping people finance their real estate since 2003 and I’m very proud to announce my partnership with one of the premier Mortgage Companies in the entire United States! Clarion Mortgage Capital has been a premier broker since 1996 and with today’s volatile mortgage market Clarion Has the relationships with the lenders you need in order to make an informed decision on your next mortgage.

As a Mortgage Originator since 2003 my commitment is to help you find the best loan given your unique mortgage scenario with the most competitive pricing to rival any retail lender, and get your loan closed in a timely manner on weather you are in need to buy a home or refinance your current mortgage.

With over 60 strategic lending partners including Wells Fargo, US Bank, ING and Chase just to name a few we also are able to help with loans that have been rejected or declined from a traditional retail bank that adheres to the strict Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Guidelines. Here are are ten reasons you should work with us on your next Mortgage Loan.

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• Key relationships with over 60 banks that lend in California like:
  • Wells Fargo
  • Chase Home Finance
  • Sierra Pacific
  • ING
  • Flagstar Bank
  • And many niche lenders that work outside the box
• Technology to shop your loan scenario with over 30 banks in 15 minutes
• Premier rating with the Better Business Bureau
• We have the ability to fund loans that don’t fit into tight Fannie Mae Freddie Mac Guidelines
• Personal service provided by a professional right in the CA Bay Area
• Consults and questions are always answered for free
• Rates that beat the National Average every day
• Experience through the tough economic times to close your difficult loan
• We work very close with Realtors and everyone on your team to buy your home
• Programs include Government FHA Loans, HARP Loans Conventional and Jumbo Financing

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I’ve built my business by serving my clients above and beyond so they will refer me to their friends and family for loans all over California. Client and family members don’t hesitate to testify to our dedication to get your financing.

So remember if you are looking to buy or refi your real estate in the California Bay Area most of the client we serve reside in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Concord, Walnut Creek, San Leandro, Orinda, Lafayette, Pleasanton, Danville, San Ramon and Walnut Creek however we process loans as far as Los Angeles and San Diego. Investors and buyers in Placer County are also more than welcome to Contact Us for a free consult anytime.

Until Next time Here is to your success! Jason Wheeler 925-285-2172 |

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When you are an entrepreneur or a Real Estate Investor it can be very difficult to ask that age old question "What do you do?" One of my favorite blogs and a good mentor to anyone that builds their business by referral has some pretty good advice on how to address this simple but not always easy question.

Networking Now Says

When someone asks you what you do, what are the first words out of your mouth?  If the words aren’t ready to roll off your tongue, then read on . . .

When someone asks you what you do, make sure you’re ready with a response that is succinct but memorable. The attention span of the average adult is only 20 seconds; a long, drawn-out answer to the question isn’t’t going to work.

Focus on creating a unique selling proposition (USP)–a mini commercial that you can readily use while networking. I think of this as a personal answer to the age-old “Whattaya do?” question, which we’ve all been asked about a million and a half times.

Many in business call this the Personal Infomercial or Elevator Pitch. (You should get your point across in the time you take an elevator with someone)

What an “Elevator Pitch” is not:

It is not a “sales pitch." on your product or service. A great formula that I have found effective that can work for just about any business can be found in these simple steps.

What an "Elevator Pitch" Is

To me it is a quick way of finding out if you can strike curiosity into the person you are talking to in order to create a referral, connection or an appointment.

1. Identify who you can help by starting with… I show people who (need to save money, want to buy real estate, want to own their home, can’t get a mortgage,)
2. Identify what you can help them with…. how they can (increase their revenue, income, own a home, pay less on their mortgage)
3. Identify why they can benefit... so they can (have more time freedom, enjoy home ownership, reap tax benefits, spend more time with family)
4. Ask if they know anyone like that… end with a question or ask for a referral.

Here is a finished example of an effective elevator speech:

I use this all the time in the current real estate market. Let’s say I’m having a casual glass of wine and unwinding at the local restaurant and I strike up a conversation. Very often the conversation leads to the age old question "What do you do?"

I could say… "I show everyday people how they can buy real estate without the hassle of a bank, so they can enjoy home ownership and all of it’s benefits. Do you know anyone that is having trouble with their real estate right now?"

You would be surprised on this one liner will open a conversation, create a referral or maybe the person you are talking to would love to learn more. The point is it is not hard selling and it opens a door for somebody to learn more about you. I promise if you use this formula in your business you will have more success. Try it out for a while and let me know what you think.

If you find this information helpful please share it with you social networks, tweet it and feel free to ask me questions or add your own Elevator speech style in the comments section below!

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Until Next time Here is to your success! Jason Wheeler 925-285-2172

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Going to Costa Rica? The Riu Resort Has it Pros and Cons But Good for a First Visit.

I recently spent 10 days in Costa Rica with my Wife for our honeymoon.  I often wonder how we chose Costa Rica as our destination.  Originally we wanted to go somewhere neither of us had ever been and somewhere memorable and beautiful.  Lucky I speak a bit of Spanish and it turned out I was better at it than I thought I would be.  Anyway I wanted to review some things about what we saw and what we loved and also what we didn’t’t like so much.  We stayed at an all inclusive RIU Resort on the Pacific side of Guanacaste the 2nd largest province in Costa Rica. The resort is just west of the Matapalo Beach.

This was the first time I had stayed in an all inclusive resort.  It was recommended to us because it was our first time there and we wanted to make sure the essentials were taken care of, such as food drinks and entertainment.  If you are considering staying at the RIU I would recommend it for the price that we paid and what we get, however don’t expect the world or five star service when you visit any all inclusive resort.

1. ALL INCLUSIVE FOOD AND DRINK: All inclusive meant the food and drinks including alcohol were available to us anytime.  However I’ll tell you by the 8th day into our trip I did not want to set eyes on another buffet!  It can be tough to get a good quality alcoholic libation if you don’t develop some good rapport with the bartenders as well.  The resort had three restaurants that were not buffet style, but you had to have reservations 24 hours in advance.

Our room was gorgeous with a free mini bar they would replenish every 48 hours a huge Jacuzzi tub and walk in shower.   The only real bummer is there is no internet service in the rooms.  You had to hang in the lobby to enjoy the wireless internet and catch up on emails. Essentially if you ever needed a bite to eat or a good cocktail you really didn’t have to go very far to get it.

2. FUN FRIENDLY SERVICE STAFF: The service staff was always friendly and they had some great entertainment.  I speak a bit of Spanish and it is easy to make friends with bar staff and service people. They are eager to entertain and make sure you are having a good time. Throughout the duration of your trip you should get a chance to make many Costa Rican friends.

3. GREAT NIGHTLY ENTERTAINMENT: Every night they had a dancing show such as Greece, Mama Mia and a Michael Jackson Impersonation that was actually quite good.  Throughout the day there had a lot of different entertainment which was great, such as wacky contests, salsa dancing and games. This was a surprise to us as we had no idea about the entertainment. If you like ballet and musicals you won’t want to miss the nightly entertainment.

4. GREAT POOL AREA AND BEACH ACCESS: The pool was one of the best I’ve been at and great for just lounging or reading a book or you can relax in the pool or at the poolside bar.  The beach there is also great with wildlife randomly running around and beach activities, souvenir peddlers and some great water.  The waves there were not big enough to surf but great for cooling off.  They also include a disco club and a casino but I can’t speak on them because we spent no time at either place. 

5. EASY ACCESS FOR SIGHT SEEING AND TOURING: If you are the type of person that wants to go on ATV tours, go Zip Lining across one of the famous Canopies or take a tour of an actively erupting volcano, the tours can be booked right at the front lobby. We personally took a few tours that were well worth it like a Jungle River Cruise where we had wild white faced monkey’s in our boat eating bananas from our hands. I would really recommend a few of the tours however you should get out and rent your own vehicle and do some of your own exploring too. Just make sure you get four wheel drive as some of the roads are VERY rough!

The best way I can some up my experience there would be a cruise ship that never leaves port.  If you’ve ever been on a cruise you know what I mean. The resort itself is quite isolated, being about 13 KM from any town or main road.  Over all I would recommend the RIU as long as you don’t care about eating buffet food don’t mind not getting room service. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on all the professional tours. You should absolutely rent a car and explore the country like we did.

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Until Next time Here is to your success! Jason Wheeler 925-285-2172

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What Do You Do when You Feel Violated and Angry?

So last week I was enjoying a meal at a local family owned restaurant when a guy jumped up and said a car just like mine got pummeled in the parking lot. Of course the car happened to be mine! When we went out to check the damage the culprit was long gone. Naturally I was pretty pissed off when the gentleman who saw the accident happened to have the plate number and the waitress had the name of the customer who just left. I naturally made a report and was on a mission to track down this hit and run driver. Sure enough an hour later we found her. I could have made a stink and pressed charges for hit and run but I decided that would be too much negative energy. Turns out the person that hit my car is a little 70 year old lady that was really sorry and barley knew she hit my car. Regardless she will be taking care of my car and it turns out the person that witnessed the accident may end up being a great business connection!

Exactly a week later my car was broken into in my front yard of all places. Nothing major was stolen but I was pissed! I brought myself back to thinking if I could find those punks I let em have it. Then I realized there really was no harm done. My car was not vandalized and nothing really important was lost. I found myself almost feeling sorry for the burglars. Anyway looking back I started thinking about karma. I feel like how you react to situations like this makes a big difference how they play out. I could have called the police and spent hours of negative energy on the incident but instead I went back to work. I actually really fell great about it. These guys were unable to get to me, and I feel a lot of positive energy just because of the way I reacted to the situations. When I spoke to people in my social networks a few referred me to a video by a country singer I never heard of called "I Pray For You" I thought it was pretty funny with the lyrics to the song.

Here are Five Ways To Create Good Karma Everyday

1. Reacting Positive to a Negative Situation: When something horrible happens to you try really hard before overreacting and getting angry to take a deep breath and find the positive or "silver lining" in the situation. Every incident has one, you just have to find it.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the Lesson: Every situation has a lesson as well as a silver lining. Always try to learn something and you will become a better person for it!
3. Be Compassionate: In either situation I probably would have reacted different than the lady that hit me or the people that robbed me. However I can’t help but think of the hardships that drives people to steal or how old age effects your ability to judge a situation. Find some compassion for those that wrong you. It will make you feel great and it will probably annoy them quite a bit as well.
4. Control Anger: For some this is very difficult but once you learn to control your anger and react with kindness you will be surprised how it will only effect you and the ones you love around you in an extremely positive way.
5. Act With Kindness Everyday: It’s hard to not get caught up in the daily grind. Make a conscious effort to do something nice for someone everyday! Open a door for someone, look for opportunities to be of service to people with no reward and rewards will naturally find you.

So I really wanted to ask you what have kind of experiences have you had with karma and reacting in situations that are natural to feel very angry in. Please leave me a comment I’d love to hear your stories.

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Until Next time Here is to your success! Jason Wheeler 925-285-2172

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Fewer Foreclosures on the Market | Banks are Holding Real Estate Learn to be a Cash Buyer

I talk to Realtor’s and Real Estate Investors everyday throughout the SF Bay Area. Many believe that there are more foreclosures being held by banks than there actually are right now. You might be surprised that the banks on a nationwide level are not holding as many foreclosed homes as originally thought. In many cases they area simply letting people live in these homes for free without paying a mortgage.

I personally know several families and individuals that have been living without foreclosure proceedings and without paying their mortgage for 6 months, one year and even up to two and half years in Pleasant Hill California, and all over the Bay Area. However there will be another major wave coming throughout the next two years. The next foreclosure wave is inevitable. The real question is are you going to capitalize as a cash buyer or are you going to be stuck like millions of other Americans that don’t fit into the banking mortgage box?

The Wallstreet Journal Says

Banks have fewer foreclosed homes to sell than previously believed, but those holdings are likely to grow gradually over the next couple of years, a new study by Barclays Capital says.

The investment bank’s latest calculations support the view that the U.S. housing market is stabilizing but that a major recovery isn’t imminent and there are still risks of falling prices.

Barclays estimates banks and mortgage investors including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac owned 480,000 homes at the end of February. Barclays has acquired more data on mortgages and refined its methods for analyzing foreclosure trends. Under the bank’s previous methods, the estimate for February would have been more than 600,000.

Barclays expects the inventory generally to rise over the next 20 months, peaking at 536,000 in January 2012, and then decline gradually.

Absolutely! If there is any truth to the Wall Street Journal there will be more millionaires made in real estate investing right here in the Contra Costa Bay Area than ever before in the next two years. If you would like to learn how to get started and learn how you can buy property without qualifying for a traditional mortgage let us know. We have aligned ourselves with a source that let’s us buy property without the mortgage hassle! You can come to an educational networking event or attend a webcast. Just let us know if you would like to attend an educational networking event to learn.

There are more sources than you might think to purchase property and fix it without using a traditional conventional mortgage or a government mortgage. If you would like to learn about these recourses just subscribe to our news letter on the top right of this page or Contact Us and ask about buying property without a mortgage and without your own money. We don’t look at your credit and we will qualify you as long as you can show you can afford the payments we’ve worked out. You can also pick up a great book to get started by Mike Watson on how to Buy Without the Bank to the right

If you are serious about buying a home and you area tired of trying to fit into the Mortgage Lenders teeny tiny box you need to learn about this program as soon as possible. You can register for an event or just give us a call. We would be happy to chat with you and pre qualify you for this unique program right here in Contra Costa County East Bay Area.

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Until Next time Here is to your success! Jason Wheeler 925-285-2172

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Important Details | The 2010 New Home Credit and First-Time Buyer Credit begins May 1, 2010.

The New Home / First-Time Buyer Credits are available only for purchases that close escrow on or after May 1, 2010. 

Applying for the 2010 New Home/First-Time Buyer tax credits:  Applications must be faxed after escrow closes. The new application will be available by May 1, 2010.  We will deny the application if the 2009 form is used or if we receive the 2010 application before May 1, 2010.

Check this page often. We will add updates as they become available.

General Information: These tax credits are available for taxpayers who purchase a qualified principal residence on or after May 1, 2010, and before January 1, 2011. Additionally, these tax credits are available for taxpayers who purchase a qualified principal residence on or after December 31, 2010, and before August 1, 2011, pursuant to an enforceable contract executed on or before December 31, 2010.  The purchase date is defined as the date escrow closes. Taxpayers may apply for the tax credits if they have entered into a contract before May 1, 2010, as long as escrow closes on or after May 1, 2010.

These tax credits are limited to the lesser of 5 percent of the purchase price or $10,000 for a qualified principal residence. Taxpayers must apply the total tax credit in equal amounts over 3 successive tax years (maximum of $3,333 per year) beginning with the tax year in which the home is purchased. The tax credits cannot reduce regular tax below tentative minimum tax (TMT). The tax credits are nonrefundable and unused credits cannot be carried over.

The total amount of allocated tax credit for all taxpayers may not exceed $100 million for the New Home Credit and $100 million for the First-Time Buyer Credit. However, since many taxpayers will not be able to utilize the entire tax credit, the legislation specifies that the $100 million cap for the New Home Credit will be reduced by 70 percent of the tax credit allocated to each buyer and the $100 million cap for the First-Time Buyer Credit will be reduced by 57 percent of the tax credit allocated to each buyer. For example, if a taxpayer is allocated $10,000 for the New Home Credit, the $100 million cap for the New Home Credit will only be reduced by $7,000. If a taxpayer is allocated $10,000 for the First-Time Buyer Credit, the $100 million cap for the First-Time Buyer Credit will only be reduced by $5,700. The 70 and 57 percent reductions do not impact the amount that can be claimed by the taxpayer.

We will allocate the tax credits on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Only one tax credit is allowed per taxpayer. If a taxpayer qualifies for both tax credits, the law specifies that we will allocate the amount under the New Home Credit.

Taxpayers will not be eligible for either tax credit if any of the following apply:

• The taxpayer was allowed a 2009 New Home Credit.
• The taxpayer is under 18 years old. (A taxpayer who is married as of the date of purchase will be considered to be 18 if the spouse/registered domestic partner (RDP) of the taxpayer is 18 or older on the date of purchase.)
• The taxpayer or the taxpayer’s spouse/RDP is related to the seller.
• The taxpayer qualifies as a dependent of any other taxpayer for the tax year of the purchase.

New Home Credit:  A qualified principal residence, for purposes of the New Home Credit, must:

• Be a single family residence, either detached or attached. This can be a single family residence, a condominium, a unit in a cooperative project, a house boat, a manufactured home, or a mobile home. A home constructed by the taxpayer is not eligible since the home has not been “purchased.”
• Have never been occupied. Sellers must certify that the home has never been occupied in order for a taxpayer to receive an allocation of the credit.
• Be eligible for the California property tax homeowner’s exemption.
• Be occupied by the taxpayer as their principal residence for a minimum of 2 years immediately following the purchase.

Tax credit allocation:

• A Certificate of Allocation will not be issued if:
  • The seller does not certify the home has never been occupied.
  • We do not receive the application and a copy of the properly executed settlement statement within 2 weeks (14 calendar days) after the close of escrow.
  • We receive the application or reservation request after the total tax credits available have been allocated.
• FTB’s determination may not be protested or appealed.

First-Time Buyer Credit:  A qualified principal residence, for purposes of the First-Time Buyer Credit, must:

• Be a single family residence, either detached or attached. This can be a single family residence, a condominium, a unit in a cooperative project, a house boat, a manufactured home, or a mobile home. A home constructed by the taxpayer is not eligible since the home has not been “purchased.”
• Be eligible for the California property tax homeowner’s exemption.
• Be occupied by the taxpayer as their principal residence for a minimum of 2 years immediately following the purchase.

A first-time buyer is any individual (and the individual’s spouse/RDP, if married on the date of purchase) who did not have an ownership interest in a principal residence, either in or out of California, during the preceding 3 year period ending on the date of the purchase of the qualified principal residence. If the buyer is married on the date of purchase and either the buyer or the buyer’s spouse/RDP had an ownership interest in a principal residence during the preceding 3 year period, the buyer does not qualify for the First-Time Buyer Credit even if the spouse/RDP is not going to be on title.

Tax credit allocation:

• A Certificate of Allocation will not be issued if:
  • We do not receive the application and a copy of the properly executed settlement statement within 2 weeks (14 calendar days) after the close of escrow.
  • We receive the application after the total tax credits available have been allocated.
• FTB’s determination may not be protested or appealed.

Applications: We will accept applications by fax only beginning May 1, 2010. Do not use the 2009 application. We will post more information by May 1, 2010.

Reservations: Taxpayers who qualify for the New Home Credit may, but are not required to, reserve a tax credit prior to the close of escrow. Reservations will become important as we near the $100 million cap for homes that may not close escrow before the cap is reached, as a reservation will “hold the taxpayer’s place in line” until 2 weeks after escrow closes. To reserve a tax credit, the taxpayer and seller need to complete, sign, and fax to us a reservation request to certify that they have entered into an enforceable contract on or after May 1, 2010, and on or before December 31, 2010. A copy of the signed contract must be included with the reservation request. Taxpayers who reserve a tax credit still need to fax an application and a copy of the settlement statement within 2 weeks after the close of escrow. Taxpayers may not reserve a tax credit if the contract was entered into before May 1, 2010. We will post the reservation form and details about the process by May 1, 2010.

If you are only applying for the First-Time Buyer Credit, you will not be able to reserve the tax credit before escrow closes.

Claiming the tax credit:

• The taxpayer must receive a Certificate of Allocation from us to claim the tax credit on their California personal income tax return. The Certificate of Allocation will state the maximum amount the taxpayer can claim listed by tax year.
• The taxpayer should refer to the 2010 New Home / First-Time Buyer Credit Publication for instructions on claiming the tax credit (the publication will be available by December, 2010).
• Special rules apply to married/RDP taxpayers filing separately, in which case each spouse/RDP is entitled to one-half of the tax credit, even if their ownership percentages are not equal. For 2 or more taxpayers who are not married/RDP, the tax credit amount will have already been allocated to each taxpayer occupying the residence on their respective tax credit allocation letter.
• If the available tax credit exceeds the current year net tax, the unused tax credit may not be carried over to the following tax year.
• The tax credit may not reduce regular tax below TMT.
• The tax credit is not refundable.
• Any disallowance of the tax credit may not be protested or appealed

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First Time Homebuyer Program Concord CA

What is the First Time Homebuyer Program?

It is a second mortgage loan program to assist qualified low-income individuals with the purchase of their first home.

What are the maximum income limits and FTHB loan amounts?

Income eligibility is based on Household size. The maximum loan amount is determined by the income bracket of the household. Households earning at or below 100% of Area Median Income are eligible for up to a $40,000 loan. (Refer to household size at all income levels)

How much money can I borrow?

The maximum loan amount is 20% of the home sales price, or appraised value, whichever is lower, up to the maximum of $40,000 based on household income and household size.

* As of April 2, 2009

Who is eligible for a loan?

Borrower must be a first time homebuyer, which is a household that has not owned a home within the past three years. Borrowers must be able to qualify for a first mortgage from a participating lender. The homebuyer must provide a minimum of 3% of the purchase price.

What homes are eligible for purchase?

Homebuyers may purchase an existing single-family detached home, condominium, or townhouse located anywhere within Concord City Limits.

What are the loan terms?

• Borrower’s Disclosure (currently being updated)
• The loan is a zero-interest, 15-year loan. Loan payments are deferred, with the loan being due at the end of 15 years or earlier if the house is sold.
• The City loan carries shared appreciation, when the home is sold. For example, if the original sales price is $200,000 and the City loan is $20,000, the City’s "share" of the appreciation is 10%. At the time of sale or refinance to pay off the City loan, 10% of the appreciation will need to be paid to the City. When the City loan is paid off the shared appreciation obligation ceases.

Inclusionary Housing

The FTHB Program may be used in conjunction with affordable units generated through the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance to purchase a new home. The income eligibility is based on household size and is allowable up to 120% of Area Median Income cap ($107,150 for a family of 4). In cases where the FTHB Program is used to purchase an Inclusionary unit, the loan may be increased up to $50,000. This increase is intended to encourage low and moderate-income families to purchase inclusionary units, which are subject to the 45-year deed restriction. Although new inclusionary units are not for sale at this time, units are anticipated to be built over the next few years.

Are there any other requirements?

• Borrowers must attend a City-approved FTHB Counseling Workshop. Schedule a free workshop online through www.Crediteducation.org Classes are typically held within Concord at least two Saturdays per month.
• A home purchased under the FTHB program must be, and remain, the borrower’s principal place of residence. The property cannot be leased or rented during the term of the City loan.
• Persons with ownership in most real estate assets are not eligible.
• Funds are limited. Assistance is provided on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as funds remain available.

For First Time Home Buyer classes schedule on-line at: www.crediteducation.org.

Until Next time Here is to your success! Jason Wheeler 925-285-2172 | Come to a FREE Bay Are Event |

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Public Finance

MCC funds now are available.

Program Summary

The Mortgage Credit Certificate Program, authorized by Congress in the Tax Reform Act of 1984, provides financial assistance to "First time homebuyers" for the purchase of new or existing single-family home. In 1985, the State adopted legislation authorizing local agencies, such as Contra Costa County, to make Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCCs) available in California. Contra Costa County MCC authority can be used in all cities as well as the unincorporated areas of the County. The Contra Costa County Community Development Department will administer the program.

What is an MCC?

The MCC Program is a homebuyer assistance program. The MCC provides qualified first time homebuyers with a federal income tax credit. Income tax credits reduce an individual’s tax payment(s) by an amount equal to the credit. Under the MCC program, the maximum tax credit available is equal to 20 percent of the annual interest paid on the borrower’s mortgage. By reducing the borrower’s federal tax liability, the tax credit essentially provides additional income which can be used for mortgage payments.

How does the MCC reduce your taxes?

In the example given in Table 1, a borrower with a 7.5 percent fixed rate 30-year mortgage of $150,000 would make $11,203 in interest payments during the first year of the mortgage.1 Under normal circumstances, the borrower deducts 80 percent of that interest ($8,962 in our example)-along with other allowable deductions-from his total gross income in order to figure the "adjusted gross income" used to calculate his/her total tax liability. After the borrower has calculated the total tax liability, under the MCC program the remaining 20 percent of the interest ($2,241 in our example) is also deducted from his/her total tax liability. If this subtraction results in a negative number-in other words, if the borrower is unable to use the entire MCC tax credit in this particular tax year-the credit may be carried forward and used, up to three calendar years in the future. The borrower may consider adjusting his/her federal income tax withholding (W-4) so as to benefit on a monthly basis for the MCC. By taking this action, the borrower will have more disposable income to make mortgage payments.

Note that the MCC program applies only to the borrower’s federal tax liability. State taxes are not affected.

What are the purchase price and income limitations for MCC Participation?

Mortgage Credit Certificates are available to first-time homebuyers in Contra Costa County. Table 2 shows the purchase price and income limitations for MCC Program participants.

How does a borrower obtain an MCC?

To obtain an MCC, a purchaser of a new or existing single-family home works with any mortgage lender participating in the MCC program and applies for an MCC and a mortgage loan at the same time. Lenders process the underlying mortgage using standard procedures, with adjustments to those procedures as needed to satisfy the MCC requirements. The lender is responsible for underwriting and execution of required State and federal certifications and affidavits. The County reviews executed certifications and affidavits from the lender in order to determine qualification and eligibility of the MCC applicant.

May an MCC be used with a re-financed loan or to assume an existing mortgage?

An MCC cannot be issued to a homeowner who is refinancing an existing mortgage or to an applicant desiring to assume an existing mortgage unless (1) the mortgage is held by a current MCC holder and (2) the sales price of the house being sold falls under the sales price maximum for the program. In all other cases, only new, first mortgages are eligible for MCC participation.

Loans with an MCC attached to them can be refinanced once and the MCC can be reissued. If the refinance loan is then refinanced, the homeowner loses the MCC. The RMCC can be done directly with the homeowner without involving the lender. There are no restrictions regarding the amount that can be refinanced. The fee for an RMCC is non-refundable $200. RMCC Letter, RMCC Application, RMCC Certifications, RMCC Application Checklist

How many MCCs will be available under the program?

The number of MCCs available depends on the amount of issuing authority for which the jurisdiction applies.

Potential for recapture of portion of the tax credit if home is sold within the first nine years after purchase.

In order to discourage individuals from buying a home primarily to benefit from the tax credit and short term appreciation potential, the federal government has initiated a recapture of a portion of the tax credit if a home is sold within the first nine years after purchase. Certain conditions must exist for the recapture to take effect. The County MCC staff and your lender can outline the specifics of this recapture program at the time of your application.

APPLICATION AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MCC PROGRAM

The Contra Costa County MCC Program eligibility requirements are as follows:

• MCCs will be available only to "first-time homebuyers", (i.e. not owning a home within the past three years).
• As first-time homebuyers complete their normal loan application process with a participating lending institution, their mortgage lenders will prepare MCC applications and forward them to the County. The County will then issue MCCs on a first-come, first-served basis according to when the initial application is received by the County. County staff requires 5-7 days for application review and processing.
• Applicants may buy a residence only for their own occupancy, not for rental or reinvestment. Occupancy as "principal residence" must be within 60 days of the close of escrow.
• Applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee of $200 at the time the lender applies to the County on their behalf.
• The MCC can be used when buying a new home with a maximum purchase price of $629,005, ($768,784 in Target Areas) or an existing home with a purchase price that does not exceed $619,381 ($757,021 in Target Areas).
• MCCs can only be transferred in cases where the home is being sold to another eligible MCC applicant. In such a case, all MCC requirements must be met and the mortgage must be assumed for the transfer to occur.

Until Next time Here is to your success! Jason Wheeler 866-833-7413 | Come to a FREE Bay Are Seminar |

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When I talk to people about how I got started in real estate investing they often assume they don’t have enough time or money…

The fact is that when I got started I was waiting tables 6 nights a week in the restaurant business, and my mortgage business was not doing very well.

The people that find success in real estate often start part time while they work a full time job. The important thing is to get started somewhere. The key is to build a base, learn everything you can and create some contacts and mentors. By no means do you need this to be a full time endeavor at first. All of these are the reason why you should attend one of our free events. You will have an opportunity to meet others experienced and novice that want to help you succeed. You will also gain knowledge that will empower you to take action on those first deals. Finally we can show hundreds of resources to create capital for your projects.

One of the biggest misconceptions is having the money to get started. Right now I can introduce you to over 300 non traditional lenders that want to lend you money for your real estate deals! If you really have the drive to get started investing nationwide or just locally you must start somewhere.

Here are a Few Things to Do to Get Started Part Time

1. Find a Mentor To Guide You: This is the first thing that you should do. Many mentors will help you but often not for free. That does not mean that you have to pay them a lot of money or get involved in an expensive coaching program. Often you can serve a mentor by offering your time, service in exchange to learn and ride his/her coat tails. So where can you find mentors like this?
2. Attend Local Networking Events: Get online and search for your local Real Estate Investment Clubs or local events and Investor Forums where you can learn about opportunities and better yet network and meet people. You should not limit your networking to just real estate investment clubs. Check out groups like your local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary and BNI are also a great places to meet professionals that may refer you business and offer connections. A common misconception is that these groups don’t offer much to real estate investors. The fact is that they offer tons. Everyone is in real estate in one way or another. You either own or rent it and many are looking for ways to leverage it to get ahead and make money.
3. Get Social Media Savvy: Start to utilize sites like Facebook, BiggerPockets and other social media to meet investors nationwide. Actually make these people into connections. Schedule phone meetings, ask questions and offer yourself to serve. You will be surprised who you meet. Most important you MUST create a website or blog. There are many ways to get this set up however if you want to be effective in your online marketing you must work with experts. Building a blog will create more business than you might imagine. You can get a site just like this one and customized to your business and style from the guys at Social Media Altitude. I’ve found if you look all over the internet you will not find better value in launching your social media endeavors.
4. Be Consistent: Make a business plan. Treat it like a business and it will pay you. If you are starting part time you need to schedule some time each day, even if it is only two hours and dedicate that time to learning growing, meeting investors and business partners and prospecting for property.
5. Find Property and Make Offers: The fact is you must take action. Once you’ve spent time learning and you have a solid mentor working with you, start finding property and making offers on real estate. Many area afraid to do so because they feel they can’t back out. This is not the case as you have inspection times and contract contingencies to get you out of the deal if it is not what you are looking for. Even if your first few offers fail the experience will boost your confidence and you will get better as you go.

Real Estate Investing: part time or full time?

Patrick Esposito Says

When one gets the real estate bug, then it is logical to take this business to the highest level possible, as fast as possible. If you work full time at something, you will make more than if you worked part time. Right? All things being equal, probably. The standard rule of thumb is to start part time, and go full time when your part time income equals your current full time income. Most people who invest in real estate full time for a living have probably been doing this for a while, and have a reasonable income coming in. One of the great benefits of investing in real estate is that you could work at this part time, and still become wealthy over time.

When the time is right, you will know it. Don’t go at it full time, hoping to have a great year and make “good” money. People get involved in real estate to produce cash flow, yet if they quit their job to focus only on real estate, they are stopping their cash flow. Whether buying for long term rentals, or flipping for quick profits, you can make a substantial amount of money working part time. As you gain experience, you will develop skills to help you save time, and accomplish more. For example, you will know the right qualifying questions to ask. You will also be familiar with different areas, and will know which properties to follow up on, and which ones to pass on. You will be able to determine all of this without ever leaving your home.

Working full time can tend to put pressure on you to consistently do deals. Because of this, you may purchase properties that may be better to pass on. You become anxious to do that next deal, and even the mediocre ones start to look ok. They all have potential. You must know what you are doing. After all, you do this full time. Right? If you decide to invest in real estate full time, do not do it just to massage your ego. There are many ways to do that.

Build your base first. Your base consists of your experience, your knowledge, your motivation, your credit, your asset base, and your cash flow. All successful endeavors start with a plan, and short and long term goals. You may start part time, and have a goal to go full time after a certain amount of time. Build a strong foundation, which takes time, and your success is sure to follow. Remember to always be an informed investor. www.TheInformedRealEstateInvestor.com

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Whether or not you have a great job there are tons of reasons everyone should own and build a business. Do you really want to spend 40 years working to make your CEO rich and at the age of 65 be tossed to the retirement world. It truly is sad that only 1% of today’s 65 year olds retire wealthy. Whether or not you build that business from home in your spare time or go full time right away the benefits of time freedom is really what everybody wants. I speak to tons of people who claim they just don’t have time because of their family or work schedule. I often wonder what that must feel like? Donald Trump has the same 24 hours in a day as you and I do, the main difference is the mind set and activities that set great business people like Donald Trump and Warren Buffet apart from the masses that spend so much of their time making other people rich. The fact is that if you desire more time freedom and options to really spend your life doing the things you love, you will need to achieve financial freedom. Money is absolutely not everything however it sure does give you options. Below are four of the main things to look for in a business that will help you achieve your time freedom.

1. A Need - Most important there must be a real need for your products or services. There are tons of “get rich quick schemes” on the internet and late night television that sound too good to be true and promise millions with little or no effort. Let me tell you if you put forth no effort you will not receive much of a reward. When you look at business idea you must first ask “Who will benefit from what I am selling?” If it is not something you yourself would buy and use then it is probably a bad idea to try and sell it to others.
2. Leverage – If you look at the Forbes 500 richest individuals they are ALL business owners of some kind. One of the main things that a successful business will have besides a real need for it’s product or services is leverage. As a worker or an employee you are being leveraged. What if you could decide to go on vacation and when you came home you still had the same check in your account as if you continued working? The power of a leveraged business is truly the route to financial freedom. In business the two main forms of leverage are people and time. Ask yourself who is leveraging you?
3. Duplication – Just about every example of a million dollar company out there uses duplication. Look at McDonalds. Do you go to a McDonalds because they have the best cheeseburgers in the world? NO WAY most people go there because they know that no matter what McDonalds you go into in the entire world you will get for the most part exactly what you were expecting. McDonalds and thousands of other successful companies found a need for a product and developed a system to duplicate it almost exactly almost all the time. People spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to leverage the McDonalds system through franchising. If you could leverage someone else’s great idea and duplicate it over and over again how much money could you make?
4. Residual Passive Income – a very important part of a achieving financial freedom is receiving residual passive income. This is when you do something once and it pays you over and over and over for the rest of your life. They do it in the Insurance Industry, the Direct Sales industry and Real Estate. Barrack Obama wrote his memoir “The Audacity Of Hope” and he will get paid every time that book sells a copy for the rest of his life. It might not be much but what if you sell a lot of books? Just imagine if you did something everyday that increased your monthly income by $10 a day on a residual basis. At the end of one year you would be making $3,650 per month. What if you continued to do that same duplicated idea for 10 years? You would be making $36,500 every single month! Would a passive residual income like that allow you to quit working for somebody else?

Those are the four main reasons that everyone should build a business. As a business leader and successful real estate investor in the California Bay Area Jason Wheeler can show you several methods to start doing exactly what is described above. When Jason started out he was working part time serving tables and bartending at a local restaurant however since 2003 Jason has learned many of the methods millionaires use in order to create the success deserved by everyone. The most rewarding part is passing the knowledge on and helping those who are willing to listen and take action create massive success in business. If you would like to learn more you can do a Google search on Jason Wheeler and connect with him today.

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If you are new to real estate investing, you are probably wondering “where am I going to find my first real estate deal”? There are actually a number of very effective methods you can use. Below I will touch on 7 different methods to find deals. They are a pre-foreclosure listing service, major newspapers, post cards & fliers, bandit signs, MLS, a realtor, and a wholesaler.

Method one is to purchase a list of pre-foreclosure homes from a listing service. Here are just four such services: Foreclosure.com, RealtyTrac, Default Research, and ForclosureS.com. However, one of the drawbacks to a listing service is the cost. Also, be aware that some services have more recent information than others.

Another method would be to look into the classified ads section of major Newspapers. Their classified sections are on the web. You want to search the ads to find words such as “divorce”, “desperate”, “must sell” or “estate sale” to name just a few examples of keywords that indicate the seller is desperate. Think of some on your own and have fun with it.

Another method would be to send Postcards and fliers to targeted homes. However, it is highly advisable that you find someone who can do what is called good copywriting. Good copywriting is combining words, fonts, phrases, pictures, a call-to-action, etc. that will compel your potential home buyers to call your number. Make sure you do this type of marketing correctly otherwise you will be wasting your hard earned money.

Method number four is the use of bandit signs. A bandit sign is a small sign that is posted near major streets with a simple phrase to let home owners know that you buy houses quickly. Don’t forget to have your phone number listed in large letters, so distressed owners know who to call. Just be aware that in many places bandit signs are not allowed.

Another method that is more obvious is to look for a real estate investing deal is the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), however, you must be a licensed real estate agent in order to gain access to the MLS database. A word about the MLS, I know some real estate investors who swear by it and I know others who say it’s not worth your time. Who’s correct? Well, believe it or not, both are right. If you are a licensed agent who can jump on a property that is a good deal when it is put on MLS, you have a good chance to finds deals, otherwise, it will be more difficult.

Method six is to enlist the help of a realtor. If you don’t know anyone who is a realtor, you can find those who work with real estate investors, just by going to realtor.com. You will need to find a realtor who is willing to work with you and to email you a listing with your criteria. What sort of criteria do you use to search for a property? Again look for words like “divorce”, “desperate”, “must sell”, “condemned”, “gutted”, “mold” and any other word that would be undesirable for regular buyers, but a potential deal for a real estate investor.

Finally, there is another method that is simple, yet very effective. Get your deal through what is called a wholesaler. A wholesaler is one who controls or purchases a property at a deep discount and passes the savings on to you, the real estate investor. They typically send the deal right to your email box where you can read about the deal, do your due diligence and then make an offer.

So, as you can see there are various methods that you can use to find your deals. You may be wondering how may deals does it take before an offer is accepted? Well, I know many who say there is a 100-10-1 rule. It says it takes looking at 100 deals to make 10 offers to get one accepted. Choose a method or better yet, a set of methods that works for you and your budget.

About The Author

James O’Bannon is a real estate investor who is committed to finding the best real estate training for investors. You can learn more about his free training offers, as well as receive a free report on real estate investing secrets by visiting www.GreatDeals4Buyers.com. Author grants full reprintrights to this article. You may reprint and electronically distribute this article so long as its contents remain unchanged and the author’s byline remains in place.

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