Taxes, Boo

Are you done with your taxes?  Yes, No or it’s complicated? Last year two of my clients were told by their tax preparer that they needed to buy a house for tax purposes.  I guess if there is a good reason to buy a house, that is one! Check out these companies, they didn’t pay [...]

Property Tax Calendar

Never lose track of when those property taxes are due with this handy property tax calendar.    For more information on property taxes, or to check the status of your own, please click on one of the following links: Alameda County Contra Costa County

Transfer Taxes for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties

Many cities in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties impose a point of sale ordinance on real property.  The chart below will show which cities will impose a transfer tax.  Both Alameda County and Contra Costa County have a county transfer tax of $1.10/$1,000. Example: If the sales price of a house in Berkeley is $500,000 then the seller can [...]

So Much for the Move-Up Tax Credit

There is so much mixed feelings about the market right now.  In the Berkeley and surrounding areas, one street is seeing multiple offers and the next isn’t.  The number of foreclosures has gone down drastically, although most buyers think there are buckets of bank-owned homes ready to come on the market.  I don’t think this is the [...]

Green is in!  What does the future hold for the world of green?  Green market research firm SBI Energy forecasts that in the next five years, the market for energy-efficient home renovation products will grow 15 percent, 50 percent faster than the renovations market as a whole. According to the report, the energy-efficient market will [...]