All Blog Entries by Brandon Anderson 
There are currently 10 blog entries published by Brandon Anderson.
Roswell Certified as a Green Community
Friday, December 11th, 2009 at 8:41am. 134 Views, 0 Comments.
The Atlanta Regional Commission's Green Communities Program, a voluntary program for municipalities in the ten county metropolitan Atlanta area, assists cities with lessening their environmental impact. Points towards certification may earned in several categories:
* Green Building
* Energy Efficiency
* Green Power
* Water Use Reduction and Efficiency
* Trees and Greenspace
* Transportation
* Recycling and Waste Reduction
* Land Use
* Education
* Innovation
A given policy or practice is worth 5 or 10 points, depending on their difficulty of implementation and overall magnitude of environmental impact. Three levels of certification are awarded:
- Level 1 - Bronze: 175 – 224 points
- Level 2 - Silver: 225 – 274 points…
First-time and repeat home buyers may reap the benefits of tax credits through April 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 9:05am. 86 Views, 0 Comments.
The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 extends the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers (with increased income limits) and provides a $6,500 tax credit to repeat home buyers. These tax credits will be available for purchases through April 30, 2010. Look at the fact sheet provided by the NAHB for details and to determine if you qualify here.
Is an Extension on the Way for the Home Buyer Tax Credit?
Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 9:21am. 84 Views, 0 Comments.
There is quite the buzz in Washington regarding the Home Buyer Tax Credit which is due to expire on November 1st of this year. Many sources estimate at least twenty different bills are floating around Washington with language related to the extension of the popular tax credit.
A proposal by Senator Johnny Isakson has probably garned the most attention. Citing the urgency of continuing to build on recent economic momentum Isakson further states:
“During my 33-year career in real estate, I experienced many challenges and difficult markets, but never anything like the current housing market in America. America’s families have lost trillions of dollars in home equity as home values have fallen, and in some markets, continue to fall today,” Isakson said.…
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metro is Number 1 in Forbes "America's Recession-Proof Cities To Retire In"
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 5:32am. 36 Views, 0 Comments.
Forbes magazine recently compiled a list of the best places to retire based upon factors including: sunny days, cost of living, income of seniors, job growth forecast, and stability ofthe housing market.
"Atlanta is the financial and industrial center of the South," says Eduardo Martinez, senior economist at Moody's Economy.com. "With companies like Delta and Home Depot, it's home to more and more international business."
The full article may be viewed here.
Financial Incentives from Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 3:54pm. 20 Views, 0 Comments.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in an apparent effort to reduce inventory of foreclosures, are offering incentives to buyers.
Buyers have until Oct. 30 to apply for Freddie Mac’s SmartBuy program, which offers up to 3.5 percent of a home’s sale price to toward closing costs. The home must be from Freddie Mac's inventory of foreclosures, must be for use as a principal residence and must close by the end of 2009. Full details at http://www.homesteps.com/homeshoppers.htm.
Most buyers will find Fannie Mae's incentives even more appealing. Fannie Mae is offering, through participating lenders, mortgages with a down payment of 3 percent and no required private mortgage insurance (PMI).This an other Fannie Mae incentives are detailed at http://www.homepath.com.…
Lesser Known State Tax Credit To Expire with Federal Tax Credit
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at 6:14am. 20 Views, 0 Comments.
HB261 provides for a tax credit of 1.2% of the purchase price of the home or $1800, whichever is less. This state tax credit must be taken over three years (1/3 per annum). Eligible properties are restricted to any single-family residence. This state tax credit is in addition to the Federal tax credit of up to $8000 provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Both tax credits will expire December 1, 2009. So, buyers must hurry to take advantage of the tax savings.
Time is running out for the Home Buyer Tax Credit!
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 at 8:29am. 32 Views, 0 Comments.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorized a tax credit of up to $8,000 for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009. This means that you must complete the purchase of your home by November 30, 2009 to qualify for this tax credit.
So, what exactly is a tax credit versus tax deduction?
Basically, a tax credit directly reduces the amount of tax you owe whereas a tax deduction of an equal amount would only reduce the amount of your taxable income.
How do I know if I would qualify?
Here is a great resource:
http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/
Here is the required IRS Form 5405:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5405.pdf
"Georgia has nation's #1 workforce" says CNBC
Thursday, August 6th, 2009 at 8:07am. 29 Views, 0 Comments.
In their annual ranking, "America's Top States for Businees 09", CNBC ranks all fifity states using 40 metrics and Georgia was 10th overall for 2009. CNBC further ranks each state in ten broad categories:
- Cost of Doing Business
- Workforce
- Quality of Life
- Economy
- Transportation
- Technology & Innovation
- Education
- Business Friendliness
- Access to Capital
- Cost of Living
Georgia ranked first in the Workforce, which indicates that Georgia's workforce is highly educated and well- trained. The State of Georgia ranked third in the Cost of Living and Transportation & Infrastructure categories respectively. A lower cost of living typically translates into a lower cost of doing business while quality infrastructure provides businesses with the means to…
Noteworthy schools in Cobb & N. Fulton are in "The Top of the Class"
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 1:38pm. 61 Views, 0 Comments.
Newsweek recently reported on America's top public highschools. "Public highschools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews: the number of Advanced Placement, Intl. Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2007 divided by the number of graduating seniors. All of the schools on the list have an index of at least 1.000; they are in the top 5 percent of public schools measured this way." See the article here.
Walton High School in East Cobb was the highest ranked Georgia school at 109.
A total of twelve Cobb County schools made the list. Noteworthy schools making the list include: Pope High School in East Cobb, Wheeler High School in East Cobb, Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Lassiter High School in…
Why You Should Choose Georgia
Monday, May 25th, 2009 at 6:04pm. 27 Views, 0 Comments.
Georgia’s affordable cost of living allows you to maintain a higher standard for the way you want to live, work and play. An outstanding quality of life also gives companies here – including 13 on the Fortune 500 list – a distinct advantage in attracting and keeping quality employees.
More than 100,000 people move to the state each year, making Georgia among the top 10 fastest-growing states in the U.S. They come for the state’s excellent location, hospitable people, and warm climate, as well as superb health care, education and career opportunities.
Georgia’s outstanding health care is provided by a statewide network of 188 hospitals, including specialized facilities; 29,000 physicians; and more than 5,000 dentists, many of whom…