Category: Real Estate
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Working class men and the future of the rural marina
We are now speaking with individuals who may want to be involved as ‘sweat equity’ shareholders, casual workers or just volunteers, tax-motivated real estate investors, and environmental professionals.
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Disruption of local rural South Jersey real estate market
Zillow forecasts that prices in some U.S. home markets will decline in the year ahead while far more communities will see a further increase in prices. This effect may disrupt communities, especially ours here in lower income rural Cumberland County. I only follow real estate investment for clients in the Delaware Valley region and it…
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Real estate investing forecast
The sharp and fast rise in mortgage rates this year led to only slow and modest decreases in real estate sales prices. As a result, housing affordability is at its lowest level in 30 years. Predictably, the number of sales completed declined rapidly. The logical forecast is that sales transactions will remain sluggish, making this…
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Cumberland County NJ bayshore real estate update
Short term profits and losses in the real estate market are primarily based on inaccurately valued information. Every buyer or seller has the opportunity to value real estate based on their own opinion. Most opinions are inaccurate. This the opportunity for short term profits (and losses). I expressed concern over local pandemic era home purchases…
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Reflections on 2021 business
As we wind down this year, I can say unequivocally that I’ve learned more during this period than any other time of my life. Financial results – I had the lowest gross income of my 40 year career, yet made big progress in paying off all consumer debt, improving my credit score (that was dinged…
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A sucker born every minute for real estate deals?
Who consistently profits from real estate syndicates, REITS and OZ funds? The promotors and managers for sure; it’s a great business sector. Not so much the average retail investors. The investors’ return is largely driven by economic factors outside of the real estate holdings. For example: interest rates. If interest rates drop, that is normally…
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Highest property tax rates in the country
The topic of declining mid-Atlantic shoreline property values and accelerating taxes is a controversial topic, especially in the rich communities that have not yet felt the real impact of tidal inundation. Just talking about the serious problem almost got me killed years ago when I first started covering the topic for investors. (That’s a story…
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The coming housing price correction
One of my persistent flaws as a financial adviser (and as an investor) is that I forecast market changes too early. That’s a timing flaw, not a flaw on detection of the trend. I’ve been negative on housing prices for a long time. This graph published in a Robert Woods Johnson report explains why. When…
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Are tax free gains in your future?
In general, it is more difficult to avoid capital gains taxes than ordinary income taxes. One simple way to avoid the capital gains tax is to gift the appreciated asset to a parent and inherit it back with a new, higher stepped up basis. But what is easy under the tax law might be more…
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Pass through income exclusion for rental properties
If you own investment real estate, maybe your taxes will be lower, or maybe not. One of the most uncertain issues of 2018 tax reporting was clarified today by IRS Notice 2019-7. This notice provides a safe harbor for determination of when a rental property is a business that qualifies for the 20% exclusion from…