Stimulus Week Tour

If you are a first time buyer (or haven't owned a home in the last 3 years), the tax man did you a big favor this week. The stimulus package signed by President Obama on Tuesday had some improvements to the first time buyer credit you may have heard about.

For purchases made (closed) before 12/31/09, you can claim a tax CREDIT (not deduction) on your 2009 taxes of 10% of the purchase price of your new home up to $8,000. Part of the improvement is that now the credit does not have to be repaid, unless you sell the home within 3 years of purchase. It has to be a principal residence and the full credit is only available to buyers with adjusted gross income of less than $75k or $150k for a married couple.

I think now I have to say that we aren't CPAs and you should talk to yours...

Here's what we saw in SE this week...NE will follow due to "technical" difficulties.

Petite Retro Ranch
3210 SE 49th Ave 3BR/1BA $269,900. This one-level 50’s house sits on a quiet corner in the southeastern part of the Richmond neighborhood. Small and bland, but helped by some smart freshening up: nice new sinks and Marmoleum/linoleum flooring, clean hardwoods and new paint. New retro/modern kitchen hardware did a lot for the kitchen, too. “Family room” felt more like a large utility area and was the ugliest part – unfortunately, it’s also the largest room in the house. Not a bad deal @$249K. more info + photos

Bonny Lass Bungalow
2336 SE 30th Ave 3BR/1.5BA $339,990. A very nice little house, through and through. Great light, with a very friendly and partly finished basement, & period Jack ‘n Jill bath on main floor. Box beams and large original sideboard still grace the dining room, and a roomy kitchen exits to a small but lovely “entertaining-sized” backyard. A couple blocks from some of the best dining on Division… which is to say, some of the best dining on the east side of the city. This one won’t last, mark my words. more info + photos

Bring Cash Bungalow
3204 SE Grant St 4BR/1.5BA $379,900. A lot of square footage in a great neighborhood… a great family-friendly layout, too. But this home has been fed junk food for quite some time. Can’t imagine why it isn’t listed as a fixer – roof looks very marginal, lots of neglected windows and poor remodeling choices. Lots. A great deal at $325K. more info + photos