Team Reba Real Estate

New law coming June 10th, 2010 affecting landlord’s financial liability for unpaid tenant utility bills.

Filed under: Pierce County, King County, real estate, Snohomish County, townhouse, commercial real estate, single family, condo, tenant, economic issues, legal issues, seller, buyer, landlord, Puget Sound, Washington — Reba Haas @ 5:55 pm

The Washington Association of REALTORS sends out regular updates about legislation that is passed that affects agents directly as well as our clients. See below for a new law coming in that impacts rental property owners and their liability when it comes to tenants with unpaid utilities.

June 10, 2010 - Collections against Rentals: After June 10, a landlord’s liability for unpaid tenant utility (water and electric only) bills is limited to four months of the tenant’s delinquent bills, if the landlord had notice of the tenant’s delinquency. You can find the law (SB 6261) at: http://apps.leg.wa.gov Under bill documents, look for “Session Law”.

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3.8% Medicare Tax in 2013

Filed under: tax issues, property taxes, investment property, real estate, landlord, legal issues, economic issues, rental — Michael Lindekugel @ 11:57 am

Beginning in 2013, the national health care reform legislation that became law in March, 2010, imposes a new 3.8 percent tax on certain investment income. The new tax will apply to single filers with incomes over $200,000 and married taxpayers with incomes over $250,000. Under the law, the investment tax provisions in Chapter 2A of the Internal Revenue Code are placed under the heading “Unearned Income Medicare Contribution.” In general, this new Medicare tax will apply to investment income that is subject to income tax, which includes capital gains. Pursuant to IRC Section 1402 (C)(1)(A)(iii), the investment income to which this new tax applies includes “net gain” (to the extent taken into account in computing taxable income) attributed to the disposition of property that qualifies as a capital asset under Section 1221 (capital gains), as well as gains on other property that are considered part of ordinary income. Also of relevance for rental property owners, this new tax applies to a real estate investor’s rental income if they have income above the $200,000/$250,000 income thresholds.

The net effect of both capital gain tax increases is a new 23.8 percent tax rate for higher earners—the highest rate for long-term capital gains since 1997. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the new Medicare tax on investments will cost taxpayers over $30 billion annually. Additionally, the modified adjusted gross income threshold at which this Medicare tax will apply will not be indexed for inflation, which means an increasing number of taxpayers will be snared by this tax provision.

Overall, the economic impact of these tax increases will be felt by the very investors who help promote long-term economic growth. In 2007, taxpayers with incomes greater than $200,000 reported 47 percent of all interest income, 60 percent of all dividends and an amazing 84 percent of all capital gains.

The Coming Tax Increaes - Comparison

	Current	January 2013
Conventional Short-Term	35.0%	43.4%
Conventional Long-Term	15.0%	23.8%
AMT Short-Term	28.0%	31.8%
AMT Long-Term	15.0%	23.8%

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Great Opportunity for owner occupied or pure investment purchase with this Well-Kept Triplex in Everett!

Filed under: real estate, Snohomish County, Everett, tenant, landlord, Washington, seller, buyer, rental — Reba Haas @ 3:41 pm

$349,000 - Well-Kept Triplex, Great Owner Occupied Opportunity

Location: Everett

Wonderful owner occupied opportunity for a triplex in a very convenient location in Everett. Near bus routes, services, and I-5 access. Two buildings with 4bd/1.5ba rooming house on main floor of original building, basement 2bd/1ba apartment, and a 2nd building with 2bd/1ba unit and 3 secure garage units. Additional off-street parking for total of 6 spaces. Street parking available. Large storage/shop in basement of main bldg could be turned into rentable storage for tenants.

Contact Information

My Pic Association Logo

Rebecca (Reba) Haas

info@teamreba.com

425.970.3697

Pricing

Price: $349,000

Property Location

4331 Terrace Drive

Everett, WA 98203

View Map

Features

Units: 3	Bedrooms: 8
Bathrooms: 3.5	Year Built: 1920/2008
Parking Spaces: 6	Square Footage: 5414
Lot Size: 7405	Floors in Bldg: 2
School District: Everett	Broker: RE/MAX Metro Realty
Agent Name: Rebecca (Reba) Haas	MLS #: 33807

Attributes

Building Amenities

Storage Area

Laundry Room

Interior Amenities

Refrigerator

Washer/Dryer

Wall-to-wall Carpet

Exterior Amenities

Front Yard

Powered by vFlyer.com

VFLYER ID: 3164274

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All information in this site is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and is subject to change

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Anyone interested in a less than 1 year lease in Kenmore? Takeover for current tenant, $1000 per month.

Filed under: real estate, King County, Kenmore, tenant, landlord, Washington, buyer, Puget Sound, rental — Reba Haas @ 12:59 pm

A friend of mine emailed me today asking if I might be able to help her out in a situation. She’s in a lease in a property in the Kenmore area and needs to move - quickly - but the lease has a provision saying that she’s responsible for the full rent unless she assists in finding a new tenant. She’s in her final year of medical school and hasn’t the first clue about how to find a renter, having only been one herself for many years.

Anyhooo… here’s where I step in. Might be a great opportunity for someone who needs shorter term rental than a year but wants more time to get to know the area (can you say “relocation?”) before purchasing.

Details of the property that she’s given me so far are below. I’ve asked her to forward some photos when she can as well. Rent is $1000 a month.

The place is in Kenmore at 6150 NE 184th St. zip is 98028

It is a MIL apt above a garage/studio apt. 2 bd, 2 ba, w/d, hardwood floors, skylight in the kitchen, new windows and screens. there is a small patio in back, I landscaped a little and there is potential to do more if someone is interested. It’s a nice space, good amount of light, quiet. The landlords are actually pretty nice and laid back. They even let us use their wireless internet for free.

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An important announcement about expected flooding in the Green River Valley this winter 2009-2010!

Filed under: King County, local events & places, Renton, commercial real estate, Kent, Auburn, Tukwila, real estate, tenant, economic issues, Washington, buyer, Seattle, landlord, Puget Sound, property management — Reba Haas @ 11:42 pm

Important Emergency Notification Information

Dear Colleagues,

The BOMA office would like to ensure that you know that you can sign up to receive emergency alert emails and text messages through the Regional Public Information Network (RPIN), especially with the new flood hazard potential in the Green River Valley. Once you sign up, the RPIN system sends you alerts based upon your sign-up preferences by type of alert and geographical area. This is a free service hosted on King County’s web site. Information can be pushed to the RPIN system by several different agencies, jurisdictions and organizations.

The new flood hazard potential in the Green River Valley can significantly impact real estate and tenant businesses, commerce, transportation and other critical infrastructure in Auburn, Kent, Tukwila, Renton and South Seattle. Whether or not you have real estate or business interests in these areas, the impacts of flooding will affect you. The Kent Valley is the 5^th largest distribution center in the United States – significant flooding will impact you no matter where you live and work. It will take you just a couple minutes to sign-up at: http://www.rpin.org/rpinweb/ Click on “Sign-up today” in the yellow banner. Finally, it is critical that you are fully informed about the situation with the Howard Hanson Dam (flood control for the Green River) and how the Army Corps of Engineers will not be able to hold as much water behind the dam until repairs are made. If we get rains and we have snow melt like we did in January this year, it will result in severe flooding throughout the Valley. We highly encourage you to attend a comprehensive seminar on this subject BOMA is conducting this Thursday at the ShoWare Center in Kent. We expect 300-400 real estate professionals, owners, tenants and businesses. If you are already registered - please pass this on to anyone else who might benefit from attending.

[If you need real estate license clock hours the seminar is approved for four hours and the cost is only $25].

Topics include:

Background on the Howard Hanson Dam & Levee system
Flood hazard maps, impacts on real estate and related commerce
Howard Hanson Dam repair plans – short and long term
Communication and notification systems
Government planning, emergency operations and recovery expectations
Infrastructure impacts & disruptions – transportation, water/sewer, power grid, gas etc.
Insurance – FEMA, private insurance for property owners, tenants, businesses, residents
Guidance on how to prepare your properties, tenants and businesses for a flood disaster
Landlord tenant legal issues, leases, communication guidance with residents and tenant businesses
Business continuity guidance and resources
Levee certification and how this issues impacts real estate values and development options in very significant ways

Register at www.bomaseattle.org or using the attached flyer. Sponsorships and display tables are also available. Rod Kauffman, President BOMA Seattle King County 206-622-8924 Ext. 104 rkauffman@bomaseattle.org

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September 2009 Team Reba Real Estate Newsletter

Filed under: Fair Housing, staging, monthly newsletter, real estate, market activity, King County, Conventional loans, FHA/VA, Snohomish County, Pierce County, disclosure, tenant, seller, economic issues, legal issues, Washington, buyer, Puget Sound, landlord, mortgage/loan, interest rates, rental — Reba Haas @ 3:33 pm

Here is a link to my “September Real Estate Update“:This Newsletter is full of interesting and useful information that I think you will enjoy whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter.

This month’s issue includes topics such as:

“Sellers: Know Your Buyer Market”;
“Major Campaign To Extend $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit Underway”;
“Real Estate Investment 101″;
“New Disclosures Help Mortgage Consumers Know Risk”;
“Making Small Homes Have Big Appeal To Buyers”;

Plus a roundup of August real estate activity as well as much more advice and information.

I hope you enjoy this monthly newsletter. If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me. Or, if you would like to see a certain topic covered in future months, let me know that too!

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Learn the right way to be a landlord. Tamara Simon's awesome Landlord 101 offered FREE on Aug. 11, 2009 at Lynnwood Convention Center

Filed under: real estate, condo, tenant, local events & places, Fair Housing, Snohomish County, King County, landlord, foreclosure, legal issues, Washington, rental, economic issues, buyer, Puget Sound, Seattle, property management — Reba Haas @ 7:45 pm

Tamara Simon reveals what you need to know in her
“Ten Commandments of Property Management.”

These are lessons for success you can put to use in any economy. Tamara taps her 25 years experience as a licensed real estate broker, property manager and owner of Koss Property Management to cover the basics, so you can learn to confidently:

Attract and keep qualified tenants
Determine market rent
Understand Landlord Tenant Law
Run your property like a business.

Lynnwood Convention Center3711 – 196^th St. S.W.Lynnwood, WA 98036

Tuesday : 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

August 11, 2009

Tamara has taught this class in the past 6 years for our Team Reba sponsored classes but she goes all out and has rented the Lynnwood Convention Center for this event. A lot of sellers who couldn’t sell their homes in today’s market have become landlords, less by choice than by necessity. This class should NOT be missed by anyone who owns rental property and who could use help in figuring out the right way to manage a property and avoid being sued by a tenant or run afoul of a government rule (with fine) that you didn’t realize existed.

Well worth the time to attend and highly recommended!

Koss Property Management, Inc.

206-729-3630

rentals@kosspm.com Visit our website: www.kosspm.com 5232 University Way NESeattle, WA 98105

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Rental opportunity: $800 mo. / 1br - Duplex with Privacy & Yard in South Park

Filed under: real estate, Fair Housing, King County, South Park, tenant, landlord, rental, Washington, Seattle, Puget Sound, property management — Reba Haas @ 11:52 am

Duplex with Privacy & Yard

Bring your kayak!! Drop in just blocks away at riverfront park!
Great one bedroom unit in side-by-side duplex in riverfront South Park neighborhood. This unit is recently renovated with laminate wood flooring, fresh paint, and new high efficiency windows. Gas heat & low utility bills. Full size washer and dryer in unit. Private entrance and fully fenced yard with storage shed plus room for small garden or pets. Located on quiet dead end street behind community center and park. Blocks from new library, restaurants, and waterfront park.

Close to I-5, 599, 99 and other Seattle commuting options. Easy trip to SeaTac airport.

Pets ok with reference and deposit
Landlord pays water/sewer/garbage.
$800.00 month
Credit/Criminal check/application fee $35.00
$800.00 deposit required for move in.
No Smoking.
Email us or call Daniel @ (206)851-4220

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It's dry in the summer now, but when the rains come do you know how to handle a flooded basement?

Filed under: West Seattle, Redmond, real estate, Renton, Phinney Ridge, health, disclosure, landlord, seller, legal issues, buyer, Seattle, Lakeridge, Puget Sound, Washington — Reba Haas @ 12:23 pm

I am doing a little research on well testing for a client and, while cruising around the King County Department of Health website, I came across this interesting article on recommendations for how to handle and clean a flooded basement. Considering how frequently various areas of Washington State have problems with flooding because of the snow runoff in the mountain ranges as well as because of our, oh, so famous rains, I thought this would be good information to share.

Making sure that water that infiltrates a house is taken care of properly is a big deal. Mold and mildew can cause health problems, not to mention insurance issues, and disclosure requirements for sellers depending on if, when and how a flooding issue was handled. Insurance companies want to know that ANY water related damage to a property is handled properly and if it hasn’t been, then a buyer trying to buy a home may be denied coverage, thus making it hard to sell the home. CLUE (comprehensive loss underwriting exchange) reports, similar to the more well-known CarFax system, from the past 15 or so years should help determine if a claim has been made when a buyer is calling around getting insurance quotes in the early phase of a purchase. Be sure to ask if your insurance agent will be pulling a CLUE report as part of your quote/binder request. Most people don’t realize that insurance underwriting takes longer than loan/financing underwriting processes so it is possible to lose coverage after the purchase of your home completes.

If a seller didn’t make a claim, but did have a water problem, then it’s important that they disclose issues in the WA State required Seller’s Disclosure Form when selling. And even more important, lay out what was done to mitigate the problem and prevent it from happening again, if possible. This can mean plumbing issues, or natural disasters.

Not only does this website tell you how to handle pumping out water in the event of a flood, but it also gives tips on how to deal with issues of clean up. This is useful for both large flooding problems and the occasional water seepage that many older homes in Seattle experience when we have long period of wet weather. I also loved the idea of the use of a piece of dry charcoal to absorb odors. I wonder if this also works for cat pee smells. We had a house recently that we were in where I’d suggested to the agent that perhaps bringing in large bowls of baking soda might help. Perhaps this would have worked better. Anyone know if either of these might do the trick?

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Landlords in Seattle, are you making sure renters are provided the proper notices at lease up time?

Filed under: landlord, tenant, disclosure, Seattle, legal issues, rental, Washington, property management — Reba Haas @ 7:12 pm

A client of ours recently requested help in getting an existing tenant re-leased since there were going to be some changes as to who was living there and such. One of 3 tenants was moving out so deposit funds were going to be changed around and then a new walk-thru would need to be done. Plus, a dog had been okay’d to stay onsite now too so a pet addendum would be necessary in the new lease terms, along with a change in lease fee.

Be sure to have these items in your leasing packages. Want to get the most comprehensive list of items for you, the landlord? Go to Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound http://www.rha-ps.com and check their site for information. Get a very reasonably priced membership and get access to credit and background checks as well as pre-made lease forms made for this area. Your membership will ensure that you’ll get up to date info in their monthly newsletter… that is, as long as you read it.

Items that are necessary for Seattle landlords:

Mold brochure.

Lead based paint disclosure pamphlet and form (if building is 1978 & older).

Walk-through move-in checklist. (we recommend photos be taken of items to help support move-out checklist.) In Seattle, if you didn’t do a move-in checklist at the beginning of the tenancy, then you cannot withhold funds from the deposit for damage later.

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Team Reba Real Estate

May 18, 2010

New law coming June 10th, 2010 affecting landlord’s financial liability for unpaid tenant utility bills.

April 14, 2010

3.8% Medicare Tax in 2013

March 4, 2010

Great Opportunity for owner occupied or pure investment purchase with this Well-Kept Triplex in Everett!

October 16, 2009

Anyone interested in a less than 1 year lease in Kenmore? Takeover for current tenant, $1000 per month.

September 29, 2009

An important announcement about expected flooding in the Green River Valley this winter 2009-2010!

September 11, 2009

September 2009 Team Reba Real Estate Newsletter

August 3, 2009

Learn the right way to be a landlord. Tamara Simon's awesome Landlord 101 offered FREE on Aug. 11, 2009 at Lynnwood Convention Center

August 1, 2009

Rental opportunity: $800 mo. / 1br - Duplex with Privacy & Yard in South Park

Duplex with Privacy & Yard

July 17, 2009

It's dry in the summer now, but when the rains come do you know how to handle a flooded basement?

June 26, 2009

Landlords in Seattle, are you making sure renters are provided the proper notices at lease up time?

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