You’re intelligent enough to know that buying a house should be partnered with a well thought out financial plan.
Just think about it. Supporters of owning a home are a passionate crowd. The reasons for their enthusiasm are credible. Let’s discuss one right now, buying a house as a tax shelter.
Your home is probably the biggest purchase you will ever make and the largest tax shelter you will probably ever enjoy.
The more you review this page, the more you begin to find yourself appreciating one of the most significant benefits of owning a home, taking advantage of the tax free sale. You may be eligible to exclude up to a quarter-million dollar gain from any tax liability.
If you file a joint return you may be eligible to exclude double that, up to half-a-million dollars.
Imagine what it would be like if the money from the sale wouldn’t have to be designated by the government for any purpose. Well, it doesn’t. It is yours to keep and use at your discretion.
Any portion of the proceeds may by rolled over into your next home. Or you might decide upon investing it in the stock market. A plus for Seniors of retirement age, the tax free money can supplement income. You can pass the money on to your heirs. It is tax free income. It goes without saying that the government will charge inheritance tax.
You’re probably wondering about eligibility requirements. There are two tests to meet in order to exclude the gain from the sale of your home. Reference: Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Publication 523, Selling Your Home, 2007, page 10
Basically, during the 5 year period prior to the sale of your home, you must meet the ownership test and the use test. The ownership test requires that you have owned your home for at least two years. The use test requires that you must have lived in the home as your primary residence for a minimum of two years.
In addition, the two year ownership test and the two year use test that end on the date you sell your house do not have to be continuous. If you can show that you owned and lived in the house and used it as your primary residence for a full 24 months over the last 5 years, congratulations, you meet both tests.
The IRS uses this example. Suppose you bought and moved into a house in July 2003. You then lived there for 13 months but moved in with a friend because of personal circumstances. In 2006 you moved back into your house living there for another twelve months before selling in July 2007. You would meet both the ownership and use test because you owned the house four years while living in it for a total of 25 months during the 5-year period that ended when you sold the house.
Accordingly, the IRS also says that temporary absences are allowed for vacations and other seasonal absences even if you rent out the house. They can still be counted as periods of use.
For the purpose of this article I am not going to explain every detail concerning excluding the gain from the sale of your home.
The important point is this. Everyone can enjoy tax free income up to $250,000 as an individual and up to $500,000 as a married couple from the sale of a home. The government has provided this powerful tax incentive to home ownership and buying a house should be a part of everyone’s personal financial plan.
For more detailed information you should consult a qualified tax professional, accountant, or tax attorney.
Buying a House — What You Should Know About Government Tax Incentives
The further you go in life, the more you’re starting to feel like buying a house certainly provides serious tax shelter advantages.
Rare thinking people like you already know that the ability to borrow by taking advantage of the equity in your home is an important one. If you live in the United States, buying a house should be a priority of your personal financial plan because of the opportunity to shelter income from taxes.
Tip number one already discussed how expenses related to home ownership can be tax deductible. Two large deductions of owing a home are the mortgage interest deduction and the property tax deduction. It is easy to look at these deductions as the government helping to pay for the cost of owing or buying a house.
Remember the second tax benefit of owning a home is the tax-free sale. Individuals may be able to exclude up to $250,000 from tax liability due to the sale of a house or up to $500,000 if a married couple. By meeting the ownership test and the use test, it is possible to enjoy such an incredible benefit. The tax-free sale is in and of itself sufficient cause to add buying a house to the smart financial plan.
This third tip is amazing. The next benefit you can enjoy from buying a house is the ability to borrow tax-free against home equity without having to sell your house.
Accordingly, when your house appreciates in value you create equity in your home over and above the original loan amount for the mortgage. Over the years you also pay down the mortgage, freeing up more equity. You are then free to borrow against that equity.
Here is an example. Suppose you bought your home for $200,000 using a mortgage of $160,000. Since you purchased, the house has appreciated to $350,000 while you have paid down the balance to $150,000. Subject to a lender’s appraisal of course, you may have as much as $200,000 that you can borrow.
Also notice there are several ways to do this that you should discuss with your financial advisers and mortgage lender. You may choose to refinance the entire amount of the mortgage balance plus cash out, taking advantage of any additional equity you want to borrow against. During times of declining rates, you might even end up with a lower monthly payment.
Along these same lines there is another method to access your equity yet not have to take it in one lump sum. Ask your mortgage lender about applying for a line of credit. The difference between the value of your home and the amount you owe, the equity, becomes the basis for the mortgage.
Without a doubt a line of credit loan has several advantages. It is easy to see the benefit to having money on stand-by but without a payment until used. Any costs to establish a line of credit are usually small versus refinancing which usually includes origination fees and closing costs.
Finally, a line of credit, sometimes called an LOC, can be repaid easily but you still have the option of accessing the LOC again without a new application being formally submitted. The costs are also significantly lower versus a personal loan or credit card.
Other methods include applying for a 2nd mortgage sometimes referred to as an equity loan or home improvement loan. A favorite is the 15 year fixed rate although do not assume this as there are many variations. Rely on yourself to find out the terms of the 2nd mortgage such as payments, lump sums of money due later on in the loan, and whether the interest rate is fixed for life.
This advice applies to any mortgage whether it for buying a house, refinancing, or obtaining a line of credit, or equity 2nd.
Even though using a home in the manner described here may result in tax savings, consider the cost to refinancing. Banks are in the business of making money as are all mortgage lenders. Whether you decide to refinance your 1st mortgage entirely, apply for a line of credit, or acquire a 2nd mortgage, you must be sure you understand completely what closing costs will be incurred, what is the period for the loan to be repaid, and what interest rate you will receive. In addition you must know if the interest rate and payment can adjust and if so, how much and how often.
Even though you are near the end of this article, pay attention to what could become a big headache. When getting any type of mortgage for buying a house or refinancing, you must inquire if the home loan is going to have a pre-payment penalty.
Lenders use pre-payment penalties to assure a profit in the first few years either by collecting the borrower’s payment or imposing a penalty for premature payoff. It usually lasts from one to three years. Whether or not you accept a pre-payment penalty as part of the terms of your mortgage may or may not be important to you. However it is important that you are aware of it especially if you have plans to pay the loan off early.
Regarding tax implications, it is always recommended that you consult a qualified financial adviser.