National Grid's 811 Service

If you're thinking about landscaping your backyard, installing a wooden deck around your pool, or doing any other project that involves digging, remember to first call National Grid's 811 service. By calling this number, you confirm with National Grid that your digging will not interfere with power lines or pipe lines that are located close to the surface. 811 is a free service that helps keep you and your utilities safe and allows the area to enjoy its services uninterrupted.

Bank of America is Under Scrutiny

Bank of America is under scrutiny by the United States Department of Justice for its unscrupulous financial practices. In order to prevent another economic collapse, the federal government believes that Bank of America, along with other large financial institutions, must be penalized for their actions.

Allegedly having handled shoddy and fraudulent loans, Bank of America is in negotiations to settle civil probes for 12 billion dollars. The amount of this settlement may go up, and if a deal is reached, at least $5 billion will go towards consumer relief by way of loan modifications with principal and monthly payment reductions and other forms of help for defaulted loans. This potential settlement, of course, is great news for the struggling homeowner and represents an enormous fine against the financial behemoth of Bank of America.

If a deal cannot be reached, the Justice Department will most likely proceed with a lawsuit against Bank of America for its fraudulent practices.

Please go here if you like to read more.

Wow - Most Expensive US Homes - Business Insider

A terrific read with great pictures - The 12 Most Expensive Homes For Sale In The US

Of the 12 mansions, 2 are in Long Island and 7 are in NYC with the remaining 3 being in CA.

Interestingly, most of the NYC homes are located in fabulous hotels.

If you have ever wondered what you could buy for $135M that you couldn't buy for $68M this article is for you.

Foreclosure Activity is Down Nationwide

Nationwide foreclosure activity is at its lowest point since 2007. The amount of auctions, defaults, and repossessions have substantially decreased across the country. Only 17% of all mortgaged homes are seriously underwater as opposed to 29% in 2012, and negative equity is down overall.

It is anticipated that we will also start to see a decline in short sales in 2014 due to two major reasons:

a. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act has not been passed for 2014. This means that borrowers are liable for the income tax on the forgiven debt in a short sale. In many cases, this kind of tax bill is too high and the borrower must default on his or her tax bill. The IRS can subsequently garnish wages, freeze bank accounts, and place liens on assets without having to first obtain a judgment. Many borrowers are unwilling to put themselves in such a position and would rather let the property go to foreclosure than to have the IRS go after them for money they do not have.

b. Lenders are less likely to approve short sales today because they know they can successfully sell the properties at auction or as an REO (bank-owned property) at a higher price because fair market value for real estate is on the increase.

Please note that the total amount of foreclosures (percentage of units by area) in Suffolk County is higher than the national average and the New York State average, and the amount of Suffolk County homes in pre-foreclosure is on the rise. Overall, however, foreclosure auctions are down in Suffolk County just as the rest of the nation. Keep this in mind, brokers, as you navigate the real estate in Suffolk County.

New Tax Laws And Its Impact On Estate Planning

Updates to the tax laws of New York are available here and are effective as of April 1, 2014!

New changes in tax laws that affect a person’s estate that you should be aware of:

1. Changes on estate tax exclusions rising substantially (to eventually match federal estate tax exclusion). See NY Tax Law section 952(c);
2. Reforms on gifts given prior to death. See NY Tax Law section 954(a); and
3. Repeal of the New York Generation Skipping Transfer tax. See Part X, Section 8, repealing article 26-b).

On March 31, 2014, Governor Cuomo signed legislation that makes broad changes to the New York State Estate and Gift Tax Laws, as well as some technical changes to certain trust income tax rules. 

Pursuant to New York Tax Law §952(c), estate tax exclusions will be rising dramatically each year from the current New York State amount of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) to Five Million Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($5,250,000.00) by 2017, which is the current federal estate tax exemption amount. Estate tax exclusion means the dollar amount a person’s estate can pass free from New York Estate Tax. More specifically, for individuals dying on or after April 1, 2014, and before April 1, 2015, the estate tax exclusion amount will be Two Million Sixty Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,062,500.00). For individuals dying on or after April 1, 2015, and before April 1, 2016, the estate tax exclusion amount will be Three Million One Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($3,125,000.00). For individuals dying on or after April 1, 2016, and before April 1, 2017, the estate tax exclusion amount will be Four Million One Hundred Eighty Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($$4,187,500.00). Lastly, for persons dying on or after April 1, 2017, and before January 1, 2019, the estate tax exclusion amount will be Five Million Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($5,250,000.00).

Pursuant to New York Tax Law §954(a), gifts made by a New York resident within three (3) years of that person’s death on or after April 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, will be added back into that person’s estate. Bringing these gifts back into the deceased person’s estate will now increase that person’s gross estate and this may make those gifts subject to the New York Estate Tax now, depending on the size of the estate, as discussed in the previous paragraph.

Pursuant to Part X, Section 8 of the new tax laws, the New York State Generation Skipping Transfer Tax is repealed. Prior to its repeal, this tax imposed a generation-skipping transfer tax on outright gifts to persons who are two (2) or more generations below the transferor, or on distributions from certain trusts that are held solely for the benefit of said persons.

These are only a few changes to the current New York State laws that are affecting estate planning in the future. To summarize, these new laws will narrow and ultimately eliminate the estate tax exclusion gap between the New York and Federal estate tax exclusion amounts. For the next five years, however, as the tax estate exclusion amount increases and the taxable gift laws apply, estate planning will become more complex.

See all the recent changes in the New York State laws, effective April 1, 2014, on page 488.