#denvertaxlawyers

Freddie Mac Sells Off $667 Million
In Non-Performing Mortgage Loans

Mar 31, 2017

Freddie Mac Sells Off $667 Million In Non-Performing Mortgage Loans

The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, known as Freddie Mac, announced last week that it’s selling off non-performing loans to private investors. Freddie Mac is a public government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) headquartered in Virginia. Freddie Mac was created in 1970 to help expand the mortgage market alongside the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae). Previously, from 1938 to 1968 Fannie Mae was the only institution that bought mortgages leading to and enco

Keith Gantenbein

Dec 29, 2016

Home Loan Modifications Ending

The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) was introduced in 2009 and established to help homeowners recover from the great housing bubble burst. The HAMP was part of the Making Home Affordable program (MHA) along with the Hardest Hit Fund program (HHF) that was under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). These programs were part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and put into place to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. HAMP and the entire

How To Spot A Fake Tax Call From An 'IRS Agent'

Keith Gantenbein

Sep 28, 2016

How To Spot A Fake Tax Call From An 'IRS Agent'

Hundreds of Americans are getting frightening calls from “IRS Agents” making threats including sending the sheriff over to arrest them if they don’t pay back taxes immediately. The first 8 months of this year there has been a 400% surge in these phony calls and text messages. These calls are alarming due to the fact the so-called “IRS Agent” have personal information including their correct social security number, where the person lives, where they used to live, their maiden

Denver's Hot Summer Real Estate Market- Will It Cool In The Fall?

Keith Gantenbein

Sep 15, 2016

Denver's Hot Summer Real Estate Market- Will It Cool In The Fall?

Colorado’s housing market continues to be ‘hot’. The top ten hottest cities in our nation are: Miami, Phoenix, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Denver, San Antonio, Charlotte, San Diego and Flint. Denver is number 6. In the Denver-area, the average price of a single-family home rose 3%, averaging around $445,000 per home. Condominium prices rose 4.5% to an average of approximately $298,000. Houses and condos are on the market (listed) an average of 24 days before they are s

Keith Gantenbein

Aug 15, 2016

The Tiny Home Real Estate Movement

About two years ago “tiny houses” began an upward trend in new sales of homes in what has become the Tiny House Movement. Even the most traditional builders are jumping on the bandwagon and building their own selection of tiny homes. America’s love affair with tiny homes is contrary to a nation whose homes average 2,200 to 2,600 square feet. What is the obsession with these tiny homes and what are they? A tiny home typically ranges from 100 to 400 square feet. By definition a

Co-Owning Real Estate With A Partner Or A Friend

Keith Gantenbein

Jul 26, 2016

Co-Owning Real Estate With A Partner Or A Friend

If you’re thinking of buying (co-owning) a home with a partner, if you’re an unmarried couple or just friends, it’s extremely important to protect yourself if there were a death, a parting or foreclosure. The decision you make in co-owning any property can have disastrous repercussions and consequences. Approximately 25% of primary homebuyers in the US are single. Generally speaking, non-married buyers have very little or no estate-planning protection at either the state or f

Getting a Mortgage After a Short Sale or Foreclosure

Keith Gantenbein

Jul 14, 2016

Getting a Mortgage After a Short Sale or Foreclosure

The housing bubble triggered foreclosures to hundreds of thousands of distressed homeowners all over our nation. If you experienced a foreclosure or opted for a short sale, that doesn’t mean you will never be able to own a home again. Your credit will take a hit after a foreclosure or short sale. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans are the most forgiving of foreclosures. You’ll have to wait at least three years after your foreclosure to qualify. The three years sta

How Brexit Might Affect The U.S. Real Estate Market

Keith Gantenbein

Jul 6, 2016

How Brexit Might Affect The U.S. Real Estate Market

By now, most of us have heard something about Brexit (British Exit). In a sentence, Britain voted to leave the European Union (EU) in a historic referendum June 23. The effects of Brexit are being heard around the world. Britain has the world’s fifth-largest economy and is one of the United State’s biggest trading partners. After the vote, Britain’s pound dropped to a 30-year low prompting Americans to change vacation plans to visit Britain and take advantage of the low price

International Businesses- At Risk? French Tax Authorities Go After Major Businesses

Keith Gantenbein

Jun 23, 2016

International Businesses- At Risk? French Tax Authorities Go After Major Businesses

Our own IRS isn’t the only entity to fear when it comes to taxes. Europe has their eye on international businesses as well as wanting their ‘fare share’ of the profits. The French have widened their investigations and are cracking down on these international businesses concluding a nearly 3-year investigation and auditing of Priceline’s Booking.com The French tax authorities operate in a big way - with exactly $397.37 million in unpaid taxes slapped against Booking.com. The m

Signs The Real Estate Bubble Is About To Burst- Again

Keith Gantenbein

Jun 13, 2016

Signs The Real Estate Bubble Is About To Burst- Again

The number of luxury homes sitting on the global market and not selling is beginning to pile up. It may also be a forewarning of the beginning of another housing bubble getting ready to burst. The last time there was a rise in luxury homes not selling was in 2007 and 2008 - right before the housing crash. Analysts and brokers are warning of another housing bubble due to the high number of luxury homes not selling that they think is a sure ‘bubble signal’. The housing market

Keith Gantenbein

Jun 6, 2016

Tax Tips For Starting Your Own Business

If you’re starting a new business, the tax obligations aren’t something you should try to handle alone. Meeting with a qualified tax and business attorney can save you thousands of dollars and ensure your business is starting out on the right foot. When it comes to taxes, there’s no room for error. An audit, additional taxes, penalties and fees can become a nightmare if you make one error, or grab the attention of the IRS. The first day your business is up and running, your b

Mortgage Foreclosure and Survivors' Rights

Keith Gantenbein

May 31, 2016

Mortgage Foreclosure and Survivors' Rights

California is a step closer to signing a bill into law to protect families from foreclosure after the death of the primary mortgage note holder. The Bill is known as the “Survivor Bill of Rights”. Other states may soon follow in passing similar laws. When a spouse dies, often the surviving spouse can’t afford the mortgage payment. The survivor usually calls the lender to let them know the spouse has died. When the survivor tries for a loan modification due to loss of income,

Keith Gantenbein

May 25, 2016

Reverse Mortgage Advantages and Risks

A reverse mortgage or home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) was signed into law in 1988 as part of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987. The HECM is available only to homeowners who are 62 years or older, have equity in their home and the home is the principal residence. In basic terms, under the HECM, the homeowner can access their equity for personal use and not pay a mortgage payment until they die, sell or move out of the home. The homeowner is still respons

Keith Gantenbein

May 18, 2016

Timeshare Horror Stories

Timeshares came into being during the early 1960s in England where people would share a holiday (vacation) home. The sharing typically would be between four families who would rotate their seasons each year so each family could enjoy the prime times. In the 1970s, timeshares hit the U.S. A company set up shop in south Florida and sold timeshares in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Timeshares evolved into sharing one piece of property, generally a condominium between 50 people, each

Shutting Down Illegal Student Loan Relief Schemes

Keith Gantenbein

May 10, 2016

Shutting Down Illegal Student Loan Relief Schemes

On March 15th, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) requested that a federal district court enter a final judgment and order to shut down StudentLoan Processing.US which is a fictitious business name of Irvine Web Works, Inc and its individual owner, James Krause. The order bans the company and owner from any future involvement in debt relief and student loan services and to pay refunds to thousands of harmed consumers. The CFPB alleged the student debt relief sche

Life After Death- Tax Surprise For Millions

Keith Gantenbein

Apr 25, 2016

Life After Death- Tax Surprise For Millions

Millions of Americans have had horrible and challenging years due to the Great Financial Crisis and subsequent meltdown. Many are just now beginning to recover from earlier job losses, health issues, mounting debt and even loss of their homes through foreclosure, deed-in-lieu or short sale. Just as they’re climbing out of the hole they receive a dreaded IRS Form 1099-C or related statement detailing the discharge of indebtedness as miscellaneous income. What does this mean? I

Save Big On Taxes With Charity-Related Donations

Keith Gantenbein

Mar 24, 2016

Save Big On Taxes With Charity-Related Donations

When doing your taxes, one of the deductions most overlooked are charitable contributions. You can deduct a maximum of up to 50% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) on Line 36 on IRS Form 1040 for the tax year in which the donation was given. If you find yourself with more than 50% in one given year, the excess may be carried over for up to five years. If you don’t think you give large amounts to charity, think again. Throughout the year, all those little donations can add up

Colorado "Landlord" Arrested For Phony Rent Payments

Keith Gantenbein

Sep 10, 2015

Colorado "Landlord" Arrested For Phony Rent Payments

A Wheat Ridge, Colorado woman was arrested for renting out a home through Craigslist last week. A woman who identified herself as Lisa Sandoval, advertised the home for almost $1,800 a month, a steal considering the home had four bedrooms. And a steal it was. Lisa Sandoval’s real name is Michelle Copeland, 39. Copeland had no rights to the home at all. In fact, the home had been vacant for almost 5 years. When Francine Neilsen saw the advertised home, she jumped at the price,

Nationstar Providing Millions of Dollars to Milwaukee Homeowners

Keith Gantenbein

Sep 2, 2015

Nationstar Providing Millions of Dollars to Milwaukee Homeowners

Nationstar Mortgage will be providing up to $30 million dollars to distressed Milwaukee homeowners under a special agreement with the city. In a move worthy of Washington politics, the majority owner of Fortress Investments, which owns Nationstar, is also the co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. There have been months of negotiations, bad media press and upcoming hearings on how the city will finance a proposed $500 million Bucks arena. Analysts say the two are definitely related

Keith Gantenbein

Jul 27, 2015

HOAs from Hell

More than forty years ago, developers began ‘common-interest housing’ as a way to cut costs and taxes and built more units on less land. Instead of providing each house with it’s own conveniences, they began the movement of “shared amenities”. Because these communities were private developments, local laws and authority didn’t oversee or have to maintain them. The responsibilities to govern these communities fell to volunteer committees. Thus the Homeowner’s Associations (HOA