Property Tax Savings and Convenience

Property tax system continues to be highly scrutinized at the Statehouse, leaders must remember that true tax transformation requires that government spending decrease. Every government process should be inspected for efficiency, and our local election process should be no different. To lower local taxes, local government should be allowed to choose Vote Center elections as a substitute for precinct-based elections.

The Vote Center concept permits the county to place voting booths at any location in the county, allowing voters to vote the way they live while choosing to cast a ballot at the center most convenient for them. Paper poll books inhibited flexibility in the voting process and would be replaced by an electronic poll book; this book would be connected to the vote center with secure technology, permitting immediate updates to the list and preventing voters from voting at multiple locations.

With legislature approval in 2006, our office assisted two counties, Wayne and Tippecanoe, in testing a Vote Center Pilot Program last year. The results were clear: Vote Center elections cost less, improved the integrity of the election process, made voting convenient, and kept local officials in control of local elections. The Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University conducted a study of voters’ experiences at Vote Centers during the Municipal Election in November and found that they overwhelmingly supported the Vote Centers concept.

Taxpayer savings - Vote Centers allows the county to serve more voters with fewer resources. Election administrators can move from inadequate polling places to bigger and more convenient facilities, accommodating larger numbers of voters in centralized locations while significantly reducing the number of polling places needed. Fewer polling places translate into fewer machines and fewer paid poll workers.

Convenience – Counties have used the precinct-based voting system since before Abraham Lincoln served as president and while it was efficient at the time, the system is no longer the best way to administer elections in some jurisdictions. By offering the option of voting at the location most convenient for individuals, Vote Centers can be strategically and centrally located. Centers can be established in high-traffic, accessible locations, with preference given to locations along public transit lines, such as libraries, shopping malls, senior centers, grocery stores and public office buildings. The Vote Centers concept offers a sound method for modernizing our time-tested practice of voting in the communities where we live and work.

Who Is Considered a Developer?

A developer is an individual or a business entity that, directly or indirectly, sells or leases, or offers to sell or lease, or advertises to sell or lease lots in a subdivision. Since offering or selling lots, rather than physically developing them, is a criteria for determining who is a developer, the following examples, in addition to the traditional developer, may meet the criteria:

(1) a bank offering lots obtained through a foreclosure;
(2) a corporation that acquires groups of lots in an existing subdivision for resale;
(3) an individual who buys lots at a tax sale or an auction for resale to others.

Tips for Real Estate Brokers

So your sister just introduced you to her friend Irving, a real estate agent, and now you can't get rid of him, right? Wrong! Choosing the right person to sell your home is one of the most important steps of selling. Therefore, choose wisely.

At a minimum, speak with 2 or 3 brokers from different agencies. Ask prospective brokers the same list of questions, in order to compare their answers. Find out what they would do to sell your house.

Above all, choose a broker that you feel comfortable with and like. This person will help you make the biggest sale of your life, so find someone you think will do a good job!

The following is a list of questions that may be helpful to ask while speaking with prospective real estate brokers.

1. How many years have you been in business?
2. For how long have you sold houses in this area?
3. How many houses did you sell in the past year?
4. What is your commission?
5. If I were to work with you, how would you market my house?
6. Will you organize meetings with potential buyers and will you coordinate them personally?
7. Can you give me names and telephone numbers of other families that have used your services?

Buying Land & Building a Home

For impartial advice on available options and what is needed before building a home, please read the Buying Land and Building a Home booklet.

The booklet outlines what to look for when choosing a block of land, the different building options available, how to select the right builder, what the building contract should contain and what rights the buyer has when entering into a building contract.

It also outlines what qualifications and approvals are required for owner/builders.

Like all the Department of Housing publications, there is a list of contact phone numbers for government and non-government organisations which can assist further.

Home Loan Guarantee

If you are a potential homebuyer, Section 184 is a great product - thanks to the low down payment requirement of 2.25% for loans over $50,000. If your loan amount is under $50,000 your down payment is 1.25%. Also, you don't have to pay a mortgage insurance premium each month. Instead, a one-time, 1% loan guarantee fee can be added to your final loan amount. Our underwriters and Loan Guarantee Specialists are familiar with the unique issues and circumstances that Native Americans face when trying to get a mortgage in Indian Country.

Options to Suit Your Needs

* Purchase of an existing home
* Single-close construction loans for a stick-built or a manufactured home on a permanent foundation
* Rehab loans
* Purchase and rehab
* Benefits of the Section 184 Loan Guarantee Program

Abandonment, destruction or donation of excess personal property

Plant clearance officers may abandon, destroy, or donate to public bodies excess property that is not sensitive property and does not require demilitarization.

Plant clearance officers may abandon sensitive property that does not require demilitarization, with contractor consent, provided appropriate instructions are provided with respect to the proper care, handling, and disposal of the property.

The Government may donate excess personal property to eligible donees in lieu of abandonment if the Government will not bear any of the costs incident to a donation.

Before abandoning, destroying, or donating excess personal property, the plant clearance officer shall determine in writing that the property does not constitute a danger to public health or welfare and—

• The property has no residual monetary value; or


• The estimated cost to sell the property, including advertising, storage, and other costs associated with making the sale, is greater than the probable sale proceeds; and


• A Government reviewing official shall approve all written determinations for abandonment and destruction actions.

Lands Spatial Exchange

The Spatial Information exchange (SIX) is a collaborative working space established by the NSW Department of Lands (Lands) for use by government, business and the community.The SIX Gateways provides a single entry point through which to search, access and utilize the wealth of geospatial services and data managed by Lands, in many cases free of charge. It also provides opportunities for users to contribute to this state-wide resource.

As the official source of NSW’s geospatial information, Lands possesses the most comprehensive, correct and reliable spatial data for the State and we currently service the needs of many sectors within the spatial data community.

The SIX Gateway contains a wide range of property and topographic features as well as cadastral and address information that can be searched against.
Key spatial datasets we hold include:

• Cadastre.


• Land Titles.


• Street Addresses.


• Current and Historic Topographic Maps.


• Satellite Imagery.


• Current and Historic Aerial Photography.

HUD WINS PRESTIGIOUS EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT AWARD

"This award recognizes the hard work and creativeness our team put into making sure taxpayers' money is well spent," said HUD's Deputy Secretary Roy A. Bernardi. "This system not only saves money but it allows us to provide housing assistance to more families who truly need it."

"We've seen a 70 percent decline in improper subsidy payments since we've implemented this system," said Paula Blunt, HUD's General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing. "It's a good feeling to know that you can save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year while offering housing assistance to a greater number of deserving families."

Last Year, HUD's Nicole Faison earned the Partnership for Public Service's distinguished Service to America Medal for developing this Income Enterprise Verification system and "making a significant contribution to improve the way Americaworks." HUD's EIV system is credited with significantly reducing fraud in the Department's rental assistance programs and removing HUD from the Government Accounting Office's high-risk list

Buying at an auction and conditions

It is significant to have your solicitor or conveyancer inspect the sale contract before the auction to make sure that the lot is in order. It is also important to have your finance prearranged and that you have made all the necessary quality inspections.

Take the time to find out what prices properties in the area have sell for, so you have a guide for the advertise value of the home you want.

If you want someone else to bid on your behalf, they should give the auctioneer a written authority from you, previous to the auction starts. The letter must include your name, address and particulars of proof of identity, such as your driver’s licence or passport number.

The auctioneer will have these conditions on show before the auction so that you can read them. The auction conditions include:

• the highest bidder is the purchaser, subject to any reserve price


• the property seller is allowed to one bid only


• before the auction, the auctioneer should announce if the seller has reserved the right to make a bid


• the auctioneer must announce when the seller's bid is completed


• the auctioneer can refuse a bid that is not in the benefit of the seller


• the auctioneer has no authority to accept a late bid, that is, a bid after the reduce of the hammer


• if there is a disputed bid, the auctioneer is the sole arbitrator and makes the final decision


• the successful buyer’s name must be specified to the auctioneer as soon as possible


• it is an offence to get together with someone to interfere with free and open competition at the auction, for example, by arranging to make ‘dummy’ bids.

Relief Options for FHA Loans

Homeowners falling in the rear on an FHA loan should know that:

• Iif your home was spoiled or your income reduced because of a hurricane, tornado, flood, wildfire, or other natural or man-made event -- and your home or job is in an area that the President confirmed a disaster area -- your lender will not start foreclosure for 90 days. Read more about what homeowners and lenders need to know.


• If you or your spouse is on active military duty, you may qualify for a reduction in your interest rate -- and, thereby, condensed payments. Read about how the Service members Civil Relief Act (formerly known as the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940) affects military homeowners, and what lenders require to know.


• If you work with your lender, you may be able to save your home.

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT & HOUSING AUTHORITY

We are pleased that the Court upheld HUD's decision not to give special treatment to the PHA. The PHA did not show any irreparable or immediate injury if it's MTW Agreement, which expires today, were not renewed. The Court correctly found that if the PHA continues to demand a new contract on its terms "any harm PHA suffers will be by its own hand, not HUD's." Thus, the solution to this problem lies with the PHA itself, and we continue to stand by, ready to assist them, as we always have.

Steps to Buying a Home

Knowing what to do, where to start and what to look out for can save buyers time and money when purchasing a home. The Department of Housing has produced a number of free publications that explain the home buying process.

The A-Z of Home obtain guides potential buyers through the different purchase options of buying an existing home or unit, buying ‘off the plan’, acquiring land to build on or buying a land and house package. It also explains in detail the steps and processes to assist purchasers to buy wisely. In doing so it examines the role of solicitors and conveyancers, the different ways to buy property, and what steps to follow right through from the decision to buy to final settlement. The booklet includes a list of useful telephone numbers of organizations and associations that can be of assistance.

The Home Buyer's Checklist enables a purchaser to quickly identify and note the particular features of a property being considered to assist in determining whether it meets their needs and requirements. The joy of becoming a new homeowner can soon disappear if the purchaser becomes financially over-extended. The Home Buyer's Budget Planner is a handy tool to assist in determining if the desired purchase is affordable.

Protection Get a Home Inspection

Buying a home is one of the major important purchases you will make in your lifetime, so you should be sure that the home you want to buy is in good condition. A home inspection is an evaluation of a home’s situation by a trained expert. During a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth and impartial look at the property you plan to buy. The inspector will:

* Evaluate the physical condition: the structure, construction and mechanical systems.
* Identify items that should be repaired or replaced.
* Estimate the remaining useful life of the main systems equipment, structure and finishes.
FHA helps individuals and families become homeowners by providing lenders with mortgage insurance for certain loans.

FHA does not guarantee the value or situation of your future home, and FHA does not perform home inspections. If you find problems with your new home after closing, FHA cannot give or lend you money for repairs, nor can it buy the home back from you.

That's why it is so important for you, the buyer, to get an self-regulating home inspection. Ask a qualified home inspector to thoroughly examine the physical condition of your future home and give you the information you need to make a wise decision.

Role of the Real Estate Broker

Frequently, the first person you consult about buying a home is a real estate agent or broker. Although real estate brokers provide helpful advice on many aspects of home buying, they may serve the interests of the seller and not your interests as the buyer. The most common practice is for the seller to hire the broker to find someone who will be willing to buy the home on terms and conditions that are acceptable to the seller. Therefore, the real estate broker you are dealing with may also represent the seller. However, you can hire your own real estate broker, known as a buyer’s broker, to represent your interests. Also, in some states, agents and brokers are allowed to represent both buyer and seller.

Even if the real estate broker represents the seller, state real estate licensing laws usually require that the broker treat you fairly. If you have any questions concerning the behavior of an agent or broker, you should contact your State’s Real Estate Commission or licensing department.

Sometimes, the real estate broker will offer to help you obtain a mortgage loan. He or she may also recommend that you deal with a particular lender, title company, and attorney or settlement/closing agent. You are not required to follow the real estate broker’s recommendation. You should compare the costs and services offered by other providers with those recommended by the real estate broker.