Unexpected Consequences Department: Negative Home Equity is Boosting Prices.

Properties under water stay off the market. This deprives non-selling owners of comparable sales at true market value — lower than the mortgage in many cases. Short sales and sales by banks are often culled by assessors as not being representative of the market. Sometimes they are wrong — those low values ARE the market.

Forgiven Mortgage Debt is Excludable from Income, at least through 2012.

No. 826 If you or your client has received a 1099 from a former mortgage lender following a short sale or other form of mediation, be aware that Federal law enables qualified taxpayers to exclude the income imputed in the 1099. Under the Mortgage Foregiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, acquisition debt that is forgiven […]

Welcome

CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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