From Buyincomeproperties.com

Foreclosure
Deductions for Longer-Term Foreclosure Acquisitions
By
Sep 19, 2005, 10:16

Not only are these deductions often overlooked, but they can also serve as reminders what you should do and what you need in your foreclosure business. That includes engaging Pre-Paid Legal Services for ongoing expert legal advice at a very low cost, placing a sign on your car, and using lockboxes, business cards, legal newspapers, directories, digital cameras, and so on.

These will be many for rental keepers.

Depreciate with full componentizing

Write off the old components being replaced during any rehabbing of your rentals as per IRS Regulation 1.167(a) – 8.

Write off repairs of your rentals

Deduct interest on any loans on your rentals

Claim other deductions

Claim more deductions pertinent to the foreclosure and distressed property business:

· Auto expenses to check out distressed properties, visit pre-foreclosure homeowners and banks

· Ads in newspapers and other publications – “I buy houses” ads

· Ads in newspapers and other publications to sell your foreclosure properties

· Appraisal fees – foreclosures and other properties

· Assumption fees for taking over mortgages of pre-foreclosures and other properties

· Attaché case for foreclosure forms and other real state forms

· Accountant’s fees pertaining to foreclosures and other accounting matters in your business

· Attorney’s fees pertaining to foreclosures and other legal matters in your business

· Batteries for flashlights, cameras, and other business paraphernalia

· Books, tapes, publications, software on foreclosures

· Books, tapes, publications, software on related real estate topics

· Brochures about our real estate investment company, specializing in foreclosures

· Business cards and other stationery that you use as a foreclosure investor – “I buy houses”

· Business plan for your foreclosure business (books, tapes, software, etc.)

· Calculators (financial) to do the foreclosure math and other real estate computations

· Camera (digital) for taking pictures of distressed houses (and sending to the lender)

· Cleaning supplies to clean out trashed foreclosed and distressed properties

· Computer for your foreclosure business

· Computer supplies and accessories for your foreclosure business

· Credit cards – dues and interest if credit card used solely for your foreclosure and real estate business

· Database software for buyers, sellers, banks, attorneys, investors, and so on

· Dictionary of banking terms (Barron’s business guides) so you can speak bankers’ language

· Directories, including crisscross or phone directories (that you pay for) to locate distressed sellers

· Directories of attorneys, especially foreclosure and real estate attorneys

· Directories of accountants, especially foreclosure and real estate accountants

· Entertainment (lunch, dinner, etc.) for leads on bargain foreclosure buys

· Eviction costs and other fees related to removing former home owner of foreclosed property

· Exhibit equipment and supplies to display your business at seminars and conventions

· Fees to title companies or courthouse employees for searches on foreclosure properties

· Fees to bird dogs for finding information on bargain properties

· Other fees related to your foreclosure and real estate business

· Flowers to homeowners and to those who find information on bargain properties

· “I Buy houses” flyers to distribute all over the place

· Flyers to sell your foreclosure properties

· Gifts (limited to $25) to finders of information on bargain properties

· Greeting cards (with your company name) to homeowners and finders of information

· Hardware and supplies for quick repairs to your foreclosed properties

· Internet expenses and advertising for your foreclosure business

· Laptop (notebook) computer to take with you for negotiations with homeowner or on travel

· Dictionary of legal terms, including foreclosure terminology

· Legal forms (agreements, contracts, leases, etc.)

· Locks, keys and quicksets to change locks on your foreclosed properties

· Lockbox for easy showing of your foreclosure properties for sale

· Mailing costs to homeowners in pre-foreclosure – postage, stationery, handling

· Mailing costs to banks for REOs and short sales – postage, stationery, handling

· Mailing costs to attract cash investors to help finance foreclosure buys

· Mailing lists of homeowners in foreclosures and distressed sellers

· Mailing lists of investors as a source of cash for your bargain buys

· Maps and atlases to locate distressed properties

· Marketing costs to promote your foreclosure business

· Mortgage amortization – book, calculator, or software

· Multiple listing services (MLS) fees to find distressed properties and motivated sellers

· Measuring tools and devices to check out distressed properties

· Newspapers, legal, foreclosure listings (purchase or subscription)

· Newspapers, other, listing properties for sale and legal notices (purchase or subscription)

· Notary fees for legal documents

· Notary licenses, bonding and renewals (for legal documents)

· Odor-Xit to kill the foulest of odors in distressed properties (1 – 877 – ODORXIT, Dept. 101)

· Phone and/or cell phone for your foreclosure business

· Photographs of distressed houses (and sending to the lender)

· Photo supplies and accessories

· Pre-Paid Legal Services pertaining to foreclosures and other legal matters in your business

· Prepayment penalty for early payoff of a mortgage

· Publications on foreclosure lists and courthouse information

· Real estate data, such as REDI (cost or subscription)

· Record-keeping software such as Quicken or Quick Books for your foreclosure business

· Recording (and other) fees for legal documents

· Seminars (cost of ) on foreclosures to attract distressed sellers, motivated buyers, and investors

· Shirts, jackets, or other apparel with “I buy houses” information

· Signs on your lawn or some prominent location (“I buy houses”)

· Signs on your car (“I buy houses”)

· Signs (sales) to sell your foreclosure properties

· Tape recorder (to record courthouse records and other business matters)

· Tools for repairs to foreclosure properties

· Toys or games (safe ones) for homeowner’s children to play with during foreclosure negotiations

· Thank you cards to referral sources of foreclosures

· Out-of-town travel expense to check out properties and to visit pre-foreclosure homeowners and banks

· TV used solely for business-related video and Internet

· Video equipment and VCRs to view foreclosures and other distressed properties

Note: Not only are these deductions often overlooked, but they can also serve as reminders what you should do and what you need in your foreclosure business. That includes engaging Pre-Paid Legal Services for ongoing expert legal advice at a very low cost, placing a sign on your car, and using lockboxes, business cards, legal newspapers, directories, digital cameras, and so on.



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