New Mobile Technology.

Searching for the perfect home just got easier!  Prudential Indiana Realty Group and The Nancy Mutchmore Team just rolled out their very own mobile app, allowing you to search homes directly from your phone!

Now while you are out for a Sunday drive, in this beautiful Spring weather, you can look up home values instantly.



Text NDM to 87778 to download your app now!

Spring Has Sprung!

 

Many homeowners think that the beginning of the year is a bad time to try to sell your home. The weather is normally cold and dismal. That is not the case this year! A mild winter has meant a strong kick off to the year for The Nancy Mutchmore Team! Listings are moving as buyers are out in full force. If you are thinking of selling your home, now is the time! In fact, The Nancy Mutchmore Team just sold a home this past weekend to a buyer that came through an open house. We had 22 potential buyers come through one open house that day! And to think you could be missing out on potential buyers because you’re waiting for the market to ‘pick-up’!

If you are thinking of selling call the Nancy Mutchmore Team today and let us help you take advantage of this amazing weather and capture these buyers with Spring Fever!  Happy Spring!

JUST LISTED!

Brought to you by The Nancy Mutchmore Team...

A Beautiful Home in Long Branch Estates. Upgrades at every turn. Wonderful Floorplan with 2 story Entry, Dual staircase,2 story Great Room with fireplace, Gourmet Kitchen with Center Island, Hardwoods, Granite Countertops, Butlers Pantry, Spacious Dining room with Custom Trim & Crown Molding. Living Rm, Den with French Doors. Luxurious Master Suite with Vaulted ceiling and huge Master closet. Finished Lower Level with 9" ceilings, Family room, Full Bath + Exercise Area. Beautiful Back Patio, custom landscaping. Wonderful Location, Carmel schools.

Click here to see more: www.tourfactory.com/824976

Teamwork is the key to great success!

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Just like football players form a team to produce incredible results, we are excited to announce that we’re joining forces and forming The Nancy Mutchmore Team to bring you and all of our clients the top-notch service you deserve! Together, The Nancy Mutchmore Team will ensure you have the best real estate experience possible. You will now have unlimited access to all of us, our knowledge, and our expertise!

Teamwork is the key to great success!

Sprucing up for Spring

Are you wanting to spruce up your home this spring?  Here are some quick, inexpensive updates to give your Kitchen and Bath a whole new feel!

Kitchen

• Install new cabinet pulls – A nearly infinite range of styles give you flexibility to transform the feeling of a Kitchen in just an afternoon.

• Paint the walls and ceiling – Priming and painting surfaces that have been absorbing food odors will freshen up the space like nothing else.

• Add under-cabinet lighting – It’s a low cost way to improve prep conditions and add sophistication.

• Upgrade the faucet – If you can match the hole configuration, this is an easy DIY project that boosts both form and function of this workhorse fixture.

Bath

• Update the light fixture – Install a multi-light overhead fixture that better reflects your style, not to mention your mug.

• Dress up a Pedestal Sink – Wrap it in a skirt to conceal your toiletries and waste bin below.  Attach fabric to basin with adhesive-backed Velcro.

• Update the medicine chest – Rather than replace it, apply some fresh paint and new knobs to extend its life.

• Rip out the carpet - If you’re not ready to tile, why not paint the subfloor in a decorative pattern?  It will freshen up the look at a fraction of the cost.

For more DIY tips check out:  DIY Home Upgrades

Or if you are ready to do a major renovation, call me and I can recommend contractors to help make your dreams a reality!

It's that time again....Tax Season!

Every year, the IRS dutifully reports the most common blunders that taxpayers make on their returns. And every year, at or near the top of the “oops” list is forgetting to enter their Social Security number at the top of the tax form -- or making a mistake when entering those nine digits.

No doubt about it: The opportunity to make mistakes is almost unlimited, and missed deductions can be the most costly. About 48 million of us itemize on our 1040s -- claiming more than $1 trillion worth of deductions. That’s right: $1,000,000,000,000, a number rarely spoken out loud until Congress started debating economic-stimulus plans to combat the Great Recession.
Another 92 million taxpayers claim about $700 billion worth using standard deductions—and some of you who take the easy way out probably shortchange yourselves. (If you turned 65 in 2010, remember that you now deserve a bigger standard deduction than the younger folks.)

Yes, friends, tax time is a dangerous time. It’s all too easy to miss a trick and pay too much. Years ago, the fellow who ran the IRS at the time told Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine that he figured millions of taxpayers overpaid their taxes every year by overlooking just one of the money-savers listed below:

1. State sales taxes. Although all taxpayers have a shot at this write-off, which has recently been extended through 2011, it makes sense primarily for those who live in states that do not impose an income tax. You must choose between deducting state and local income taxes or state and local sales taxes. For most citizens of income-tax states, the income tax is a bigger burden than the sales tax, so the income-tax deduction is a better deal.

The IRS has tables that show how much residents of various states can deduct. But the tables aren’t the last word. If you purchased a vehicle, boat or airplane, you get to add the state sales tax you paid to the amount shown in the IRS tables for your state, to the extent that the sales-tax rate you paid doesn’t exceed the state’s general sales-tax rate.

The same goes for any homebuilding materials you purchased. These add-on items are easy to overlook, but they could make the sales-tax deduction a better deal even if you live in a state with an income tax. The IRS even has a calculator on its Web site to help you figure the deduction, which varies depending on the state where you live and your income level.

2. Reinvested dividends. This isn't really a tax deduction, but it is an important subtraction that can save you a bundle. And this is the break that former IRS commissioner Fred Goldberg told Kiplinger's a lot of taxpayers miss.

If, like most investors, your mutual fund dividends are automatically used to buy extra shares, remember that each reinvestment increases your tax basis in the fund. That, in turn, reduces the taxable capital gain (or increases the tax-saving loss) when you redeem shares. Forgetting to include the reinvested dividends in your basis results in double taxation of the dividends -- once when you receive them and later when they’re included in the proceeds of the sale. Don’t make that costly mistake. If you’re not sure what your basis is, ask the fund for help.

3. Out-of-pocket charitable contributions. It’s hard to overlook the big charitable gifts you made during the year, by check or payroll deduction (check your December pay stub). But the little things add up, too, and you can write off out-of-pocket costs incurred while doing good works. For example, ingredients for casseroles you prepare for a nonprofit organization’s soup kitchen and stamps you buy for your school’s fundraising mailing count as a charitable contribution. Keep your receipts and if your contribution totals more than $250, you’ll need an acknowledgement from the charity documenting the services you provided. If you drove your car for charity in 2010, remember to deduct 14 cents per mile.

4. Student-loan interest paid by Mom and Dad. Generally, you can only deduct mortgage or student-loan interest if you are legally required to repay the debt. But if parents pay back a child’s student loans, the IRS treats the money as if it was given to the child, who then paid the debt. So, a child who’s not claimed as a dependent can qualify to deduct up to $2,500 of student-loan interest paid by Mom and Dad. And he or she doesn’t have to itemize to use this money-saver. Mom and Dad also don’t get the interest deduction since they were not liable on the debt.

5. Job-hunting costs. If you’re among the millions of unemployed Americans who were looking for a job in 2010, keep track of your job-search expenses. If you’re looking for a position in the same line of work, you can deduct job-hunting costs as miscellaneous expenses if you itemize, but only to the extent that the total of your total miscellaneous itemized deductions exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income. Job-hunting expenses incurred while looking for your first job don’t qualify. Deductible job-search costs include, but aren’t limited to --
• Food, lodging and transportation if your search takes you away from home overnight
• Cab fares
• Employment agency fees
• Costs of printing resumes, business cards, postage, and advertising

6. Moving expenses to take your first job. As we just mentioned, job-hunting expenses incurred while looking for your first job are not deductible. But, moving expenses to get to that position are. And you get this write-off even if you don't itemize.
To qualify for the deduction, your first job must be at least 50 miles away from your old home. If you qualify, you can deduct the cost of getting yourself and your household goods to the new area, including 16 ½ cents per mile for driving your own vehicle for a 2010 move, plus parking fees and tolls.

7. Military reservists’ travel expenses. Members of the National Guard or military reserve may tap a deduction for travel expenses to drills or meetings. To qualify, you must travel more than 100 miles from home and be away from home overnight. If you qualify, you can deduct the cost of lodging and half the cost of your meals, plus 50 cents per mile for 2010 for driving your own car to get to and from drills. In any event, add parking fees and tolls. You get this deduction regardless of whether you itemize.

8. Health insurance deduction to reduce self-employment tax. Business owners have always been allowed to deduct health insurance premiums for themselves and their family in computing adjusted gross income on the front page of Form 1040. For 2010, they can also deduct the cost of those health insurance premiums in calculating self-employment tax on Schedule SE.
The IRS has hidden this write-off on line 3 of Schedule SE. On that line, you are told to add your self-employment income from lines 1 and 2, subtract the amount claimed on line 29 of Form 1040 (your health insurance premiums) and enter the net amount on line 3. Since the write-off is not on a separate line and is not clearly identified, it will be far too easy for many self-employed persons to miss unless you are fully aware of this tax break and are looking for it.

9. Child-care credit. A credit is so much better than a deduction; it reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar. So missing one is even more painful than missing a deduction that simply reduces the amount of income that’s subject to tax.
If you pay your child-care bills through a reimbursement account at work, it's easy to overlook the child-care credit. Although only $5,000 in expenses can be paid through a tax-favored reimbursement account, up to $6,000 (for the care of two or more children) can qualify for the credit. So, if you run the maximum through a plan at work but spend even more for work-related child care, you can claim the credit on as much as $1,000 of additional expenses. That would cut your tax bill by at least $200.

10. Estate tax on income in respect of a decedent. This sounds complicated, but it can save you a lot of money if you inherited an IRA from someone whose estate was big enough to be subject to the federal estate tax.

Basically, you get an income-tax deduction for the amount of estate tax paid on the IRA assets you received. Let’s say you inherited a $100,000 IRA, and the fact that the money was included in your benefactor's estate added $45,000 to the estate-tax bill. You get to deduct that $45,000 on your tax returns as you withdraw the money from the IRA. If you withdraw $50,000 in one year, for example, you get to claim a $22,500 itemized deduction on Schedule A. That would save you $6,300 in the 28% bracket.

11. State tax paid last spring. Did you owe tax when you filed your 2009 state income tax return in the spring of 2010? Then, for goodness’ sake, remember to include that amount in your state-tax deduction on your 2010 return, along with state income taxes withheld from your paychecks or paid via quarterly estimated payments.

12. Refinancing points. When you buy a house, you get to deduct in one fell swoop the points paid to get your mortgage. When you refinance a mortgage, though, you have to deduct the points over the life of the loan. That means you can deduct 1/30th of the points a year if it’s a 30-year mortgage. That’s $33 a year for each $1,000 of points you paid -- not much, maybe, but don’t throw it away.

Even more important, in the year you pay off the loan -- because you sell the house or refinance again -- you get to deduct in one fell swoop all of the as-yet-undeducted points. There’s one exception to this sweet rule: If you refinance a refinanced loan with the same lender, you add the points paid on the latest deal to the leftovers from the previous refinancing -- and deduct that amount gradually over the life of the new loan.

13. Jury pay turned over to your employer. Many employers continue to pay their employees’ full salary while the workers serve on jury duty, and some require employees to turn over their jury pay they receive from the court to the company coffers. The only problem is that the IRS demands that you report those jury fees as taxable income. To even things out, you get to deduct the amount you pay to your employer.
But how do you do it? There’s no line on the Form 1040 labeled jury fees. Instead the write-off goes on line 36, which purports to be for simply totaling up the deductions that get their own lines. Add your jury fees to the total of your other write-offs and write “jury pay” on the dotted line to the left.

14. American Opportunity Credit. This tax credit, which has been extended through 2012, is available for up to $2,500 of college tuition and related expenses paid during the year. The full credit is available to individuals whose modified adjusted gross income is $80,000 or less ($160,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return). The credit is phased out for taxpayers with incomes above those levels. This credit is juicier than the old Hope credit – it has higher income limits and bigger tax breaks, and it covers all four years of college. And if the credit exceeds your tax liability (regular and AMT), it is partially refundable.

15. Making Work Pay credit. You’ve probably been enjoying the fruits of this credit via reduced payroll tax withholding throughout the year. But to lock in your savings–by reducing your tax bill by $400 if you’re single or $800 if you’re married and file a joint return–you’ll need to actually claim the credit on your 2010 tax return—and you’ll use Schedule M to do so. The credit is equal to 6.2% of your earned income, capped at $400 or $800. For single filers, it starts phasing out at $75,000 of adjusted gross income and dries up at $95,000. The phase-out zone for couples is $150,000 to $190,000.

16. Credit for energy-saving home improvements. You can claim a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of energy-saving home improvements up to a maximum of $1,500. This cap applies to both 2009 and 2010 combined, so if you claimed the maximum $1,500 in 2009, you don’t get another crack at it for 2010. The credit applies to biomass fuel stoves, qualifying skylights, windows and outside doors, and high-efficiency furnaces, water heaters and central air conditioners. For 2011, this credit goes back to pre-2009 limits (for example, $500 maximum credit for all years with no more than $200 for windows).
There’s also no dollar limit on the separate credit for homeowners who install qualified residential alternative energy equipment, such as solar hot water heaters, geothermal heat pumps and wind turbines. Your credit can be 30% of the total cost (including labor) of such systems installed through 2016.

17. Additional bonus depreciation. As part of the year-end law extending the Bush tax cuts, 50% first-year bonus depreciation was extended and expanded retroactively to let filers write off 100% of the cost of qualified assets placed in service between September 9, 2010 and December 31, 2011. In effect, filers get to claim unlimited expensing. This break applies only to new assets with recovery periods of 20 years or less, such as computers, machinery, equipment, land improvements and farm buildings. So don’t miss out on this big tax benefit if you placed business assets in service late in 2010.

18. Break on the sale of demutualized stock. Taxpayers won an important court battle with the IRS in 2009 over the issue of demutualized stock. That’s stock that a life insurance policyholder receives when the insurer switches from being a mutual company owned by policyholders to a stock company owned by stockholders. The IRS’s longstanding position was that such stock had no tax basis, so that when the shares were sold, the taxpayer owed tax on 100% of the proceeds of the sale. But after a long legal struggle, a federal court ruled that the IRS was wrong. The court didn’t say what the basis of the stock should be, but many experts think it’s whatever the shares were worth when they were distributed to policyholders. If you sold stock in 2010 that you received in a demutualization, be sure to claim a basis to hold down your tax bill.

19. Home-buyer credit. We put this last on the list because it’s hard to imagine any taxpayer missing this big a tax break. But some deadlines were extended and you don’t want to miss out if you qualify for the credit. First-time home buyers and longtime homeowners qualify for this break in 2010 as long as they either closed a home sale by April 30, 2010 or entered into a binding contract to purchase a home by April 30th and closed on the deal no later than September 30th. The credit is $8,000 for first-time home buyers (someone who didn’t own a home in the three years leading up to the purchase of a new home) and $6,500 for longtime homeowners (those who continuously owned a home for at least five of the eight years leading up to the purchase of a new home). The credit gradually disappears and is phased out for taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes between $125,000 and $145,000 (for singles) and $225,000 and $245,000 (for married couples who file jointly). Also, if you purchased a home in 2010 and want your credit quicker, you are allowed to claim it early by filing an amended 2009 tax return.

Read more: http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/the-mostoverlooked-tax-deductions.html#ixzz1I5JKoiyF Become a Fan of Kiplinger's on Facebook

Preparing your home for todays market.

Now that you have decided to put your home on the market, it is time to get your home ready to SHINE!  Here are some easy steps to help your home show its full potential.

1) Disassociate Yourself With Your Home.

·          Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house -- a product to be sold much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf.

·          Make the mental decision to "let go" of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours.

·          Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners!

·          Say goodbye to every room.

·          Don't look backwards -- look toward the future.

2) De-Personalize.
Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! You don't want to make any buyer ask, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."

3) De-Clutter!
People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it.

·                           If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away?

·                           Remove all books from bookcases.

·                           Pack up those knickknacks.

·                           Clean off everything on kitchen counters.

·                           Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a    closet when not in use.

·                           Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

4) Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets.
Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means:

·                           Alphabetize spice jars.

·                           Neatly stack dishes.

·                           Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.

·                           Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.

·                           Line up shoes.

5) Rent a Storage Unit.
Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don't want buyers scratching their heads and saying, "What is this room used for?"

6) Remove/Replace Favorite Items.
If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won't want it. Once you tell a buyer she can't have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.

7) Make Minor Repairs.

·                           Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.

·                           Patch holes in walls.

·                           Fix leaky faucets.

·                           Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.

·                           Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls.
(Don't give buyers any reason to remember your home as "the house with the orange bathroom.")

·                           Replace burned-out light bulbs.

·                           If you've considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!

8) Make the House Sparkle!

·                           Wash windows inside and out.

·                           Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.

·                           Clean out cobwebs.

·                           Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.

·                           Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.

·                           Clean out the refrigerator.

·                           Vacuum daily.

·                           Wax floors.

·                           Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.

·                           Bleach dingy grout.

·                           Replace worn rugs.

·                           Hang up fresh towels.

·                           Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows.

·                           Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.

9) Scrutinize.

·                           Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you?

·                           Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer.

·                           Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense.

·                           Make sure window coverings hang level.

·                           Tune in to the room's statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz?

·                           Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You're almost finished.

10) Check Curb Appeal.
If a buyer won't get out of her agent's car because she doesn't like the exterior of your home, you'll never get her inside.

·                           Keep the sidewalks cleared.

·                           Mow the lawn.

·                           Paint faded window trim.

·                           Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.

·                           Trim your bushes.

·                           Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

This is also where my expertise comes into play.  I have helped many people just like you get their home ready to sell.  Let me come in and help you decide what needs to be done to sell your home in the shortest amount of time.  Give me a call at 317.558.7835 today and lets get your home sold!

With Nancy, You Get Mutchmore!