In early January 2013, the Senate and the House of Representatives passed legislation to prevent the so-called fiscal cliff; the bill was signed into existence by President Obama. What does this bill mean for the real estate industry? Read ahead to learn more about some of the provisions that will affect the housing market:
1. Real Estate Tax Extenders: The bill extends mortgage cancellation relief and the 10 percent Energy Efficiency Tax Credit for an additional year. Additionally, mortgage insurance premium deductions will continue through 2013, for filers who make less than $110,000 a year.
2. Estate Tax: Individual estates are exempt from estate tax for the first $5 million dollars and then taxed 40 percent for any additional amount; family estates are exempt from estate tax for up to $10 million and also taxed 40 percent beyond that amount.
3. Capital Gains: The rate for capital gains will stay at 15 percent for individuals earning up to $400,000 or for families earning up to $450,000; anything beyond those amounts will be taxed at 20 percent.
About the Author: Marietta, Georgia-based realtor Khatereh Rafiee stays abreast of changes in the real estate market through his membership with the Atlanta Board of Realtors. He has been serving clients with Weichert Realtors since 2004.
The International Committee of the Red Cross recently came to the aid of residents of the Southern Philippines who were displaced or injured by Typhoon Bopha, which hit on December 4, 2012. Khatereh Rafiee, a real estate agent active at one time with the aid organization, here describes the relief efforts.
In anticipation of the storm, the Red Cross had stocked Davao Regional Hospital, the area’s main health care facility, with medical supplies. Doctors used the supplies to treat nearly 300 patients injured during the storm.
In the storm’s aftermath, Red Cross workers dispatched relief supplies and food for roughly 21,000 residents, most living in the three worst-hit areas: Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, and Surigao del Sur.
In other areas, the Red Cross worked with a local aid agency to ensure that residents had access to clean drinking water. The organization also donated construction materials and pipes to repair municipal facilities damaged during the typhoon.
Khatereh Rafiee has spent the last eight years as a real estate agent in the Atlanta metropolitan area, where she volunteers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital leads the way in the global fight against pediatric cancer and other tragic children’s diseases. Combining cutting-edge research with second-to-none patient care in the same facility, St. Jude’s is the first and only Comprehensive Cancer Center committed exclusively to children, as designated by the National Cancer Institute.
St. Jude’s Hospital was founded in 1962 and quickly became the country’s premier center for research into children’s diseases. Attracting doctors and researchers from around the world, St. Jude’s innovative research methods aim to better understand disease pathology, improve diagnostic tools, and achieve more effective treatment outcomes.
As its clinical and research efforts have grown over the years, so has the facility. Thanks to a five-year, $5-billion expansion in 2005, the hospital added an onsite research facility for treatments and vaccines and an enhanced Department of Immunology, as well as an expanded Care Center, a larger cafeteria, and renovations to rehabilitation and medicine areas.
About the Author: Khatereh Rafiee, a real estate professional based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a certified Partner In Hope with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
While it can be tempting and easy to order food or eat out, there are many advantages to cooking food at home. Some benefits I would like to share with you:
1. Saves money: When you cook, you buy the ingredients in bulk (such as flour, sugar, and salt) and use them over and over again, getting a bigger return on investment. You are also more likely to have leftovers, which you can eat again the next day. Bringing leftovers to work can save up to $100 each month!
2. Saves time: While it may seem like a lot of work to prepare and cook a meal, you’ll ultimately save the time you would spend driving to the store or the restaurant. You can also prepare multiple meals ahead of time during the weekend so you have more free time during the week.
3. Home cooked food has less salt and trans-fats: Restaurants use more salt and fats to make their food tastier. When you cook at home, you have more control over the amount of oil and salt you put into your food, reducing your chances of weight gain and other adverse health effects.
About the author: Khatereh Rafiee is a realtor in the community of Marietta, Georgia. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and working on home-improvement projects.
As Georgia’s largest and most active real estate association, the Atlanta Board of Realtors has played a key role in the continuing growth of organized real estate in Georgia. Since its founding in 1910, the board has grown to encompass more than 5,000 real estate professionals, providing services for those involved not only in commercial and residential real estate but in civic posts such as city zoning boards, the Atlanta Housing Authority, the Committee of Urban Renewal, and the Offices of the Mayor and Vice-Mayor.
The board’s central endeavors are providing education, promoting increased professionalism in the field of real estate, and fostering positive change in the community by supporting legislative initiatives. In addition to offering educational courses, the Atlanta Board of Realtors allows industry professionals to network and collaborate through such events as the Multi-Million-Dollar Sales Club Banquet, the Trade Show, the Annual Auction, and the Annual Business Meeting.
About the Author:
Khatereh Rafiee is a member of the Atlanta Board of Realtors.
Khatereh Rafiee is an Atlanta, Georgia-area real estate professional with a history of professional service to organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. Today, Khatereh Rafiee continues this spirit of charity and social involvement as a certified Partner In Hope with the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Devoted to the advancement of curative and preventive pediatric medicine, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital focuses on the development of cures and treatments for catastrophic children’s diseases such as cancer, leukemia, and sickle cell anemia. While working to learn more about the origins of these and other ailments, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital provides professional clinical care for young people regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has served the healthcare needs of children from all 50 states and from around the world. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was founded in 1962 by actor and comedian Danny Thomas. In celebration of his longstanding work with the hospital, Mr. Thomas was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Ronald Reagan in 1985. More recently, Mr. Thomas’ daughter, actress and producer Marlo Thomas, received the 2011 Jefferson Award for her lifetime of achievements with the organization.
Khatereh Rafiee 