Randy Dye Real Estate - Experience Northern Michigan Real Estate at it's Finest

More people are becoming landlords in an economy where selling a home can be challenging. The nation’s second-largest home insurer, Allstate Corp., says the number of homeowners converting their homeowners insurance to landlord policies rose 27 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Holding on probably isn’t the best answer, says economist Edward Leamer, director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. Leamer suggests negotiating a short sale instead. “Better to take your losses and move on.” Another factor to consider is whether renting will reduce or eliminate the value of the capital-gains tax exclusion. Federal tax law requires living in the home at least two of the previous five years to qualify for the full capital-gains tax exclusion when the house is sold. Of course, if there is no profit to be had, then this isn’t a problem. Source: The Wall Street Journal, M.P. McQueen (09/02/2009)