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Down Payment

Capital Gains Tax, Other Real Estate Fees You Should Know

by Pag-IBIG Financing Admin

Real estate ads are all over the place these days. You see them in the pages of sleek magazines, in the local newspapers, and of course from the Internet. If you are like most buyers, you would probably notice first the price and then the other details next.

But did you know that the list price doesn’t tell you the whole real story? There could be a lot of other information and fees that are hidden from you and which could be a real shocker once the transaction starts to be formalized.

Many ads, not just with real estate but with other products as well, are subtly crafted to catch one’s attention and entice the prospective buyer into part ways with his money?

In real estate, there is a popular phrase that goes, “Caveat Emptor”, which translates to “Buyer Beware”. And when it comes to buying a property, you really have to know what you are getting into. As they say, the devil is always in the details.

This article is written to arm you with the right knowledge of the most important fees and charges related to a real estate purchase. Especially if you are cash strapped, that’s where the headaches really originate.

Outlined below are the various fees and charges — plus, who pays for what — that you need to be aware of.

real estate deal

1. Reservation Fee or Earnest Money (Paid by the buyer). The main purpose of this fee is to initially hold the property and assign it to the account of buyer so that no other interested buyers can take it for a specified period of time. Normally non-refundable, but should the prospect proceed with the transaction, this money will also form part of the down payment.

2. Down Payment (Paid by the buyer). Also called equity payment, this is normally in the range of 10% to 30% of the selling price which can be paid either in one-time or in a series of installments up to 24 months. The down payment is only required if the buyer is planning to finance the purchase by securing a mortgage loan from a financial institution like Pag-IBIG or a bank.

(Related Link : Mortgage Loan Fundamentals)

3. Appraisal Fee (Either paid by the seller or the buyer). Sometimes this is done only if the property is to be financed by a loan from bank or other lending institution. Usually, the appraisal is also conducted by the financing company through their Appraisal Team. The payment for this is collected together with the loan application fee before the loan is even processed. In the case of For Sale By Owner, the seller may also wish to have the property he is selling appraised by a third-party, independent appraiser.

(Related Link: Equity, Appraisal and Loan Amount.)

4. Loan Charges (Paid by the buyer-borrower). When you apply for a home loan, the lender has to make sure that you are a good borrower. And that implies a lot of work on their part. From documentary charges, to credit investigation and processing some documents, they have to make sure that you pay them for the time and efforts they spend doing the tasks.

5. Attorney’s Fees (Paid by both the buyer and the seller). These are fees for the services rendered by a lawyer and are needed by both parties to formalize the legality of a real estate deal . Some legal documents could involve the Special Power of Attorney, Contract To Sell, Deed of Restriction, Waiver of Rights, Deed of Absolute Sale, etc.

6. Agent’s Commission (Paid by the seller). Real brokers and agents are paid by commission based on the selling price of the property, typically in the range of 3% to 7%.

7. Value Added Tax (Paid by the Buyer). If you think the agent is a sucker for taking 5% off the transaction, remember that there is an even bigger sucker who takes on a bigger piece while doing nothing. The rate of VAT is 10% of the selling price, but some real estate properties are exempted from this tax, especially those which are very cheap. Please check with your agent or seller to know if the property could be exempted from EVAT.

8. Capital Gains Tax (Paid by the seller). This kind of tax is usually imposed if the property is being sold at a higher price than it was purchased. Hence, the term “Capital Gains”. But the BIR has pegged this value to 6% of the Selling Price, or Zonal Value, or Market Value whichever is higher.

9. Documentary Stamp Tax (paid by the buyer). This innocent-sounding tax is set to be 1.5% of the Selling Price or the Zonal Value whichever is higher.

10. Transfer Tax (Paid By the buyer). The rate of this tax depends on the location of the property. The range is from 0.25% to 0.75% of the Selling Price or the Zonal Value of the property, whichever is higher.

11. Registration Fee (Paid by the buyer). Graduated rate based on the selling price of the property. This one is determined at the office of the Register of Deeds, they have a table there of the updated rate of charges.

12. Realty Tax (Paid by the buyer). The rate also varies from place to place, but you can consult your respective local government for the computation.

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This article is written by Carlos Velasco.

Filed Under: Real Estate Finance Tagged With: Capital Gains Tax, Down Payment, Equity, Realty Tax, Taxes

Mortgage Loan Fundamentals

by Pag-IBIG Financing Admin

Real estate properties are seldom bought on spot cash. The vast majority are purchased with a little down payment and mortgage loans on the balance.

A mortgage loan is a form of secured financing; that is, the lender gives you the needed financing and in return you pledge the property as collateral.

In a mortgage loan, there are two very important documents that you will be committed to:

  • Note – is a promise to repay the loan on a timely basis
  • Mortgage or Deed of Trust – is a pledge to secure the loan with the real estate in question in case the borrower fails on his loan obligations.

A mortgage creates a lien on the property, which gives the lender the right to foreclose the property in question.

A loan default happens when you fail to repay the loan “on time” as stipulated on the contract. If that happens, the lender can foreclose the mortgage and take on the property.

Interest Rate and Loan Term

A mortgage loan has two very important components that you need to be aware of.

  • Interest rate – is the price of using the lender’s money and is applied to the principal balance. A lower interest rate means a cheaper use of the lender’s money and should be good for you.
  • Loan term – the time it takes to pay off the whole amount borrowed. Loan term usually spans a number of years.

These two factors primarily affect the installment payments, which is usually on a monthly basis.

The amount shown on the monthly installment schedule always remains constant. When you pay off a loan, a portion goes to the interest payment and another portion goes to pay off the principal amount. In other words, the principal balance is reduced with each payment that you make. And as a consequence, the interest is also reduced as the loan matures. Early installments mostly go to the interest payments while later installments mostly cover the principal.

Down Payment and Mortgage

Most lenders will not grant you a loan that is equivalent to the selling price of the property. In many cases, they will have to appraise the property and you will be asked to put a down payment and loan the remaining balance of the appraised value.

The down payment is sometimes referred to as equity on the property.

The standard down payment is 20% of the appraised value of the property; 80% being your loan or the financed amount.

The more money you put as down payment, the lower your loan will be. And always remember that the loan bears an interest.

Now comes the question: Which is better of the two?

  1. A low down payment and large loan.
  2. A large down payment and small loan.

There are arguments favoring one over the other. It’s all up to you and your circumstances. But sometimes, the lender will force you to take on lower loan (with large down payment) to lower their risk of loaning you the money to finance your real estate purchase. That’s just pure business.

Pag-IBIG Mortgage Loan

Depending on the property and where you are buying it, Pag-IBIG Fund may give you a large amount of loan which is almost equal to the selling price of the property. But always bear in mind the maximum loan amount the Pag-IBIG Fund can grant you. If you find the amount too small for the property you are considering, you may need to come up with a large down payment or you may use an alternative financial institution.

~~~

Mortgage Loan Fundamentals is written by Carlos Velasco.

Filed Under: Housing Loans, Real Estate Finance Tagged With: Collateral, Deed of Trust, Down Payment, Equity, Foreclose, Foreclosure, Housing Loan, Interest Rate, Lien, Loan Default, Loan Term, Mortage Loan, Mortgage, Note, Pag-IBIG Loan, Pag-IBIG Mortgage

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