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Using Mortgage Interest As An Itemized Deduction



W


hat is mortgage               seen a tremendous growth in       
interest? It is any           mortgage packages, variety and    
interest you pay on a         amount. The mortgage interest     
secured loan when you bought your     deductible on the interest only   
first or second home. The loans       loan option, once thought to have 
include the mortgage to buy your      gone the way of the Edsel         
home, a second mortgage, a line       automobile, is back today and in  
of credit or a home equity loan.      use by the masses. The mortgage   
The loan must be secured debt or      market has seen an unbelievable   
it will be considered a personal      increase in the interest only     
loan and the interest is not          loans from just a mere sliver of  
deductible.                           the market a few years ago, to    
                                      around 25% of the market share    
For the average consumer who has      today. That’s huge growth,        
managed to acquire credit card        especially when you talk less     
debt, car loans, and various          than five years to experience     
other small debts, is the             that growth.                      
mortgage interest, especially                                           
with an interest only loan an         What benefit does the mortgage    
answer to mortgage interest           interest (especially the interest 
deductions and the elimination of     only loan) bring to the table,    
non-deductible interest?              and does this benefit the         
                                      homeowner as a taxpayer? This is  
What options does the average         one question the mortgage lender  
consumer have in accommodating        probably won’t be able to answer  
the tax need in relation to the       for you, and one you probably     
housing need? What about the          won’t think to ask. But you       
interest only loan option on a        should, because it’s one question 
new house mortgage? Today’s           that can make a difference to you 
housing and mortgage market has       and to your federal tax return    



and the amount of the mortgage        interest will usually mean a      
interest that will actually           greater possibility of a greater  
provide you with a federal income     deduction. There can be limits to 
tax deduction. A mortgage             the tax deduction. Your tax       
interest deduction is one of the      deduction is limited if all       
best financial reasons to             mortgages on your home are either 
purchase a home. Who gets the         more than the fair market value   
deduction? You do, if you are the     of your home or more than one     
primary borrower, legally             million dollars ($500,000 if      
obligated to pay the debt and         married and filing separately)    
actually make the payments. If                                          
you are married and both of you       The greater deduction would be    
signed the loan then both of you      the only advantage to the         
are the primary borrowers.            interest only loan as far as the  
                                      taxpayer is concerned, unless of  
The interest only loan and the        course, they use the money saved  
amount of interest you can deduct     from the interest only loan to    
on your income tax return are one     fund a 401k, an IRA, or an MSA    
and the same if your income           (that’s a topic for a completely  
levels are low enough; the            different paper). The mortgage    
concern for the average consumer      interest and especially the       
is the total dollar value they        interest only loan is sold to the 
get to take off their tax return.     consumer as a way to afford more  
Quite often, the deductions for       house, pay off credit card debt,  
the consumer aren’t enough to         or provide a means to fund a      
contribute to the bottom line,        savings of some kind, and if      
because the income level the          that’s true, it can be used for   
percentage of deductible interest     that purpose. And if you’re       
is calculated on is simply too        considering paying off those high 
high. Higher dollar amounts in        interest credit cards, the        



mortgage interest you’re charged      at the end of the year; and if    
on the interest only loan is          income levels are growing, the    
fully tax deductible, while the       interest expense must grow in     
credit cards are not; a word of       order to keep up. Now, this is a  
caution, however, make sure you       somewhat skewed way of looking at 
don’t turn around and use those       the benefit of a mortgage, but it 
credit cards again, putting           figures right into the same       
yourself right back where you         scheme as the elimination of      
started from, just with a bigger      credit card debt and saving for   
interest payment and less house       401(k) s as a valid reason to     
equity.                               borrow money against your home.   
                                                                        
Why has the market experienced        Remember that your home mortgage  
such growth? It’s not totally         must be a secured loan from your  
related to the income tax             main home or second home. No      
benefit; the home mortgages of        deduction can be made for a       
today satisfy a common desire for     mortgage from a third home,       
the consumer: instant                 fourth home and so on. The        
gratification of bigger and           mortgage and the resulting        
better. Such is the case when         interest are great tools, when    
it’s time to make those needed        used by the right people, in the  
repairs, or house expansion. A        right situation. For the average  
second mortgage makes it possible     consumer and long-term homeowner, 
to retain the same monthly            unless you think a better         
mortgage payment, and still pull      deduction on your tax return is   
a lot of equity out of your home.     worth the forfeiture of equity in 
This may sound like the ultimate      your home, you’d better think     
solution, but is it really? It        twice before re-financing with a  
also adds to the amount of            second mortgage that generates    
interest an individual can deduct     more interest, but less equity.   



                                  






About the Author:

Keith Hoyng is the web master and operator of http://www.quickcash2u.com which is an excellent source of financial, travel, remodeling, and more key information. Visit us at http://www.quickcash2u.com/TaxHelp.html

Source: www.isnare.com


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    Using Mortgage Interest As An Itemized Deduction