Bank finance articles and tips

Whether you're a developer (one who builds spec homes to sell) or a "flipper" (one who buys a distressed property such as a foreclosure to fix up and resell), having cash on hand to keep the ball rolling can be a challenge at times. When a property doesn't turn over like you expect, it can tie up money you need to start a new project or to ensure the current one is completed. While a traditional loan could be used, this type of loan isn't designed to give you what you need when you need it. A tool you could use and could be just what you need is a private capital loan or hard money loan....

When filing bankruptcy, it's pretty common to have a married couple filed jointly. Many times, it's not in the best interest of the couple to file for bankruptcy jointly. That's why it's important to meet with a bankruptcy attorney when a couple is filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. It is a dilemma that should be addressed on whether to file separately or jointly to best benefit the married couple. In a community property state all property that is acquired during the marriage and the debt that was incurred during the marriage belong to both spouses equally.

f you are thinking about filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy but you are afraid that you will have to liquidate everything you own, you probably don't need to worry. In many cases, individuals get to keep personal property such as their furniture, vehicles, clothing, tools and jewelry.

Why is this? Because there are exemptions that allow Chapter 7 filers to keep a certain amount of their property and in many cases, debtors get to keep everything they own. If you have an excess of personal property such as multiple vehicles, luxury boats and such, you may be required to liquidate those items, but if you are literally living off the basic essentials, you may not need to liquidate anything.

Sharing has a whole new meaning for anyone conducting a tax preparer job in California for same-sex couples. The recognition of domestic partnerships - when combined with community property laws - results in equal sharing of all income. Therefore, each individual shares in half the income regardless of who earned it.

A California tax preparer is familiar with how this situation affects state and federal reporting of income. The community property states of Nevada and Washington have created the same circumstances with their domestic partnership laws.

The income tax preparation for state returns must divide the income equally according to the community property laws of the state. But federal income tax returns still report only separately earned income. The individuals in these cases use a filing status of single since that's the only option for domestic partners under IRS rules.

When a debtor files a voluntary bankruptcy, a change in circumstances may occur which justifies dismissing the case. While it is rarely recommended that a debtor dismiss their bankruptcy case, there are some issues which can arise that justify a dismissal. Let's take a look at a few:

Job Changes

If a debtor files Chapter 13 bankruptcy they are doing so because they earn enough income to pay some of their unsecured debts and hold onto property attached to loans. Under a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan, a debtor's income allows them to make monthly payments for three to five years until the terms of the repayment plan is satisfied. However, if a debtor's income decreases significantly or they lose their job, they may want to dismiss their bankruptcy case. A dismissal may be the best course of action if a change in income occurs before plan confirmation or before the debtor has begun making payments. However, if the debtor has already begun making payments on their debts they might prefer a conversion to Chapter 7 bankruptcy instead.

It has been said that delinquent borrowers can save their homes from being foreclosed by filing for personal bankruptcy. Read on to learn more about the different types of bankruptcy and how filing for bankruptcy affects the home foreclosure process.

What is Foreclosure?

Foreclosure is defined as the legal process where a borrower's ownership of a property is terminated, usually due to inability to make mortgage payments. The process of foreclosure usually involves the forced sale of the property where the proceeds of the sale are used to pay off the mortgage debt.