Rajatheertha Construction & Real Estate News Blog

US Capital Gains Tax on Selling Your Home in 2026: How the $250,000 and $500,000 Exclusions Work United States | October 25, 2026 A homeowner buys a house for $350,000. After several years of living there, the property is worth $650,000. The homeowner decides to sell. Does the Internal Revenue Service tax the entire $650,000 selling price? Does the person owe tax on the $300,000 increase in property value? Can selling expenses and improvements reduce the gain? And how much tax could a married couple save? For eligible homeowners, federal tax law offers an important benefit. Under Internal Revenue Code Section 121, a qualifying individual may exclude up to $250,000 of gain from selling a principal residence. Qualifying married couples filing jointly may exclude up to $500,000. These amounts remain the published federal limits as of October 25, 2026. The exclusion is valuable, but it is not automatic for every residential property. The homeowner normally must satisfy ownership and reside...

How to Remove PMI From Your Mortgage in 2026: The 80% and 78% Rules, Reappraisal and Refinancing United States | October 22, 2026 A homeowner bought a house for $400,000 with a 10% down payment. Because the buyer put down less than 20%, the conventional mortgage required private mortgage insurance. The PMI premium costs $175 every month. Several years later, the homeowner has paid down the loan and the property's market value has increased. Now the homeowner wants to eliminate the $175 charge. Does the mortgage balance need to fall to 80% of the original purchase value? Will PMI automatically disappear at 78%? Can a new appraisal showing a higher home value remove it sooner? Would refinancing be a better solution? All four questions are important because different PMI-removal pathways use different eligibility rules. The federal Homeowners Protection Act gives eligible borrowers specific cancellation and termination rights. Mortgage investors may also provide additional options bas...