March 3rd, 2010
Published: February 19, 2010
Follow these tax tips for homeowners to ensure that you receive all of the tax deductions and tax credits to which you’re entitled.
Schedule L, a new form from the IRS, allows homeowners to itemize returns so they can deduct real estate taxes and certain disaster-related losses.
You’ve heard it before: Your home is probably the biggest investment you’ll ever make. It’s also probably the biggest tax write-off you’ll ever have. Follow these tax tips for homeowners to ensure that you receive all of the tax deductions and tax credits to which you’re entitled for the 2009 tax year.
Click HERE to read the entire article
February 17th, 2010
January 15th, 2010
We’re helping in Haiti by donating to the American Red Cross Efforts there, Please
Click HERE to visit the Red Cross donation site or text Haiti to 90999 to make a $10 donation via your phone bill.
WASHINGTON, Thursday, January 14, 2010 —
With estimates that as many as three million people may be affected by the catastrophic earthquake which hit Haiti Tuesday, the American Red Cross is releasing an additional $9 million for earthquake relief, bringing its total commitment so far to $10 million to support relief efforts in Haiti.
Priority needs in Haiti are food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support. Thousands of local Red Cross volunteers are aiding their fellow Haitians. American Red Cross Disaster management specialists are scheduled to arrive today from the United States, Peru and Mexico to join local Red Cross staff already on the ground in the disaster zone. As soon as airports begin accepting relief shipments, tarps, hygiene items and cooking sets for approximately 5,000 families will come from the Red Cross warehouse in Panama.
The American Red Cross is also helping the injured who may need blood. Blood and blood products were shipped to the U.S. Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, and then on to Guantanamo Bay to help Haitian evacuees and patients.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has a plane full of mostly medical items on the way to Haiti from Geneva. ICRC staff, including engineers, a surgeon and family linking specialists are expected to arrive in Port-au-Prince this morning. Other Red Cross partners have deployed a mobile hospital, medical teams, and 40 staff to help with sheltering, providing water, sanitation, and telecommunications.
ICRC is helping reconnect separated families in Haiti through a special web site which enables people in Haiti and outside the country to search for and register the names of relatives missing since the earthquake. In the first twenty-four hours, more than 6,000 people have been registered.
How to Help
* We are not accepting volunteers to travel to Haiti. If you would like to volunteer for the American Red Cross, please contact your local chapter.
* For inquiries about relatives living and who have citizenship in Haiti, please be patient and call repeatedly until the lines clear or contact other family members who live nearby. Telephone, Internet and other communication lines are often disrupted in times of disaster.
* People trying to locate U.S. citizens living or traveling in Haiti should contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747 or (202) 647-5225.
Countless requests have come from people wanting to help. The best way to do that is to make a donation to the American Red Cross International Response Fund at redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS. Donors can designate their gifts to Haiti relief. Donations to the International Response Fund allows the American Red Cross to respond to global emergencies and disasters.
In addition, several hundred thousand people have chosen to make a mobile donation. Donors can text “Haiti” to 90999 on their cell phone to send a $10 donation to support Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. The mobile giving effort raised more than $3 million by Thursday morning, and all money raised goes to support Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.
January 14th, 2010
December Residential Highlights
Sales activity this December in Greater Lane County continued to grow when compared to last December. Closed sales rose 38.4% and pending sales were up 24%. New listings also increased 26.9%.
Comparing December 2009 with November 2009, closed sales dropped 3.5% (245 v. 254) and pending sales fell 7.7% (181 v. 196). New listings declined 14.9% (302 v. 355).
At the month’s rate of sales, the 1,738 active residential listings would last approximately 7.1 months.
2009 Summary
Comparing market activity for 2009 with 2008, pending sales increased 3.3%. Closed sales were off last year’s pace by 1.3%. New listings fell 12.4%. Total sales volume for 2009 was $669 million, down from $740 million in 2008 (see graph on page 5).
Sale Prices
The average sale price for December 2009 was down 5.6% compared to December 2008, while the median sale price dropped 2.6%. See residential highlights table below.
For the year, the average sale price was down 8.5% compared to the 2008 level. The median sale price fell 9.1%.
January 12th, 2010
Homeowners can claim a slew of write-offs to lower their tax bills. There are deductions for mortgage interest, mortgage points and real-estate tax payments. (When it comes to real estate taxes, you can claim a tax-saving deduction even if you don’t itemize.) And when you sell your home, most likely you won’t have to pay taxes on the profit. If you bought a home last year, you might even get to write off expenses you didn’t pay. So make sure you get all the tax breaks you have coming.
Click HERE to read the rest of the article at Kiplingers
For a quick video on the importance of tax planning, click HERE
December 23rd, 2009
November Residential Highlights
Click Here to View or Download
This November, sales activity in Lane County continued to outpace totals from the same month a year ago.
Compared to November 2008, closed sales rose 34.4% and pending sales increased 1.6%. New listings dropped 0.6%.
Comparing November 2009 with October 2009, closed sales decreased 19.1% (254 v. 314). Pending sales were down 41.1% (196 v. 333). New listings decreased 29.4% (355 v. 503).
At the month’s rate of sales, the 1,859 active residential listings would last approximately 7.3 months.
Year-to-Date
Comparing January-November 2009 with the same period in 2008, pending sales grew 2.7%. Closed sales were down 4%. New listings fell 14%.
Sale Prices
The average sale price for November 2009 was down 3.9% compared to November 2008, while the median sale price dropped 3.5%. See residential highlights table below.
Month-to-month, the average sale price and median sale price were up when compared with October; the average sale price increased 1.8% ($221,000 v. $217,200) and the median sale price was up 2.5% ($199,800 v. $195,000).
December 7th, 2009
Holiday Safety
When you become a parent, the holidays suddenly take on new meaning. You want to make the season warm and bright while keeping your family safe and secure. UL can help you do just that. Read our tips, dig into the valuable safety articles and be sure to look for UL when purchasing lights, decorations or other things that plug in.
For more on home safety, click HERE
1. Water, water, water your live tree: Dry trees pose a fire risk. Make a fresh cut on the base before putting your tree into a sturdy stand and water it frequently.
2. Check your lights, check them twice: Inspect all of your electric lights and decorations for damage or wear. Cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections may pose a fire or shock hazard.
3. Plan your fire escape: Use the holidays as a good time to plan and practice a fire escape plan with your loved ones. Identify at least two exits from every room in the house, and have a safe meeting place away from your home.
4. Sleep safe by installing carbon monoxide alarms: Be sure that a carbon monoxide alarm is installed outside all sleeping areas in your home.
5. Limit plug-in toys to the big kids: It’s not safe to give a small child a toy or product that needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet due to possible burns or electric shock.
6. Give wrapping paper a second life: Don’t burn used wrapping paper as it may cause intense flash fires. And throwing it out adds waste. Consider recycling or repurposing it instead.
7. Know your lights and cords: Do not connect more than three miniature light strings together. Also, be sure to check the rating on your extension cords, and do not plug in more than the recommended wattage.
8. Steer your tree clear: Your tree should be positioned at least three feet away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. It should also not block any doorways or exits.
9. Decorate with a safe eye: Cords should not be run under carpets or tacked up with metal nails or staples. Small decorations can be choking hazards so keep them out of the reach of toddlers.
10. Look for UL
