FIRE PROTECTION: What You Need to Know

It has been a busy start to the fire season in California. In many of the fires where we have seen homes destroyed, there has been a lack of defensible space around the homes. This is the area within the perimeter of a parcel where brush clearance, emergency access, and other wildfire prevention measures must be maintained.

Recent changes in state law require that homeowners in certain high fire risk areas maintain defensible space clearance out to 100 feet from their home, expanded from the 30-foot firebreak that was already required.

Even if you are not in a high fire risk area, it’s a good idea to create enough defensible space around your property to decrease the risk of fire.

Here is a link to the brochure of the CDF's guidelines for creating defensible space: http://fire.ca.gov/cdfbofdb/PDFS/4291finalguidelines2_23_06.pdf

For more information, the CDF website is http://www.fire.ca.gov/

Dump the Junk: Another Tip for Dealing with Junk Mail

Did you know that the average household receives 1.5 trees' worth of junk mail annually?

If you've ever wondered, as you tossed the unsolicited catalogs and direct mail materials directly into the recycling bin, if there is a way to stop this waste of paper, fuel, printing, etc., there is!

Simply log on to

https://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/ and opt out of direct mail lists at no cost.

The State of the Market: Not as Bad as You'd Expect?

According to Market Watch,

"Top officials with the National Association of Realtors and Standard & Poor's, which issues the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, agreed this week their monthly reports are giving imprecise readings of price changes at all levels -- national, state and regional -- due to rare market conditions that are skewing survey results."

These "rare market conditions" include an anomalous trend in which sales of more expensive homes are dropping do to tighter lending restrictions and sales of less costly homes are spiking due to increased foreclosures. These phenomena combine to dramatically lower the national median home cost.

In addition, the S&P/Case-Shiller index tracks just 20 major markets in the country, making its data less than representative; and, the fact that the index has only been around since 2001 is good to keep in mind to keep some perspective when it issues reports using language such as "plunged by a record" and "fastest rate ever."

In the end, Chris Plummer reports that, according to the NAR's Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, "pockets of severe price declines in local markets are skewing figures. If homeowners want to determine their property's value, it's never been more critical to take the measure of recent sales by home-price level in their town or city neighborhood."

For a free report to determine the value of your home based on local market conditions, contact me directly at frank@frankmurphy.net or 831-457-5550.

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

Fed Rate Cut Predicted

The monetary policy meeting of the Federal Reserve is just two days away, and many predict that the institution is likely to cut the short-term interest rate once again, from 2.25%to 2%.

This would be the seventh time that the rate has been lowered since August, and would signal that a recession is still a strong possibility this year.

Although the stock market is doing relatively well at the moment, soaring prices for oil and food have fostered a growing fear of imminent recession.

In addition, as Steven Weisman of the New York Times reminds us, "A tricky aspect of the Fed’s decision is that the impact of whatever it does may not be felt for more than six months. Many economists say it takes at least that long for interest rate cuts to have an economic effect."

In the end, one major issue that the Fed will battle over is the need to take care of inflation versus the need to ward of a recession.

Click here to read Weisman's article in its entirety.

Want to Stop Junk Mail?

STOP JUNK MAIL FOREVER

Junk mail is a triple threat: It tries your patience, jeopardizes your identity and spoils the environment. But without too much effort, you can give yourself peace of mind – and an uncluttered mailbox.

Register with the Direct Marketing Association (http://www.dmachoice.org/) to remove your name from its national mailing list. The service is free if you register online, or $1 by mail.

Reject pre-approved offers from credit card companies by visiting http://www.optoutprescreen.com/ or calling 888-567-8688.

Sign up free at http://www.catalogchoice.org/, and the site will do the grunt work to get you off mailing lists for catalogs you don’t want.

Pay a $20 annual fee and Green-Dimes (http://www.greendimes.com/) will remove your name from catalog and other direct-mail lists, plus plant up to ten trees!

For $41.00, http://www.41pounds.org/ – named for the weight in junk mail the average adult receives each year – will contact several dozen direct-mail companies on your behalf. In addition, $15.00 of your fee goes to your choice among the group’s nonprofit affiliates.

The Secrets to Real Estate Success


The Santa Cruz Sentinel published an article today featuring the testimonies of Santa Cruz's most successful Realtors.

Frank's secret? "I love helping people."


by Jondi Gumz, Santa Cruz Sentinel

Homebuyers are scarce. Sales are down 50 percent compared to the peak of 2005.
Yet some real estate agents closed a deal a month -- or more -- last year, the slowest year of the past decade. How did they do it?

About 90 people showed up Wednesday at a luncheon organized by the local chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors to hear six top agents share their secrets.

Quipped moderator Robert Bailey, president of Bailey Properties, "This could be the new cast of 'Survivor.' "

When Sally Bookman started in real estate in 1974, she made it a habit to write notes to the prospective buyers she met at open houses. She didn't procrastinate; she started writing notes before the open house ended. Now she has a huge referral business.

Bookman, originally from London, bought a house while studying at UC Berkeley. She filled the house with students, then bought the lot next door, and then another house.

"I never lost at Monopoly," she said.

She said she uses her doctorate in social anthropology to figure out what clients want.
"If you drive that car and the way you dress, I know what kind of house you want," she said.

Frank Murphy made only one deal in 1998, his first year in real estate. He had expected his new career would mean lots of free time, but he worked 70-80 hours a week.

He uses his 15 years of experience as a building contractor to help buyers solve problems.

"I love helping people," he said.

Audrey Tennant, who's been in the business for 20 years, stays in touch with clients. She uses seasonal marketing campaigns. Working in human resources and marketing for a food and wine company over the hill, she learned patience during union negotiations.

Real estate, she said, is "a give and take business not a push and shove business."

Michael O'Boy initially didn't want to follow in the footsteps of his dad, who was a broker. He became a therapist instead. Then he traded that profession for real estate in 1995 when he decided he wanted to become a homeowner. He found his background as a therapist helpful.
"You listen more and say less," he said.

Lela Willet taught kindergarten until she had a second child. Then she left the classroom to work with her husband, a builder. She sets aside time once a week to call every one of her clients. She does it away from the office, so she doesn't get interrupted.

Being with 5-year-olds, she learned patience and listening, valuable skills in real estate.
Pat Simmons made connections in construction working as a masonry contractor with his father.
"I can recommend folks I would use," he said.

He also can advise clients how much to offer when they tell him the kitchen has to be updated.
One lesson he learned from his father: Ask yourself: "Are you proud to put your name on your work?" Ask that question every day.

So what do they all have in common?

It's not high-tech gadgets.

In fact, only Murphy and O'Boy like technology. All of the others outsource computer tasks.
Experience counts, certainly, but that's not enough by itself.

For each of these agents, the key is helping people. It's finding out what their clients need and helping them get what they need.

As Simmons put it, "It's about success for the client, not you and the commission."

Well said.

Lessons from survivors

Audrey Tennant
Firm: David Lyng Real Estate
'07 escrows: 14
Started in: 1987
Was in: Human resources/marketing
Relaxes by: Spending time with grandchildren.
Quote: Look for opportunities. Remember buyers turn into sellers.

Frank Murphy
Firm: Keller Williams Realty
'07 Escrows: 19
Started in: 1998
Was: Building contractor
Relaxes by: Traveling
Quote: Instead of trying to make a buck, I have an opportunity to help people solve a problem.

Mike O'Boy
Firm: Coldwell Banker
'07 Escrows: 25
Started in: 1995
Was: Therapist at Dominican Hospital
Relaxes by: Coaching
Quote: Don't take for granted where your business will come from. An open house three years ago could result in a client. Return every phone call.

IRS Stimulus Payments To Be Sent Automatically

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today advised taxpayers that in most cases they will not have to do anything extra this year to get the economic stimulus payments beginning in May. “If you are eligible for a payment, all you have to do is file a 2007 tax return and the IRS will do the rest,” said Acting IRS Commissioner Linda Stiff.

The IRS will use information on the 2007 tax return filed by the taxpayer to determine eligibility and calculate the amount of the stimulus payments. The IRS will begin sending taxpayers their payments in early May after the current tax season concludes. Payments to more than 130 million taxpayers will continue over several weeks during the spring and summer. A payment schedule for taxpayers will be announced in the near future.

Stimulus payments will be direct deposited for taxpayers selecting that option when filing their 2007 tax returns. Taxpayers who have already filed with direct deposit won't need to do anything else to receive the stimulus payment. For taxpayers who haven't filed their 2007 returns yet, the IRS reminds them that direct deposit is the fastest way to get both regular refunds and stimulus payments.

Most taxpayers just need to file a 2007 tax return as usual. No other action, extra form or call is necessary.

This Web site http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179094,00.html will be the best information source for all updates and taxpayer questions. In most cases, the payment will equal the amount of tax liability on the tax return, with a maximum amount of $600 for individuals ($1,200 for taxpayers who file a joint return).

The law also allows for payments for select taxpayers who have no tax liability, such as low-income workers or those who receive Social Security benefits or veterans’ disability compensation, pension or survivors’ benefits received from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2007. These taxpayers will be eligible to receive a payment of $300 ($600 on a joint return) if they had at least $3,000 of qualifying income.

Qualifying income includes Social Security benefits, certain Railroad Retirement benefits, certain veterans’ benefits and earned income, such as income from wages, salaries, tips and self-employment. While these people may not be normally required to file a tax return because they do not meet the filing requirement, the IRS emphasizes they must file a 2007 return in order to receive a payment.

Recipients of Social Security, certain Railroad Retirement and certain veterans’ benefits should report their 2007 benefits on Line 14a of Form 1040A or Line 20a of Form 1040. Taxpayers who already have filed but failed to report these benefits can file an amended return by using Form 1040X. The IRS is working with the Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that recipients are aware of this issue.

“Some people receiving Social Security and veterans’ benefits may not realize they will need to file a tax return to get the stimulus payment,” Stiff said. “To reach these people, the IRS and Treasury will work closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and key beneficiary groups on outreach efforts.”

Eligible taxpayers who qualify for a payment will receive an additional $300 for each child who qualifies for the child tax credit.

Payments to higher income taxpayers will be reduced by 5 percent of the amount of adjusted gross income above $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for those filing jointly.

Taxpayers must have valid Social Security Numbers to qualify for the stimulus payment. If married filing jointly, both taxpayers must have a valid Social Security Number. And, children must have valid Social Security Numbers to be eligible as qualifying children.

Taxpayers who file their tax returns using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number issued by the IRS or any number issued by the IRS are ineligible. Also ineligible are individuals who can be claimed as dependents on someone else’s return, or taxpayers who file Form 1040-NR, 1040-PR or 1040-SS.

To accommodate taxpayers who file tax returns later in the year, the IRS will continue sending payments until December 31, 2008. The IRS also cautions taxpayers that if they file their 2007 tax return and then move their residence that they should file a change of address card with the U.S. Postal Service.

The IRS will mail two informational notices to taxpayers advising them of the stimulus payments. However, taxpayers should be alert for tax rebate scams such as telephone calls or e-mails claiming to be from the IRS and asking for sensitive financial information. The IRS will not call or e-mail taxpayers about these payments nor will it ask for financial information. Scam e-mails and information about scam calls should be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov

courtesy of the Santa Cruz Association of Realtors (SCAOR)

IRS Guidance on Exchanging Vacation Homes

Finally! — IRS Guidance on Exchanging Vacation Homes

Revenue Procedure 2008-16 Provides Safe Harbor

courtesy of Old Republic Exchange Company

Until now, the issue of whether a vacation home qualifies for tax deferral treatment under IRC §1031 was the subject of much scrutiny and uncertainty. To the delight of many tax practitioners, on February 15, 2008, the IRS eliminated that uncertainty by issuing Revenue Procedure ("Rev. Proc.") 2008-16, effective March 10, 2008, which provides a safe harbor for exchanges of vacation homes (defined as "dwelling unit" in the Rev. Proc.). Now taxpayers can have a clear understanding of the circumstances under which the IRS will not challenge whether a vacation home will qualify as property "held for investment" under §1031.

Vacation Home as Relinquished Property

For a vacation home to qualify as relinquished property, it must meet the following criteria:

• It is owned by the taxpayer for at least 24 months immediately before the exchange ("qualifying use period"); and

• Within the qualifying use period, in each of the two 12 month periods, (1) the taxpayer rents the dwelling unit at fair rental to another person for 14 days or more and (2) the taxpayer’s personal use of the dwelling unit does not exceed the greater of 14 days or 10 percent of the number of days during the 12 month period that the dwelling unit was rented at fair rental value.

The first 12 month period immediately preceding the exchange ends on the day before the exchange takes place (and begins 12 months prior to that day). The second 12 month period ends on the day before the first 12 month period begins (and begins 12 months prior to that day).

Vacation Home as Replacement Property

For a vacation home to qualify as replacement property, it must meet the following criteria:

• It is owned by the taxpayer for at least 24 months immediately following the exchange ("qualifying use period"); and

• Within the qualifying use period, in each of the two 12 month periods, (1) the taxpayer rents the dwelling unit to another person at fair rental for 14 days or more and (2) the taxpayer’s personal use of the dwelling unit does not exceed the greater of 14 days or 10 percent of the number of days during the 12 month period that the dwelling unit was rented at fair rental.

The 12 month period immediately after the exchange begins on the day after the exchange takes place and the second 12 month period begins on the day after the first 12 month period ends.

Personal use is defined broadly. Use by the taxpayer or other person having an interest in the dwelling unit and any family member1 will be considered "personal use" by the taxpayer. Also, any arrangement whereby fair market rent is not paid will be considered "personal use" by the taxpayer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, use by family members will not be considered "personal use" by the taxpayer only if the dwelling unit is rented at fair market rent and the family member uses it as his principal residence.

Fair rental is based upon all of the facts and circumstances that exist when the rental agreement is entered into. All rights and obligations of the rental agreement are taken into account.

Note special rule for replacement property. If the taxpayer files a return reporting a transaction under §1031 based on the expectation that the dwelling unit will meet the qualifying use standards and subsequently determines that the dwelling unit does not meet the qualifying use standards, the taxpayer, if necessary, should file an amended return.

Exchanges of vacation homes outside the Rev. Proc. 2008-16 safe harbor. An exchange of a vacation home may still qualify under §1031 even though it falls outside the parameters of Rev. Proc. 2008-16. Any such circumstance will be subject to greater scrutiny and therefore should be carefully planned and reviewed by the taxpayer’s tax advisor.

1 Brothers and sisters (by the whole or half blood), spouses, ancestors, and lineal descendants.

The MEGACONVERTER!

Warning: The link I'm about to give you is addictive!

Taken from a weekly supplement provided to subscribers of Copyediting newsletter:

Last week, as I was preparing the resources page for the document that will be sent as a supplement for the November 13 audio conference on math errors, I was double-checking entries on metric units and conversions in The Associated Press Stylebook. I spotted something I'd somehow missed.

I've been using Google lately for conversions; you can type 5 pounds in kilos in the search field and find out instantly that it's 2.26796185 kilos. But if you're thinking about buying your ancestral farm in Ireland and want to know how many U.S. acres are in an Irish acre, you can't type 5 Irish acres in U.S. acres and get the conversion. You get links to things like the Irish Acres Antiques Store.

No, for that kind of conversion, you need the MEGACONVERTER 2!

I'm not joking. The Associated Press Stylebook has a quiet little mention of this amazing tool under its metric system entry, and boy, can it do things! One Irish acre is 1.61983 U.S. acres, in case you were wondering. There are, as of last week, 45 conversion categories, from Angles to Wire Resistance. I'm sure they'll find something that starts with a Z to measure soon. Our proofreader, Danny Marcus, noted that the category "Length, Ancient" doesn't have cubits listed. I agree with him that this is a serious oversight, especially for editors of construction manuals.

The Megaconverter 2: http://www.blogger.com/www.megaconverter.com/mega2.

Danny also shared two more sites for conversions that even the whopping Megaconverter doesn't have:

The first is for the Consumer Price Index. Find out how much more you could have bought in 1969 with the money you now spend on a latte: http://woodrow.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/data/us/calc/.

As if that weren't depressing enough, you can also find out how many milliliters your $3.29 would buy you in England right now by entering that amount in the Universal Currency Converter at XE.com: http://www.xe.com/ucc/.

HAVE AN AVERAGE DAY

Here's an article that I found to be very powerful. I hope you enjoy it too....

Have an Average Day, by Michael Neill

Excerpted from Catalyst (Sept. 2007), an independent journal of healthy living

I once was talking to my friend and mentor Steve Chandler when he said to me, "Have an average day!" Taken aback, I asked him what he meant. Isn’t the idea to have great days, even exceptional ones?

He told me a story about one of his mentors, Lyndon Duke, who studied the linguistics of suicide. After receiving doctorates from two universities, Duke began analyzing suicide notes for linguistic clues that could be used to predict and prevent suicidal behavior in teenagers.

Duke came to believe that the enemy of happiness is "the curse of exceptionality." When everyone is trying to be exceptional, nearly everyone fails because the exceptional becomes commonplace, and those few who do succeed feel isolated and estranged from their peers. We’re left with a world in which a few people feel envied, misunderstood, and alone, while thousands of others feel like failures for not being good, special, rich, or happy enough.

When I was in the thickest cloud of my own suicidal thoughts, I was at university and I remember wishing that I could run away from my scholarship, change my name to Bob, and take a job pumping gas at a full-service station somewhere in the Midwest. Only in my fantasy, people would start to notice something special about me. They would begin driving miles out of their way to have "Bob the service guy" fill up their cars and to exchange a few words with him, leaving the station oddly uplifted and with a renewed sense of optimism and purpose.
I was, to my way of thinking, doomed to succeed.

Delusions of grandeur? Quite possibly. Depressed and miserable? Absolutely.

One of Duke’s breakthroughs came when he was dealing with his own unhappiness and heard a neighbor singing while he was mowing his lawn. Duke realized what was missing from his life: the simple pleasures of an average day.

The very next weekend, he went to visit his son, who was struggling to excel in his first term at university. "I expect you to be a straight C student, young man," Duke said. "I want you to complete your unremarkable academic career, meet an ordinary young woman, and, if you choose to, get married and live a completely average life!"

His son, of course, thought Dad had finally flipped, but it did take the pressure off him to be quite so exceptional. A month later he phoned his father to apologize. He had gotten A’s on his exams, despite having done only an average amount of studying.

This is the paradoxical promise of an average-day philosophy: The cumulative effect of a series of average days is actually quite extraordinary.

If we put this together with another one of Duke’s discoveries—that the meaning of our lives comes from the differences we make with them, though these differences need not be huge to have a profound impact—we may well have the ultimate prescription for a happy, productive life:

Be an average, happy person making a small positive difference (and having a happy, average day). In doing this, you create a kind of exceptionality that everyone can share.

Michael Neill (www.geniuscatalyst.com) is a success coach, media commentator, and author. Copyright © 2007

BERNANKE EXPECTED TO CUT RATES AGAIN

In the face of what appears to be a worsening national economy, Ben S. Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, is expected to cut interest rates again, the goal being "to get people to borrow and spend more."

Bernanke was quoted in the New York Times today as saying:

'“The outlook for real activity in 2008 has worsened. We stand ready to take substantive additional actions as needed to support growth and to provide adequate insurance against downside risks.”'

Until recently Bernanke has been reluctant to forecast the U.S. economy as anything but vague; yet "disappointing holiday sales figures," a rise in unemployment, and a troubling spike in foreclosures all give evidence to an downturn.

Bernanke still steers clear of the word "recession," however, and seems to remain confident in the Fed's ability to prevent one in the near future.

Fed Chief Signals Further Rate Cut, By Louis Uchitelle and Michael M. Grynbaum, the New York Times

IMPORTANT: INFORMATION ON STROKE IDENTIFICATION

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.

My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. If everyone can remember something this simple,we could save some folks. Seriously...

Please read:STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall, she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die, they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the"3 " steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) i.e. It is sunny out today)

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks,call 999/911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke ------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that
at least one life will be saved.

ATTENTION TRAVELERS! Lithium Batteries Restriction:

Passengers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage on flights in the USA, effective from January 1st 2008. The new regulation is designed to reduce the risk of lithium battery fires and applies to all flights from, to and within the USA. Lithium batteries are considered hazardous materials because they can overheat and ignite in certain conditions. Lithium batteries in checked baggage are allowed if they are installed in electronic devices, or in carry-on baggage if stored in plastic bags (maximum of two extended-life batteries).

*US Department of Transportation*

For full article, see below:
http://www.photographyblog.com/index.php/weblog/comments/lithium_batteries_restricted_on_us_flights/

TAX BREAK FOR MORTGAGE DEBT FORGIVENESS

President Bush signed into law today a new measure giving tax breaks to homeowners who have mortgage debt forgiven. Under preexisting law, the debt forgiven by a lender, such as for short sales and refinances, was generally taxable to the borrower as debt discharge income. With the passage of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, a taxpayer does not have to pay federal income tax on debt forgiven for a loan secured by a qualified principal residence.

This tax break applies to debts discharged from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009. Qualified principal residence indebtedness is debt incurred in acquiring, constructing, or substantially improving the residence (up to $2 million for refinances).

For purposes of calculating capital gains, any debts discharged excluded from income under the new law must be subtracted from the basis of the taxpayer's principal residence (but not below zero). However, taxpayers may generally exclude from capital gains income up to $250,000 (or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly) for properties owned and used as their principal residence for at least two of the last five years.

For a copy of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, go to http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-3648.

Brought to you by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

MIT PHYSICS LECTURES AND MUCH MORE, FREE ONLINE!

Did you know about the free on-line lectures available from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's OpenCourseWare program? Go take a look!

Click here to read Sara Rimer's article in the New York Times about Walter H. G. Lewin, one special physics professor who's "now emerged as an international Internet guru thanks to the global classroom."

Enjoy this video of the Indiana University men's a cappella group Straight No Chaser doing a special holiday medley!

THE COST OF STAND-BY POWER

Ever wonder exactly how much power is actually being used by appliances "that are always 'on' while seemingly 'off'," such as a television?

C. CLAIBORNE RAY of the New York Times has the answer right here, including a laboratory Web site of Standby Power Data that "provides tables of the minimum, average and maximum power used by appliances that cannot be switched off completely without being unplugged."

BEN STEIN'S "LESSONS FROM THE PITS"

When he isn't giving away his own money on Comedy Central or lending his talent to making memorable characters on the Big Screen, lawyer and economist Ben Stein has some pretty wise things to say about life.

Click here to read some of his thoughts on travel, investment, spending, and heroism--all with a good dose of his usual wit, of course.

The 53 Places To Go In 2008!

"What’s on your travel itinerary in the new year?"

From Laos to Hvar to Death Valley to Mozambique, click here to see beautiful photos from around the world and find out which destinations made the list!

List compiled by Denny Lee, courtesy of the New York Times.

INFORMATION FOR TAXPAYERS IN FORECLOSURE


Provided courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service

The IRS has developed information and Web resources to assist taxpayers with the tax issues presented by foreclosure.

Key Points:

*The Internal Revenue Service unveiled a special new section on www.IRS.gov for people who have lost their homes due to foreclosure.

*The IRS also reassured homeowners that although mortgage workouts and foreclosures can have tax consequences, special relief provisions can often reduce or eliminate the tax bite for financially strapped borrowers who lose their homes.

Resources:

*IRS 2007-159 – The news release IR 2007-159 provides additional background. The
news release and FAQs can also be found at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=174022,00.html

The direct link to the FAQ’s is http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=174034,00.html