1 Dec
After more than two decades, I announce my retirement from the practice of real estate. To my many clients and friends, I extend heartfelt wishes for a prosperous and healthy future.
I have enjoyed the great people I have met and helped to purchase and/or sell a home and carry with me wonderful memories of a career based on service to others.
As I transition my business toward closure at the end of 2012, I will carry with me the memory of my many satisfied clients.
Fond farewell.
Barbara
4 Sep
Everyone can save on their electricity bill and there’s no time like now to start! Common sense and a little bit of effort can bring big savings.
Tip #1: Unplug devices and appliance when they aren’t in use. "Vampire Devices" can still draw electricity while turned off.
Tip #2: Change your light bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs. Initially, they cost more but create savings in the long run.
Tip #3: Get a programmable thermostat. Set your thermostat lower (Winter) or higher (Summer) when you aren’t in the home (like during work hours) and during the night when you sleep. A few degrees can make a BIG difference.
Tip #4: Get sunny windows tinted. Tinting can reduce the amount of heat entering the home and save on air conditioning cost.
Tip #5: Wash clothes in cold water. Most of the energy used by top loading washers is to heat the water.
Tip #6: Check your vents. Remove obstructions to airflow (Furniture, rugs, plants, etc.).
Try one or more of these tips and see how much you can save.
8 Aug
This information is directly from
IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2012-15
School’s out for the summer, and summer is a popular time for people to move – especially families with children. If you are moving to start a new job or even the same job at a new job location, the IRS offers 10 tax tips on expenses you may be able to deduct on your tax return.
1. Expenses must be close to the time you start work Generally, you can consider moving expenses that you incurred within one year of the date you first report to work at a new job location.
2. Distance Test Your move meets the distance test if your new main job location is at least 50 miles farther from your former home than your previous main job location was from your former home. For example, if your old main job location was three miles from your former home, your new main job location must be at least 53 miles from that former home.
3. Time Test Upon arriving in the general area of your new job location, you must work full time for at least 39 weeks during the first year at your new job location. Self-employed individuals must meet this test, and they must also work full time for a total of at least 78 weeks during the first 24 months upon arriving in the general area of their new job location. If your income tax return is due before you have satisfied this requirement, you can still deduct your allowable moving expenses if you expect to meet the time test. There are some special rules and exceptions to these general rules, so see Publication 521, Moving Expenses for more information.
4. Travel You can deduct lodging expenses (but not meals) for yourself and household members while moving from your former home to your new home. You can also deduct transportation expenses, including airfare, vehicle mileage, parking fees and tolls you pay, but you can only deduct one trip per person.
5. Household goods You can deduct the cost of packing, crating and transporting your household goods and personal property, including the cost of shipping household pets. You may be able to include the cost of storing and insuring these items while in transit.
6. Utilities You can deduct the costs of connecting or disconnecting utilities.
7. Nondeductible expenses You cannot deduct as moving expenses: any part of the purchase price of your new home, car tags, a drivers license renewal, costs of buying or selling a home, expenses of entering into or breaking a lease, or security deposits and storage charges, except those incurred in transit and for foreign moves.
8. Form You can deduct only those expenses that are reasonable for the circumstances of your move. To figure the amount of your deduction for moving expenses, use Form 3903, Moving Expenses.
9. Reimbursed expenses If your employer reimburses you for the costs of a move for which you took a deduction, the reimbursement may have to be included as income on your tax return.
10. Update your address When you move, be sure to update your address with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service to ensure you receive mail from the IRS. Use Form 8822, Change of Address, to notify the IRS.
More details are available in IRS Publication 521 and Form 3903. IRS publications and forms are available on IRS.gov or by calling 800-829-3676.
Links:
YouTube Videos:
I’m not a tax accountant, nor do I play one on TV; however, from time to time, I believe such beneficial information is worth sharing with my clients.
2 May
The refrigerator sounds like it’s still running, but the temperature inside is just not as cold as it should be. Later, it’s even warmer and frozen foods in the freezer aren’t frozen anymore. Uh oh – you know what that means! I’ve had that experience and it’s really not fun. The obvious choice at this point is REPAIR or REPLACE.
One of the things you can do is try and figure out what’s wrong if you are so inclined. If not, service technicians are certainly available. There’s a website at www.repairclinic.com that has lots of do-it-yourself information and videos.
The fact remains, there is a point when you have to make a decision about repairing or replacing a failed appliance. Many factors go into that decision. How old is the appliance? How is the family budget? Is the appliance something unique that can’t be replaced in the same physical footprint? How long will it take to check out the market for a new appliance? How long will delivery take?
As a general rule of thumb, the cost of a repair should not exceed 50% of the cost of replacing any appliance. If it is, you might find that you are going to have to spend even more for a future repair and still end up with the same appliance staring you in the face. Repair costs approaching 50% may mean it’s time to think about replacing the failed item to save future repair costs and then still having to replace it later. As I said, though, it’s an individual decision based upon your specific circumstances.
I’m not a service repair expert, but here are some rough ballpark estimates that may help you figure out how long the normal service life is for appliances (Life varies depending on many factors):
Remember, new appliances also typically provide more energy efficiency and can help you save on utility costs.
I wish you all well and your appliances – a long and fruitful life.
31 Mar
It’s simple – just go buy a house, right? Not a chance!
It pays to be prepared long before you contemplate making an actual purchase. The reason – it’s a complicated process that demands good preparation; especially, for first-time home buyers. A few simple steps can make a very big difference in being a successful home buyer.
Step 1: 6-12 months before you plan to get into the market, check your credit score (all buyers). Credit scores can be checked at no cost once/year. Mistakes can happen in credit records and the only way to get them corrected is to know that they exist. Negative credit facts can hurt your ability to qualify for loans.
Step 2: Do a savings checkup. Do you have adequate savings to cover both your down payment and emergency living expenses, should the need arise? If not, it’s time to focus on more savings. One great way is to sit down and figure out a budget. Budgets seem like they don’t matter, but they really do. Figure out where your income goes and you will know where you can make cuts in discretionary spending that will build savings. Most people will find that a budget reveals many surprises.
Step 3: Work with a professional Realtor, preferably an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR). ABRs have the experience and knowledge to make your home buying process much more effective. They represent you, the Buyer, and leverage their years of successful results on your behalf.
Step 4: In conjunction with step 3, work with a reputable lender to establish your buying price range by getting "qualified". Qualification involves showing that you have the ability to handle a loan. Credit (see Step 1) is a major factor here, as are income and debts. Qualified buyers show they are serious buyers.
Buying a home can be made much more simple by following these few important steps. Yes, there are more things that you can do, but the above steps are foundational. If you have questions, contact a professional Realtor and get them answered.
12 Mar
Spring is right around the corner and it’s time to think about home maintenance.
Here’s a place for some great tips:
11 Feb
Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler has agreed to join other states in a multibillion-dollar settlement with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers; a landmark agreement that would aid homeowners who were victims of shoddy and illegal foreclosure paperwork practices.
The complete Baltimore Sun article can be viewed at:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-bz-mortgage-md-settle-20120209,0,1715504.story
24 Dec
It’s that magical time of the year when everyone and everything has a focus on having a wonderful Holiday experience with friends and family.
I truly hope you all have a wonderful 2012!
29 Aug
Barbara Novitsky, ABR,ASP,CRIS,CRS, e-PRO,GREEN,GRI,SFR, SRES,REALTOR
At some point, everyone thinks about upgrades and Kitchens are no exception. If you are considering an upgrade to your Kitchen, I urge you to do it after carefully considering current trends in design and decorating. Trends are just that: things that people do at specific points in time. Keep in mind that trends change over time, so what’s “in style” now, may not be so in 5-10 years. If you decide to upgrade, make sure you do so for you own benefit, not just to follow the crowd. Of course, keeping within “norms” is important as you consider resale implications. So, what are people thinking about trend-wise? Here are a few points from an article written by Mary Beth Breckenridge for RISMedia.
Lighting
While lighting used to be a simple matter of function, it increasingly reflects the homeowner’s personality. Natural lighting from windows, light tubes and skylights is becoming more popular; especially, in Green housing design. Energy efficient LEDs are showing up in Kitchens in the form of under-counter lighting or recessed ceiling fixtures. Layered lighting (e.g. ceiling fixture combined with under-counter lights) is also popular.
Refrigerators
Manufacturers are providing refrigerators that are less deep to make fitting in easier. Counter-depth refrigerators are now available. Extra space is also showing up in the form of drawer refrigerators to store things like vegetables closer to where they are most used.
Fresh, Clean Architecture
Ornate Kitchen designs (Tuscan, French Country, etc.) are losing ground to designs with less ornament ion.
Eat-in Kitchens
Bar-style counters remain popular; however, designs mimicking more of an extended counter form of table appear to be gaining acceptance. This allows people to face each other, rather than simply eat next to one another.
Green & Sustainable Materials
Consumers are paying more attention to the materials used in Kitchens. Cabinets with lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC) are rising in popularity, as are cabinets made joined dowels instead of glues containing formaldehyde. The reason is simple: people want less indoor air pollution as a result of the Green movement.
Colors
A majority of people still gravitate toward neutral colors for the permanent Kitchen items: counter tops, cabinets and flooring. Walls, on the other hand, are showing more bold hues.
Meet Me at the Bar
The bar used to be typical part of the Family or Recreation Rooms. Lately, it has begun to show up in the Kitchen. In some cases, Kitchen Desks are being replaced by bars to offer convenient storage. Bar cabinets that appear as Pantries are also popular – some with built-in wine or beverage refrigerators, glassware storage or cutting boards. Oh yes, bar sinks also.
Epilogue
Whatever your tastes, individualism should be reflected. After all, it’s your Kitchen and the whole point of making changes is to satisfy your own desires.
8 Jul
Barbara Novitsky, ABR,ASP,CRIS,CRS, e-PRO,GREEN,GRI,SFR, SRES,REALTOR
It’s officially Summer and the outside temperature reflects the season.
Many parts of the United States are experiencing record temperatures.
So, what can you do to stay cooler in the midst of Summer?
Actually, there are a number of steps you can take to combat Summer heat.
Let’s get started:
Install a programmable thermostat and set the temperature to at least 78 degrees or higher while your home is unoccupied (e.g.: during the work day).
Change furnace filters monthly to maximize air flow. Clean permanent filters on the same schedule if that is what you use.
Install and use ceiling fans to help circulate room air.
Change incandescent light bulbs and replace them with CFL or LED bulbs.
Have your HVAC system serviced, before Summer starts if possible, to ensure it operates at peak efficiency.
Check weather-stripping around doorways. Lots of hot air can get inside when insufficient seals are present.
Run your bathroom fan while in the shower to reduce inside humidity.
Open vents wide on upper floors and close them in basement areas to maximize cool air flow to zones where heat is most likely. Remember, hot air rises.
Make sure your attic fan is operating if you have one. If not, consider one.
Ensure you have sufficient attic insulation for your area of the Country.
If you have recessed lighting on your upper levels, consider sealing them in the attic. Make sure you have fixtures rated for direct contact with insulation before doing so.
Check weather seals around all windows.
For windows that receive direct sunshine, consider installing a reflective film to reduce the sun’s rays and subsequent heat.
There are many more things you can do to improve your indoor comfort. One of the best is to schedule an Energy Audit for your house. You’d be surprised to find out where air leaks are costing you money … and comfort.
I hope this list will help you get started on making your indoor spaces a cooler place to be during Summer.
Barbara Novitsky - The Retired Green Realtor 