Health Lists & Rankings
America's Fittest Cities
Rebecca Ruiz, 05.26.09
A new report looks at 30 different measures to determine which cities' residents are healthiest.
In Depth: America's Fittest Cities When it comes to healthy living, Washington, D.C., is seldom mentioned in the same breath as cities like San Francisco, Portland, Ore., and Seattle, all of which are known for their active, health-conscious residents.
But according to a new report, the city of pomp and politics is the healthiest in the nation. In the second annual American Fitness Index (AFI), a publication released by the American College of Sports Medicine, Washington, D.C., edged out Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., Denver, Boston and San Francisco.
Read More Here: http://tiny.cc/6FXA7
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
HUD Secretary Announces Monetization of Tax Credit at NAR Real Estate Summit
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2009
Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said that the
Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow homeowners to use the $8,000 tax credit as a downpayment.
Donovan’s remarks came in an address to several thousand Realtors® gathered this morning at The Real Estate Summit: Advancing the U.S. Economy, a special daylong session at the Realtors® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo here.
Secretary Donovan said that important changes, which the National Association of Realtors® has been calling for, will help consumers purchase a home. “We all want to enable FHA consumers to access the home buyer tax credit funds when they close on their home loans so that the cash can be used as a downpayment,” Donovan said. According to Donovan, the FHA’s approved lenders will be permitted to “monetize” the tax credit through short-term bridge loans. This will allow eligible home buyers to access the funds immediately at the closing table.
READ THE FULL ARTICAL HERE:
http://tiny.cc/nJ6wP
Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said that the
Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow homeowners to use the $8,000 tax credit as a downpayment.
Donovan’s remarks came in an address to several thousand Realtors® gathered this morning at The Real Estate Summit: Advancing the U.S. Economy, a special daylong session at the Realtors® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo here.
Secretary Donovan said that important changes, which the National Association of Realtors® has been calling for, will help consumers purchase a home. “We all want to enable FHA consumers to access the home buyer tax credit funds when they close on their home loans so that the cash can be used as a downpayment,” Donovan said. According to Donovan, the FHA’s approved lenders will be permitted to “monetize” the tax credit through short-term bridge loans. This will allow eligible home buyers to access the funds immediately at the closing table.
READ THE FULL ARTICAL HERE:
http://tiny.cc/nJ6wP
Friday, May 8, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Buy Local Tip: Guitar Enthusiasts meet your new Love
Some time back I meet a great guy named Jiri Fercak, he’s a carpenter and makes great cabinets.
I loved his work so I had him build some cabinets for me. I’ve referred him to friends and they too love his work.
Now I come to find Jiri embarking on, what I will call a True Calling, Passion Project, Art...
The art of making beautiful guitars. Jiri is an artist and his work is AMAZING.
Here are a few pictures.
His site has a slide show and will be more content over the next few weeks so keep checking in.
I know it’s just a matter of time before I can say “I knew him when”
Best to you Jiri.
http://www.fercak.com
I loved his work so I had him build some cabinets for me. I’ve referred him to friends and they too love his work.
Now I come to find Jiri embarking on, what I will call a True Calling, Passion Project, Art...
The art of making beautiful guitars. Jiri is an artist and his work is AMAZING.
Here are a few pictures.
His site has a slide show and will be more content over the next few weeks so keep checking in.
I know it’s just a matter of time before I can say “I knew him when”
Best to you Jiri.
http://www.fercak.com
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Portland how I love thee
So I was recently ask to send a postcard to one of my cousins for a school project. The postcard was to be from family members, it should be from the city they live in and if they could include a note about the city, weather or things they like about their city.
I was able to find a great locale artist (www.redbatpress.com) that made postcards of the all the bridges, one of my favorite things about Portland.
Here's what I added to the back before mailing it off. I had a great time helping with this project, Thank you Michael....
PORTLAND:
Parks, largest urban park in U.S.
Ozone-friendly, recycling and alternative energy leader
Rivers and Bridges, 10 bridges over the rivers
Transportation, best mass transit system and only platinum rated bicycling city in U.S.
Leafy, trees, trees everywhere!
Affable, friendly and outgoing people
Novel, as in it's a unique place -and- we are voracious readers :)
Dining, world class cuisine and renowned local beverages (I wanted to put beer, wine and coffee, but this is an elementary school project)
Tell me what city you live in and what you like about it.
I was able to find a great locale artist (www.redbatpress.com) that made postcards of the all the bridges, one of my favorite things about Portland.
Here's what I added to the back before mailing it off. I had a great time helping with this project, Thank you Michael....
PORTLAND:
Parks, largest urban park in U.S.
Ozone-friendly, recycling and alternative energy leader
Rivers and Bridges, 10 bridges over the rivers
Transportation, best mass transit system and only platinum rated bicycling city in U.S.
Leafy, trees, trees everywhere!
Affable, friendly and outgoing people
Novel, as in it's a unique place -and- we are voracious readers :)
Dining, world class cuisine and renowned local beverages (I wanted to put beer, wine and coffee, but this is an elementary school project)
Tell me what city you live in and what you like about it.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
ZIP Codes Where Housing Sales Are Increasing
Housing sales are improving significantly in key ZIP codes around the country where prices have moderated, according to information compiled for BusinessWeek.com by First American CoreLogic.
ZIP codes in California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada dominated the list, but there were also ZIP codes on the top 25 most-improved sales list from the suburbs around Detroit and Minneapolis and in the metro areas of Atlanta and Chicago.
Inventories are shrinking and prices are stabilizing in several markets, according to the survey. Here are the top 10 ZIP codes with improved home sales:
94533, Fairfield, Calif. (Fresno)
92376, Rialto, Calif. (Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario)
91342, Slymar, Calif. (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana)
92126, San Diego, Calif.
33914, Cape Coral, Fla. (Fort Meyers)
93065, Simi Valley, Calif. (Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura)
95123, San Jose, Calif.
85379, Surprise, Ariz. (Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale)
93722, Fresno, Calif. (Madera)
95624, Elks Grove, Calif. (Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville)
Source: BusinessWeek.com, Prashant Gopal (03/05/2009)
ZIP codes in California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada dominated the list, but there were also ZIP codes on the top 25 most-improved sales list from the suburbs around Detroit and Minneapolis and in the metro areas of Atlanta and Chicago.
Inventories are shrinking and prices are stabilizing in several markets, according to the survey. Here are the top 10 ZIP codes with improved home sales:
94533, Fairfield, Calif. (Fresno)
92376, Rialto, Calif. (Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario)
91342, Slymar, Calif. (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana)
92126, San Diego, Calif.
33914, Cape Coral, Fla. (Fort Meyers)
93065, Simi Valley, Calif. (Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura)
95123, San Jose, Calif.
85379, Surprise, Ariz. (Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale)
93722, Fresno, Calif. (Madera)
95624, Elks Grove, Calif. (Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville)
Source: BusinessWeek.com, Prashant Gopal (03/05/2009)
Tax credit made easy
I recently found a flyer that was put out by the Illinois Association of Realtors.
It laid out tax credit in an easy to understand fashion, with bullett points.
Here's how it read:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 features an $8,000 tax credit for first-time
buyers who purchase a home on or after Jan. 1, 2009
and before Dec. 1, 2009.
Details of the tax credit include:
* The temporary credit is only available for
home purchases made from Jan. 1, 2009 to before
Dec. 1, 2009 and is equal to 10 percent of
the cost of the home, up to a maximum credit
of $8,000. (For example, a home purchased for
$80,000 or more would qualify for the full $8,000
credit while a $70,000 home would only qualify
for 10 percent, or $7,000)
*Buyers claim the credit on their federal tax return
to reduce their tax liability. If the credit is
more than their total tax liability that year, the
buyer will get a refund check for the balance.
*Only first-time homebuyers can take advantage
of the tax credit. A first-time buyer is defined
under the tax credit as an individual who has
not owned a home in the last three years.
For married joint filers, both must
meet the first-time
homebuyer test
to take the credit
on a joint return.
*Eligible properties include anything that will be
used as a principal single-family residence—including
condos and townhouses.
*There are income guidelines on the credit. Individuals
with an adjusted gross income up to
$75,000 (or $150,000 if filing jointly) are eligible
for the full tax credit. The credit is phased
down for those earning more and is not available
for those with an income above $95,000
(or $170,000 if filing jointly).
*The new tax credit does not have to be repaid
if the buyer stays in the home at least three
years. But if the home is sold before that, the
entire amount of the credit is recaptured on
the sale.
*People who purchased homes under the 2008
$7,500 tax credit program will still be required
to repay that credit to the government over a
15-year period.
Consult with your tax advisor to learn more about the tax credit
It laid out tax credit in an easy to understand fashion, with bullett points.
Here's how it read:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 features an $8,000 tax credit for first-time
buyers who purchase a home on or after Jan. 1, 2009
and before Dec. 1, 2009.
Details of the tax credit include:
* The temporary credit is only available for
home purchases made from Jan. 1, 2009 to before
Dec. 1, 2009 and is equal to 10 percent of
the cost of the home, up to a maximum credit
of $8,000. (For example, a home purchased for
$80,000 or more would qualify for the full $8,000
credit while a $70,000 home would only qualify
for 10 percent, or $7,000)
*Buyers claim the credit on their federal tax return
to reduce their tax liability. If the credit is
more than their total tax liability that year, the
buyer will get a refund check for the balance.
*Only first-time homebuyers can take advantage
of the tax credit. A first-time buyer is defined
under the tax credit as an individual who has
not owned a home in the last three years.
For married joint filers, both must
meet the first-time
homebuyer test
to take the credit
on a joint return.
*Eligible properties include anything that will be
used as a principal single-family residence—including
condos and townhouses.
*There are income guidelines on the credit. Individuals
with an adjusted gross income up to
$75,000 (or $150,000 if filing jointly) are eligible
for the full tax credit. The credit is phased
down for those earning more and is not available
for those with an income above $95,000
(or $170,000 if filing jointly).
*The new tax credit does not have to be repaid
if the buyer stays in the home at least three
years. But if the home is sold before that, the
entire amount of the credit is recaptured on
the sale.
*People who purchased homes under the 2008
$7,500 tax credit program will still be required
to repay that credit to the government over a
15-year period.
Consult with your tax advisor to learn more about the tax credit
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