Friday, March 29, 2013

New Uses for Common Items!

We all have that junk drawer of things we have no use for. I am here to tell you that it is time to go through it because this list may help you realize that your items are useful.


Table Twister–Have a kid's birthday party to throw? Try using the mat from an old twister game as a kitchen table covering. 


Brush Your Corn–Try a toothbrush (but not a used one, please) to get the strands of "stuff" out of corn on the cob. 

Cool Colander–Another party idea: Put your ice in a colander with a bowl below and guests will get only ice, no slush. 

Chalk It Up–Standard school chalk will slow tarnishing on your good silverware or other metal items. Tie a few pieces in cheesecloth and store alongside. 

Shine in Seconds–A bit of vegetable oil will shine your leather shoes. First remove dirt with a damp cloth, then add just a drop and polish. 

Matching Buttons–Create a little 'emergency' sewing kit with an empty matchbook box. 

What's A Cassette Tape?–Tired of wrecking your mp3 player or smartphone ear buds? Find an old cassette case, roll them up and store inside. 

Save a Cupcake–It's a little known fact that LifeSavers® candies hold up birthday candles perfectly—and look super cute doing it! Buy the ones off the shelf, not the big bags. 




Shoe-Er Cap–On the trip home, store dirty shoes inside a complimentary hotel shower cap. 

That's My Glass–Next time you entertain, use a dry-erase marker to write your guests' names on drinking and wine glasses. Guests will be able to keep track of their glasses, and the dry-erase marker is easy to wipe off. 

Snapshot Sneaker–Don't forget it's in there, but plastic travel soap containers are a perfect fit for most small digital cameras. 

Save It for Later–Want to use a paintbrush again but not have to clean it? A plastic grocery bag tightly wrapped will keep your brush usable for a couple days.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Surprising Tax Issues


Buying a home opens up a whole new world of tax advantages. In a recent survey of people who bought homes in the last year, 79% of them said that the mortgage interest and property tax reductions were a very important part of their decision.
I would highly recommend that you speak to a tax pro before making any real-estate move. Planning and timing makes all the difference in the world and could really impact your decision to move or not.


Here is a life of moves in the real-estate world that might trigger surprising tax issues:

  1. Refinancing    Due to the low interest rates that have occurred this last year the refinancing spree has sky-rocketed as well. To refinance means that you embarking into a lower interest rate mortgage and your monthly payments tend to be lower each month or you will continue with the same price a month but be able to pay your home off quicker. The main problem is that homeowners forget that the tax deduction based on your mortgage interest is the largest tax perk of the home. Most people are able to deduct 100% of the interest they pay on a mortgage, up to one million dollars. If you deduct the interest that you are paying you will also be reducing your mortgage interest deduction. Less than 30% of homeowners actually take their mortgage interest deduction every year. We think the reasoning behind this is because at lower home prices and incomes the standard deduction is higher than the itemized deductions for which many would be eligible. If you itemize every year you might be surprised at your tax bill after your refinance.
  2. Becoming a Landlord It is of no surprise to most of us that selling a rental property at a profit will trigger your taxes. What people don't realize is that becoming an "accidental landlord" still has its responsibilities. There are tax implications for being a landlord even on a short term stay that should be researched and respected. Rental income is always subject to regular income taxes, federal and state. You might also be required to obtain a business license and pay taxes on it as a landlord. Some municipalities are also requiring landlords to pay hotel taxes, even if your tenants are staying for just a short time. This might be a cost that you can pass down to your tenants so do not look past it.
  3. Remodeling When remodeling a home most people know they are to keep all receipts for tax records. I am here to tell you that you need to save them until you sell your home! The money that you put into redoing your home gets added to the purchase price so when you sell it brings down the amount IRS considers to be a profit gain and reduces your changes of incurring capital gains tax. What will surprise most of you is that remodeling your home now-a-days triggers local and state tax credits. This comes into play especially when the items you put in increase your home's efficiency such as: shower heads, toilets, dual-paned windows or even tank-less water heaters. If these are the types of upgrades you are looking into, talking into your state or even city's website is a good idea to see what tax credits and financial incentives you may qualify for. Even if you are remodeling other items such as the ones listed above, I still recommend looking into your options because you may be able to deduct the interest from the loan on top of your home mortgage interest deduction. 
  4. Renting When thinking about renting a home most people do it to save money until they can buy a home. However, there are people out there who have sufficient income and stability to own a home yet they have not developed a sense of urgency to jump on it for various reasons. I do not recommend suggesting to someone that doesn't want to own a home to do so, solely for tax reasons. What you fail to realize is that sitting on the fence and continuing to rent instead of buy may be hurting your financial status more than you think. Some experts say that "the average American renter works through the end of April just to earn enough income to pay taxes, federal, state, local, and sales." As you continue to move up the income ranks, talk to a professional and see if owning a home may help you get relief. 
Information brought to you by Trulia

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

SoDo Arena Design

There have been reports of some interesting findings in the new SoDo Arena initial mock-ups. The mock crowd is detailed, like it should be but almost to a fault. There are unique details that you have to look at very closely to see and it might come across as a tad bit confusing as to why they included those pieces.
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5 Detailed Findings

1.       Who is this guy?

If you look closely there is face cut outs of a player, we aren’t sure who it is, that is being held around the entire arena. Apparently without even knowing who he is we really like him!
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2.       Is that a celebrity?

There is a man walking down the stairs that resembles Bono and by the way the entire crowd is turned to look at him I think it just might be.
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3.       Our Main Man

As our #1 fan Squatch has returned and made his way into the crowd complete with the Sonics uniform.
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4.       No Nose-Bleeds

The good news is that there is no nose-bleeds seating section however; it has been replaced with a standing section.
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5.       New Rules?

If you look very carefully at the time clock behind the basket it notes that there is 15:13 left to play. If you know anything about basketball you will be able to see that something is wrong because a quarter is normally only 12 minutes long. Do they know something we don’t know about future changing rules?
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I think these findings have been left up to our imagination as to what they mean. I guess we will have to ponder and wait and see what the future of SoDo brings!


Information brought to you by Seattle Curbed

Friday, March 15, 2013

Dinner for Two!

Seeing that we are approaching the weekend, here is a delicious recipe that serves two.

Potato Crusted Salmon

Serves: 2
Cooking Time: 30 min
What You'll Need:
  • 1/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
  • 1/4 cup (Â stick) butter, melted
What To Do:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Coat a 7" x 11" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a shallow dish, combine the potato flakes, onion powder, salt, and pepper; mix well. Dip the fillets in the melted butter then coat with the potato mixture and place in the baking dish. Sprinkle any remaining potato mixture evenly over the top. Drizzle the remaining butter over the fillets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the potato crust is golden. Serve immediately.
Notes
While the salmon is baking, steam about 1/2 pound fresh asparagus. Let it cool slightly then top it with a vinaigrette dressing made by combining balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in an empty bottle and giving it all a shake.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Where is Your Down Payment Hiding?

The biggest challenge when buying a home has proven to be coming up with the money for your down payment. Aside from retirement planning this will be the biggest "saving" time in your life. What you are unaware of is that your down payment is right in front of your nose. Take note on these 7 tips for coming up with extra money.

1. Write up a Budget
      You should go through and look at your monthly expenses. Highlight the top 10 line items and do an internal check to see if there is anything you can cut down on or even eliminate. Common items include: go from two cars to one, cancel or reduce your cable, even consider moving to a cheaper place for a while.

2. Your Bad Habits
     We all have those things that we say each month "I need to quit doing..." Now is the time to take action on those words. Items include: smoking, buying a coffee, shopping, etc. A great idea would be to set up a savings account and each month put in the same amount of money you would be spending on those addictive items. You will be saving more money than you think!
3. Your Stuff
     For those of you who have 6 big screen TV’s or 5 vehicles including a motorcycle...GET RID OF THEM! You could make a profit on all of your goods if you are willing to condense. Perhaps hold a garage sale with even your little knick-knacks such as books and CD's or craigslist for your bigger items.
4. Your Skills
     If you have a hobby that you enjoy doing, and are good at, turn it into something more. Etsy.com is a website where you can sell your handmade items to make a good profit. Or if you grow flowers a local farmers market could be the place for you. There is an option for each hobby out there so you need to look into it!
5. Family
     There are a lot of people that are against asking family for help but if this is a do or die situation a lot of family members would be willing to help. Or if you are buying a home along side with a big event such as a baby or wedding set up an account or registry where people can deposit money instead of buying you gifts.
6. Your Employer
     This may come as a surprise to you but there are agencies that will offer down payment assistance to their employees. Even if you do not work for one of those companies and are relocating to a new area, they may cover relocation fees which still is a large sum of money.
7. Where You Live
     Down payment assistance programs are available on a national area. Remember it does not hurt to ask! The 3 biggest categories of people that get assistance are:
     If you are a first time buyer
     Buyers in a low income bracket,
     If you are buying a home in a specific approved are of town.
If you are working with an agent they should be able to help you out to see if you are qualified.

After you have done all 7 or even just a few of these tasks I can assure you that your down-payment will become easy to achieve!

Friday, March 8, 2013

This Sunny Weekend!

Looking at the forecast for the week it looks like tomorrow is our last day of sun, let's make it count! For those of you with families going to the park with your kids might be ideal! Below are some ideas that are named best fun places for kids in Evening Magazine.

Woodland Park Zoo- Seattle WA


Pacific Science Center- Seattle WA


Family Fun Center- Tukwila WA


The Little Farm at Windwater- Auburn WA


Gas Works Park- Seattle WA



Even if you do not have kids who isn't up for a day go-carting? Or enjoying the sun outside at the park. There is no excuse to be sitting inside when the sun is shining, so go enjoy the great outdoors in Washington!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

How To Hater Proof Your Home

 The truth of the matter is you can't make everyone love your home, there is just no way. People are going to come in and look at your home and you will probably never hear from them again.
 Here are a couple of ways to help ensure people love your home!

#1- ODORS

       Get rid of them and fast! When people think about their lives in your home, they do not want to smell the cigarettes you have smoked for years or the garlic you cooked for dinner last night. It is very important that you remove all odors so that when people come in it’s a fresh new beginning. This could include, scrubbing walls, getting your carpets shampooed, etc. Yes those are not fun things but it will benefit you in the long run if you do that from the start. YOU MIGHT NOT SMELL IT BUT THEY CAN!

#2- OVERPRICING

       It is easy to think that the value of your home is very high because to you it’s your pride and joy. However, not everyone else views it that way. It is okay to start your price point high, but still reasonable, that way there is a little negotiation room. But if you price your home so high when its actual value is unreasonably lower, this pushes away all potential buyers. They will laugh, walk away, and not think twice to ask if you are willing to lower. KEEP THIS IN MIND!

#3- DIRT AND MESSES

       When you are selling and showing your home make sure that you keep things clean. If you know there is going to be a showing that day and yet you left your clothes all over the floor and dishes in the sink, the home is nowhere near presentable. During this process you have to remember that there will be people who want to see the house on the drop of a dime. This would create a problem if you had to leave work to clean up your mess. DO NOT FORGET TO PICK UP AFTER YOURSELF!

#4- LITTLE MALFUNCTIONS

        Every home has that one drawer that doesn't pull out or that door handle you have to shake up and down to get open. Buyers will notice these kinds of things and if they are not taken care of prior it could be a deal breaker. Subconsciously when walking through what could potentially be their new home they will turn on the light switches, hold the railing, and open and close all closet doors. FIX IT BEFORE SELLING

Every little detail counts when selling your home and you never know what might be the turning point for a buyer. Take these tips and fix all the problems before even listing your home. That way your home will not have any hidden odors or broken door handles.

Below is a before and after of shampooed carpet.






Information brought to you by: Trulia