I am a Realtor servicing Colorado Springs and the Front Range. I would love to help you buy a home or sell your current home. Look around on my blog & then visit my website: Springs LifeStyles Real Estate
Seven Tips on Charitable Giving
RISMEDIA, December 9, 2010—While the holiday season puts many in the spirit to give, it’s also important to do some research before opening your wallet to support charitable causes.
"There are many worthy charitable causes and residents should feel free to contribute to causes with personal meaning, whether a local homeless shelter, food bank, soup kitchen, animal rescue, or an international organization with global outreach," said Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Basil L. Merenda. "However, I urge everyone to take the time to understand where their dollars will be going so they can have confidence that their donation will have the biggest benefit and get to the people who need it most."
Before giving to any charitable organization, research how your money will be used. Most charities are legitimate and strive to ensure the majority of dollars go directly into worthwhile projects, but some may misrepresent their cause or spend a high percentage of donations on administrative costs. Be sure that the charity's spending practices match your expectations.
Here are some tips and warnings to help ensure your donation goes to the right place:
1. Never give to a charity you know nothing about.
2. Request written information from the charity about its programs and finances.
3. Do not feel pressured into giving on the spot or allow someone to come to your home to pick up the contribution.
4. Never commit to donate over the phone unless you are familiar with the organization.
5. Never give cash, credit card numbers or bank account numbers. Always write a check payable to the charity so you have a record of your donations.
6. All charities have expenses, so check carefully and understand how your donation will be spent.
7. Consult with a tax advisor to determine whether your contribution is tax deductible. If giving before Dec. 31, charitable donations may be tax deductible for the upcoming tax filing.
Well Maintained & Beautiful Home that backs to National Forest
Foreclosure Freezes: Will they fix the housing market?
Zillow CEO Talks About the Ever Evolving Real Estate Market
SR: Home values have bottomed and bounced off the bottom in some parts of the country. In San Diego, for example, they’re already 5-10% off the bottom. We don’t expect a significant price appreciation from here, but we don’t expect home values to go further south in those parts of the country. This points to the way we must look at home values—which is at the neighborhood and regional level. It’s more nuanced than what the national media typically reports. There is definitely some good news for our industry which has been underreported. For example, we’ve clearly passed through the bottom in terms of transaction volume. Homes are selling again and the dark days of two to three years ago when there were no sides taking place are behind us. The agent and broker who is tech-savvy and understands how to price homes in the market and who has the experience on short sales and foreclosures will do extremely well.
Lowe's Build & Grow Clinics for kids
Beautiful Home For Sale in Durango, Colorado
What to Do in Colorado Springs this weekend, July 23-25th
Add Value to Your Home
10 Value-Adding Home Improvement Projects
By Paige TeppingRISMEDIA, July 14, 2010--Now that summer has arrived, homeowners across the country are taking advantage of the warm weather by tackling home improvement projects they have been putting off. If you are looking for ways to add value to your home, the following home improvements may be just what you’re looking for.
Tip 1: Remodel your kitchen
Kitchen updates are one of the best ways to increase the value of your home. Adding modern appliances and refacing your cabinets to give it a more modern look is well worth the investment.
Tip 2: Add a Garage
Homes with at least a two car garage are more attractive to potential home buyers. Having a home with a small garage is almost as bad as having no garage, so consider upgrading before putting your home on the market.
Tip 3: Remodel your bathroom
Bathrooms are very important to home buyers. Just as with the kitchen, home buyers look for modern conveniences. Adding a Jacuzzi bathtub, painting the walls and adding appropriate flooring will go a long way toward increasing your home’s value.
Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Days in Colorado Springs
What's Happening around Colorado Springs This Weekend, June 25 - 27, 2010
Summer Remodeling Ideas for your Home
I always enjoy quick, easy reads that are also helpful tips for your home. I found this article on summer remodeling ideas to be thought provoking. Whether you are thinking of adding or refinishing a patio or deck, adding some energy efficient home improvements or just some much needed home maintenance, I think you'll find that article to be helpful.
How To Be (More) Frugal
Things to Do in Colorado Springs This Weekend
What are you doing this weekend? There are LOTS of fun events going on in Colorado Springs, El Paso County over the next few days. Here are just a few of the attractions and events happening this weekend around town:
How To De-stress After Work
Do you bring work with home you? Either physically bring it in the door or mentally because you can't stop thinking about the office? How can you be there for your family and relax if you are at work, even when you are home? I hope you'll find these tips to be good and simple reminders to de-stress after work.
Moving Into Your New Home
What to Do in Colorado Springs this weekend, June 4-6, 2010
Great listing at a FANTASTIC price: Lovely home on almost 20 acres in Black Forest, Colorado Springs
Price Reduced on Quaint Rancher in Colorado Springs
Price Reduced on Colorado Springs 5 bedroom home in Stetson Hills
Pikes Peak Source for Summer Entertainment
Colorado Springs Neighborhood Home Values
Sources: | The El Paso County Assessor's Office; Gazette data analysis and research |
Home Sales on the Rise
How To Unclog a Sink Drain Without Harsh Chemicals
Price Reduced on Beautiful Home in Black Forest, Colorado Springs
GREAT site with Summer Activities for you and your kids
Breakfast for $3 in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs Homes For Sale March 2010 Statistics
NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY
First Time Home Buyers and others who qualify for the Tax Rebate must act now. The deadline to be under-contract for a specific home is April 30, 2010.
In order to qualify for the Tax Rebate you must CLOSE on the home prior to June 30, 2010.
If you haven’t begun to look, now is the time to start. The market will be busy this month with people who have been sitting on the fence waiting for yet another extension to the tax rebate.
I currently have several GREAT listings that might be perfect for you:
5 bedroom / 4 bath / 2 car garage / 2803 square feet home in Stetson Hills, Colorado Springs for $188,000
2 bedroom / 1 bath / carport / 666 square feet great starter home in 80910 Colorado Springs for $102,500
4 bedroom / 4 bath / 3 car garage / 4087 square feet home for sale with mountain views in Monument for $479,900
You can check out more details on these homes and more on my ERA Herman Group Real Estate site. Please let me know if you are interested in any of these homes for sale. If these homes don't meet your needs and you want to take advantage of the tax credit, please contact me and I will work hard for you to find your next home!
Increase in FHA loan upfront mortgage insurance premiums
The Difference Between http and https
It's all about keeping you secure - HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transport Protocol. The S (big surprise)stands for "Secure". If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://. This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site.
This is why you never enter your credit card number in an http website! But if the web address begins with https:// that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on. You understand why this is so important, right?
If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://. ; If it doesn't, there's no way you're going to enter sensitive information like a credit card number.