Update Your Kitchen: Add new door knobs or paint your cabinets. It’s not much money and can make your kitchen feel new again.
Light-Up Your Kitchen: Add “under-the-counter” lighting with battery-powered LED lights. With adhesive-backing, they are easy to install.
Create an Accent Wall: Paint or wall paper one wall in your living or dining room. Choose a color that goes well with your furniture.
Paint That Old Brick: Don’t be afraid to paint the old dirty brick around your fireplace or the front of your house. White will always give it a clean fresh look.
Add a Stainless Steel Backsplash behind your stove. Nail the easy-to-clean panel on the wall.
All of these things should be easy to find at your local hardware stores. I hope you enjoy your new upgrades while saving money too.
~ Barry Ripp
www.barryripp.com
To comply with the stricter lending guidelines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and to avoid accusations that the loans sold to Fannie and Freddie are based on inflated appraisals, some real estate professionals have reported lenders lowering home values on appraisals submitted to them. However, effective Sept. 1, Fannie Mae is prohibiting the purchase of loans from lenders who change appraisers’ numbers.
Generally, lenders order a low-cost electronic valuation—based on publicly available statistical data—to review the accuracy of the information submitted by the appraiser. If there is a discrepancy between the electronic valuation and the appraiser’s report, the lender’s underwriters may reduce the appraisal figure.
~ Barry Ripp
From: Calif. Assoc. of Realtors & LA Times
Union City Eases Up (slightly) on Rental Owners: Rental property owners in Union City will now have until July 31 to comply with the businesses license requirement. Any property owner renting a single family home, condo or multi-family development must have a business license. Those who do not currently have a license must also pay one year in arrears.
Union City staff will be sending a letter that includes this updated information to property owners early next week.
For more information please contact Christina Nitoff at (510) 675-5343.
Many small businesses that provide health insurance coverage to their employees now qualify for a special tax credit, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Included in the health care reform legislation, the credit is designed to encourage small employers to offer health insurance coverage for the first time or maintain coverage they’re currently offering. The credit is available to small employers that pay at least half the cost of single coverage for their employees.
For example; small employers are considered to have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees paying wages averaging less than $50,000 per employee per year. However, because the eligibility formula is based in part on the number of FTEs, not the number of employees, many businesses will qualify even if they employ more than 25 individual workers.
The maximum credit is 35 percent of premiums paid in 2010 by eligible small business employers. Eligible small businesses can claim the credit as part of the general business credit starting with the 2010 income tax return they file in 2011. For tax-exempt employers, the IRS will provide further information on how to claim the credit.
Post Office recycles electronics FREE. Next time you’re in the post office, ask the postal clerk for an envelope to recycle your cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, ink jet cartridges, digital cameras, and small electronics. The post office provides this free service, and all you have to do is peel the label of this 6-inch by 5.5-inch envelope and drop in your mail box.
Find local recycling centers for many other materials at Earth911.com
~ Barry Ripp www.barryripp.com
Next Wednesday March 3rd, the city will host the second in a series of community discussions regarding its transit system. The transit system’s goal is to gather recommendations by the end of March and incorporate them into the next fiscal year’s operating plan.
The first meeting was in January, and had some good suggestions. This meeting will present the Transit Systems findings and recommendations.
The meeting will be held at the senior center at 33997 Alvarado-Niles Road and starts at 7:00pm. Further info regarding the meeting can be found at: www.uctransit.org or by calling: 510-471-1411.
