SWIMMING POOLS
Residential Service companies do not cover pool equipment if damage is caused by freezing.
When the air temperature drops below 32 degrees and ice forms on the tile and surface of the pool, additional steps are necessary. Remember that ice expands larger than the water it comes from.
Place sealed plastic containers that float in the pool, to help keep the surface from freezing.
Break up ice as soon as it starts to form to prevent ice expansion damage.
Don't backwash a filter during freezing conditions.
Keep skimmer and skimmer doors clear of ice.
Maintain water levels (evaporation of water is normal even during the cold weather months). If water gets low in the pool, the bearings could fail and the pump could draw air or dry up - that is bad!
If you run your heater during low freezing conditions, this may cause damage to the heater.
Run the heater with discretion in the winter.
Circulate pool water for a minimum of 6 hours a day, especially during the coldest time: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Inspiring Quote January 20, 2012
"Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." - Vince Lombardi
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Kim's Fantastic BBQ Pulled Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
Dry Rub:
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 Cup garlic powder
2 Tbsp. celery seed
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. coriander
1 Tbsp ginger
3-5 lbs pork shoulder roast (I prefer bone in)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 head of garlic, split through the equator
2 bay leafs
1 medium onion sliced
1 fresh jalapeno chopped
1/4 cup Dijon
1 quart unsweetened apple juice
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
Directions:
To make dry rub:
Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.
To make pork shoulder:
Rub pork shoulder all over with dry rub marinate over night wrap with plastic wrap. In the base of the slow cooker, layer with onions. Place the pork in the slow cooker and add garlic, bay leaf, thyme, jalapeno and Dijon. Pour the apple juice and chicken stock in over the pork. Set the slow cooker on low for 6 -8 hours until the pork is falling apart.
Dry Rub:
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 Cup garlic powder
2 Tbsp. celery seed
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. coriander
1 Tbsp ginger
3-5 lbs pork shoulder roast (I prefer bone in)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 head of garlic, split through the equator
2 bay leafs
1 medium onion sliced
1 fresh jalapeno chopped
1/4 cup Dijon
1 quart unsweetened apple juice
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
Directions:
To make dry rub:
Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.
To make pork shoulder:
Rub pork shoulder all over with dry rub marinate over night wrap with plastic wrap. In the base of the slow cooker, layer with onions. Place the pork in the slow cooker and add garlic, bay leaf, thyme, jalapeno and Dijon. Pour the apple juice and chicken stock in over the pork. Set the slow cooker on low for 6 -8 hours until the pork is falling apart.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Get a jump on your taxes... how to get organized for filing that return!
Get a jump on your taxes...
how to get organized for filing that return!
Nobody takes in more money than the Internal Revenue Service -- and they do it without giving us any pleasure for our efforts! We can't make doing your taxes fun, but we can give you some tips to take the pain out of tax preparation. The key is to do a little advanced planning and organization. And if you know what information you'll need, it will speed up the process of doing your return -- and getting your refund!
Organize your papers and files. It's a good idea to have a system for managing your finances. It doesn't matter if it's simple or sophisticated, just that it's an approach you'll actually use. Many people like a basic three-folder system they keep up with year-round.
* Folder 1–Income: Salary, dividends, earnings, distributions, checking account interest; and don't forget the 1099 Form you got when you redeemed that savings bond.
* Folder 2–Expenses and Deductions: Make files for major categories like contributions, medical, and business expenses; put in canceled checks, bills, statements and receipts, mortgage statements, investment-related expenses, medical bills, child-care costs, and non-reimbursed business expenses for things like gas, food, and lodging.
* Folder 3–Investments: This can include investment account statements, 1099 Forms, and K-1 Forms for certain trusts or partnerships; ask a CPA or Financial Advisor for advice, as you should with all tax questions..
There are also some easy-to-use software programs. Just go online, search "tax preparation programs" and check out what's available.
Don't procrastinate. Get started now! Putting off preparing your tax return until April 14 is never a good idea. There 's a greater possibility you'll make mistakes. And if you're working with a tax preparer, that person may not have time to complete your return by the deadline. Even if you file for an extension, you'll still have to pay what you owe by April 15 to avoid penalties and interest. And if you're due a refund, you'll have to wait.
Use a professional. If you're overwhelmed just organizing your papers, hire a professional to do your return. This is an especially good idea if your tax situation is the least bit complex, including lots of investments, the purchase or sale of a business, or a 1031 exchange of property that defers capital gains or losses. Ask a CPA or Financial Advisor for advice.
Get free help from the IRS. Go to www.irs.gov and download IRS Publication 17 (2010): Your Federal Income Tax, available in both English and Spanish. This is the authority for answers to lots of tax questions. There's also a toll-free IRS TeleTax service at 800-829-4477 with recorded messages on lots of topics. Any other questions can get answers at the IRS help line: 800-829-1040.
Search around the IRS website. You'll find a truly mammoth site at www.irs.gov. It offers forms, instructions, and publications to download; you can find information on tax law, plus answers to frequently asked tax questions. The best way to navigate your way through all this is to click on "Site Map", "Individuals", and then "1040 Central" for a more manageable range of options.
So get started now! And good luck!
WINTER HOME SAFETY TIPS...
Every home should have both smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector installed. But they can't protect you unless their batteries work. It's a good idea to change detector batteries when you reset your clocks in the Spring and Fall. If you didn't do it last November, do it now! Also check manufacturers' recommendations to see if the units are due for replacement, which is necessary from time to time.
If you live in a seasonally cold part of the country, check that vents are not blocked by accumulated snow and ice; your furnace and some appliances like the clothes dryer vent to the outside of your house, through the roof, foundation, or siding.
Wherever you live, periodically check your furnace room and remove flammable items stored near your heating system.
how to get organized for filing that return!
Nobody takes in more money than the Internal Revenue Service -- and they do it without giving us any pleasure for our efforts! We can't make doing your taxes fun, but we can give you some tips to take the pain out of tax preparation. The key is to do a little advanced planning and organization. And if you know what information you'll need, it will speed up the process of doing your return -- and getting your refund!
Organize your papers and files. It's a good idea to have a system for managing your finances. It doesn't matter if it's simple or sophisticated, just that it's an approach you'll actually use. Many people like a basic three-folder system they keep up with year-round.
* Folder 1–Income: Salary, dividends, earnings, distributions, checking account interest; and don't forget the 1099 Form you got when you redeemed that savings bond.
* Folder 2–Expenses and Deductions: Make files for major categories like contributions, medical, and business expenses; put in canceled checks, bills, statements and receipts, mortgage statements, investment-related expenses, medical bills, child-care costs, and non-reimbursed business expenses for things like gas, food, and lodging.
* Folder 3–Investments: This can include investment account statements, 1099 Forms, and K-1 Forms for certain trusts or partnerships; ask a CPA or Financial Advisor for advice, as you should with all tax questions..
There are also some easy-to-use software programs. Just go online, search "tax preparation programs" and check out what's available.
Don't procrastinate. Get started now! Putting off preparing your tax return until April 14 is never a good idea. There 's a greater possibility you'll make mistakes. And if you're working with a tax preparer, that person may not have time to complete your return by the deadline. Even if you file for an extension, you'll still have to pay what you owe by April 15 to avoid penalties and interest. And if you're due a refund, you'll have to wait.
Use a professional. If you're overwhelmed just organizing your papers, hire a professional to do your return. This is an especially good idea if your tax situation is the least bit complex, including lots of investments, the purchase or sale of a business, or a 1031 exchange of property that defers capital gains or losses. Ask a CPA or Financial Advisor for advice.
Get free help from the IRS. Go to www.irs.gov and download IRS Publication 17 (2010): Your Federal Income Tax, available in both English and Spanish. This is the authority for answers to lots of tax questions. There's also a toll-free IRS TeleTax service at 800-829-4477 with recorded messages on lots of topics. Any other questions can get answers at the IRS help line: 800-829-1040.
Search around the IRS website. You'll find a truly mammoth site at www.irs.gov. It offers forms, instructions, and publications to download; you can find information on tax law, plus answers to frequently asked tax questions. The best way to navigate your way through all this is to click on "Site Map", "Individuals", and then "1040 Central" for a more manageable range of options.
So get started now! And good luck!
WINTER HOME SAFETY TIPS...
Every home should have both smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector installed. But they can't protect you unless their batteries work. It's a good idea to change detector batteries when you reset your clocks in the Spring and Fall. If you didn't do it last November, do it now! Also check manufacturers' recommendations to see if the units are due for replacement, which is necessary from time to time.
If you live in a seasonally cold part of the country, check that vents are not blocked by accumulated snow and ice; your furnace and some appliances like the clothes dryer vent to the outside of your house, through the roof, foundation, or siding.
Wherever you live, periodically check your furnace room and remove flammable items stored near your heating system.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
MARKET RECAP 01/23/2010
The economic news stumbled out of the gate this week when the Commerce Department reported that homebuilders began work on the second fewest number of homes in more than fifty years in 2010, breaking ground on only 587,600 homes. Of course, the first fewest was the year before, 2009, when they broke ground on 554,000 homes, so there was an improvement.
The news quickly regained its footing, though. Builders appear to be planning more projects in 2011, based on permits rising 16.7 percent in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 635,000 units, the best pace since last March. Fannie Mae is even more optimistic. It expects overall starts to increase 17.3 percent and hit 710,000 units this year, with another 42 percent increase to 1.1 million units in 2012, followed by a 42 percent gain to 1.5 million units in 2013.
As for the existing home market, RE/MAX reported a 13.2 percent increase in December sales. More encouraging, crisis hotspots Arizona and Florida produced double-digit yearly gains, proving once again the ironclad law of economics – lower prices equal more demand. According to RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly, “December's trends put the housing market in a strong position for growth as the home shopping season nears.”
The NAR corroborated RE/MAX's bullish outlook with bullish data of its own. The NAR reported that existing house sales increased 12 percent to a 5.28-million annual rate in December. Moreover, the number of homes on the market dropped 4.2 percent to 3.56 million units. At the current sales pace, it would take 8.1 months to sell these houses compared with 9.5 months at the end of November. An eight-to-nine month supply is considered consistent with stable prices.
Stable prices have been the defining characteristic of the mortgage market so far in 2011. The prime 30-year fixed-rate loan has been holding around 5 percent, vacillating only a few basis points in either direction. However, rates could be pressured higher if China continues to sell US government debt, particularly 10-year Treasury notes. Mortgage rates aren't directly tied to 10-year Treasury notes, but these instruments hold tremendous sway over the direction of long-term debt instruments, including mortgage-backed securities.
Therefore, it's worth repeating that although mortgage rates are off November's lows, they're still historically low. We doubt lower rates are in our future, and we are unsure how long price stability will last. At this point, we simply cannot offer any sound economic reason for people to wait on a refinance or a home purchase.
Economic
Indicator
Release
Date and Time
Consensus
Estimate
Analysis
Case-Shiller Home Price Index
(November)
Tues., Jan. 25,
9:00 am, et
0.4% (Decrease)
Important. Data released from other sources suggest the consensus estimate is low.
Mortgage Applications
Wed., Jan 26,
7:00 am, et
None
Important. Stable rates are reviving refinance activity.
New Home Sales
(December)
Wed., Jan 26,
10:00 am, et
285,000 (Annualized)
Important. Excessive inventory continues to weigh on sales.
Federal Reserve FOMC Meeting
Wed., Jan 26,
2:15 pm , et
Federal Funds Rate: 0.0% to 0.25%
Important. The Fed will hold the fed funds rate low, but a few board members are considering raising it.
Pending Home Sales Index
(December)
Thurs., Jan 27,
10:30 am , et
89 Index
Important. The index suggests an uptrend is waiting in 2011 home sales.
Gross Domestic Product
(4th Quarter 2010.)
Fri. Jan. 28,
8:30 am , et
3.5% (Annualized Increase)
Important. Economic growth appears to have accelerated in the closing months of 2010.
The Economy is More Than the Consumer.
Economists expend a lot of time and energy analyzing the consumer. It's understandable, given that personal consumption represents 70 percent of gross domestic product. However, GDP only measures the value of final output. It deliberately leaves out a big chunk of the economy – namely intermediate production or goods-in-process at the commodity, manufacturing, and wholesale stages.
A more thorough accounting of total spending at all stages actually doubles GDP. By this measure, the consumer represents only 30 percent of the economy, while business investment (including intermediate output) represents over 50 percent. In other words, businesses stimulate the economy as much, if not more so, than consumers.
Businesses make decisions based on two factors: current consumption and expected future consumption. We often forget the latter, which businesses gear up for by purchasing commodities, capital equipment and workers' services ahead of consumer sales. Therefore, while consumer spending might lag at the time, that doesn't mean the economy is lagging too. The good news is that business spending has been strong over the past few months, which we think portends better things for 2011.
The news quickly regained its footing, though. Builders appear to be planning more projects in 2011, based on permits rising 16.7 percent in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 635,000 units, the best pace since last March. Fannie Mae is even more optimistic. It expects overall starts to increase 17.3 percent and hit 710,000 units this year, with another 42 percent increase to 1.1 million units in 2012, followed by a 42 percent gain to 1.5 million units in 2013.
As for the existing home market, RE/MAX reported a 13.2 percent increase in December sales. More encouraging, crisis hotspots Arizona and Florida produced double-digit yearly gains, proving once again the ironclad law of economics – lower prices equal more demand. According to RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly, “December's trends put the housing market in a strong position for growth as the home shopping season nears.”
The NAR corroborated RE/MAX's bullish outlook with bullish data of its own. The NAR reported that existing house sales increased 12 percent to a 5.28-million annual rate in December. Moreover, the number of homes on the market dropped 4.2 percent to 3.56 million units. At the current sales pace, it would take 8.1 months to sell these houses compared with 9.5 months at the end of November. An eight-to-nine month supply is considered consistent with stable prices.
Stable prices have been the defining characteristic of the mortgage market so far in 2011. The prime 30-year fixed-rate loan has been holding around 5 percent, vacillating only a few basis points in either direction. However, rates could be pressured higher if China continues to sell US government debt, particularly 10-year Treasury notes. Mortgage rates aren't directly tied to 10-year Treasury notes, but these instruments hold tremendous sway over the direction of long-term debt instruments, including mortgage-backed securities.
Therefore, it's worth repeating that although mortgage rates are off November's lows, they're still historically low. We doubt lower rates are in our future, and we are unsure how long price stability will last. At this point, we simply cannot offer any sound economic reason for people to wait on a refinance or a home purchase.
Economic
Indicator
Release
Date and Time
Consensus
Estimate
Analysis
Case-Shiller Home Price Index
(November)
Tues., Jan. 25,
9:00 am, et
0.4% (Decrease)
Important. Data released from other sources suggest the consensus estimate is low.
Mortgage Applications
Wed., Jan 26,
7:00 am, et
None
Important. Stable rates are reviving refinance activity.
New Home Sales
(December)
Wed., Jan 26,
10:00 am, et
285,000 (Annualized)
Important. Excessive inventory continues to weigh on sales.
Federal Reserve FOMC Meeting
Wed., Jan 26,
2:15 pm , et
Federal Funds Rate: 0.0% to 0.25%
Important. The Fed will hold the fed funds rate low, but a few board members are considering raising it.
Pending Home Sales Index
(December)
Thurs., Jan 27,
10:30 am , et
89 Index
Important. The index suggests an uptrend is waiting in 2011 home sales.
Gross Domestic Product
(4th Quarter 2010.)
Fri. Jan. 28,
8:30 am , et
3.5% (Annualized Increase)
Important. Economic growth appears to have accelerated in the closing months of 2010.
The Economy is More Than the Consumer.
Economists expend a lot of time and energy analyzing the consumer. It's understandable, given that personal consumption represents 70 percent of gross domestic product. However, GDP only measures the value of final output. It deliberately leaves out a big chunk of the economy – namely intermediate production or goods-in-process at the commodity, manufacturing, and wholesale stages.
A more thorough accounting of total spending at all stages actually doubles GDP. By this measure, the consumer represents only 30 percent of the economy, while business investment (including intermediate output) represents over 50 percent. In other words, businesses stimulate the economy as much, if not more so, than consumers.
Businesses make decisions based on two factors: current consumption and expected future consumption. We often forget the latter, which businesses gear up for by purchasing commodities, capital equipment and workers' services ahead of consumer sales. Therefore, while consumer spending might lag at the time, that doesn't mean the economy is lagging too. The good news is that business spending has been strong over the past few months, which we think portends better things for 2011.
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