Kim Duclos, Las Vegas Realtor

(702) 521-3939

(888) 949-2890

Chandeliers for Alternative Decor - CallKim

2010-12-16T12:40:00.000-08:00

Let's Look at Some Alternative Ideas for you Home Decor

Once a symbol of wealth, the chandelier has become a decidedly more democratic decorative element in recent years. While chandeliers are expected in grand entryways, formal dining rooms, ballrooms and the like, they also pop up in more unlikely places. Here are a few unexpected places to find chandeliers, and advice for how to recreate the look in your home:

The kitchen although not usually thought of as a place for a chandelier, is a wonderful alternative to add some pizzaz to the area.

Ever consider the a touch of light at your bedside by way of a chanelier? It does not have to be frilly, it can lean masculine or feminine depending on your choice of lighting. These pictures demonstate some alternatives.

I love the nursery idea, such a refreshing change to the usual decor in one's nursery. Often times you can visit second hand stores and find some treasures in way of chandeliers. Visiting normal lighting outlet stores also offer a variety of colors, styles and choices.

Being creative and keeping one's mind open is key when adding a touch of life to your living space.

For all of your real estate needs, please give me a call @ (888) 949-2892 or on my cell @ (702) 521-3939

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

Dangers of Walking away from you Mortgage

2010-10-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

4 dangers of walking away from your mortgage

Homeowners who skip out on their loans face a slew of consequences.

Some homeowners who are "underwater," or owe more on their mortgage than the home's current value, are turning to "strategic defaults" in which they simply walk away from mortgage debt. But financial experts warn the cost of skipping out on mortgage debt can be high.
The American Bankers Association recently informed homeowners about the consequences of strategic default, including the possibility of the bank obtaining a judgment to pursue the homeowner's assets, such as bank accounts, cars and investments.

(Bing: Which states allow deficiency judgments?)

Here are four dangers of which homeowners should be aware and more information on the strategic-default environment.

1. Wrecked credit

Regardless of whether a foreclosure is because of a strategic default or other circumstances, it damages a consumer's credit score.
"A foreclosure is one of the stronger predictors of future credit risk," says Craig Watts, public-affairs director of FICO, a credit-rating company.

Foreclosures remain on a credit report for as long as seven years, with the impact gradually lessening over time. Watts says FICO scores "generally begin to recover after a couple of years," assuming the consumer stays current on all payments and other credit accounts.
He says the impact of a foreclosure on a credit score depends on other factors in the borrower's credit history. The ABA says a foreclosure drops a FICO score by 100 to 400 points.

2. Difficulty getting new mortgage

A voluntary foreclosure also can affect a homeowner's ability to qualify for a new mortgage for years to come.

Peter Fredman, a Berkeley, Calif., consumer attorney, says Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will not approve a mortgage for four years after foreclosure, while the ABA says it can take three to seven years to qualify for a new mortgage. In addition, Fannie Mae this past summer announced a tough new sanction on people who deliberately default on their mortgages. These borrowers will be ineligible for a new Fannie-backed mortgage for seven years after the foreclosure date.

3. Taxes still due

Tax liability is another potential danger of defaulting.
Although the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 offers protection from federal taxes after a foreclosure through 2012, state taxes still may be due on unpaid debt.

4. Deficiency judgment

A lender can also pursue the remaining debt from an unpaid loan by obtaining a deficiency judgment against the delinquent borrower, or it may work with a collection agency to recoup losses.

Halloween Safety

2010-10-27T23:02:00.000-07:00

It’s the scariest night of the year! But with a little attention to safety, you can keep it fun and not frightful. Here are a few tips for you to follow........Boo!

Don’t Frankenstein Your Lights

Do not connect more than three miniature light strings together. Also, be sure to check the rating on your extension cords and do not plug in more than the recommended wattage. Cords should not be run under carpets or tacked-up with metal nails or staples.

Inspect Decorations with Fiendish Care

Inspect all of your electric lights and decorations for damage or wear. Cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections may pose a fire or shock hazard. Look for a red UL mark to indicate that lights are certified for both indoor and outdoor use. A green UL mark indicates certification for indoor use only.

Beware of Candles!

Candles, especially in a Jack O’Lantern, should be off the ground and out of children’s reach. Try battery-operated LED candles for an even safer option.

Don’t Trip Up Your Goblins

Halloween costumes should allow full movement for your kids. Costumes that drag, constrict or drape pose a dangerous hazard, especially at night. Check to ensure that costumes don’t restrict your children’s vision, and instruct them to watch out for tripping hazards, such as cords.

Say Boo! to Unsafe Costumes

Be sure to purchase or make costumes out of flame-resistant materials such as nylon or polyester as these specially marked fabrics will resist burning and extinguish quickly. Make sure your child knows to stop, drop and roll in case their costume catches fire.

Be Safe and Bright

Choose costumes that are lighter in color and attach reflective materials to costumes. Make sure each child has a flashlight to help them see and be seen.

Keep Hungry Monsters from Feeding

Never let your kids eat Halloween candy before you inspect it in the light at home. Even if you know your neighbors, you should always check to be safe and throw away open candy or anything that looks at all suspicious.

Las Vegas, Water, Helpful tips

2010-09-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

BEST TIME TO DRINK WATER

Another little tidbit that's news to me.

Always knew to drink a lot of water, but who knew the timing affected things.

Drinking water at the correct time maximizes its effectiveness on the Human body:

2 glasses of water after waking up helps activate internal organs

1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion

1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure

1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Great Information to share with the people you care about.......

Kim Duclos - Coldwell Banker Wardley - (888) 949-2890 or (702) 521-3939

Clever Ideas Worth Knowing

2010-09-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster..I didn't know that!

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil.It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of Spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Reheat Pizza

Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs

Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up.Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting

When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size.You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them ina microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the foodmoist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away

Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers,put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for-get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will notget through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass

Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes

Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it. (Wonder if this works with rabbits? Sure gonna give it a try)

Flexible vacuum

To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
Reducing Static ClingPin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... TA DA! ... Static is gone.

Measuring Cups

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?

Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelopes

If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside,

just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies

To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants

Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Visit http://www.callkim.net/ - 24/7 find a house with your mouse today!

Foreclosure Councelors: What They Can and Can't Do

2010-08-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Foreclosure Counselors: What They Can and Can’t Do

Foreclosure counselors can make the difference between losing your home and keeping it.

Here’s how they work and how to choose one.
A foreclosure counselor can help assess your finances and make a budget, but cannot give any tax or legal advice.

If you’re facing foreclosure, your foreclosure counselor will be a key part of your foreclosure team. As you start looking for one, however, you need to know what exactly they do, what they don’t do, and how to choose one who’s legitimate and qualified.

What a foreclosure counselor does:
Reviews your finances
Helps you establish a budget
Explains your non-foreclosure options, such as

loan modification, short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure;

helps you navigate the process with any chosen option
Advocates on your behalf with lenders and loan servicers.

Counselors should also be upfront about discussing their

own track records as well as the track records of the agency they work for.

Expect to spend two to 24 hours with a counselor, depending on the complexity of your foreclosure situation, including how many lenders you have to provide documentation to and negotiate with.“Be sure the counselor is looking at your entire situation,” and not just your foreclosure, adds Martha Viramontes, director of housing at ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions in Los Angeles. “When counselors focus only on your mortgage, they’re fixing only one aspect of your financial situation.” They should give you an action plan containing the tasks you are going to perform to change your financial situation.

What a foreclosure counselor doesn’t do:
Give tax advice
Give legal advice
Give guarantees regarding a particular outcome
Create miracles

For additional advice, add a tax adviser and attorney to your team. Finally, “don’t expect a counselor to be a genie,” says Douglas Robinson, a spokesperson for NeighborWorks America, a nonprofit community development corporation in Washington, D.C., that provides foreclosure counseling. “If you’re in a home that under the most aggressive scenario you can’t afford, but maybe you got into it because of some toxic loan that should never have been available in the first place, you’re probably going to have to move. It’s best you get out smoothly.”

How to choose an agency:
Seek only HUD-approved agencies. HUD makes it easy:

Type in your state or ZIP code at http://www.findaforeclosurecounselor.org/

or call HUD’s foreclosure counseling hotline at 800-569-4287

or its foreclosure prevention hotline at: 888-995-HOPE (4673).

HUD-approved agencies are all nonprofit, community-based organizations that have administered a housing counseling program for at least a year.

HUD-approved agencies also are required to:
Employ counselors who are knowledgeable about federal housing programs.
Have a staff of counselors of which at least half must have two or more years of counseling experience.

At least half must also have received housing counseling training in the past two years.
Provide you with certain documents, such as a privacy agreement explaining how your personal information will be handled.

In addition, at the agency you work with, see if you can find a foreclosure counselor who has certification through the NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling Look (NCHEC), which has a Foreclosure Intervention and Default Certification Program. Certified counselors must follow NeighborWorks counseling standards and code of ethics and conduct.

They also are required to:
Have at least one year of experience in foreclosure counseling
Attend three foreclosure prevention courses

Check out my website at: http://www.callkim.net/

Kim Duclos Coldwell Banker Wardley (888) 949-2890

Wasabi and Ginger - golden retriever dog eats with hands

2010-08-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hire Smart When you Hire a Contractor!

2010-08-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

With more people working on their current homes, opting to make upgrades, expand or keep up with their current home maintenance needs, contractors and their reliability comes into question.

What to do to hire a contractor.....

1. Verify Qualifications
Ask for references and work samples. Call the references, get a feel for the satisfaction of their past clients. Check the contractor's license and it is easy to do online nvcontractorsboard.com
or call (702) 486-1100

2. Always get 3 bids
Ensure each contractor is bidding on identical work.

3. Get Bids in Writing
Negotiate a clear, detailed contract. Examine plans for accuracy.

4. Monitor Progress
Make frequent walkthroughs and keep a job file. If you live onsight, just make sure that the work is according to the agreements that were made. Make sure any deviation of agreements is approved by you.

Always speak up, ask questions and verify, verify, verify.

Call me with your real estate questions at (702) 521-3939 or (888) 949-2890
Kim Duclos Coldwell Banker Wardley

Safety - Know your Meter Reader

2010-07-30T23:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, even though we live in a high tech society, we still have water meter readers working in our neighborhoods. It is important to know who does and does not belong around your home. Having an unfamiliar vehicle near your home can cause concern.

The Las Vegas Valley Water District came up with some tips to identify their water district employee in your area.

1. Water Dist. employees will drive official vehicles with a clearly marked blue and yellow Water District Logo.

2. District Employees and contractors will always display in plain view a Water District photo identification badge with their name and title. District employees wear LVVWD logo shirts that areligth blue, bright orange, white or neon "safety" green.

3. No district employee will request entry to your home or request that you collect a water sample from inside your home for analysis. They may enter a backyard, if necessary, to access your meter.

4. No district employee will ever request or collect payment at your residence for water bills or for services rendered.

If you are ever concerned about anyone approaching or calling your home regarding your water service - please contact the water district. (702) 870-4194.

If you feel you are in stranger danger, always remember 911.

Kim Duclos

Coldwell Banker Wardley

(702) 521-3939

Making a Simple Move

2010-07-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

I received an article by Gregory Karp on moving, I thought
it a great idea to share.

Twelve Tips to Make Your Move Simple and Stress-Free (MCT)

Packing your belongings and moving is often fraught with high emotions and involves a to-do list a mile long. So, it’s tempting to give only passing attention to hiring a mover and the related incidental costs. That could be a mistake—for your wallet and your peace of mind. Moving can be quite expensive. A typical full-service interstate move costs about $4,300, while the same in-state move might cost about $2,500, according to the American Moving & Storage Association. And while the moving industry has many fine companies, it is notorious for fraud and dirty tactics by so-called rogue movers.

Here are 12 tips to make your move simple and avoid the hassle.

Choose a type of move: You have three basic choices: do-it-yourself, full service and a relatively new hybrid of the two. Going it alone is the cheapest alternative, costing the rental price of a truck, gasoline, packing materials and, perhaps, pizza and beer for friends you rope into helping. With full-service moves, moving within a state is charged by the hour, while moving across state lines is charged by weight and mileage.

With a hybrid move, a mover will drop off a large container at your home for you to pack. The mover will then load the container onto a truck, drive the belongings to your new location and drop off the container for you to unload. Because you’re doing the manual labor of packing and unpacking, it’s far less costly than a full-service move.

Hire a quality mover: If you hire help, get at least three price quotes and do your homework before selecting a mover. Seek recommendations by talking with family and friends, even your Facebook circle. Investigate a company’s reputation with the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org), Yelp.com

Check a company’s complaint history at the federal government site, ProtectYourMove.gov.
“People think a good reputation equals expensive, but that’s not true,” said Laura McHolm, co-founder of NorthStar Moving in Los Angeles. “You don’t get a good reputation by overcharging people.”

Look for two things when hiring a moving company:

1. A full-service mover should visit your home in person,

2. And not give a quote over the phone or online, and should provide a written estimate, experts say.

Declutter: No matter what type of move you’re making, taking less stuff is cheaper and less hassle. Set up a staging area, perhaps in a garage, with various piles, such as throw out, recycle, donate and sell. For many items, use the rule of thumb, ‘If you haven’t used it in a year, you probably don’t need it.’

Be flexible: Like airline fares, moving rates depend on when you book. The busiest time for movers, and thus the most expensive time for consumers, is summer weekends near the 15th and 30th of the month. If you have time flexibility, ask what rates would be for different days or seasons. If you have extreme flexibility, ask about moving standby: waiting until the mover has extra space and needs to fill a truck.

Save on boxes: Buying new boxes from a moving company is the most expensive choice. To save some money on packing materials, ask if you can buy used boxes from your moving company, visit the grocery store and see if they have apple boxes etc.
Cheaper yet is finding free boxes, ideally from somebody who just moved. Ask your real estate agent to connect you with other clients who recently moved. Specialty boxes, such as wardrobe boxes, might be cheaper to purchase at a do-it-yourself moving store, such as U-Haul, than from your mover.

Save on packing materials: If you’re packing your belongings yourself, fill suitcases, laundry baskets and plastic containers with unbreakable items. Use pillows, scarves and towels to wrap fragile belongings.

Mail books: If you have a large collection of books, pack them yourself and ship them at the postal media mail rate as it might be cheaper than paying a mover—a 70-pound box would cost less than $30.

Consider consolidation: For long-distance moves, ask about consolidating your stuff on a truck with other people’s as most homeowners can’t fill a full-size moving van. You might have to be flexible on delivery dates and times, but consolidation can be cheaper.

This is very IMPORTANT - Insure it: Check your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy to determine whether it provides coverage for your belongings while in transit. If not, you’ll probably want more than the basic free valuation coverage a full-service mover provides. The standard valuation is 60 cents per pound per item. That means breaking a 10-pound, $1,000 stereo system would net you $6. You’ll want full replacement-value insurance, which reimburses you what it will cost to replace broken items. But don’t necessarily buy that insurance from the moving company. Moving insurance is likely cheaper from a third party, but be aware that you probably cannot get insurance on boxes you packed yourself.

Be prepared: Plot out where furniture and boxes will go before moving day arrives. The less time movers spend rearranging, the less expensive it will be. In urban areas, reserve a space or two in front of your new home for the moving truck by parking your own vehicle there ahead of time. If the movers have to park too far away to unload, you could incur a ‘long carry’ surcharge.

Stake your claim: If you’re moving for a job, negotiate the best relocation package you can. Unreimbursed expenses might be tax-deductible. For details, see Publication 521 Moving Expenses at IRS.gov.

Tip: Tipping each mover $3-$5 per hour is customary, said Stephen Coady, marketing manager for Gentle Giant Moving Co. in Somerville, Mass.

Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA)

2010-06-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

On June 1, 2010, Fannie Mae began its own Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) Program, which is designed to mitigate the impact of foreclosures on borrowers who are eligible for a loan modification under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) but ultimately did not complete a modification. The Government is trying to push forward to facilitate a short sale for borrowers that have slipped through the cracks with the modification process. I am hoping that this will be a more positive process with the HAFA short sales, then the ones we are working with in the current market. Buyers will have to seek professional advice as to what tax ramifications they will face and if they will be held responsible for any partial payment as a consequence of the sale.

Program Features

The Fannie Mae Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program simplifies and streamlines the use of short or “preforeclosure” sale and deed-in-lieu of foreclosure (DIL) options by incorporating the following unique features:

Complements HAMP by providing alternatives for borrowers who are HAMP eligible (including borrowers facing imminent default);

1. Utilizes verified borrower financial and hardship information collected in conjunction with HAMP, eliminating the need for additional eligibility analysis;
2. Allows the borrower to receive pre-approved short sale terms prior to the property listing;
3. Prohibits the servicer from requiring, as a condition of approving the short sale, a reduction in the real estate commission agreed upon in the listing agreement;
4. Releases the successful HAFA borrower from future liability for the debt;
5. Uses standard processes, documents, and timeframes; and
6. Provides financial incentives to borrowers, servicers and subordinate lienholders.

The effective date for the implementation of the Fannie Mae HAFA is August 1, 2010; however, servicers are encouraged to adapt their processes to implement these policies and procedures immediately.

Complete program details for the Fannie Mae HAFA can be found here. Additionally, new servicer and borrower materials have been developed to support and facilitate the implementation of the program. All materials – including a program overview and job aid, as well as the required borrower documentation – are available on the new HAFA page on eFannieMae.com.

Please Call me for all of your Real Estate Needs.

(888) 949-2890 http://www.callkim.net/ kim.duclos@coldwellbanker.com

Top 10 Energy Payback Projects

2010-06-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

I love to shop at Lowes for projects, I don't have to admit this, but it is true. My sister likes Home Depot, but I am a Lowes Fan. Lowes works with us Realtors to offer benefits to our clients and it has definitely been a plus for my clients. The program is called "Realtor Benefits Program" and they send out a mailing and offer the home buyer or seller a minium of 10% off on their purchases up to $10,000. I have had clients that have saved big on flooring, installation and have been thrilled with the outcome.

I was reading an article by Josh Garskof (he writes for the Lowes Website) and he had some great ideas on energy saving. Please take a look at the article below.

Make these simple improvements now, start slashing your energy bills for years to come.

Projects With Immediate Payback (0 to 6 months)

Wrap the Water Heater
Until you’re ready to upgrade to a super-efficient, on-demand water heater (which costs about 25 percent less to operate than that big tank in your basement because it heats only the water you need), get the most from your existing one by covering it with a water heater blanket. This insulated jacket fits over the tank to help reduce the gas, oil, or electricity that’s required to keep water hot and at the ready. You can install it in just a few minutes. And while you’re at it, insulate the first five feet of hot-water pipe after it exits the tank and the last five feet of cold-water supply before it enters the tank. Together, these fixes will yield an immediate 15 percent reduction in the heater’s operating costs.
COST: $30
PAYBACK: up to $50 per year

Install a Programmable Thermostat
Turning down the thermostat 7 degrees at bedtime will knock 10 percent off your heating costs, but who wants to wake up to a frigid house? A programmable thermostat automatically drops the heat at night and cranks it up in the morning, so the house is warm before your alarm clock rings. Program it to lower the heat again while you’re at work and the kids are in school all day and you’ll reap additional savings. Best of all, many of these battery-operated units are easy to install yourself.
COST: $30 to $80
PAYBACK: $100 to $250 per year

Seal Gaps and Cracks
Check the attic floor and basement ceiling for gaps around pipe and wire penetrations and fill them with insulating foam, such as Great Stuff, which expands to fill any void you find. Check doors and windows for air leaks and seal with self-adhesive weatherstripping. “Sealing the building envelope generates immediate energy savings for little upfront cost,” says Nate Kredich, a vice president at the United States Green Building Council.
COST: $50 for all the Great Stuff and weatherstripping you’ll need.
PAYBACK: $100 to $250 per year

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
If you replace conventional incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, you can slash as much as 15 percent off your household electricity bills. “The first CFLs had a greenish cast to them,” says Mark Loeffler, director of New Haven, CT based environmental design firm Atelier Ten, “but a high-quality bulb you buy today works well for general ‘ambient’ lighting.” Still, stick to incandescents for task lighting (because they’re less diffuse) and in bathrooms, where CFLs can be unflattering. Look for bulbs with the highest Color Rendering Index you can find—generally in the low- to mid-80s, compared with early CFLs, which scored about 70, and incandescents, which have a CRI of 100.
COST: about $3 each; $60 to replace 20 bulbs, two-thirds of the bulbs in a typical house.
PAYBACK: As much as $10 a year for one high-use bulb; $150 to $170 a year for 20 CFLs

Projects With Short-Term Payback (1 to 3 years)

Install Ceiling Fans
Thanks to the wind-chill factor, a ceiling fan makes you feel cooler by evaporating the moisture from your skin. So if you install one over your bed, for example, you should be able to raise the thermostat setting on the air conditioner by a couple of degrees and still feel just as comfortable. And because the fan uses no more energy than a 100-watt bulb, that’s a far more economical way to keep cool. You can reverse the fan’s direction in the winter and it will help push down heated air that gets trapped at the ceiling, reducing the amount of work your heating system has to do.
COST: $60 to $700
PAYBACK: $120 a year in electricity bills for air conditioning and $100 to $250 in heating fuel savings

Beef Up Attic Insulation
“Heat rises, so adding insulation to the attic floor is one of the best energy retrofits you can do,” says physicist Max Sherman, who leads the Energy Performance of Buildings group at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. If the insulation on (or in) your attic floor is less than 10 inches thick, bring it to at least that depth by rolling out additional batts over what’s there, and you’ll shave 15 to 30 percent off your heating bills.
COST: $300 (to add 3 inches of fiberglass insulation to a 1,000-square-foot attic floor) * some insulation products are eligible for 30 percent tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (link)
PAYBACK: $150 to $300 a year for the average home heated with natural gas; $350 to $700 for oil heat.
TIP: If your wall cavities are uninsulated, you can cut another 20 percent off your heating bills by blowing cellulose insulation into them ($1,000 to $2,000, plus the cost of minor repairs to siding where the contractor drills his access holes).

Projects with Long-Term Payback (5 or more years)

Plant a Tree
Putting a deciduous tree (or several) on the south or west side of your house will shade the building in the summer, reducing the strain on your air conditioning system and cutting costs by about 25 percent. And when the tree drops its leaves in the winter, the sun’s warming rays will penetrate, helping to keep heating bills in check.
COST: shade trees start as low as $50 each.
PAYBACK: $100 to $200 a year, once the tree is mature.

Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Appliances
Energy Star appliances consume 10 to 50 percent less electricity than standard appliances sold today, and if you’re replacing equipment that is older than 10 years, the energy savings will be even greater. Refrigerators and clothes washers are two of the biggest household energy guzzlers. A new Energy Star fridge uses half the energy of a machine made a decade ago; a front-load washer uses 35 percent less electricity than an old top-mount, plus it consumes less hot water and spins the clothes so effectively that you save money on dryer operating costs, too.
COST: $600 to $1,400 for a front-load clothes washer; $1,000 to $3,000 for an Energy Star refrigerator
PAYBACK: $145 a year in electricity savings for the washer, plus gallons of water saved on every load; $60 a year for the refrigerator

Replace Your Aging Heating or Cooling System
The life expectancy of a furnace is 15 to 20 years, and for air conditioning equipment, it’s only 10 to 15. Even if your old system is still chugging along, you can reap dramatic benefits by upgrading to newer, more efficient technology. If you live in the frost belt, replacing a 20-year-old furnace or boiler with a new one will pay for itself in 7 years, then start putting money in your pocket. In the sun belt, replacing central air conditioners that are just a decade old can have an even bigger return.
COST: $3,000 to $8,000 for an efficient furnace, boiler, or air conditioning unit *super-efficient equipment may be eligible for 30 percent tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (link)
PAYBACK: $500 to $1,800 per year
TIP: To determine what energy retrofits will yield the biggest payback in your house, fill out the Home Energy Calculator worksheet at hes.lbl.gov.

And Don’t Forget These Freebies
Not every energy upgrade costs money or requires making an alteration to your house. Take these three, for example.

Turn down the temperature on your water heater by 10 degrees, and you’ll save 3 to 5 percent on operating costs. Many heaters are set at 140 degrees, but in most cases, 120 or even 115 degrees is plenty. Your shower won’t feel any different, because you’ll just mix in less cold water. And today’s dishwashers have their own heating units that boost the water temperature to sanitizing levels.
COST: free
PAYBACK: $15 or more per year

Adjust your normal day and night-time thermostat temperatures slightly higher in the summer and slightly lower in the winter. For each degree of change, you’ll save 3 to 5 percent on operating costs.
COST: free

PAYBACK: $150 to $300 per year for every 2-degree drop in the winter and increase in the summer.
Shorten your family’s normal shower lengths by 5 minutes. You can do this by using a kitchen timer or watch alarm to get everyone out of the habit of lingering endlessly under the spray.
COST: free

PAYBACK: $100 per year for each family member who shaves 5 minutes off their average shower time.

Now this can't be all hard, but can be all good!

Call me for your Real Estates needs, I am here to help!

Kim Duclos http://www.callkim.net/ (888) 949-2890

Coldwell Banker Wardley

Water Smart in Southern Nevada

2010-05-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

While daily watering is permitted beginning on May 1st, it's best to watch what your lawn and plants actually need....don't over water. With our current fluctuating weather, and some cooler temps, you may be able to water less, and therefore save some money.

Here are some tips offered by the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

1. Cycle and soak. Run sprinklers in 3 cycles of 4 minutes with 30-90 minutes between each cycle ... always before sunrise.

2. Run drip less. Drip irrigation is recommended up to 3 days a week in summer, with 1 cycle of 30-90 minutes on those days, depending on the volumes of the emitter and plant needs.

3. Be selective. Water dry spots with a hand held hose at any time of day.

4. Shut off water sprinklers on windy days. Winds can send water in unintended areas. It also evaporates with the wind and puts your lawn at risk of fungus...not to mention water waste.

5. Check your irrigation system regularly. Supervised testing is allowed at any time of the day. A good time to check the sprinklers is after you mow the lawn. Do a quick check and allow your sprinklers to run through a cycle. Look for broken and misaligned sprinkler heads and check for clogs and breaks.

Enjoy your yard this summer, water smart and be wise.

Kim Duclos..............Coldwell Banker Wardley..............(702) 521-3939..........www.CallKim.net.....

Las Vegas Selected for Pilot Program from Fannie Mae

2010-05-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas Selected for Pilot Program from Fannie Mae

I was reading an article from our Board of Realtors (GLVAR Realtor Bytes) and it had some great information on Fannie Mae financing and it's relationship to Las Vegas, take a look......

A pilot program from Fannie Mae could help level the playing field between cash-laden investors and owner-occupants bidding on low-priced foreclosure homes in Las Vegas.Fannie Mae is extending the "First Look" grace period in Nevada from 15 days to 30 days effective Monday.
(this is great news...it allows owner occupants extra time to secure a home with out having to compete with the investors) That gives buyers who plan to make the home their primary residence first shot at purchasing a foreclosure within 30 days of its listing. At least

50 percent of foreclosure sales in Las Vegas are cash-only transactions. The bank will almost always take the cash offer because there are no contingencies, no appraisal required and no conditions such as the pending sale of another home. All-cash, owner-occupant purchases will require certification as an addition to the Fannie Mae purchase addendum. Properties that go to contract before the end of the 30-day period and subsequently fall through will be relisted with a new 15-day marketing period. Fannie Mae Chief Executive Officer Michael Williams said the 30-day period could later be replicated across the country if it succeeds in Nevada. He estimated the potential cost of carrying the properties on the books for a longer period of time at $60 million nationwide. "However, given the unique market conditions in Nevada, we found it to be cost-neutral to extend the grace period from 15 to 30 days across the state."

More information on the First Look initiative and Fannie Mae-owned properties can be found at: http://www.homepath.com/.

Please call me with your your real estate questions. Now is a great time to buy and sell.

(888) 949-2890

(702) 521-3939

Source: Realtor Bytes dated April 30,2010

Death Valley in Bloom

2010-04-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Spectacular Event!

You and your family should take a vacation and see the remarkable peak blooming periods in Death Valley....a spectacular event you will not forget.

Peak Blooming Periods for Death Valley are usually...Mid February - Mid April at lower elevations (valley floor and alluvial fans)

* Best Areas: Jubilee Pass, Highway 190 near the Furnace Creek Inn, base of Daylight Pass

* Dominant species: desert star, blazing star, desert gold, mimulus, encelia, poppies, verbena, evening primrose, phacelia, and various species of cacti (usually above the valley floor).

Early April - Early May at 2,000 to 4,000 ft. elevations

* Best areas: Panamint Mountains* Dominant species: paintbrush, Mojave desert rue, lupine, Joshua tree, bear poppy, cacti and Panamint daisies.

Late April - Early June above 4,000 ft. elevations

* Best areas: High Panamints* Dominant species: Mojave wildrose, rabbitbrush, Panamint daisies, mariposa lilies and lupine.

and don't forget.....call Kim for your real estate needs!

(888) 949-2890

(702) 521-3939

Clue Report

2010-04-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

Homeowner’s Insurance and the CLUE Report

In recent years, home insurance rates have gone up, but many homeowners may not realize why. Of course natural disasters, recent mold litigation losses, even an individual’s credit history, can increase insurance rates. But many buyers have questions when it comes to something called the CLUE report.

This summary offered by Win Home Inspections explains how this report can affect how much homeowners pay for insurance and it’s causing a lot of confusion and controvercy. The insurance industry says CLUE reports help keep costs down, and opponents say the reports can be a home buyer’s nightmare. There are two major property claims databases, CLUE (the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) and A-Plus (Automated Property Loss Underwriting System).

Most people refer to the reports generated by either system as CLUE reports.
CLUE was created in 1992 and is administered by ChoicePoint, a data management company. Some 600 homeowner’s insurers contribute claims data to it. The insurance Services Office, an insurance industry organization, runs A-Plus to which about 1,250 companies contribute. Insurers contribute loss data can also withdraw information from the exchange. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), a typical homeowner files a claim only once in 10 years. Since the data is only kept for five years, most people have no CLUE record. Data provided in CLUE reports include policy information such as name, date of birth, policy number and claim information such as date of loss, type of loss and amounts paid.

Homeowners can get an electronic or mailed copy of their own CLUE report for a small fee of $9.00 or less, depending on which state they reside in. If a homeowner lives in Maryland, Georgia, Massachusetts, Colorado, Vermont or New Jersey, they are entitled to a free copy of their consumer report.

Unfortunately, if a buyer is in the process of purchasing a home, they can’t order a copy of the home’s CLUE report. It must be done by the seller. Sellers who suspect errors may contact ChoicePoint or their insurance agency, which must follow certain procedures to investigate the discrepancy.

CLUE reports are playing an increasingly important role in real estate transactions. Many buyers now stipulate that a CLUE report on a home must be included with the real estate transaction.

One of the most controversial issues surrounding the information found in the CLUE database is that an innocent inquiry from a homeowner to their insurance company concerning their deductible or a possible claim, can trigger a file to be opened in the CLUE database-even if the homeowner does not file a formal claim.

Most state insurance laws allow insurers 60 days after issuing a policy to thoroughly review all the underwriting information, including CLUE reports, and cancel a policy if new information comes to light that makes the risk unacceptable. However, a homeowner’s policy must be in place at closing and since many home buyers leave purchasing a homeowners policy to the last minute, the insurer may not have checked all the underwriting material by the time the closing takes place. This may leave issues that could arise after the home has closed and the buyer has moved into the property.

Because of this, Realtors are now encouraging buyers to start shopping for coverage early in the real estate transaction process and include a contingency that the purchaser is satisfied with the insurability of the property.

Feel free to call me with questions

Kim Duclos

Coldwell Banker Wardley

(888) 949-2890 (702) 521-3939

Will You Owe Once Your Home is Foreclosed On?

2010-03-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

It is extremely important to work with a Real Estate Professional in today's real estate market. Don't be left hanging off the cliff without help. I am here with hand extended and ready to assist in your real estate needs. Many homeowners facing foreclosure or perhaps negotiating on a short sale must know what the true ramifications of the default or short sale will be and what responsibility lies on their shoulders once the process is complete.

I was reading on one of my real estate informational sites and came across an interesting article in Rismedia. Please read and call me with your questions, I am here to assist you.

Home owners defaulting on mortgages today may be surprised to learn years from now that they still owe thousands of dollars—and a collection agency is coming after them to get it.
That’s because lenders have been quietly selling second mortgages and home equity lines left unpaid after foreclosures and short sales. The buyers: collection agencies, which in some states have years to make a claim. If they win court judgments, these collectors could have years to pursue borrowers with repayment plans, and even garnish their wages, said Scott CoBen, a Sacramento bankruptcy attorney.

“The only relief a consumer will have is entering into a debt negotiating plan or filing for bankruptcy,” said Sylvia Alayon, a vice president with the New York-based Consumer Mortgage Audit Center. The firm provides mortgage analysis to lenders, advocacy groups and attorneys.
The phenomenon suggests an ominous, looming echo of today’s real estate meltdown. As debt collectors surely seek at least partial repayment of millions of dollars in unpaid home loans, some say renewed financial stresses on tens of thousands of local consumers could dampen economic recovery.

“I think there will be a lot of unhappy people when it hits,” said CoBen. “We saw this in the ’90s. This is not really new. Just when you think you’re back on your feet, you’re making money and the economy’s good, they hit you with this.”

Alayon said most people are so stressed out and exhausted by trying to save their homes today that they are unaware they could face another hit later. And many who are losing homes don’t get the advice necessary to prevent future fallout, say nonprofit loan counselors.
“You’ve got tens of thousands of people in California who have this hanging over their heads who don’t even know it,” said Scott Thompson, principal at for-profit Mortgage Resolution Services in Carmichael, Calif. He fears a new wave of bankruptcies might flatten people just starting to recover from losing their homes.
“So many of these are people with 750 or 800 credit scores who made a bad decision,” said Thompson. “Or they’re people who suffered income cuts. These are people, in terms of the economy, whom we need to participate.”

But an entire industry is gearing up to buy their debt at deep discounts and collect what they can, Alayon said. “It’s a big business and investors are coming out of the woodwork. It’s a very lucrative business,” she said. Real estate insiders and financial players know it as “scratch and dent.”

Regionally, no one knows for sure how much unpaid debt is on the line. CoBen said people who used their borrowings for a traditional loan on a house in which they lived generally have little to worry about. But borrowers may be vulnerable in years ahead—generally, those who defaulted not only on their first mortgage but also on a home equity loan or second mortgage.
In California, banks can’t collect from borrowers for primary, so-called “first-lien,” loans that go unpaid. When a house is foreclosed or sold through a short sale, the lender of the first loan gets the house back or the proceeds from another buyer. But banks also made thousands of “second-lien” loans, including those used to finance 20% down payments during the housing boom. A separate category of “seconds” includes home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. Nationally, about 3.4% of those loans are currently delinquent, according to Foresight.

Owners are generally, but not always, on the hook for the second loans left over from a foreclosure or short sale. Most investor mortgages, too, leave the borrower liable for potential unpaid debt. In many short sales, experienced real estate agents or attorneys can negotiate away debt obligations for the second-lien loan. But many inexperienced borrowers don’t know that, and sign final-hour agreements giving lenders the right to pursue them later.

“Seek advice,” counseled Doug Robinson, spokesman for national nonprofit mortgage counselor NeighborWorks America. He said nonprofit counselors can help. “Often when you work with a real estate agent, they’re not really equipped to handle the repercussions. They’re set up to make the sale,” he said.

Government forces are already moving to limit potential damage to millions now struggling with home loans. A new Obama administration short sale program aims to prevent banks that hold second-lien loans from pursuing collections from homeowners after the short sale. It goes into effect April 5, 2010 and works this way: Sellers will receive notice that their servicer has steered part of the sales proceeds to secondary lien holders “in exchange for release and full satisfaction of their liens.” This release would apply only to short sales done through the administration’s Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program.

In California, Democratic state Sen. Ellen Corbett recently introduced SB 1178, which would expand California’s protections for some people who refinance and take on a second mortgage.
People who refinance, but use the funds to improve their homes or to stay in their homes with a better interest rate, would be protected. Lenders could not seek court judgments to collect from these borrowers in the event of foreclosure or short sales.

“If you refinance a property and aren’t using the money for personal reasons, you shouldn’t lose your personal protections,” said California Association of Realtors lobbyist Alex Creel. He said the idea has been around for years but has become more urgent as thousands lose income and fall into mortgage trouble. The bill would apply to all foreclosures or short sales that occur after it becomes law. It doesn’t matter when the loan was made, Creel said. SB 1178 is still in the early stages of consideration. It must clear both houses of the Legislature and be signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by Sept. 30 in order to take effect.

****** This is good information, but I will reiterate that a professional realtor can help. You must look to a EXPERIENCED LICENSED REALTOR, ask the questions about their experience and their capabilities in this volatile market.

Feel free to call me toll free @ 888-949-2890

or email me @ kim.duclos@coldwellbanker.com

RISMEDIA, March 27, 2010

Those Who Wait Will Pay Thousands More This Spring

2010-03-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Waiting a few extra days or weeks to purchase a home this spring could cost buyers thousands of extra dollars as the office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) implements several changes for loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).Coming just weeks before the April 30 deadline for the Home Buyer Tax Credit and just days after the March 31 expiration of the Federal Reserve Board's mortgage backed securities purchase program (which has kept home loan rates artificially low for over a year), these FHA changes make it even more important to act now to save big. Here are a few reasons why: On April 5th, the cost of required up-front mortgage insurance for loans guaranteed by the FHA will increase from 1.75% to 2.25%. For a borrower purchasing a $200,000 home with a $7,000 down payment, the up-front mortgage insurance will increase by $965. Up-front mortgage insurance is typically financed in the final loan amount so the impact to a monthly payment will be minimal but overall, the increase is still borne by the borrower both upfront and monthly. It is important to note that in order to be eligible for the lower cost up-front mortgage insurance, a lender has to order a case number from the FHA before April 5th. A case number can only be generated for loan applications where a property is involved and a fully executed purchase contract exists. Home buyers who have been pre-approved but are not under contract will not be eligible for the reduced premium effective April 5th. Later this spring, the amount of money that a seller can return to the buyer from their sale proceeds will be reduced from 6% to 3%. The reduction in these "seller concessions" can increase the amount of cash a buyer will be required to pay at closing by $6,000 for a home purchase of $200,000. There is only one way to avoid being affected by all of these costly changes that lie ahead – submit all FHA mortgage applications by the last week of March.

If I can answer any questions you may have about how these changes could impact you, call me.

Kim Duclos @ (702) 521-3939 or toll free @ (888) 949-2890

Deadline Looming on Current Tax Credit - Act Now

2010-03-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

Tax Credit in General

For first time homebuyers, there is a refundable credit equal to 10 percent of the purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000 ($4,000 if married filing separately). A first-time homebuyer is an individual who, with his or her spouse if married, has not owned any other principal residence for three years prior to the date of purchase of the new principal residence for which the credit is being claimed.

1. There are several situations in which a taxpayer cannot claim the credit:
2. The taxpayer is a nonresident alien;
3. The taxpayer purchases a home located outside the United States;
4. The taxpayer sells the home or if it stops being the taxpayer’s principal residence in the
year the taxpayer purchased the home;
5. The taxpayer receives the home, or any portion of the home, as a gift or as an inheritance;
and The taxpayer exceeds the income limits.

The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 extended and expanded the tax credit for first time homebuyers that had been created in 2008. The new law extends the deadline for qualifying home purchases from Nov. 30, 2009, to April 30, 2010. If a buyer enters into a binding contract by April 30, 2010, the buyer has until June 30, 2010, to settle on the purchase.

Members of the Armed Forces and certain federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and still qualify for the credit. An eligible taxpayer must buy or enter into a binding contract to buy a home by April 30, 2011, and settle on the purchase by June 30, 2011.

ACT NOW! Call me and I can facilitate a home purchase or sale here in the Las Vegas Vally.

(702) 521-3939 direct (888) 949-2890 toll free http://www.callkim.net/

Kim Duclos

Coldwell Banker Wardley

St. Patrick's Day Feast

2010-03-16T00:38:00.000-07:00

I still like to make corn beef and cabbage every year on St. Patricks Day. I don't drink....so green beer is out of the question, but the corn beef is still a hit. I always search for interesting articles and recipes and I came across this article and recipe on the internet. Darina Allen offers a little insight on the history and also a delicious dish!

Enjoy the article below.

"Americans still think we live on corned beef and cabbage over here," says Irish cookbook author and teacher Darina Allen. In fact, the dish that's synonymous with St. Patrick's Day and all things Irish in the U.S. is so rarely eaten in Ireland—for the holiday or otherwise—that some people wonder if it's actually Irish. In Irish Country Cooking, Malachi McCormick says he likes corned beef, but then adds: "But our national dish? No, it's a New World dish!" Furthermore, thanks to the many awful versions served in bars in the U.S.—and washed down with plastic cups of green beer—this one-pot meal is often reviled by Irish Americans and Irish-for-a-Day Americans or, at the very least, relegated to a sloshy once-a-year tradition. So let's set a few things straight:

First, corned beef and cabbage is most definitely Irish.

Second, when properly made it's "delicious," says Allen—recent taste tests here at Epicurious confirm that the corned beef and cabbage recipe from Allen's cookbook Irish Traditional Cooking is indeed fantastic.

Third, with the current multicontinent trend of chefs looking to the past for inspiration coupled with a craze among food-lovers for all things cured, this briny classic is poised for a comeback. Although corned beef is "almost a forgotten flavor in Ireland," according to Allen it was once an extremely popular and important food for all classes. To "corn" something is simply to preserve it in a salty brine (the term corn refers to the coarse grains of salt used for curing). In the days before refrigeration, corning was essential for storing meat, especially from large animals like cows. Historically, beef that was slaughtered and corned before the winter was served with the first fresh spring cabbage to break the Lenten fast on Easter. Corned beef has always been associated with Cork City, because, Allen explains, "that was the provisioning port for boats before they crossed the Atlantic." In fact, between the 1680s and 1825, corning beef was Cork City's most important industry. The meat was exported to Britain, continental Europe, and as far away as Newfoundland and the West Indies. These days in Ireland, corned beef is still most associated with County Cork, where Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery School and the Ballymaloe House and restaurant started by Allen's mother-in-law, Myrtle Allen, are based. Corned beef is sold at the English Market, a huge covered market in Cork City, and is also available at the Farmgate Café within the market—Allen says Ballymaloe House also serves it occasionally for lunch. "So there are people who eat it all the time."But even in Cork, Allen says, corned beef "seems to be a flavor that a lot of older people enjoy more than younger people." Why, then, has corned beef dwindled in popularity? "The Irish economy is very, very strong, and with that comes changes in people's diets," she says. Yet for Irish immigrants, many of whom fled their famine-stricken homeland during the heyday of corned beef, the dish remained important. "The immigrants brought it with them and it became sort of like a cult food," says Allen. "I think what happens sometimes when people immigrate is life stands still. Their memories of a country, and of the traditions, stay as it was when they left. "But with so many chefs looking to the past for inspiration, corned beef could be poised for a comeback in its country of origin. "[Irish] chefs are serving a lot of peasant foods and highlighting them again," says Allen. D.I.Y. fever could also play a role in corned beef's return to the Irish table. "Over here, just as over on your side [of the Atlantic], a lot of younger people are getting involved in curing their own bacons and hams and things again, making sausages and salamis," says Allen, who runs a series of "forgotten skills" courses at Ballymaloe Cookery School, teaching students how to keep chickens, make homemade sausages, build a smokehouse, and so forth.

Now here is the recipe for your pleasure:

Servings: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

4 lb corned brisket of beef

3 large carrots, cut into large chunks

6 to 8 small onions

1 teaspoon dry English mustard

large sprig fresh thyme and some parsley stalks, tied together

1 cabbage

salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Put the brisket into a saucepan with the carrots, onions, mustard and the herbs.

Cover with cold water, and bring gently to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut in quarters and add to the pot. Cook for a further 1 to 2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are soft and tender. Serve the corned beef in slices, surrounded by the vegetables and cooking liquid. Serve with lots of floury potatoes and freshly made mustard.

I was at Albertson's today and they have Corn Beef on sale for 97 cents a pound; An easy and inexpensive holiday meal - have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

May we share peace in the world in 2010!

Kim Duclos

Coldwell Banker Wardley

Southern Nevada Sons of Erin St. Patrick's Day Parade

2010-03-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

I came across an event calendar with the happenings around the Las Vegas area and they were talking about the St. Patrick's Day Celebration in Henderson. It really sounds like a wonderful weekend of events. I did a little research on line and came up with their schedule...it's free too.

Bring your friends and family and enjoy some fun in Southern Nevada. Just a few miles down the 95 headed south, you will find a wonderful event in celebration of St. Patrick's Day... beginning on March 11, and lasting until the 14th of 2010.

March 11-14, 2010
Henderson Events Plaza, 200 Water Street FREE ADMISSION

Schedule of Events

Thursday, March 11--5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Carnival
Henderson Events Plaza

Friday, March 12 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Carnival/Festival/Live Entertainment
Henderson Events Plaza

Saturday, March 13 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Parade - Water Street District

Saturday, March 13 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Carnival/Festival/Live Entertainment
Henderson Events Plaza

Saturday, March 13 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Car Show Henderson Events Plaza

Sunday, March 14 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Festival/Live Entertainment Henderson Events Plaza

Sunday, March 1410 a.m. to 8 p.m. Carnival
Henderson Events Plaza

Admission to the carnival, festival and live entertainment is FREE.
Carnival rides do require a ticket.
Ticket prices are as follows:
1 Ticket - $12 4 Tickets - $18 40 Tickets - $30
All Day Arm Band (Thursday or Friday) - $22
All Day Arm Band (Saturday or Sunday) - $25

Entertainment Schedule Friday, March 12
5 p.m.-Music/Announcements 5:15 p.m.-Show Biz Kids 6 p.m.-Genevieve 6:15 p.m.-Life Long Dream 6:45 p.m.-Killians Angels 7:30 p.m.-Pat Kaanoi 8 p.m.-Dona Brown Dance

Instructor/Dance Lessons 9 p.m.-Phil Flowers Show

Main Stage Saturday, March 13 12 p.m.-National Anthem
12:15 p.m.-Phil Flowers
12:30 p.m.-Johnny Cash Tribute
1:15 p.m.-Top Notch Cheerleaders
1:30 p.m.-Awards & Raffles
1:45 p.m.-Show Biz Kids
2:30 p.m.-Raffles
2:45 p.m.-Pat Kaanoi
3:15 p.m.-Killians Angels
4 p.m.-Will Roya Magic
4:30 p.m.-Elegant Diversity
5 p.m.-Car Show Awards Presentation
5:30 p.m.-Air Force Band
6:30 p.m.-Desert Star Belly Dancers
7 p.m.-Johnny Cash Tribute
8 p.m.-Sharon Lynn's Irish Dancers
8:15 p.m.-Irish Dancers
9 p.m.-Phil Flowers Show

Main Stage Saturday, March 13
12:15 p.m.-Air Force Band
1 p.m.-Life Long Dreams
2 p.m.-Singularity
3 p.m.-Genevieve
3:30 p.m.-Air Force Band
4:15 p.m.-Dona Brown Dance Instructor/Dance Lessons
4:45 p.m.-Eddy B & The Boys
5:30 p.m.-Killians Angels
6:15 p.m.-Elegant Diversity
6:45 p.m.-Pat Kannoi
8 p.m.-Walter Waiters Blues Review
9 p.m.-CD Music

Lawn Stage Sunday, March 14
10 a.m.-CD Music
11 a.m.-Sharon Lynn's Irish Dancers
12:15 p.m.-Aftermath Dance Troupe
1 p.m.-Mike Love 1:30 p.m.-Killians Angles
2 p.m.-Show Biz Kids
3 p.m.-Johnny Cash Tribute
4 p.m.-Phil Flowers Show

Main Stage Sunday, March 14
10 a.m.-CD Music
11 a.m.-Walter Waiters Blues Review
12:15 p.m.-Eddy B & The Boys
1 p.m.-Aftermath Dance Troupe
1:30 p.m.-Dona Brown Dance Instructor/Dance Lessons
2 p.m.-Life Long Dreams
3 p.m.-Genevieve
3:45 p.m.-Elegant Diversity
4 p.m.-CD Music
Lawn Stage

Thanks for visiting my blog and visit my website at www.CallKim.net

Capital Gain Tax - Just a Refresher

2010-02-17T21:26:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!

It is tax time again, and as always, you must seek the advice from you local tax professional, tax attorney or accountant to find out what is best for you and your portfolio. Seek professional advice that pertains to your particular circumstances. The tax laws change, it is best to be certain when you have a question.

I spoke with my tax professional about this year taxes, and we discussed the capital gain tax. I thought I would do some research and provide some general information in regard to capital gain tax; Let's get started.

If you sold your main home and made a profit, you may be able to exclude that profit from your taxable income. Here's how it works.

$250,000 Exclusion on the Sale of a Main Home Individuals can exclude up to $250,000 in profit from the sale of a main home (or $500,000 for a married couple) as long as you have owned the home and lived in the home for a minimum of two years. Those two years do not need to be consecutive. In the 5 years prior to the sale of the house, you need to have lived in the house for at least 24 months in that 5-year period. In other words, the home must have been your principal residence.

You can use this 2-out-of-5 year rule to exclude your profits each time you sell or exchange your main home. Generally, you can claim the exclusion only once every two years. Some exceptions do apply.

Exceptions to the 2 out of 5 Year Rule If you lived in your home less than 24 months, you may be able to exclude a portion of the gain. Exceptions are allowed if you sold your house because the location of your job changed, because of health concerns, or for some other unforeseen circumstance.

Change in the Location of Your Job

If you lived in your house for less than two years, you can exclude a part of your gain on the sale of your house if your work location has changed. This exception would apply if you started a new job, or if you are moved to a new location with your employer.

Health Concerns

If you are selling your house for medical or health reasons, be ready to document those reasons with a letter from your physician. Such a letter does not need to be filed with your tax return. Instead, keep the documentation in your personal records just in case the IRS wants further information.

Unforeseen Circumstances

If you are selling your house because of unforeseen circumstances, be ready to document what those reasons are. I RS Publication 523 defines an unforeseen circumstance as "the occurrence of an event that you could not reasonably have anticipated before buying and occupying your main home." The IRS has given specific examples of unforeseen circumstances:

natural disasters, acts of war, acts of terrorism,
change in employment or unemployment that left you unable to meet basic living expenses,
death, divorce, separation, or multiple births from the same pregnancy.

Partial Exclusion

You can exclude a portion of your gain if you are selling your home and lived there less than 2 years and you meet one of the three exceptions. You calculate your partial exclusion based on the amount of time you actually lived in your home. Count the number of months you actually lived in your home. Then divide that number by 24. Then multiply this ratio by $250,000 (if unmarried) or by $500,000 (if married). The result is the amount of gain you can exclude from your taxable income.

For example: you lived in your home for 12 months, and then sold the home because your employer asked you to relocate to a different office. You are an unmarried person. You calculate your partial exclusion: 12 months divided by 24 month (for a ratio of .50) times your maximum exclusion of $250,000. The result: you can exclude up to $125,000 in gain. If your gain is more than $125,000, you include only the amount over $125,000 as taxable income. If your gain is less than $125,000, then your gain can be excluded from your taxable income.

Loss on the Sale of a home

You cannot deduct a loss from the sale of your main home.

Reporting the Gain on the Sale of Your Home Gain on the sale of your home is reported on Schedule D as a capital gain. If you owned your home for one year or less, the gain is reported as a short-term capital gain. If your owned your home for more than one year, the gain is reported as a long-term capital gain.

I have a great tax man I work with, he is Don Bond with Bond Bookkeeping and Tax.

Please contact me for his direct line and address.

Kim Duclos Coldwell Banker Wardley

(888) 949-2890 (702) 521-3939

COFFEE FILTERS - 25 USEFUL TIPS

2010-02-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

Coffee filters ..... Who knew! And you can buy them at the 99 cent store for almost nothing even the large ones.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine.. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter..

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

16.. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds.. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

HUD's 90-Day Flipping Rule Waiver

2010-02-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

HUD’S 90-DAY FLIPPING RULE WAIVER

Effective with purchase contracts accepted by all parties signed and dated on or after February 1, 2010. This waiver will be effective for one year, unless otherwise extended or withdrawn. Please note: due to investor requirements, the requirements for the waiver may change.
In an effort to stabilize home values and improve conditions in communities where foreclosure activity is high, HUD has announced a temporary policy that will expand access to FHA mortgage insurance and allow for the quick resale of foreclosed properties.
The policy change will permit buyers to us FHA-insured financing to purchase HUD owned properties, bank-owned properties, or properties resold through private sales.
To protect FHA borrowers against predatory practices of "flipping" where properties are quickly resold at inflated prices to unsuspecting borrowers, this waiver is limited to those property sales meeting the following criteria:

1. All transactions must be arm-length, with no identity of interest between the buyer and seller or other parties participating in the sales transaction.

2. In cases in which the sales prices of the property is 20 percent or more above the seller’s acquisition cost, the waiver will only apply if the lender meets specific conditions.

3. The waiver is limited to forward mortgages, and does not apply to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) for mortgage purchase.

Specific conditions to other details of this new temporary policy are in the text of the waiver available on HUD’s website at: http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/waivpropflip2010.pdf

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either me at any of the telephone numbers below.

Kim Duclos

Coldwell Banker Wardley

(888) 949-2890

(702) 521-3939

HUD TAKES ACTION

2010-01-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

HUD TAKES ACTION TO SPEED RESALE OF FORECLOSED PROPERTIES TO NEW OWNERS

I was speaking with Brian Hahn of Castle & Cooke Mortgage LLC and he shared an article from HUD, one that may be of interest to you. As you know our markets across the country are flooded with bank owned homes or REO's as they are called in the industry. Las Vegas is one of the areas that has been hit the hardest, so a program like this will be of assistance in getting the foreclosed homes into new owners hands. Please review article below by Mr. Wooley date January 15, 2010.

WASHINGTON - In an effort to stabilize home values and improve conditions in communities where foreclosure activity is high, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced a temporary policy that will expand access to FHA mortgage insurance and allow for the quick resale of foreclosed properties. The announcement is part of the Obama administration commitment to addressing foreclosure. Just yesterday, Secretary Donovan announced $2 billion in Neighborhood Stabilization Program grants to local communities and nonprofit housing developers to combat the effects of vacant and abandoned homes.
"As a result of the tightened credit market, FHA-insured mortgage financing is often the only means of financing available to potential homebuyers," said Donovan. "FHA has an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill its mission by helping many homebuyers find affordable housing while contributing to neighborhood stabilization."
With certain exceptions, FHA currently prohibits insuring a mortgage on a home owned by the seller for less than 90 days. This temporary waiver will give FHA borrowers access to a broader array of recently foreclosed properties.
"This change in policy is temporary and will have very strict conditions and guidelines to assure that predatory practices are not allowed," Donovan said.

In today's market, FHA research finds that acquiring, rehabilitating and the reselling these properties to prospective homeowners often takes less than 90 days. Prohibiting the use of FHA mortgage insurance for a subsequent resale within 90 days of acquisition adversely impacts the willingness of sellers to allow contracts from potential FHA buyers because they must consider holding costs and the risk of vandalism associated with allowing a property to sit vacant over a 90-day period of time.

The policy change will permit buyers to use FHA-insured financing to purchase HUD-owned properties, bank-owned properties, or properties resold through private sales. This will allow homes to resell as quickly as possible, helping to stabilize real estate prices and to revitalize neighborhoods and communities.

"FHA borrowers, because of the restrictions we are now lifting, have often been shut out from buying affordable properties," said FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens. "This action will enable our borrowers, especially first-time buyers, to take advantage of this opportunity."
The waiver will take effect on February 1, 2010 and is effective for one year, unless otherwise extended or withdrawn by the FHA Commissioner.

To protect FHA borrowers against predatory practices of "flipping" where properties are quickly resold at inflated prices to unsuspecting borrowers, this waiver is limited to those sales meeting the following general conditions:
All transactions must be arms-length, with no identity of interest between the buyer and seller or other parties participating in the sales transaction.
In cases in which the sales price of the property is 20 percent or more above the seller's acquisition cost, the waiver will only apply if the lender meets specific conditions.
The waiver is limited to forward mortgages, and does not apply to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) for purchase program.

Kim Duclos CRS ABR GRI

Coldwell Banker Wardley

Call me: (888) 949-2890 (702) 521-3939

Another Cash for Clunkers Bail Out? What is your take?

2010-01-17T17:47:00.000-08:00

I could hardly believe I was reading this article ( I am including with this post), but yes it is true, another Cash for Clunkers may be coming to a neighborhood near you. I thought that everyone was up in arms over the high cost of the last two C4C give-away, so what is your take and did you take advantage of the first two C4C programs? How did it work out for you? Let me know I am curious as to what people who took advantage of the program have to say.

What about additional funds for homeowners and restructuring of variable loans? I think our housing market needs more attention than our auto dealerships.

Now on with the article by C. Shunk.

Jan 15th 2010 at 8:04AM
Cash-for-Clunkers was among the more watched auto-related story lines of 2009. With the industry hurting, the government provided cash vouchers of between $3,500 and $4,500 to anyone who turned in a vehicle that was eight (or more) years-old and with between two and 10 miles-per-gallon worse fuel economy numbers than the new car or truck with which it was replaced. The program went from fledgling idea to a done deal in a matter of a few months, showing that the U.S. government is capable of move quickly when it really wants to, albeit with the help of a big fat $3 billion check.The feat was reportedly so impressive to Department of Transportation Ray LaHood that he openly wondered whether the program should
be reincarnated for 2010. Motor Trend reports that LaHood told reporters at the Detroit Auto Show that Clunkers was "the most wildly successful program ever, selling 800,000 cars in less than 30 days." It sounds like LaHood was really impressed with how C4C panned out, but will the program and its multi-billion dollar price tag resurface in 2010? LaHood says the DOT won't be begging for any spending money, and he insists that any decisions will need to be made by Congress in the year ahead.Motor Trend says that despite LaHood's hands-off approach to Clunkers, there are persistent rumors that C4C could resurface in the second quarter of 2010 with perhaps less bountiful tax incentives and a less exorbitant price tag. We have no idea if C4C has any chance of making a cameo in 2010, though we're thinking that the consistent uptick in sales after Clunkers expired shows that the industry is beginning to improve without additional government intervention. Why spend money propping up an industry that seems to be doing a swell job of helping itself?

Please call me about the $8000,00 (up to) tax credit for homebuyer's and the $6500.00 tax credit (up to) for the move up credit. Perhaps you can take advantage of a tax credit for a home as an alternative.

Kim Duclos

(888) 949-2890

SAVE MONEY in 2010

2010-01-04T15:18:00.000-08:00

I am always looking for articles about saving money, and I came across an article by Eric Tyson that talks about doing a few things differently in 2010, I hope you find these helpful.

With the arrival of the New Year, are you thinking about buying your first home? Sending your last kid off to college? Or obsessing over your own personal mountain of debt, even more worrisome in this uncertain economy? It may feel like “Resolution Impossible,” but if you follow Eric Tyson’s advice, you’ll remember ‘10 as the year you finally took control of your financial future.

“While the situation is improving, Americans carry too much consumer debt,” says Tyson, author of Personal Finance for Dummies, 6th Edition.. “If you have credit card debt or auto loans, take some solace in the fact that you’re far from alone and that many others have overcome these hurdles. Consumer debt is not okay, particularly in a slow economy such as this one. It can damage your personal relationships and mental well-being, not to mention the stability of your financial future.”

Here are a few tips from Tyson that will help you improve your financial health in 2010:

Partake in a little self-reflection. A misaligned mindset toward spending and shopping—compulsive or otherwise—can severely affect your financial and personal well-being. If you think you might have a problem with shopping or spending, there are several questions you should ask yourself:
-Do I feel guilty about shopping?

-Is my shopping causing financial trouble?

-Is my shopping, spending, and accumulated debt leading to feelings of helplessness, anger, confusion, fear, or depression?

Make a plan and stick to it. The reason so many New Year’s resolutions fail is that we simply state the thing we want to improve and then never create a plan for helping us get from point A to point B.

Most people don’t like to plan unless we’re talking about something fun, like a vacation. But actually, planning for your financial future is a little like planning a vacation. You’re organizing your money and time so that you get to do all the great things you want when you get there. Look at it that way, and you might actually enjoy the process.

Get rid of your four-wheeled debt. Too many people define necessities by what those around them have. A brand new car is not a necessity, although some people try to make it one by saying, “I need a way to get to work.” Guess what? There are plenty of far less expensive used cars out there that will also make it to your office. If you take out an auto loan to buy a car that you really can’t afford and you take a similar approach with other consumer items you don’t truly need, you’re going to have great difficulty saving money and accomplishing your goals. Moreover, you’ll probably feel stressed all the time—which is a poor trade-off for the (short-lived) “new car smell.”

Start making your purchases based on need, not emotion. It can be easy to give in to all of those advertisements telling us how much we “need” that new car, expensive gym membership, or trendy outfit. Marketers play on insecurities, fears, and guilt and suggest that you can feel better about yourself by buying their products. You won’t be able to overcome spending and consumer debt until you recognize these pressures and how they corrupt your buying decisions.
Research before you enter the store.

Prior to going shopping for necessities that aren’t everyday purchases—say, a new refrigerator—do some research first. Your research will help you identify brands, models, and so on that are good values. You don’t want to make an expensive mistake.
Watch your food budget. Dine out less and keep stock of the groceries you already have. Learn to cook if you don’t know how. Try to keep a healthy inventory of groceries at home. This will minimize trips to the store and the need to impulsively dine out because your cupboard is bare. Try to do most of your shopping through discount warehouse-type stores, which offer low prices for buying in bulk, or grocery stores that offer bulk purchases. Saving on the amount you spend on food will help you put more money toward paying off your debt and eventually setting money aside for investments.

Become more energy efficient. Check out opportunities to make your home more energy efficient. Adding insulation and weather-stripping, installing water-saving devices, and reducing use of electrical appliances can pay for themselves in short order. Many utility companies will even do a free energy review or audit of your home and suggest money-saving ideas.

Watch what you are paying for insurance. Many people overspend on insurance by carrying coverage that’s unnecessary or that covers small potential losses. Coverage of small losses, such as $100 or $200, is not useful for most people since such a loss wouldn’t be a financial catastrophe.

“It won’t be easy getting out of debt, and it’s certainly not something you will be able to achieve overnight,” says Tyson. “Like losing weight, it’s something that takes constant dedication but has a great payoff in the end.

Whenever you lose focus or feel like giving in, think about the wonderful benefits of financial well-being. Once you’re out of debt, the money you are able to invest will mushroom into substantial savings that will allow you to get more for your money,” concludes Tyson.

Call me for all of your real estate questions - (888) 949-2890

(702) 521-3939

Kim Duclos

Coldwell Banker Wardley

NEW YEARS IN THE BEGINNING

2009-12-30T16:04:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

ANCIENT NEW YEARS

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays . It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox
(first day of spring).

The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.

The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison. The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun. In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

THE CHURCH'S VIEW OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.
During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.

NEW YEAR TRADITIONS

Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.
The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California. Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.

The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.

Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus. The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century.

FOR LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR

Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.
Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.
Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.

AULD LANG SYNE

The song, "Auld Lang Syne," playing in the background, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scottish tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days." The lyrics can be found here.

FOR SALE-3332 Kenbrook Ave - Las Vegas, NV 89121

2009-12-26T21:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome Home - Nearly 3000 s.f. of Living Space for $149,900!

Enjoy 3 bedrooms, 3 baths with 2 car garage.

Downstairs Master Bedroom a PLUS!

All appliances included, home warranty too.

Private patio, great for barbecues and family gatherings.

Owner owned, so quick reponse is easy!

No waiting for long bank time responses or short sale approvals

by the banking systems, just an old fashioned buyer, seller transaction.

Great community with pool, spa, clubhouse, RV Boat parking area, tennis courts, children play/park area, it's gated and much more.

Great Buy, call today and see today!

Kim Duclos

http://www.history.com/content/hanukkah/watch-video

(702) 521-3939

(888) 949-2890

Hanukkah,

2009-12-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

I found the history of Hanukkah on-line and wanted to share. There is a link at the bottom of the post for a short video - I enjoy learning new things about people and our world; I hope you do too.

Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar (which is November-December on the Gregorian calendar).

In Hebrew, the word "Hanukkah" means "dedication."

The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews' 165 B.C.E. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. Antiochus, the Greek King of Syria, outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods.

In 168 B.C.E. the Jews' holy Temple was seized and dedicated to the worship of Zeus.
Some Jews were afraid of the Greek soldiers and obeyed them, but most were angry and decided to fight back.

The fighting began in Modiin, a village not far from Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers assembled the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig, activities forbidden to Jews. The officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to take part in the ceremony. He refused, and another villager stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword and killed the man, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias' family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them. They attacked the Greek soldiers whenever possible.

Judah Maccabee and his soldiers went to the holy Temple, and were saddened that many things were missing or broken, including the golden menorah. They cleaned and repaired the Temple, and when they were finished, they decided to have a big dedication ceremony. For the celebration, the Maccabees wanted to light the menorah. They looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day.

Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. This gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit.

Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night, thus commemorating the eight-day miracle.

Kim Duclos

Coldwell Banker Wardley

(888) 949-2890

Click here for the principles.

The History of Kwanzaa

2009-12-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, created Kwanzaa in 1966. After the Watts riots in Los Angeles, Dr. Karenga searched for ways to bring African-Americans together as a community. He founded US, a cultural organization, and started to research African "first fruit" (harvest) celebrations. Karenga combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti and those of the Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa.

The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal. On each of the seven nights, the family gathers and a child lights one of the candles on the Kinara (candleholder), then one of the seven principles is discussed.

The principles, called the Nguzo Saba (seven principles in Swahili) are values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans.

Kwanzaa also has seven basic symbols which represent values and concepts reflective of African culture. Click here for the symbols.

An African feast, called a Karamu, is held on December 31.
The candle-lighting ceremony each evening provides the opportunity to gather and discuss the meaning of Kwanzaa. The first night, the black candle in the center is lit (and the principle of umoja/unity is discussed).

One candle is lit each evening and the appropriate principle is discussed.

http://www.history.com/content/kwanzaa/history

Information retrieved 12/23/09 from History.com

History of Christmas

2009-12-20T19:50:00.000-08:00

I came across and article on History.com about Christmas and thought I would share it with you.

Christmas has had a long and varied history. It has been celebrated for centuries by different people, at different times, in different places, and in many different ways. Here you will find links to information about the different ways that the holiday we know as Christmas has been celebrated, or not celebrated, over the years.

Watch video about the history and origins of Christmas.

Enjoy the Holidays and stay safe!

Kim Duclos

2009-12-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

5. Make time to pray.

6. Play more games

7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day

9. Sleep for 7 hours. . . .

10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the
lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything..

28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

34. GOD heals everything.

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..

36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come..

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy. Last but not the least:

40. Please Share these words of wisdom with those you care about

Take advantage of all there is available to you in real estate in 2010! Real property is a good investment!

Call Kim @ (702) 521-3939 or

toll free @ (888) 949-2890