Kathy Riggs November 21st, 2010
National and local retailers have already decked their halls and welcomed the 2010 holiday season. Before the trees go up and the wreaths are on the door Americans will celebrate one of their own holidays this Thursday.
As families sit down to dinner for the annual Thanksgiving feast, most will take time to reflect upon the blessings they have everyday, even in these challenging economic times.
Signs point to a better holiday shopping season than in recent years. And let’s hope so. When lots of shoppers are filling holiday bags that’s a good sign for the American economy.
So this week, let’s take a break from the routine and enjoy our families and traditions. Most of these traditions are celebrated in the home of some family member or relative. Whether you celebrate in a home you have owned for just a few years or whether you return to a family home place, give thanks for that home and what it represents – the memories of family, the people who constructed it and the commitment it represents. The family home is more than just shelter from the elements. It represents your best long-term financial and emotional investment.
Kathy Riggs November 9th, 2010
The Halloween decorations are down and retailers are trying to try every day into black Friday. Families are making plans for Thanksgiving and the holidays are just around the corner.
Not so fast. If you try to business with a bank on Thursday, you may wonder why the drive-through window is closed.
Thursday, November 11 is Veteran’s Day. Please don’t forget.
Without our veterans we would not be living in a country where retailers lure holiday shoppers earlier every year, and REALTORS push the American dream of homeownership. Without our veterans this lifestyle we take for grant may have just been a figment of our imagination.
Veteran’s Day had its origin when the Armistice between the Allied Nations and Germany was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. President Woodrow Wilson recognized November 11 as Armistice Day. President Dwight Eisenhower made the official change to Veteran’s Day in 1954 after World War II.
We can never thank our Veterans enough for their service and what they have done for our country.
While we think of veterans who have completed their service, we should never forget the people currently serving in the military.
I would like to re-post some information from the IRS site about the extended tax credit for qualified military personnel.:
Members of the military and certain other federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and qualify for the credit. Thus, an eligible taxpayer must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2011. If a binding contract is entered into by that date, the taxpayer has until June 30, 2011, to close on the purchase. Members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service and employees of the intelligence community are eligible for this special rule. It applies to any individual (and, if married, the individual’s spouse) who serves on qualified official extended duty service outside of the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning after Dec. 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010. So don’t despair if you didn’t find that dream home before you or your spouse went overseas. You have more time to look!
SHAMELESS PLUGS
More than 90 percent of buyers start their housing search online. Call me at 252-939-2432 if you have found several houses you wish to see and we’ll start house hunting. Just because it doesn’t have my firm’s sign as the listing firm does not mean I can’t help you get in the door.
