The first thing to do in the Arizona spring when water temperature begin to climb is to have you water checked by a reputable pool company or pool store. This will give you a good baseline of the Chlorine / Bromine, PH, Total Alkalinity & Calcium Harness levels of your pools water, which will allow you to plan your chemical balancing. Both of these companies will provide you with a “Shopping List” of chemicals in proper proportions to add to your pool based on your waters individual readings. Should you be a “do-it-yourselfer” a chemical self-tester, or strips can provide you with a great insight on your pools chemical standings at any time. Read more
Inspect for These Potential Household Hazards
Lead
If you’re buying a home that was constructed before 1978, consider some risks associated with lead. Lead can be found in paints, pipes, soils and dust. With this in mind, you may discover lead on windows and window sills, doors and door frames, stairs, banisters, porches and fences. If you notice peeling paint in an older home, contact a professional to make sure it’s lead-free. Removing paint yourself may pose an even greater risk to you and your family. Keep in mind that children are most susceptible to lead poisoning. Be certain that they stay away from contaminated areas. For more information on the risks involved with lead, consult the National Lead Information Center (NLIC). Read more
Warning – More Bond Investment Talk
A strategy to built on the rather basic assumption, that as the economy gets better after the latest recession, interest rates, now at historic lows at the short-end of the curve and near cyclical lows at the long-end, will rise. We have a couple of reasonable reasons for believing that rates will rise. Read more
Isn’t this the time for forecasting?
This year will be unlike any other the world has ever known. Why? Because the myriad variables have never been arrayed exactly like this before and are unlikely to be arrayed like this ever again. The simple passage of last year will render impossible many of the other possible scenarios and create at least as many possible new scenarios for this year. Isn’t that wonderful? (Not exactly helpful, but wonderful none the less.) Read more
Take Control of Your Tax Dollars
Arizona’s private-school tuition tax-credit law came into effect in 1997 under House Bill 2074. The legislation would provide scholarships for kids to pursue their education dreams in private schools.
Individuals and corporations can donate money to help parents pay for private-school tuition. Donors receive dollar-for-dollar credit against their income-tax bills. The donations are collected and distributed as scholarships by non-profit organizations called school-tuition organizations, or STOs. Read more
The Extended and Expanded Homebuyers Tax Credit
Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or a long-time homeowner, Congress recently extended and expanded a home-buying tax credit for which you may qualify.
Current Homeowners…
If you’re an existing homeowner and would like to sell a principal residence (a location where you spend more than 50% of your time) that you’ve lived in consecutively for 5 of the past 8 years, then you may qualify for a tax credit of up to $6,500 on the purchase of a home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010.
Qualifications… Read more