A Homeowners Basic Tool Kit
 
 
Whether you consider yourself handy or not, there are a few must-have tools that are essential for just about every homeowner. Here is a list I came across of the ten-most-useful tools for homeowners and what they are used for:
 
1) Adjustable Screw Driver - Most include two sizes of Philips head and two sizes of Flat head tips. Priced less than $5.00, this four-in-one tool can replace an entire screwdriver set and fit conveniently in a kitchen junk drawer.
 
2) Flash Light - More of a safety device than a tool, every home should have an easily accessible flashlight in every bedroom, one in the kitchen and another in the basement. You'll find they also come in handy during many home repair projects; like plumbing, wiring and replacing a light bulb.
 
3) Pipe Wrench - Even if you don't plan on tackling any plumbing projects yourself, you should have a medium sized pipe wrench in your home. In the event a pipe breaks, faucet cracks or cut-off-valve sticks - a pipe wrench may help you keep a puddle from turning into a flood.
 
4) Hammer - A medium size hammer will valiantly serve you and your home in many tasks, but you will find that 75-percent of its job description is hanging pictures.
 
5) Electric Stud Finder - Another handy tool for hanging pictures, shelves and anything else you want to remain on the wall. It eliminates the guesswork by helping you find exactly where wall studs are located.
 
6) Duct-Tape - sometimes called a handy-man's best friend, duct-tape can solve a variety of problems.
 
7) Drill - The only power tool on the list, a drill must be used safely and with care. Many of the cordless models are lightweight, easy to use and come with a Philips head tip for installing or removing screws. Your wrists and forearms will be happy you have it when assembling pre-fabricated furniture or hanging cabinet doors.
 
8) Tape measure - A quality, 12 to 15 foot tape measure is ideal for many home-decorating tasks like measuring for window blinds, carpeting and furniture placement.
 
9) Adjustable Wrench - Actually this tool is good in a pinch but not ideal for regular use. An adjustable wrench assures that you will have the right size wrench for all nuts and bolts, but it can easily strip them. If you find that you are using it more than a handful of times a year, buy yourself a sized wrench set.
 
10) Pliers - Another great catch-all-tool, pliers work well for removing a stubborn nail or tightening a hard to reach bolt. Another great "junk-drawer" tool, pliers often come in handy when all other tools fail.
In my experience, I would also suggest keeping old coffee cans for extra screws, nails, washers, nuts and bolts. They come in handy all the time; when hanging pictures, curtains, and especially for those unexpected home repairs that pop up from time-to-time.
 
I hope you found this as interesting and useful as I did. Remember, having the necessary tools to maintain your home is only part of the process. It's a good idea to make sure you fully understand how to operate them correctly and safely.
 
Sincerely,
 
Juanita Williams
http://www.homesinlakestevens.com/
http://www.williamsbrokers.com/

Tax Season and Documentation

With tax season in full gear, you may have questions about what you have to keep and for how long. As always, consult your tax preparer, but here is a partial list to help get you started:

Tax Returns  ~~  7 years
Keep tax returns and all supporting tax documents including (but not limited to) W2's, 1099 forms, property tax information, bank statements, mortgage interest statements, cancelled checks, receipts, home purchase, home improvement information.

Paycheck Stubs  ~~  1 year
Shred after confirming that the information matches your W2.

Home Ownership
Mortgage documents  ~~  10 years after the property has sold
Mortgage statements ~~  7 years after the property has sold
Repair bills and contracts  ~~  10 years

Insurances
Home  ~~  5 years
Life   ~~  life of policy + 3 years
Medical  ~~  5 years

Investment/Retirement Accounts
IRA Contributions  ~~  Permanently
401K annual summaries  ~~  keep until you close the account
Investment statements  ~~  7 years after last account is sold

Permanently ~~ Never Shred

Adoption / Guardianship Paper
Birth Certificates (even your parents)
Citizenship / Naturalization Papers
Health / Immunization Records
Lawsuits
Marriage Certificates  /  Divorce Decree
Pension Plan Documents
Veteran Papers

Relay for Life -- what can YOU do?

Everyone has been touched by canncer in one form or another: family, friends, co-worker. How is it possible that this horrible, horrible disease has such a stranglehood on our life.


Here is your chance.    Lake Stevens Relay for Life , aka RFL is now is in full swing and looking for support.Please contact Relay for Life Event Chair Kim Demary at lakestevensrelay@yahoo.com or by phone at 425-231-7485 for sponsorship information.  www.relayforlife.org/lakestevenswa.


This is our time, Lake Stevens, to show the world that we stand together against cancer.  This is our time to win that fight, one dollar, one person, one cancer survivor at a time.

Simple E Mail Etiquette Rules

Email is designed to be able to send a quick message and to get a quick answer.  It has evolved into something much more.  Remember the rules:

No one likes spam.  If you send the same message to a lot of people, it could be interpreted as “spam”, also known as junk mail.  Be selective in what you send to people, and hopefully they will be considerate to you.

Another quick rule, an email should be answered in at least 24 hours, otherwise the sender would write you a letter.  If you are a business that does a lot of customer service via email, at least answer back with a quick confirmation that you received their email and that you will answer their questions within a specific period of time.

 

Be selective about the size of the messages you send.  Large attachments can close down someone’s system.  If that happens you risk being put on their “blocked” list.

 

PLEASE PLEASE be very careful not to use the “Reply All’ button, unless you are on a conference email.

 Is that message you are sending, really HIGH PRIORITY?  Think about it before you click it.


Take a few minutes to develop your personal signature that will appear at the end of your message.  Make sure that it includes all your contact information, phone number, website, and email address and mailing address.

Hopefully these simple rules  will help your friends, clients and customers, and they will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

 

You are on the WEB - and may not know it

Most everyone knows you can find information on people on the web, but exactly how much?

 http://www.spokeo.com/ is an online phone book  The difference with this site is that it goes beyond just your address and phone number.  The site uses publicly accessible information. It can also include photos from your Facebook or MySpace account, credit scores, home values, household income, age, etc.  It is not always accurate, but it is still there.  You do have the option to remove yourself.  Visit the website and find your profile.  Copy the URL and go to the bottom of the page.  Click on the Privacy Button and follow the steps listed.

I am not saying that this site does not have merit, but you should have a choice about what personal information you want shared.

Hopefully, you can use this information.  Check out yours and your families information, especially your children.

As always, I am here to answer all of your real estate questions, so please give me a call.

Did you use your tax credit???

If you claimed the credit for a home you bought in 2008 and you owned and used the home as your main home during all of 2010, you must begin repaying that tax credit with your 2010 tax return.

The above information was complied from the Tax Guide 2010 for Individuals publications on January 18, 2011.  Please consult a tax accountant or visit the IRS websites listed below for complete details on tax credits and deductions. http://www.irs.gov.pub/irs-pdf/p17.pdf
www.irs.gov

Some Tax Tips

Non-business Energy Property Credit

You can take credit based on what you spend on various energy-saving improvements made to your main home.  The rate is 30% of the cost of all qualifying improvements, with a maximum credit limit of $1,500 for imporvements placed in service in 2010.

The above information was compiled from the Tax Guide 2010 for Individuals publication on January 18, 2011.  Please consult a tqax accountant or visit the IRS websites listed below for complete details on tax credits and deducations: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p17.pdf   and    www.irs.gov.