"The finest compliment I can ever receive is a referral from my friends and clients!" Renata V. Lewis REALTY USA Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 518-439-2888 ext 243 518-312-2069 CELL (Voice Mail & TEXT) |
The finest compliment I can ever receive is a referral from my friends and clients!" |
| Renata V. Lewis Licensed Real Estate Salesperson |
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| If your house is already listed with a Realtor®, please disregard this offer. |
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Basement and Attic Remodeling Ideas Here are some great ideas for using your basement or attic space for more than just storage. Family Room - A renovation takes your basement from lowly to lovely. A single door and plate glass windows can be replaced with French doors and double- hung windows, allowing more light to enter and give the space better views of the backyard. Play Area – Line the walls of the play space with built-in bookcases, some opened and some closed, to give your children easy access to often-used toys and books while allowing rarely used items to be tucked away. Hobby Room - The basement can be the perfect place for hobby and craft rooms. An extra-long counter allows enough space for two people to work. Cabinets constructed using stock drawers provide plenty of storage. Wicker baskets filled with supplies can fit right inside a set of open shelves. No basement? Check out these great ideas for turning your unused attic space into fabulous living areas. Master Suite – An empty attic provides just the right space for a new master suite. Peaked ceilings and dormers on the front of the house open up the master bedroom while windows add extra lighting. Guest Bedroom – An attic turned guest bedroom gives visitors their own hideaway. Consider adding a sitting area, a pair of window seats, floor-to-ceiling built-in shelves, and an adjoining bath for a complete retreat. Home Office - Give your attic space the same attention to detail as the main rooms of the house. A large attic can be converted into a stylish home office with a cozy sitting area. Columns and white trim work can give the space a clean look and sisal flooring helps to muffle sound. Source: Better Homes & Gardens Remodeling: Cost vs. Value Report for 2009-10 Welcome to our 22nd annual report on the relationship between remodeling costs and resale value. On this site, you can compare national and regional averages for 33 popular remodeling projects; you can also download a PDF with project data for any one of 80 U.S. cities. To learn more about how the Remodeling 2009–10 Cost vs. Value Report was put together, click on the link HERE. The Capital Region City Report is available on a PDF file. To open and print any PDF file, you will need the Adobe Reader® software installed on your computer. To begin downloading the city data, click on the this LINK. NYS Tax Credit Revised & Expanded First-time Home Buyers Tax Credit First-time home buyers have been eligible for tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package. With that program scheduled to expire Dec. 1, Congress voted to extend it into the spring -- and include people who already own homes. Who Qualifies for the Extended Credit? • First-time home buyers who purchase homes between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010. • Current home owners purchasing a home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, who have used the home being sold or vacated as a principal residence for five consecutive years within the last eight. Which Properties Are Eligible? The Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit may be applied to primary residences, including: single family homes, condos, townhomes, and co-ops. How Much Is Available • The maximum allowable credit for first-time home buyers is $8,000. • The maximum allowable credit for current homeowners is $6,500 Click here for more details March Quote: With rushing winds and gloomy skies The dark and stubborn Winter dies: Far-off, unseen, Spring faintly cries, Bidding her earliest child arise; March! Author: Bayard Taylor Don’t forget – Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 am March 14, 2010 in the United States. |
Overlooked Tax Deductions One caveat first: To cash in, you must itemize deductions rather than take the standard deduction. Selling your home, sweet home - When you sell your home you get some tax benefits: You can deduct a portion of the property taxes you paid while you lived in the home; the commission you paid to your real estate agent lowers the sales price to reduce your capital gains tax, and any fees you paid at closing. Shipping out savings - The IRS understands that you can't lug all your work with you when you travel. You are allowed a write-off for shipping and baggage costs as part of your miscellaneous deductions, and because some airlines charge you to check your bags, this tax write-off eases the burden of getting your stuff from Point A to Point B. Free rides for charity - If you're the type of person who likes to donate your free time to volunteer in your community and you dip into your own wallet to get to your favorite charity, you can add those expenses to your miscellaneous deductions. Be sure to keep mileage logs if you use your own car and receipts for parking, tolls or public transportation. Source: Today.MSNBC.com Irish Beef Hand Pies Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 head green cabbage, shredded 1/2 lbs red potatoes, scrubbed/diced 1 pound ground beef sirloin 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme Coarse salt and ground pepper All-purpose flour, for rolling 2 piecrusts (9 inches each), homemade or store-bought Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium; add cabbage and potatoes. Cook until beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Add beef; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, and 1 cup water. Cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly mash mixture with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each crust into a 14-inch square; cut each into 4 equal squares. Place 1/2 cup filling on one half of each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the filling. Brush borders with water; fold dough over filling to enclose. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. With a paring knife or scissors, cut 3 small vents in each. Transfer pies to 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets; bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Source: Martha Stewart KIDS CORNER Groovy Shamrock Tie-Dye Paints Create your own luck this St. Patrick's Day with these shamrock crafts, Irish recipes and impish printable activities. What you'll need: Coffee filters Water Bowl Blue and yellow food coloring Eyedroppers How to make it: Precut shamrock shapes out of coffee filters. Mix water and yellow food coloring and place this into a container. Do the same with blue. Keep the colors rich and dark. Invite the kids to use eyedroppers to drip colors onto the filter shape. The colors will run together and make beautiful decorations. Warranty Wisdom Whether selling or buying a home, you can never predict when problems will occur. Unexpected home repair expenses can ruin family vacations and holidays, and put a strain on the family budget. A HomeTrust Warranty® home service agreement gives you the protection you need against breakdowns of covered appliances and major systems such as plumbing, heating, electrical and air conditioning. View the Home Trust Warranty Home Guide HERE RealtyUSA awarded for the Best Place to Work - for the second consecutive year!` |
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| 518.312.2069 RLewis@RealtyUSA |
