Chocolate Snowflake Cookies

Feeling in the need of a little Christmas spirit?  

Bake up a quick batch of cookies. These are not only delicious, but make enough to share!

                                                                                                                                         

1 1/4 Cups butter at room temperature (2 1/2 sticks)

2 Cups sugar

2 Large eggs

3/4 Cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder

2 Cups all-purpose flour

2 Tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tsp. baking soda

1/2 Tsp. salt

Coarse sugar

Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until well combined. Add vanilla and eggs and mix well. Mix in cocoa, salt, and  baking soda. Mix in flour just until combined.

Chill dough for 15 minutes. Turn out onto parchment paper and roll into 1 inch logs. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour coarse sugar into a shallow dish. Cut dough into round slices, between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in width. Press each cookie into the sugar and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet sugar side up.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 5-6 dozen cookies.

Get the New Home You’ve Always Wanted

A new home for Christmas! Okay, maybe New Year’s is better for you. Here are the 3 reasons why you should be trying to buy a house this month:

1. Interest rates are at 4.71%…the lowest they have been since 1971.
2. Home prices are at their lowest since the early 2000’s.
3. The Buyer’s income tax credit of $8,000 for first time buyers and $6,500 for second time buyers.

 

Now, of course you need to be able to qualify to buy a home, but if you’re thinking about buying there has never been a better time. If you’re one of the people thinking you’ll wait until spring, I have three more things for your consideration:

• The Fed has announced that it will stop buying mortgage backed securities in March, which some think will cause the rate to go over 6%.
•  You must buy by April 30th and close by June 30, 2010 to get the credit. If you’re buying a foreclosure or short sale, the time needed to get to closing is considerably longer. 
• Early in 2010, possibly as early as January, FHA is changing its requirements, and not for the benefit of buyers. Right now you can buy with only 3.5% down; that is changing to 5% of your own funds or a gift. FHA will also be requiring a higher the credit score.

 If home ownership has always been a dream of yours, don’t wait…your time has come!

Recycling Made Easy

Earth911.com is a great website that lets you know where you can go to recycle. Whether it be batteries, CFL light bulbs, paint cans… whatever it is. It’s simple and easy to use, very informative, and a great way to teach your kids and yourself what can be recycled and where. You might be surprised what’s in your garbage that you could be recycling.

Give Your Kitchen the Night Off!

Earlier this week, I attended an economic conference and one of the speakers noted that many Americans today are not spending as much as they used to. Now, I’m not talking about people who are out of work or in fear of a layoff, but people who are financially secure and can afford to spend. Many are reacting to all the media coverage of our ailing economy, not realizing that their very actions are contributing to it. The speaker asserted that if people went out to eat just one more time a week than they currently do, our economy could be turned around in a matter of months. Simply put, we must spend money to strengthen our economy. It makes perfect sense; from the restaurant owner to the suppliers to the person serving your food, everyone benefits.

So what is a concerned citizen to do? Take the night off from cooking once in a while! You know you deserve it, and now you can do so knowing that you’re helping to strengthen our economy. It doesn’t have to be at Chez Expensive, and most restaurants have items that will conform to even the healthiest of diets. So what are you waiting for…tell the kids you’re going out for dinner tonight!

Is Your Home Being Over-taxed?

The two things in life you cannot avoid…death and taxes!

 Those dreaded assessment letters have been in the mail this week and in the local papers for York Township. Some have actually gone up, some down, but most of them seem to have held. So that seems okay, right? Not really. Your value has not stayed the same and by no means has it gone up; it has gone down. The way the assessor figures your total value is based on the last 3 years of sales. So they are looking at 2008,2007,2006, and our homes lost value in 2007 and 2008 and continued to depreciate in 2009. (Take heart, it does appear that prices have bottomed out, and maybe by 2010 we’ll start to see a true leveling off.)

 Take the amount of the assessed value and multiply that by 3, that is the value your home is being taxed on. If you feel that amount seems high, start by talking to your realtor (Sue Pearce) and find out what a fair market price would be for your home. Once you’ve determined that you’re being overtaxed, get the appeal form online at http://www.yorkassessor.com/, or if not York township, contact your own local assessor’s office.

 There is some footwork and research needed to win your appeal, but it can be done and I am here to help if needed. The deadline for filing your appeal in York Township is December 21, 2009; if you miss that you have to wait until next year. There is no guarantee you will win your appeal, but if you’re being over assessed and it can be proven, you can get your taxes lowered.

Campaign Money

Where does the money come from? Its a question alot of voters ask themselves regarding campaign contributions. Recently I found this great website and wanted to share it. Campaignmoney.com lists contributors for all campaigns that go back the last 10 plus years. You can search by a zip code or search by politician. There is also information on how much has been raised by party and canidate. It’s actually pretty interesting…you should check it out.

I Participate!

Again, the holidays are upon us and (hopefully) we take time to reflect on what we’re thankful for. If you have a hard time coming up with a list, maybe you need to look outward. Volunteer!

Here is a  great website for anyone looking to volunteer. Founded by Entertainment Industry Foundation, www.iparticipate.org  is a great place to find out where you are most needed locally. you type in your zip code and up comes a list of what’s available in your area and needs your help. This is a great reference for you (and your kids) to find a way to help out.  

Oh, and if you were able to come up with a quick list of things to be thankful for?  All the more reason to check out the website.

“It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it”  -Albert Einstein

 

Home Buyer Tax Credits

On November 6, 2009, the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 was signed into law, extending and expanding the first time homebuyer credit allowed by previous acts. The primary points to the law include:

•  Extending the deadlines to  purchase a new home to June 30, 2010 (for closing, purchaser must have entered into contract to purchase by April 30, 2010);
• Expanding the tax credit to include $6,500 for second time homebuyers that have lived in their current residence for 5 of the last 8 years;
• Increasing the income limitations for homeowners claiming the credit.

While more information is still pending, you can find out more information about how to qualify for and claim this tax credit at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.html. You can also contact me, and I’ll be happy to fill you in.

Illinois Secretary of State Emergency Contact Database

The state of Illinois is now offering a new service connected with your driver’s license, driver’s permit or state ID. In the event of an emergency, if you are unable to communicate, law enforcement will have access to a secure database with emergency contact information so that your loved ones can be notified.

This service is both free and voluntary, and seems like a great idea. Get more information or sign up at http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/ecd/home.html.

2009 Illinois School Report Cards

On October 30, the Illinois Interactive Report Card posted the 2009 School Report Card results for public release (http://iirc.niu.edu/Default.aspx). If you have kids, you’re sure to find some of the information in the new school report cards interesting if not useful. Completely re-vamped, the new site allows you to break down the data by certain groups and even compare different schools side by side.

If you don’t have children, don’t discount the value of this information. If you plan on buying or selling, the quality of the school district often impacts the value of real estate. Prospective buyers are often willing to pay more for a home in an acclaimed school district, so this information should be considered when buying or selling a home.

Whether you’re listing or buying a house, make sure you do your homework and check out the school district. Even if you have no school age kids it does affect your overall home value.