GOOD MONEY: SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY! UNDERSTAND THE INCENTIVES FOR FIRST-TIME HOME PURCHASERS
Printer-friendly version Editor’s Note: Our columnist, Judith Seid, has been a featured guest on NBC and San Diego News Network recently, for those who want more of her "Good Money" advice. GOOD MONEY: Your guide to profitable & socially responsible investing By Judith L. Seid, CFP ® President, Blue Summit Financial Group August 15, 2009 (La Mesa) — It doesn’t get much better than this for first-time home buyers. Low interest rates. Home prices at a five-year low–and free government money for your purchase! In an effort to jump start our national economy and with housing markets across the board taking severe hits, Congress agreed on a program to increase housing demand by offering an $8,000 tax credit. In addition, San Diego Housing Commission is offering local incentives for buyers of foreclosure properties. This federal credit, unlike other’s labeled as such in the past, is a dollar-for-dollar match AND it is refundable so even if you do not have $8,000 worth of federal tax liability for 2009, you can still take advantage of this program to the fullest. For example, say you would have normally paid $5,000 in federal income tax after all other deductions and credits are taken into account, then you will receive a $3,000 check from Uncle Sam! So how exactly do you take advantage of these opportunities? FEDERAL INCENTIVES: Some of the main criteria to qualify for this program include: First-Time Home Buyer: Anyone that has not owned a home in the last three years is considered a first-time home buyer. Purchase Date: You must CLOSE between 1/1/09 and 12/1/09 Your Income: This benefit begins to phase out for taxpayers who file as Single at $75,000 and those that are married and file jointly at $150,000. The credit is reduced incrementally with modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) above these limits and is reduced to $0 after $95,000 Single and $170,000 MFJ. As with all tax related issues, every individual is different and you should make sure to consult your tax advisor for specific details. SAN DIEGO BUYERS OF FORECLOSURE PROPERTY: In addition to this Federal tax credit, the local government of San Diego is also administering several programs to help prospective buyers get into their first home. Thanks to a $9.4 million grant from the Federal Government buyers who purchase a foreclosed property are eligible to participate in specific assistance programs. These benefits are being offered by the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) and are only applicable in specific areas of San Diego, for precise locations please see website link below. All potential buyers are required to attend an eight hour home buyer education class before placing an offer on a property. Any buyer considering participating in NSHP should enroll in a class today as soon as possible. The SDHC is accepting pre-approval applications and first-time home buyers are encouraged to contact a certified NSHP lender to assist with the process; or the buyer can complete the pre-approval application on their own. For questions regarding the pre-approval you can contact: Vicki Monce 619.578.749, vickim@sdhc.org . Here is what you could receive if you qualify and get on board with the program: NSHP Deferred Payment Loan SDHC offers eligible buyers a 0% interest, deferred payment loan up to 17% of the sales price to assist in the purchase of the home with no payments required for 30 years, unless the property is sold, refinanced or not owner occupied, at which time the loan must be repaid. A minimum of 3% buyer down payment is required and the mortgage obtained must have a 30-year fixed rate. NSHP Closing Cost Assistance Grant SDHC will provide eligible buyers with a closing cost assistance grant up to 3% of the sales price. The grant can ONLY be used to pay closing costs which are not covered by seller concessions or other subsidies. The grant is recoverable, and must be repaid plus 5% interest if the property is sold, refinanced, or not owner occupied within the first six years. After six years, the grant is forgiven. NSHP Rehabilitation Loan SDHC will provide eligible buyers with a 0% interest rehabilitation loan up to $50,000. The rehabilitation loan must be used for repairs related to health and safety, curb appeal, and energy efficiency. Loans up to $10,000 will be forgiven in 5 years; loans up to $30,000 will be forgiven in 10 years; loans up to $50,000 will be forgiven in 15 years. If the property is sold, refinanced, not owner occupied, or if the repairs have not been maintained within the term of the loan, the rehabilitation loan must be repaid plus 3% interest. With housing prices down over 30% from previous highs (some locations have seen an even more dramatic decline) many current renters are considering purchasing their first home and these programs can help make that a reality. Remember these local loans and grants must be used on foreclosed properties in specific areas but if you do find an applicable property the benefits can truly be great. Additional information on all of the above programs can be found at: Federal Incentives: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/2009/index.html San Diego Housing Commission: http://www.sdhc.net/NSP.shtml#Pre-approval Judith L. Seid, President and founder of Blue Summit Financial Group, Inc, is a Certified Financial Planner who has actively used Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) for her clients since 1992. She firmly believes that “We can influence corporations to change their policies by avoiding investments in irresponsible companies and by seeking investments in companies with positive practices and products.” Socially responsible investing (SRI) exists for investors looking to use the power of financial investment to create sustainable social change. For more information on Sustainable Investing, contact Judith at Blue Summit Financial Group in La Mesa, (619) 698-4330; www.BLUESUMMITINVEST.com Securities offered through Pacific West Securities, Inc. (Pacific West) Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services provided through Pacific West Financial Consultants, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Blue Summit Financial Group, Inc. and Pacific West are not affiliated. Printer-friendly version
THE ROLLING REVIEWER: LIGHT SABERS AND LINE JUMPERS–OH MY!
Printer-friendly version By Janelle Eckardt August 15, 2009 (San Diego)–A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. Oh, wait, wrong introduction. Sorry. Not so long ago in a lovely convention center downtown, thousands of people flocked from all corners of the globe to revel in the Mecca of pop culture that is Comic-Con International. The largest convention of its kind may also be the most accessible to attendees with disabilities and extrasensory powers alike. Comic-Con boasts unmatched accessibility accommodations and a seemingly disproportionate percentage of attendees with disabilities. It has been suggested that folk of the less-than-abled persuasion have a special bond with superheroes and fantasy fiction. But which came first, the fans or the accessibility? I have attended Comic-Con loyally for over thirteen years, and have watched it expand into every last inch of our beautiful San Diego Convention Center’s 615,701 square feet of exhibit space. As the crowds increase in exponential numbers each year, so does the quality of programming and services offered to visitors. In particular for many attendees with disabilities, Comic-Con has gained the proud reputation for pushing the envelope in the way of offering a comprehensive range of accommodations. The Disability Services (DS) department is in place to answer questions and ensure that all attendees with particular needs may get the most of the Comic-Con experience. Professional sign language interpreters are provided at the convention’s larger entertainment panel discussions and presentations; front-of-the-line privileges are awarded to handicapped visitors (including restroom lines); and registration for one personal attendant is complimentary with the purchase of your ticket. Other helpful accommodations include 1) a rest area for the disabled, elderly, expecting mothers, and families with small children; 2) an enclosed nursing area; 3) cold storage for medications; 4) wheelchairs and scooters on loan on a first-come, first-served basis; 5) and limited reserved seating for programming events. Another extremely thoughtful and rather brilliant service offered is that DS staff members facilitate the registration process by sending “runners” upstairs to claim attendee badges for disabled visitors so they may avoid the colossal lines. With daily convention registration capping off consistently at 125,000 visitors, one truly appreciates the work these runners do. When you consider just how many faces pass through the convention during its four-and-a-half day life, you might assume it’d be almost impossible to run into anyone you know. Amazingly though, in this sea of masked and unmasked characters it is quite impossible not to run into friendly faces – sometimes literally so. DS is the first stop for many attendees, and quickly becomes the watering hole for the weekend. It can be an odd and wonderful feeling to catch up with friends you may only see once a year, but who make you feel as though not a day has passed since your last meeting. The staff of volunteers is just as excited to be there as the attendees, if not more so, and maintains an inspiring degree of enthusiasm throughout the weekend. In this “have your people call my people” world, these hard working folk may make the difference between being in-the-know about that “surprise” celebrity appearance just in time to snatch an autograph, and hearing about it from the glassy-eyed 10-year-old sitting next to you on the trolley that night. After spending a single day acquainting oneself with the convention’s truly thoughtful staff and equally considerate services, the prospect of returning next year becomes a possibility to look forward to. After years of taking for granted the large numbers of wheelchairs, walkers, walking sticks, and lightsabers surrounding me in the exhibit hall and conference rooms of the convention, I was a bit surprised by a question posed to me this year by Los Angeles Times Reporter John Horn. Mr. Horn caught my sister and me during a brief pause from the crowds, and inquired about our experiences with the convention and our interest in comic culture. There is a dear place in my heart for the blood-bathed antihero and the wickedly perverse villain, and both just happen to thrive under the Comic-Con umbrella. Mr. Horn was specifically interested in our take on his theory that many people with disabilities are attracted to comics because they often deal with themes of otherness – from the ostracized X-Men mutants to Daredevil/Matt Murdock’s blindness, super heroes and their arch enemies must often combat crippling odds to survive in an unforgiving world. In his article, “Comic-Con: Empowering for patrons with disabilities,” Horn explores the notion that comic books, video games, and fantasy fiction explore themes familiar to many in the disabled community, and provide fans with the opportunity to escape their own realities and explore the world through a new set of eyes, or through the trademark Cyclops synthetic ruby-quartz visor in some cases. Horn notes, “Several convention visitors and activists and authors in the disabled community say there can be a special bond between the disabled and fantasy figures, even if the make-believe characters don’t have a disability.” The president of the American Association of People with Disabilities, Andrew Imparato, contributed to the discussion: "There are a lot of disabled people who just want to be who they are and not have to change themselves to fit into society… Every superhero movie I see, I see some sort of larger disability story. They are trying to fit in, and trying to tell people who they are — what it means to be human.” As Mr. Imparato points out, superhero stories do translate into broader social and cultural contexts. In fact, many minority groups may identify with the very same concepts relevant to disability issues. And while I have no doubt comics and other popular genres are especially pertinent to many handicapped fans, I wonder if Comic-Con’s high disabled demographic is due to a particularly avid fan base or the fact we can get in the door? Mr. Horn poses very interesting and relevant questions
LEAVE NO MAN BEHIND: THE SAGA OF COMBAT SEARCH AND RESCUE
Printer-friendly version George Galdorisi and Thomas Phillips. Minneapolis, Zenith Press. 2008. 642 pages. Reviewed by Walter Hall August 15, 2009 (San Diego)–This is a remarkable and opportune book. San Diego-based authors George Galdorisi and Thomas Phillips – both with significant operational experience in multiple theaters – are not poets. But they have given their narrative an epic quality. To distill the past 100 years of combat search and rescue (CSAR) experience between two covers is an achievement; to publish it just as the battle for future national security resources is joined may well be a public service. The operations that shaped CSAR – the heroism and the heartbreak – yield three consistent elements: the sheer courage of the aviators, the ever-present and ever-fickle hand of chance, and military intelligence – specifically, detailed knowledge of threats and threat systems. Readers interested in the razor-thin difference “actionable intelligence” can make will want this volume on their bookshelves. A page turner, the book does not neglect either the operational context or the key technical pieces of what is by definition a high-risk drama, with extraordinary demands on human endurance and spirit. The authors open their story with a quote from Michener’s Korean War novel, The Bridges of Toko-Ri. “Where do we get such men?” they ask. As the individual accounts unfold, readers will be asking themselves, where indeed? The volume is organized as history – beginning with WWI and running right up to the early years of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The narrative is divided into five parts: the birth of CSAR; CSAR’s evolution in WWII; post-WWII and war in Korea; the war in Southeast Asia (the heart of the book); and adrift in small, but savage wars of peace. In the best war stories, the “lesson” is unspoken, but unmistakable. This ample volume is rich in such lessons. Readers will also benefit from an extensive body of notes, a useful index—breaking out units, people and subjects—and a limited, but worthwhile selection of pictures. The comprehensive interview record illustrates how the research and writing occupied the authors for the better part of four years, while the carefully compiled references point to numerous opportunities for further investigation. The final chapter, Quo Vadis, assesses the future prospects for a hard-won, but still vulnerable, CSAR capability. With the resources vs. requirements arguments hovering over the run-up to the next Quadrennial Defense Review, the chapter could – and perhaps should – stand alone. It would make a valuable contribution to the noise and dust kicked up by contending editorials. Today, after long years swinging between ardent support and benign neglect, U.S. forces are again positioned to field an exceptional CSAR capability. But the hiatus in major combat operations has reduced the mission tempo – raising the question of resources. Can the U.S. afford a finely honed capability it rarely needs? With an authority that only comes with field experience, the authors provide an unequivocal answer by bringing the CSAR story to a close with a haunting question of their own. Given the barbarity of current irregular conflicts, they ask, “Dare we leave even one behind?” Walter Hall is the pen name of a La Mesa-based defense analyst with years of experience navigating the byzantine politics of national security in Washington. An earlier version of this review first appeared in the American Intelligence Journal (Winter 2008-2009). Printer-friendly version