Decorate Your Home and Spend Time with the Family without Spending a Fortune

By Tammy Bester Email the author

Forsyth County families can spend quality time together decorating with what Mother Nature has given us in our own backyards.

The holiday season is in full swing and with all of the gift buying, house decorating and parties that keep us moving and spending, it is hard to remember to take the time to enjoy this time of the year. It does not matter what holiday you celebrate this month or if you do any at all. This is the perfect time to decorate your home, get the kids involved and save money while being festive.
Decorating the yard is something that so many of us are doing right now. The lights are everywhere and they are spectacular. If you have not bought lights yet and still want to brighten up the walkways, trees and your home, head over to Home Depot. Many of the smaller stores are very limited on selection about now and the light sections are getting picked over, but Home Depot seems to still have the best selection. They also have some very large ornaments and yard art displays that you can get.
Bringing the outdoors in is a very cheap and easy way to decorate your home. Send the kids out to the yard to hunt for twigs, pine cones and holly berries. These are all items that many have to pay for at craft stores and we are lucky enough to have them free in our yards and neighborhoods.
Go to Michaels armed with your coupon and buy some spray paint and glitter. If you really want to save money, do two transactions and use two coupons. Spray paint the branches and pine cones to display in your house. You can also roll them in glitter while the paint is wet or lightly paint them with glue and roll them in glitter once they have been painted. Using metallic colors, green, red and other bright colors mixed in the same decorative arrangement will make it look like you spent a lot more than you did on the decor. Place them in a tall vase on the floor, tie them together to make a swag for your wall or cut and shape them to make a wreath with twist ties. You can leave them plain or accent with a ribbon or bow.
Adding small touches like gluing holly berries to pine cones or to the wreathes will add more color to the decorations. Buying these pre-made at craft and home decor stores will cost you several times what it will if you make it yourself and use coupons for your supplies.
Home Depot, Lowes and Ace all sell birdseed in large bags. This is the time of year when the birds really depend on us to help them in our back yards. If we are going to do it, we may as well decorate with the feeders as well. Mix birdseed with honey or peanut butter until the consistency feels and looks like play-doh. Place the mixture in a silicone shaped ice cube or cake molds sold at Bed Bath and Beyond. Freeze it overnight and hang from the trees with colored ribbons or string. You can do this in the shapes of gingerbread men, trees and wreathes. Add cranberries or other berries to get some extra color as well.
The kids can cover pine cones in honey or peanut butter and roll it in birdseed, this is a simple way to make an inexpensive feeder as well. Make several to hang from the trees and the squirrels and birds will thank you.
With all of these garage sales out there offering holiday items, there are bound to be some great deals on Christmas trees and wreathes. Buy them when they are cheap at these sales.
When you have the time, be sure to get in the kitchen with the kids and bake. You can freeze breads and cookies and these make excellent gifts for neighbors and friends. Starting from scratch is the fool proof way and the cheapest way to bake, although it can be more time consuming. Make a day of it and involve the whole family. Start with ideas here.
Paper crafts are fun and easy decorations as well. You can buy colored paper at Michaels and Walmart. Be sure to use the coupons for Michaels. Search the Web for whatever you need patterns for. Whether it is a countdown to Christmas chain, snowflakes or Christmas trees, the ideas and patterns are out there.
This holiday season, decorating your home and spending time with your family is easy and cheap to do if you just take the time to do it. Remember why we love this time of the year. It slows us down, bundles us up and allows us the opportunity to light a fire and relax with the family. Make some memories during this time while making your home festive and beautiful. Of course, saving money while doing so is always a bonus as well.

About this column: Our weekly column is dedicated to giving you great local deals each week that will help your family’s bottom line, and since we do the scouting for you, this allows you to save time as well as money. Let us hear about the deals you've seen. Just add them to the comment box and happy shopping!

Pele showed true value by packing fans into Home Park

By Plymouth Herald

FOR COLLECTORS of memorabilia, the appearance of a big-name player at a venue where such an occasion is a rarity rather than the norm, the match programme is a much-desired item.
Home Park cannot lay claim to having world-class players gracing the turf regularly, so the expectation when one does visit will always cause a buzz.
And so it was when Stanley Matthews, for Stoke City, and Argentine World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles, in the colours of Blackburn Rovers, took to Home Park.
Top teams to visit Plymouth in cup competitions and testimonials include Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
But the rarity of a player at the peak of his fame playing in Plymouth would ensure a scramble of tickets. To have a keepsake from a famous occasion, the obvious selection would be the match programme.
And the announcement that the world's top player was coming to the city caused excitement at a level never felt before.
The night of Wednesday, March 14, 1973 went down in history as the day Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the one and only Pele, played in Plymouth.
His club side, Santos, would often take advantage of his fame by arranging tours in various parts of the world.
Their appearance at Home Park even provided drama hidden from the supporters crammed inside Home Park.
Argyle's recent form in Division Three had improved under new manager Tony Waiters and attendances had started to creep over 10,000.
But more than 37,000 jostled at the turnstiles in anticipation of witnessing with their own eyes a player they would only have dreamed of seeing on television.
It was an era before commercialism had really started to make a mark in football, so there was no cashing-in on souvenirs other than the programme.
Even that was a humble publication, in the same style of the regular programmes at Home Park, although the cover price doubled to 10p.
Printed by EJ Rickard at Holborn Street, St Judes, the front cover was naturally enough given over to Pele, and he was the subject of the Argyle manager's notes on page three.
Waiters, though, revealed that he would not even be in attendance as he was committed to another role, with the England youth team who were playing that night at Highbury.
But the manager wrote of the occasion in which he had played against Pele. It was at the massive Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro as England met Brazil in the 'Little' World Cup – so called as with Portugal and Argentina competing in the mini-tournament it was seen as a dress rehearsal for the possible semi-finals of the 1966 World Cup in England.
With the score at 1-1, Pele turned on his magic, and Waiters found himself picking the ball out of his net a further three-times as Pele helped himself to a hat-trick in 20 minutes.
The Argyle-Santos programme was keen to highlight the other members of the Brazilian side, and there was certainly no shortage of household names, seven of which were in the original squad of 40 for the 1970 Mexico World Cup.
Five of those players made the final cut, including captain Carlos Alberto who, like Pele, played in each game of the trophy-winning tournament as did another Santos player, Tauares Clodoaldo.
However, Clodoaldo didn't appear in the Home Park showdown.
Maybe not too surprising, as with the money-making enterprise of annual out-of-season world tours, the Santos side was more than used to playing more than 100 games a year.
Making up the contingent of other internationals who played in Plymouth were Edu and goalkeeper Claudio.
Reading the programme in the dressing room before the match must have been a surreal experience for the Pilgrims' players who, in their previous outing, had defeated Wrexham by a single goal.
The photograph of Pele inside the programme shows the great man holding a full-size golden football, presented to him on the occasion of his 1,000th competitive goal, which was scored with a penalty against Vasco da Gama.
Another article questions why footballers of other countries, particularly in Europe, have never been able to emulate the skills of the Brazilians. It concluded that it was down to upbringing and something that could not be replicated in the European climate on a regular basis.
Many young Brazilian footballers learnt their trade by playing barefoot on beaches, often in the numerous beach leagues. This enabled them to not only hone their close control but also learn how to play instinctively.
The 1972-73 Argyle programme included a regular feature entitled 'Pick of the Past' in which a game of bygone years was detailed. But with no previous meeting against Santos, the spotlight was on the previous year's tour by Santos when they were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa in front of a bumper crowd of 54,437.
For the record, Villa raced to a 2-0 lead through Pat McMahon and a Ray Graydon penalty before Edu scored from a swerving 25-yard free-kick.
Another regular feature at the time was 'Supporters Scene' and on such a night when many thousands of programmes were printed a potential opportunity seemed to have been missed to advertise all the goodies available from the club shop.
Instead, commercial manager Bill Pearce dedicated the whole page to a supporters' questionnaire, asking readers to fill their answers in the spaces provided and fill in the name and address lines, then cut the page out and return it to the club. As if anyone who valued their programme would deface it in any way!
In two sections, the first was addressed to 'ghost' supporters asking for responses to questions as to why their attendance was not regular. The second section invited comments towards the match day experience and asking if there was need for a supporters' social club.
It was stated that if the survey was to mean anything, then the co-operation of all supporters was requested.
Even though the print run was much larger than normal, obtaining a copy today can command a price in the region of £10.
If you are fortunate enough to have a copy signed by Pele, then it could increase the value by at least double. Add even more if the whole of the Santos team added their signatures.
As for the match, Cornishman Mike Dowling opened the scoring with one of his trademark shots of great power. The visitors were shocked to go further behind when Derek Rickard connected with a header before Jimmy Hinch made it 3-0.
For once, Argyle supporters would not deny the chance to witness an opponent scoring if it meant they had seen the great Pele tuck one away. That he did, albeit from a penalty.
Edu reduced the arrears but it wasn't enough as the Greens finished 3-2 winners.
But the controversy off the pitch resulted in a delay to the start of the match. Those in attendance presumed the late kick-off was purely down to ensuring everyone was safely inside the ground before the game got underway.
But on seeing the interest to the Plymouth public, Santos officials demanded an extra appearance payment of £2,500.
With the possibility of a real public disturbance if the game was called off, Argyle chairman Robert Daniel had little option but to reluctantly agree.
The money was handed over, in cash and in an envelope, at the after-match reception and dinner.
It was some time later that Argyle succeeded in their attempts to get that extra payment returned with the help of the international football authorities.
Pele had certainly made his mark in Plymouth, but so had Santos in their attempts to make even more from the money-making venture on the Plymouth leg of their tour.

Liverpool interiors guru Elaine Cunningham entered May The Best Home win - and won!

by Janet Tansley, Liverpool Echo
TALK about putting your money where your mouth is! Liverpool interiors guru Elaine Cunningham spends her life advising people on their homes, but when it came to putting her skills to the test she stepped out of her comfort zone and in front of the cameras with her own.
Elaine, from Hale Village, entered the TV programme May The Best Home Win – and won.
Says Elaine: “I have been in the home interiors business now for 25 years, the last five as an interior designer with my own company Elaine Cunningham Interiors.
“So, for me, it was about stepping out of my comfort zone a little, it’s important to challenge yourself to do things that you wouldn’t normally do.

“It was wonderful to win. My home is my haven, I have brought my family up here and it is wonderful to have people comment positively about a place that you love.”
In May The Best Home Win four people visit each other’s houses before marking each one out of 10.
Says Elaine: “People expect my home to be flamboyant and typical of a designer and they are very surprised to see how cosy and comfortable it is.
“It is my family home, where I retreat after a long day on the shop floor so I have worked hard to make it a relaxing and welcoming home.”
And she adds: “It is funny, the producers try to get you to be unkind about other people’s homes, but that is just not my style. Every home is unique and we all feel a sense of pride about it.
“I think that people feel instantly at ease when they come into my house, it is very welcoming and homely.
“I love all of the rooms, but if I had to choose a favourite the one room I would choose would be the lounge. It overlooks the garden and it changes with the different light each season brings: in the winter it is cosy and festive, with its original art deco fireplace installed when the house was built in 1937. In the summer it is light and bright and cheerful.
“I find my inspiration in this room for my work. I only have music in there, no TV so it’s a wonderful space to be in.”
Needless to say Elaine comes into her own in the festive season, but goes for a very traditional look with her Christmas decorations.
“I like to work with classic red and gold and lots of ornamental willow,” she says. “I like to bring the outside inside as it lends a contemporary twist to the traditional Christmas.
“I use lots of candles, big church candles add drama, while I have loads of little candle holders that create mood and, of course, fragrance. It can be a really inexpensive way to change the feel of a room.”
If you are designing your own home Elaine urges people to think about using the space, and plan furniture to get the best out of rooms.
“Think about the light and use many light forms to create a mood in a space,” she says. “I find it’s nice to make a home timeless so that people can then interpret it in their own way, then piece together their home with their own particular style and emotion.
“Think how you live, what do you do at home, how do you spend your time; think about the things that will annoy you. Think about what makes you happy, what are the pleasures that you enjoy, think about how you live at the moment, but take into account your hopes and dreams and aspirations for the future.’’
Elaine smiles: “I look for inspiration everywhere and every day.
“My home fits me like a glove and I feel so lucky to be living here, it’s not grand but it says something about me and how I live.”

End to 'liar loans’ after lenders are ordered to tighten income checks

Self-certified mortgages, which allowed more than a million people to take out home loans without proving their income, are to be banned.

Lenders will impose tougher tests on borrowers to ensure they can make their repayments, the Financial Services Authority is to announce on Monday.

During the property boom the so-called “liar loans”, where banks and building societies fail to make independent checks on a customer’s income, were at the centre of widespread fraud.

Some mortgage brokers encouraged home buyers to make false declarations about their income to borrow more money, boosting property prices. Many borrowers, however, were unable to meet monthly repayments when interest rates rose, leading to arrears and repossessions.

However, the new rules will be relaxed for existing borrowers to ensure they do not become “mortgage prisoners” trapped in negative equity.

Hundreds of thousands of people are unable to move to a new home because of falls in the value of their properties. Banks will be allowed to approve loans for trapped home owners even when their loans amount to a high proportion of their property’s value.

David Hollingworth, a mortgage broker at London & County, said the relaxation of the rules for existing borrowers would help them get better deals. He said: “These people may be keeping up with mortgage payments fine, but end up getting a raw deal if they can’t move.”
In July 2007, before the credit crunch, one in four residential mortgage products – about 860 – was available through self-certification. That has been reduced to almost none. Mr Hollingworth said the mortgages were “effectively dead already, and the FSA is just nailing the lid shut”. Details of the City watchdog’s recommendations came as Lloyds TSB warned that home owners hoping to take their place on the second step of the property ladder face a “very tough challenge”.
Following falls in house prices, this year will have had the lowest number of annual house moves since 1974, with a nine per cent fall on 2010.
Potential second steppers who bought their first home at the peak of the market in 2007, paid up to 23 per cent more than first-time buyers do now.
More than half of all new mortgages taken out between 2007 and the first quarter of 2010 were provided without a customer having to verify their income.
At the peak of the market 30 per cent of all loans were interest-only – with no requirement in many cases for the customer to have a plan in place for repaying the amount at the end of the term.
Ray Boulger, of the mortgage broker John Charcol, said he believed the proposals would scrap the “onerous” original plans laid out by the FSA. “It is clear this was a genuine consultation exercise, contrary to some government so-called consultations,” he said.

Way to Make Money in a Bad Economy 472: Tattoo Yourself

By Chris Purnell
With winter approaching and more of my income going on heating bills, I have been thinking of ways to raise money, heat my one bedroom flat, and live through this recession with relative ease.
Prostitution, drug dealing and working the grill at McDonalds all sound glamorous entry level positions for people to make some extra cash. But, there is a heavy workload in the first, fear of prison in the second, and fear of ridicule in the third.
So I began to think outside the box. I have no imagination, so that was out. I then began looking at adverts people had posted on the Gumtree and Craigslist, which show the lengths people are going to make some money in this tough economic time. Some people are dog walking, some are cleaning houses, some are babysitting, and one person was selling ad space on their body. The idea of the last one is simple enough. Give Graham Davison, a theatre electrician and a tattoo enthusiast from Leeds, your company's logo, and a small fee, and he will have that logo tattooed on his body.
It's weird, but an interesting idea to make money. Perhaps this is an idea I can steal? I have always liked tattoos, but I am afraid of pain, needles, and being touched by strangers. But for money to help heat my home - I could do it. I spoke to Graham about his money making plan, and why on Earth he would do this.
Me: Why on Earth would you do this?
Graham: Times are tough, and like many people in the world, my girlfriend and I only just get by. To me this is a way of making money, but also promoting tattoos not as the art pieces they can be, but as a fun and interesting platform where people are free to get whatever wherever they like. To me if any company does buy a piece of canvas, maybe an arm or leg, I will forever remember it and for generations to come it will remind me of the lengths people are going to go to get out of recession.
Me: Tattoos still seem to have a stigma to them. A lot of people see them as a bad girl's way to rebel against her parents, a hipster jack-ass getting a Chinese character or a barcode, or for people - men mostly - to admit their undying love to a girlfriend, who leaves before the ink dries. In your opinion, who is a tattoo for?
Graham: A tattoo is for anyone who wants one. I think the stigma lies within the people on the other side of the fence. For me a tattoo is a way of life. I like the feel of getting a tattoo and the detail you can get imprinted for life. Each one of my tattoos tells a story, and this campaign is no different.
Me: What gave you the idea to have companies buy ad-space on you?
Graham: This is not a new idea. It all started around the millennium, and was a huge thing for about 4 or 5 years. The most notable being the goldenpalace.com tattoo on a girl's forehead for $15,000. Times have been hard for me and my girlfriend and I could really use some money at the moment to get us, like many families all around the world, out of a bad situation before it gets a lot worse.
Me: What does your girlfriend and your other friends think of the idea?
Graham: My girlfriend thinks I'm nuts, but as long as I'm happy with the logos, and of course if she gets a present, then she doesn't mind. The thing is I am doing this for us and to protect our future. Some call it crazy, others think it's great and wish me success. My work friends are split about 80% for the tattoos and 20% against, but they understand my motives and a lot of them have tattoos already, so know what it feels like to get a tattoo and be happy.
Me: How much will a typical small ad set a company back?
Graham: There is no such thing as a typical advert. Each ad will be different. An advert for say Volkswagen group, which is one of the companies I am going to contact, would cost around £10,000 for half an arm.
Me: I have always wanted a tattoo - partly to rebel, and because I am part hipster jack-ass. What do you suggest I get?
Graham: I think your best option is to think about your likes and dislikes, then go for a middle ground. People say what about when you're in your sixties will you still want it then? But I don't believe you should live like that. I believe in the here and now philosophy.
Me: What should my tattoo say about me?
Graham: The tattoo shouldn't say anything about you. People change all the time now you maybe a rebel, but in 10 years you maybe a nerd. The tattoo should be how your feeling now or what you find fun.
Me: What do these logo tattoos say about you? What do you want people to think or feel when they see them?
Graham: It's a way of getting out of a tight spot and proving I'm either an idiot or very clever. I want people to see them and make their own mind.
Me: Are you afraid of funny looks or being made fun of?
Graham: Not at all. I have many friends who love spending time with me but also many who hate me, yet we still hang out. I personally don't care as long as my message comes across. That message being that I don't want to lie on the sofa digging myself a big money hole - I want to do something about it.
Me: I am afraid of funny looks and being made fun of. How can I choose a tattoo people wont make fun of?
Graham: Get it in a place only your intimate friends will see it? Everyone is different and what you and a million other people like there will be a million more who dislike it.
Me: Do you think you may regret this is 10 or 20 years?
Graham: No chance. I have visions of my grand kids coming round in years to come and saying "granddad where did those tattoos come from?" and I will respond with this story and how it changed my life for the better.

How to save money over the festive season

By MoneySmarket

We may have enjoyed an unseasonably mild start to winter, but there's no escaping the fact that colder weather is now beginning to bite
And with many of us planning to be at home over the Christmas holidays, cranking the heating up to keep everyone warm can prove costly.
All those festive lights and having the cooker on for longer than usual can also have a major impact on your electricity bills, so it's little wonder figures show that Christmas is the time of year we use the most energy in our homes.
Fortunately, there are lots of little tricks you can use to ensure that your family stays warm and cosy for less.
Here, we let you in on the secrets that can save you money and protect your home from cold weather-induced disasters such as burst pipes.
1. Turn your thermostat down
Reducing your room temperature by just one degree Celsius could cut your heating bills by up to 10%, giving an average saving of £60 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
You can monitor and control the temperature throughout your home more accurately by installing room thermostats that could help to cut your bills by a further £70.
2. Cook smart
When cooking on the hob, you should always use the right-sized pan and ring for each job and keep the lids on your pans as much as possible to reduce heat loss.
And when using the oven, keep the door shut as much as you can and make big batches of food whenever possible to improve your energy efficiency.
Other ways to save energy in the kitchen include defrosting food overnight rather than microwaving it and ensuring warm foods cool down before placing them in the fridge.
3. Watch your water
Your water cylinder thermostat should be set at 60 degrees Celsius. You should therefore turn it down if it is higher than this.
If you have a programmer, meanwhile, then it makes sense to set the hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.
You can also avoid wasting energy worth about £40 a year by fitting a hot water tank insulation jacket and make further savings by only boiling the water you need in your kettle, and de-scaling it from time to time.
4. Mind the gaps
To avoid wasting energy at Christmastime, you should keep the windows closed whenever possible, particularly when you are generating heat by cooking, and check for draughts around both the windows and doors.
At dusk, it is also a good idea to close your curtains to stop heat escaping through the windows.
5. Turn it off
Always remember to switch electrical appliances off standby when you've finished using them, and only charge laptops and mobile phones when you need too.
Remember too to always turn off the lights when you leave a room and especially overnight.
6. Fill it up
If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher rather than running them for half loads.
One full load uses less energy than two half loads so it is worth waiting until you can fill the appliance before starting the cycle.
7. Fix that leak
A dripping hot water tap wastes enough heated water to fill half a bath in just one week. Consequently, you can dramatically reduce both your water consumption and your electricity bills by fixing any leaks. Try also to get the whole family to ensure that the taps are fully turned off after use.
8. Change your lightbulbs
Energy saving light bulbs, which will soon completely replace traditional bulbs in the shops, last up to 10 times longer and can save you around £55 over the lifetime of the bulb.
The saving could, however, be much higher: Around £120 over its lifetime if you are replacing a high-wattage incandescent bulb.
9. Go solar
If you plan to decorate your garden as well as your home, it makes sense to invest in some solar-powered fairy lights that won't add to your electricity bills.
You can buy them here for about £30.
10. Avoid weather-related catastrophes
Not everyone stays at home for Christmas. Many families will be taking advantage of the time off work and school to head off on holiday instead.
This can also have its downsides when it comes to your home, though. Insurers receive thousands of claims for burst pipes, which can easily cause up to £10,000 of damage, every winter.
You can reduce the chances of this by keep the central heating at a constant minimum of between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius, insulating the more exposed pipes, leaving the loft hatch door open to allow warmer air to reach the cold tank and turning off the water supply to outside taps.

IMOGEN THOMAS IN THE CLEAR AS RYAN GIGGS ADMITS SHE WAS NOT BLACKMAILER

By David Pilditch

BIG BROTHER star Imogen Thomas cleared her name yesterday of claims that she blackmailed footballer Ryan Giggs over their alleged affair.

The Manchester United star accepted there was no basis for the accusation.

Married father-of-two Giggs had claimed the model and TV presenter demanded £100,000 to keep their six-month relationship quiet.

Imogen, 29, denied the allegation and said she was unable to defend herself due to a legal gagging order obtained by Giggs eight months ago.

But yesterday Imogen said she felt “vindicated” after Mr Justice Eady gave her permission to make a public statement in the High Court in London to clear her name.

After the brief hearing, she said: “To suddenly have to defend my character because of this legal process has been extremely upsetting and stressful.

“I’m just relieved that the parties and the court now accept that I’m no blackmailer. I have been vindicated and that’s all I wanted. I have nothing to add. It’s all behind me now.”

She sent a Twitter message thanking followers for their support.

During the hearing Imogen, who appeared on the reality show in 2006, sat beside her lawyer David Price QC as he read out the statement on her behalf.

He told how the footballer had signed a witness statement which alleged Imogen asked him for money to help in the purchase of a flat.

Giggs, 37, was granted an injunction on the basis of the claim. The order remains even though he was named in the House of Commons in May using the rule of Parliamentary privilege.

Previously Mr Justice Eady said the injunction still served a purpose to stop his family being “engulfed in a cruel and destructive media frenzy”.Giggs, whose lawyers were not in court, was referred to duringthe proceedings only as CTB.

Although his anonymity was not formally lifted, Mr Justice Eady put to Mr Price: “There is no longer any point in maintaining the anonymity?”

Mr Price did not reply but reading from the statement told how Miss Thomas did not want to speak out about the alleged affair and never had done.

He said: “On April 14 Mr Justice Eady granted an injunction. Ms Thomas was not notified of the hearing and first found out about the injunction after it was granted. On May 16 Mr Justice Eady delivered a judgment in which he explained his reasons for granting the injunction in Ms Thomas’s absence.

“The judge said that CTB’s evidence appeared to suggest that CTB was being blackmailed, although that was not how CTB had put it himself.”

Mr Justice Eady also “appeared to indicate” Ms Thomas was responsible for a newspaper article on April 14.

Mr Price added: “CTB accepts that there is no basis to accuse Ms Thomas of blackmail.

“CTB and Ms Thomas have now resolved matters between them.

“Ms Thomas did not want to disclose private information concerning CTB.

“That remains her position now that the record has been set straight.”

Letting tips for utilising your family home in retirement

By George Bailey
Downsizing has become common practice in freeing up capital, but selling off the family home may not be the only way to subsidise hard-hit pensions, according to the Association of Residential Lettings Agents.

"With many potential buyers struggling to secure a mortgage, letting your family home rather than selling offers a strong alternative," said ARLA's President, Tim Hyatt.
"Rental returns stand at an average of 6.1% this year, according to research from Knight Frank. This substantially beats the returns on many other current investment opportunities. 

"ARLA members also report that achievable rent levels are increasing, while demand for good quality rental properties remains high.  While market conditions remain so inclined, it could be prudent to let out the family home, and use the monthly rental income to invest in renting a smaller retirement home."

According to ARLA research, "renting to retire" is also a key motivating factor in the buy-to-let market.  For example, more than two-fifths (42%) of today's landlords originally invested with a view to creating a retirement "nest-egg".

ARLA's tips for anyone "down-letting" a property to rent for the first time are:

* Notify your mortgage and insurance providers: letting out a property requires a different form of mortgage from owner-occupation so consulting your mortgage lender on their terms. The same applies to insurance, as your buildings and contents may not be covered unless you discuss this change with your provider first. Taking out insurance to protect against a tenant defaulting on rent is also a sound investment in a tough economic climate;
* Sign up to Deposit Protection: this has been mandatory for all landlords since April 2007. Deposit protection legislation requires deposits on all Assured Shorthold Tenancies to be protected under a scheme licensed by the Government. For more information, visit the Communities and Local Government website, www.communities.gov.uk/
* To furnish or not to furnish: It is possible to charge more for a furnished property. However, a home furnished with second-hand or "leftover" furniture may deter prospective tenants and may even contravene Furniture and Furnishing Regulations.

There are also regulations governing the installation of electrical equipment in rental properties - ensure that these are being followed and that any equipment in the property is regularly tested, as you will need to prove your property is safe.  The same is also true for gas appliances, which must be certified and checked annually.

* Hands-on: Enlisting a managing agent to oversee the property can be of great assistance, especially if you are moving away from the area. At the very least, working with a lettings agent to advertise and fill your home should make the process smoother.

Select the agent carefully, always use a regulated agents (such as ARLA members) to ensure client money protection, thereby securing both your money - and that of your tenants' - and access to a redress scheme should it be required.

* Let go: Finally, in all the decisions you make about letting out your home, remember that it is no longer your home - no matter how much you love it, it is now a home for someone else and, hopefully, an income stream for you. The chances are that accidental damage or wear-and-tear will happen, and tenants will complain - so try and keep a clear, detached head when dealing with those kinds of issues and don't take it personally.

Home heating bills exceeding affordability

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A new report released Thursday shows that the gap between what lower income households in Connecticut pay for their energy bills and what they can actually afford is widening — a problem that could get worse if Congress approves proposed cuts in federal aid.
The study commissioned by Operation Fuel, a statewide fuel assistance program, determined the gap comes to $505 million, or nearly $2,200 per household — mainly low-income families and elderly residents on fixed incomes. The figure represents how much actual home energy bills exceed what’s affordable for those households.
In 2010, the gap was about $480 million, or about $2,000 per household.
“The affordability gap in Connecticut is tremendous. It’s crushing and it’s getting bigger,” said Roger Colton, an economist who conducted the annual study.
The growing affordability problem comes as states are poised to receive reductions in how much aid they receive this winter season from the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said Thursday that Connecticut should expect to receive $79.5 million. Last winter, the state spent more than $115 million in aid.
The Obama administration had proposed cutting the program in half, to about $2.5 billion nationwide. Connecticut would have received less than $50 million. But in a tentative, bipartisan, spending compromise, DeLauro said the program will be funded at nearly $3.5 billion.
DeLauro said she hopes to fully restore the program, which she said serves about 117,000 Connecticut residents.
“I believe that we have a moral obligation to care for our most vulnerable citizens, and that means fully funding the LIHEAP program,” she said. “So, while I am disappointed we could not keep the same funding level as last year, I will continue to look for ways to supplement this program as needed through emergency spending.”
Benjamin Barnes, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget director, said the state currently has no plan to spend its own money to make up for any decrease in federal heating aid, but that could change if the governor and state legislators somehow find extra dollars in the already tight state budget.
The state has committed $1 million to Operation Fuel, which helps people who do not qualify for LIHEAP assistance or whose LIHEAP benefits have expired. Also, officials hope that a new earned income tax credit program for the working poor in Connecticut will help cover energy costs. At least 190,000 households are expected to be eligible for the credits, which will average $540. The maximum credit is $1,700.
Despite those efforts by the state, House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden and a candidate in the 5th Congressional District race, didn’t rule out the possibility that the state might eventually have to help make up the difference financially.
“We would have to address it. It’s the right thing to do,” said Donovan, who is still hoping Washington will come through with the full funding for the federal program.
Patrice Wrice, executive director of Operation Fuel, said she hopes the state will cover the cost if the federal funding is drastically cut. “I don’t know where folks will go (for assistance), to be honest with you,” she added.
Colton’s report also found that more moderate income households are struggling to pay their energy bills in Connecticut.
Source http://www.mohavedailynews.com

Debate heats up over how Michigan's billion dollar surplus should be spent

By Jaclyn Kelley - jkelley@abc57.com
NILES, Mich. -- Michigan says it has a one billion dollar surplus in its revenue. Now there is a debate on how the money should be used after drastic cuts were approved earlier this year.
The state says some of the surplus came from extra revenue and money state agencies did not spend, but 500 million came from the school aid fund.

So, while school districts throughout Michigan were told they needed to make budget cuts and lay-off teachers, the state had extra money.

Right now several schools across Michigan are feeling the rippling effects of laying-off teachers, cutting school programs and, in some cases, are already working the process of closing their doors all together.With less money and fewer teachers for these schools, it means over-crowded classrooms and the absence of classes like art, which has Michigan parents asking how the state could let something like this happen to its schools.

"They had to know this money was coming. It just didn't happen over night," says Tim Reichanadter of Niles, Michigan.

"If they had not misplaced the money in the first place, the budget cuts would have not likely have happened. The money would be in the schools, where it should be," says Cynthia Moody.

Unfortunately, that is not how the state feels. In fact, the state plans on using the extra money to pay off its 1.5 billion dollar debt.

That has some outraged, mainly because 500 million dollars of this extra money came from the school aid fund, money legislators are already suppose to be giving to the schools.

The school aid fund was created back in the 90's so public schools would be funded by sales tax rather than by property taxes. 

The proposal was intended to lower property taxes to allow more people the opportunity to own a home. Legislators also approved the measure because some felt property owners were unfairly shouldering the burden of supporting local schools.

Now parents and members of the community feel they are getting the short in of the stick after hearing the state decision not to put some of the money back into the schools.

Since 2010 the state has borrowed millions of dollars from the school aid fund each year to help balance the budget, which has many people upset the state would not consider putting the borrowed money back into the fund, along with enough money to cover the latest cuts schools have had to make.

"The buildings need work, teachers are being laid-off. This is a great school and we need to save it. We need to pump some more money into it," says Reichanadter of the Brandywine School District in Niles, Michigan.

Sellers have recourse when buyers back out

By Benny Kass Housing Counsel
Q: We recently had a contract to sell our home to a cash buyer. He and his wife were allegedly inheriting a large sum of money, and their Realtor confirmed that she had seen the bank account statement confirming a "vast sum of money," reportedly well in excess of our contract price.
We closed our half of the deal and moved out of the home, only to discover that on their closing day one week later, no money could be produced. After a litany of alibis from them trying to explain what happened, we were forced to relist the home and sell it for substantially less money.
Of course, we have an attorney, but we have been told that the buyers' Realtor holds no liability, even though she could not produce written confirmation that the money was in the account, as stated.

Our state allows us to file suit against the buyers for the difference in the selling price along with carry costs. It's hard to believe that something like this could happen. Do you have any thoughts or recommendations on this case?
A: Generally speaking, when a buyer defaults on a real estate contract, the seller has three alternatives:
Keep the earnest money deposit. I hope that you had a large deposit from the buyers. I generally recommend a deposit of no less than 5 percent — and often as high as 10 percent — of the contract purchase price.
File suit for damages. As you have indicated, if you ultimately sell the house for less than the original price, that is one element of your damages. You can also claim any additional mortgage payments, taxes and insurance that you had to pay after the day that the house was supposed to settle.
And if you have to get a higher-interest-rate mortgage as a result of the delay, that is also a measure of damages.
Sue for specific performance. This means that you ask the judge to force the buyer to complete the purchase. Obviously, this works only if the buyer really has money or the ability to get a mortgage loan.
Litigation is time consuming, expensive and always uncertain. Discuss the pros and cons of each remedy with your attorney, and make sure you understand your financial obligation involved with any litigation.
Do you have a complaint against the broker's agent? State law will control, but if that agent lied to you about the financial status of her clients, you clearly have the right to sue her or at least file a complaint with your state real estate commission. Of course, proving what she saw may be difficult.
Bottom line: In the real estate industry there is a concept called "buyer's remorse"— namely that many buyers change their mind after signing a binding real estate contract. That's why I always recommend that sellers get as large an earnest money deposit as possible. You want to make it financially difficult for the buyer to walk away.
benny@inman.com

John Hartson column: Swansea City can end away day blues at Newcastle United

IT’S funny how some teams can be so good at home but then fail to do it on the road.
To the fan on the street it’s easy to think ‘what’s the difference?’
It’s the same ball, same surface, same 22 players on the pitch – and the small matter of 30,000 people against you in the stands.
Or 52,000 when it comes to Swansea heading up to Newcastle this weekend.

The whole thing can be very psychological and it can take time to change all that.
Harry Redknapp used to have a big thing when we were at West Ham about how the club had always been a soft touch away from home, even back in the days of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters under Ron Greenwood.
Yet at home we felt invincible, especially under the lights in midweek at Upton Park.
It was Harry’s big mission to make us tough to beat away from home, to dig in and grind out the points.
The problem with Swansea is that I’m not sure it’s in their interest to change all that much.
What you can gain on one hand you can lose on the other.
How can you tell Brendan Rodgers to go more defensive and tighten up on the road? Playing the way they have has got them here in the first place. And you wonder if they’ll be better off sticking to their guns and carrying on away from home hoping to get the odd win.
Besides, you’re going to be better off winning one at home rather then losing away than chopping and changing to the point where you draw both.
That said, Swansea do need to get that first away win just to get out of the mindset before it affects them too much over the season.
They’ve got two tough games coming up, first at Newcastle before going to Everton which is a great place to play.
It’s a real test of character for Swansea, but they have the mental strength to do it.
THE speculation about what might happen in the transfer window next month has started.
Never underestimate the boost bringing in a new signing does to a dressing room.
Regardless of what they bring on the pitch, just having a new face in the squad can lift you.
Everyone wants to make an impression, remind the manager what you’re about if you’re place is under threat and there’s a new zest about things.
Training goes up a notch as does the excitement with the fans.
It’s good to see Swansea looking to get some bodies in because it will allow Brendan Rodgers to have a few more options, especially at the back where they seem to be a bit light.
And Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay deserves the chance to spend some of that money from the Carling Cup run to bring in a central midfielder and a striker to take the pressure off Kenny Miller.
He’s been on fire lately, but you can’t be totally reliant on him.
I NOTED Raymond Verheijen’s comments on Twitter about wanting to “lead” Wales.
I think the whole thing’s untimely at the very least.
I mean, it all came out just two days after Gary Speed was put to rest. People are still in shock, still reflecting.
And I really don’t think the FAW need any pressure from people coming out and making such public statements about the job.
Welsh football as a whole has been through enough without feeling like we’ve got to rush the new appointment.
So they certainly don’t need anyone from their own camp adding to the issue.
Plus, making his feelings on the job so known how does that affect whoever does come in? They might not want to work with him and yet he’s made it quite clear that he should be an integral part.
The FAW have plenty of time to go away, speak to people, get their targets and make sure they get the right man.
A few people have asked whether I think that may be me but I’ve not given it a second’s thought it to be honest.
Gary was my friend don’t forget, that’s been on my mind rather than anything else.
It’s all very difficult circumstances which everyone would do well to take their time over before commenting on something so important.

Source http://www.walesonline.co.uk

Branquinho back home after capturing steer wrestling title

By Joe Bailey / Sports Writer / jbailey@santamariatimes.com

LAS VEGAS — Entering the 10th and final round at the National Finals Rodeo Saturday night, Luke Branquinho was in dog-fight in his attempt to take home a third world steer wrestling championship and third National Finals Rodeo aggregate title.
After his main competition, Shawn Greenfield and Jason Miller, broke the start barrier and received 10-second penalties, some of that pressure was relieved.
Branquinho, who was up last, knew he just had to make a clean run to capture the crown.
No problem.
Branquinho, a Los Alamos native and Santa Ynez High grad, finished sixth in the 10th and final round with a 4.7-second run to take home his third title.
“I pretty much put my whole life in to steer wrestling, that’s all I did,” Branquinho said Tuesday. “When that’s all you focus on all year long, it makes it that much more nice.”
 But Branquinho didn’t spend too much time celebrating the victory, he was back home in Los Alamos, getting right back to work.
“We got home Sunday night, yesterday we had to run some steers in — pretty much business as usual,” Branquinho said. “Going to take a little time off this week, then start practicing again.”
Even though Branquinho has been winning world titles, he hasn’t outgrown Los Alamos or the Central Coast.
“I was born and raised here,” he said. “Charlie’s, the burger joint, has pictures up here of me and a plaque of me and the whole town is very supportive.”
Los Alamos has helped shape Branquinho into a world champion, but there’s a lot more people responsible for that as well.
“I attribute a lot of it to the family support that I have,” he said. “And also the horse power that I have. I’ve been lucky enough to ride some good horses.”
It isn’t a coincidence that Branquinho was riding the horse Gunner when he won the title in 2004.
“I was riding the same horse, Gunner from Montana, Jesse Peterson lets me ride him, I was riding him in ‘04 when I won it,” Branquinho said. “I have a better feel of how the horse is and what he’s gong to do every time.”
After Miller and Greenfield broke the start barriers, Branquinho wasn’t nervous about pulling off a clean run.
“I was more shocked, you just don’t expect that, that’s the last thing I ever expected,” he said of the faults. “I just had to make a clean run to win it.”
But Branquinho said he isn’t done with his hunt for world titles.
“Just trying to relax a little bit right now, it’s always in the back of your mind,” he said about winning another one, before adding, “In this business you have to win to make money. So if a guy wins world championships, he was one of the highest paid people. So winning is always in play.”
Branquinho made $234,518 this season. Second-place Greenfield finished with $178,420, and third-place Miller earned $177,455. At the NFR, Branquinho led with $146,779, and Greenfield was second with $98,798.
In the aggregate race, six-tenths of a second separated Miller, Greenfield and Branquinho after nine rounds, but Branquinho prevailed with a time of 41.9 for 10 rounds. Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Ore., and Mickey Gee of Wichita Falls, Texas, tied for first in the round at 3.6.
“It’s a great feeling, guys work all their careers to win one and to win three is three times sweeter,” Branquinho added.

Simple ways to make dinner at home a special night

By (ARA)
(ARA) - Dining at home has many advantages, from saving money to affording family members more time together. But it's easy for those at-home meals to become routine and boring - unless you take some simple steps to make dinner time a special time for everyone.

Fortunately, making dinner at home more special doesn't need to eat up a lot of time or money. Whether you're serving a feast for the whole family or making a romantic meal for an at-home date night, these simple ideas can help make dining at home feel like a night out.
Make it restaurant style
One of the reasons people love dining out is the chance to eat something they normally wouldn't make at home. Making some of those restaurant favorites in your own kitchen isn't as difficult as you might think. By adding a delicious, easy-to-make dining-out treat to your at-home menu, you can give your meal restaurant quality flair.
One restaurant staple is the bread basket. You can create your own version with take-and-bake options, like New York Brand Garlic Knots. Found in your grocery store's freezer aisle, New York Brand Garlic Knots are hand-tied and contain no trans fat and no high-fructose corn syrup, but pack all the flavor and appeal of this traditional restaurant favorite. What's more, they're ready - from freezer to table - in about five minutes. Make your meal extra special by serving your Garlic Knots with your favorite pasta or homemade pizza with a marinara dipping sauce.
Tune out the outside world
You wouldn't be so rude as to take a cellphone call at the table in a quiet restaurant, so why allow such disruptions during your meal at home? Have everyone turn off their phones, switch off the TV and radio, leave all handheld digital devices in another room, and encourage a dinner conversation that truly focuses on each other.
Wear your "Sunday best"
Even if you wear a suit to work every day, there's still something special about dressing up for an unforgettable meal. If you'd prefer, you can leave the heels, jewelry or cufflinks behind - just skip the jeans and sweatshirts in favor of a skirt or a nice button-down and a pair of slacks.
Cook together
Cooking together increases the amount of quality time you spend with loved ones. Whether it's a date night or just a friendly get-together, involving everyone in meal preparation makes the evening memorable and special. Using easy-to-make and delicious products, such as New York Brand Garlic Knots, will ensure your meal will have that homemade taste that's sure to please.
For simple recipe ideas, visit www.newyorkfrozen.com.

Seniors Face Tough Times this Holiday Season; Home Instead Senior Care Network Offers 10 Money-Saving Tips

The recent debt ceiling fight in Congress led to a national scare for the nation’s seniors, many of whom feared they would not get Social Security checks on time. That’s not the only concern that older adults have been facing. In 2011, for the second consecutive year, seniors received no Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). That could make for a bleak holiday for seniors across the country. As a result, the Home Instead Senior Care® network has announced money-saving tips to help older adults make ends meet.

Even though Congress increased the debt ceiling earlier this year, allowing older adults to get Social Security checks on time, seniors face financial challenges that could contribute to a bleak holiday.
In 2011, for the second consecutive year, seniors received no Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), according to the Annual Survey of Senior Costs from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), a senior advocacy organization. What’s more, seniors can expect to receive only a very small COLA next year, TSCL reported. Unfortunately, a downward trend is continuing for older adults. Since 2000, the COLA has increased just 31 percent, while typical senior expenses have jumped 73 percent, more than twice as fast, according to the survey.
“Cuts of essential items such as food and medication should be of immediate concern to seniors’ families,” said President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jeff Huber of Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® network.
“Other reductions in spending can lead to less obvious issues. One of the biggest problems that we see is senior isolation, which has been magnified during this troubled time in the economy, especially considering the high price of gas,” he added.
In an effort to help older adults make the most of this holiday season, the Home Instead Senior Care network offers the following money-saving tips:
1.    Consider in-home care. The costs of home care are often lower than other living options for seniors who need help. However, seniors and their families typically over-estimate that cost, according to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network.
2.    Economize at mealtime. Look for affordable meal options such as Meals on Wheels® or a local senior center, which can offer both cost savings and opportunities for companionship.
3.    Get back to basics. While winter might not be a great time to garden in many parts of the country, container and potted gardens can be grown indoors year-round to deliver fresh herbs or even produce.
4.    Avoid convenience. While that might seem like a strange statement, convenience many times equates to increased cost, especially when it comes to food. Avoid convenience foods and watch for sales on fresh or canned fruits, vegetables and meats, which can be less expensive.
5.    Look for deals. It always pays to look for the best price, but no more so than with medications. Buy generic when possible. Contact a pharmacist about ways to save money on medications.
6.    Thrifting is thrifty. Just because money is tight doesn’t mean that family and friends need to go without a holiday gift. Look to thrift stores for affordable gifts. Or make presents. A grandchild likely would love a recipe box of favorite family recipes and the stories that go with those dishes. Scrapbooks always are popular as well.
7.    Carpooling makes sense. If it’s too cold to walk, contact others going in the same direction or to the same place and share costs.
8.    Save energy. Installing weather-stripping, caulking leaky doors and windows, and installing gaskets behind outlet covers can lead to cost savings.
9.    Decorate the natural way. Go green and save money. It’s amazing the beautiful holiday ornaments that can be created from pine cones and branches sprayed with silver, white or gold paint. Cranberry and popcorn garlands make pretty and affordable decorations as well.
10.    Look to the experts. Call a local Area Agency on Aging if the costs of food and gas have become prohibitive. For more information about programs and resources, contact the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
Family caregivers can look to the Home Instead Senior Care network’s many online resources, such as the CaregiverStress.com website, to help seniors and their loved ones cope during difficult times.
ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 900 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 45 million hours of care throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy and Puerto Rico. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ more than 65,000 CAREGivers(SM) worldwide who provide basic support services – assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.
Source http://www.prweb.com

Make your home work for you

By Daniel Thomas, Editor, Prooperty magazine

When you purchase a house, ensure you are able to eventually leverage the investment that went into the property. 

Purchasing a home is an emotional experience for most of us. Quite often, it's the culmination of much planning and a lifetime of savings, but not really with the expectation of generating a return out of the investment, unless it's a second home which can be rented out. Your home is likely to be the single investment where you divert the bulk of your money.
Most expats look at investing in a house in their home country in which to settle down after retirement. What happens to the money that went into purchasing such a house? The property might have accumulated considerable value in the real estate market, but obviously, if it is all that you have, you wouldn't want to sell it, would you? In effect, this means, you're sitting on dead equity. Your house doesn't make any difference investment-wise unless you sell it and compromise on the location and size of your next home.
The situation is different in Dubai where most people buy a home with the intention of selling it at some point in time. They expect certain investment growth, especially in the current market where prices are at attractive levels.
What really matters in either case is whether there is a possibility of leveraging the investment that went into your home — in other words, making your house work for you. But in order to do this, you must recognise your home equity and know how to tap it effectively.
So what exactly is home equity? It is the value of a home minus the outstanding mortgage or any other debt obligation against the property. The property's equity increases as the debtor makes payments against the mortgage balance, or as the property value appreciates.
The current mortgage market provides access to massive funds without the worry of exorbitant interest rates. In such a situation, it is possible to tap the mortgage market and invest any spare cash or savings you might have in other high return investment areas, such as bonds or stocks. Expats buying a property back in their home countries might even stand to gain tax advantages. "Banks [in the UAE] are looking to gain more business through mortgages and as a result have lowered their interest rates accordingly. Credit is still tight but there is a definite appetite for the banks to lend and re-finance," says Mario Volpi, head of Residential Property for Cluttons Dubai, one of the leading property consultants in the region. It is also possible to utilise home equity to raise finance to buy another property or for home improvements, says Mario.
Safe havens
For those looking to buy homes specifically for investment, it is a good idea to identify locations yielding real estate equity growth. Despite the prevailing troubled global economic conditions, a number of areas stand out as attractive destinations for investors from the UAE. "The sovereign debt crisis in Europe and bleak growth prospects in the US has sent most asset markets tumbling; however the London residential market has continued to perform," says Tim Murphy, CEO of IP Global, which specialises in seeking out real estate investment opportunities.
According to global property consultancy Knight Frank, property prices in London climbed by 0.6 per cent during September, with annual growth standing at 11.4 per cent so far in 2011. "The number of transactions at the luxury end of the market has been steadily increasing, with exchanges rising by 38 per cent year-on-year. Overseas buyers have poured almost £6 billion (Dh34 billion) into the London residential market during the past 18 months as investors seek relative safe havens for their investments, in a process known as ‘flight to quality'," says Tim.
Another ‘safe haven' is New York, although it doesn't really match up to London. "New York is an economy within an economy, therefore proving attractive to foreign investors. This can be reflected in annualised growth of 6.1 per cent over the last 16 years."
The capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, also stands out as a potential destination for investors from the UAE. Malaysia has continued its robust economic growth throughout the first half of 2011.
"The Malaysian Ringgit has continued to benefit from its economic growth and is expected to rise further against a basket of currencies based on speculation that global funds are expected to pump more capital into the country's assets," says Tim.
"After the Ringgit fell 7 per cent in September this year, partly as a result of the European debt crisis, the currency climbed back to the strongest level in more than a week, rising 1.2 per cent in the week to October 7. Such factors add to Kuala Lumpur's investment case," Tim concludes.
That said, despite potential capital appreciation and rental yields, overseas locations are off the radar for ordinary homeowners. For them, it is critical to know if the house they eventually stay in will have enough room for equity growth.
How it works

• Imagine buying a house for Dh800,000. You make a down payment of Dh160,000 and borrow Dh640,000. When you buy the house, your equity is the same as the down payment, which in this case is Dh160,000.
• Dh800,000 (home's purchase price) - Dh640,000 (amount owed) = Dh160,000 (equity).
• After five years, if you have paid down Dh360,000 of the mortgage debt, you owe Dh280,000. During the same time, let's imagine the value of the house has increased to Dh1,300,000. In such a situation, your equity is now Dh1,020,000.
• This is how it works: Dh1,300,000 (home's current appraised value) - Dh280,000 (amount owed) = Dh1,020,000 (equity).

How To Make Money Without A Job

By Personal Finance

Before joining the staff of Forbes in July, I was happily self-employed for 23 years. For much of this time my husband and I ran two mostly unrelated home-based businesses. He worked in his office in the front of the house, while I was in mine across the hall. Our office doors were usually closed and we knocked before interrupting each other. Until our son was old enough to go to school, we had a full-time babysitter to take care of him downstairs while we worked upstairs. Our only break during the workday was to eat lunch with our child.
Upon observing our traffic patterns, our house painter once said, “It’s like you’re in an office!“ Others remarked about our discipline. We didn’t have a choice. If we didn’t produce, we didn’t get paid, and we needed that money to live on. So for all the flexibility about setting our own hours and balancing work and family, we didn’t vary much from the routine. If we took time off to see the class play or take our son to the pediatrician, we made up for it in the evening or on weekends. Come to think of it, we worked a lot of evenings and weekends anyway.
With widespread layoffs pushing many people into business for themselves, we hear from a lot of folks who are wondering how to set up shop and structure their new work life. We tell them that self employment can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster, with higher highs and lower lows then you’re probably used to. Whether you want to start something on the side or say goodbye to corporate life forever, here are some tips for starting your own business.
Leave yourself a financial safety net. While creditors require you to pay promptly, most of your own clients won’t rush to compensate you. Even if you write “payment due in 30 days” on your invoice, it’s a rare client that sticks to that timeframe. Schedules of 60 or even 90 days are all too common. Complaining about tardy payment or imposing a late charge could drive business away. To minimize tensions while you wait for the work to come in — and then wait to get paid — set aside enough money to cover six months of expenses (a year is even better).
Do what you know. Don’t waste savings on buying an existing business or a franchise. Instead, get ready for what Arlington Heights, Ill. new-business consultant Jeff Williams has dubbed the “scratch startup.” Williams counsels “desperation entrepreneurs”—laid-off employees who aren’t likely to get back into the corporate world. He tells them to sell a skill or a product they already know.
Ken Proskie, 59, is a Williams client who was laid off in 2004 from his job as a health and safety manager for a large manufacturer. Working from an office in his Evanston, Ill. home, he began pitching his services to a network of 300 colleagues from professional associations. After three years, Proskie says, he matched his corporate salary and today has more than enough work. “Now I wish I had made the transition five or ten years sooner,’’ he says. It would have given him time to take on employees and expand.
Don’t bet your savings on a long-shot new venture either. New York financial planner Karen C. Altfest says she has one 70-year-old client who can’t retire yet because she sank all her money into a perfume business startup—in her 60s. Although she worked very hard in the enterprise for two years, going from store to store, it bombed; turned out not enough people liked her scents.
Find a comfortable workspace. It’s important to choose a spot where you won’t have a lot of interruptions and distractions. Working at home avoids the need to pay office rent and makes you eligible for tax write offs. But you must jealously guard your work time, which means limiting trips to the refrigerator, telling friends and family you can’t chat during the workday, and explaining to the UPS guy that you won’t accept packages for neighbors. If you find you are unable to be productive at home, consider working from another location.
Spend judiciously. New technologies and social media continue to reduce the costs of starting and operating a small business. Put seed money towards equipment that can help you embrace technology: laptop, iPad and smartphone. You’ll want to buy a comfortable work chair, if you don’t already have one, but there’s no need to pay top dollar for other furniture. With so many companies scaling back, there are plenty of good deals on secondhand equipment. Try auctions (live or online), going-out-of-business sales and used office furniture stores.
Create digital footprints. These days if people can’t find you on Google, they might decide you don’t exist. Build a Web site. Then get busy online. Social media like LinkedIn and Twitter, along with the websites and Listservs of many professional associations, make low-cost networking and business-building far easier. If you’re already using Facebook for your personal life, think about creating a separate page for your business. While some business owners limit their tweets to shop talk, others use Twitter to develop a broader persona.
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Put your money where the biggest energy savings are

By Mike McClintock, Special to Tribune Newspapers
Before you make an energy-saving investment — a few bucks for caulking or thousands for a new furnace — it pays to know how your household consumes it. After all, why add more insulation in the attic where the last inch costs as much as the first if there's only a marginal improvement in fuel savings?
The best returns come in two areas: weak links, for example, a pull-down attic stair that has no insulation blanket, and the biggest users, space heating and cooling. An HVAC engineer could provide an analysis. Most local utility companies will conduct an energy audit at low or no cost. Some HVAC contractors have infrared scanners that can pinpoint energy leaks.
On-site audits help because every household is different, and some use a lot more energy than others. But your costs are probably distributed according to this rundown of national usage by the Department of Energy. Taking into account all fuels sources, almost half of the budget, 45 percent, goes for conditioning living spaces — 32 percent for space heating and 13 percent for cooling. No other category comes close. The next largest is water heating at 15 percent. Working down the list, lighting accounts for 10 percent, refrigeration 8 percent, electronics (televisions and other appliances) 7 percent, cooking 5 percent, wet cleaning (clothes washers and dryers, and dishwashers) 4 percent, and computers 2 percent. All other categories are marginal and not broken out individually by the DOE.
Your best chance of a good return can be found in projects that save on heating and cooling. For example, if you upgrade to a new fan and a programmable thermostat that reduce the bill by 10 percent, you'll save about 5 percent of overall energy use. With fuel costs rising, a modest efficiency increase in heating and cooling will probably meet the rule of thumb that an energy-saving investment should pay for itself within 7 years.
On the other hand, if you spend a lot to change from incandescents to LED or compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs, the savings in energy consumption will affect only 10 percent of the energy bill. The incandescent light bulb phase-out may or may not take effect in 2012 as scheduled. But even the possibility of passage has caused runs on standard bulbs in many stores. Home Depot, for one, reports a double-digit increase in the sales of incandescents as well as a spike in LED sales.
Three factors drive the incandescent buying surge. First, many people want a bright light like a 150-watt incandescent for reading or close work. Second, CFLs cost a lot more, according to the DOE, about six times the equivalent incandescent, though the trade-off is that CFLs last longer and use less energy. Third is the clincher for many consumers, the elaborate disposal methods when CFLs wear out or break. They stem from concern about mercury sealed inside that can escape as mercury vapor. The Environmental Protection Agency has posted a 1,300-word set of clean-up instructions. They include: open a window and leave the room for 5 to 10 minutes; shut off the forced hot-air or air conditioning system for several hours. And after you clean up the pieces and vacuum, the EPA says you should clean up what you used to clean up. "Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum debris, and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag. And for all the trouble, by law or by choice, switching bulb types affects only a percentage of one of the smallest pieces of the residential energy pie, the 10 percent for lighting.
To find out more about energy use in your home, also consider some of the interactive websites that basically conduct an online energy audit. For example, energystar.gov offers a program called the Home Energy Yardstick. On the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory site called Home Energy Saver (hes.lbl.gov/consumer), the program crunches information you provide about utility costs, home square footage and other parameters, and in a few minutes comes up with comparisons to typical homes and how much different energy-saving investments will pay off in your situation.
 Source http://www.chicagotribune.com/

At-home Robots Monitor Kids After Surgery

By Carrie Gann
@carrie_gann

It sounds like a plot straight out of the futuristic sitcom “The Jetsons” -  robots that tend  to and monitor patients recovering from surgery. But such a scenario is no longer science fiction.
Doctors at Children’s Hospital Boston have sent robots home with children after their surgeries as part of a pilot program designed to use technology to make post-surgical care easier,  more efficient and less costly.
The $6,000 robot is essentially a teleconferencing system on two wheels, with cameras, audio gear and video screens that allow Children’s Hospital Boston doctors to check on their young patients once they’re home, and talk with parents or caregivers about their care.
Dr. Hiep Nguyen, director of Children’s Hospital’s Robotic Surgery Research and Training Center, said he wanted to improve post-surgical care for his young patients by marrying Star Wars-style technology with a medical custom that has gone the way of the phonograph player and the VCR: a doctor’s house call.
A high-speed 4G connection allows doctors in Boston to remotely control the 4-foot-6, 17- pound robot’s functions and maneuver it around the patient’s home.
Children’s Hospital Boston has five of these robots, made by visual communications and robotics company VGo Communications, and has sent them home with eight patients so far, as reported by the Boston Globe. But the project is the beginning of what the hospital hopes will be an expanding program that combines robotics and telemedicine to improve care.
“Seeing what patients are doing right and wrong at home is really valuable information, but in modern medicine, we can’t do that anymore,” Nguyen told ABC News.com.  ”With these robots, the physician doesn’t have to be there, but they can still monitor the patient. And it allows the patient to remain at home and still get the care that they need.”
The Boston robot  program is a first in health care and the latest example of the growing use of telemedicine.
When critical care doctors are in short supply, for example, some hospitals use eICU programs  in which intensive care specialists in central control centers  use cameras, computers and audio equipment to keep an eye on critically ill patients in several different hospitals.
A camera system called NicView allows parents to keep an eye on their newborns in neonatal intensive care units, using $1,000 webcams attached to a baby’s crib and encrypted passwords that parents and faraway relatives can use to log on and keep track of the baby’s condition over the Internet.
UMass Memorial Medical Center is one of a few hospitals that use NICVIEW, and Maureen Guzzi, nurse manager of the UMass neonatal ICU, said the technology helps parents feel connected to their newborns, who may be in the hospital for three weeks or more.
“You know the parents want to be there, but they have to go on with their daily life. Maybe mom is still recovering or dad can’t get off of work to come visit,” Guzzi told ABC News.com.  ”It’s a wonderful tool for them.”
Charlie Kemp, director of the Healthcare Robotics Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said patients can expect these technologies to start popping up throughout the health care system as technology  becomes less expensive and more refined, and telecommunications infrastructure more reliable.
“Technology is maturing to the extent that it can make an impact on everyday lives,” Kemp said. “This is really just the start of a bigger trend.”
As the robot program at Children’s Hospital Boston progresses, Nguyen’s goal is for the robots to become even more involved in patient care — taking blood samples for diabetics or testing lung function in children with asthma. Doing so could mean that patients  leave the hospital earlier, saving doctors and patients time and money, he said.
“We’re not trying to cut out the need for people to stop coming to the clinic or the hospital,” Nguyen said. “What we’re trying to say is the current way we’re delivering health care has to change.”

Home energy aid faces cuts

Written byGannett 

WASHINGTON - Judith Anderson knows how to stretch a fixed income.
She lives in a small apartment, doesn't own a computer or television, and uses heat sparingly. But in an old building without energy-efficient central heat, utility bills still add up.
That's why she's grateful for the $300 in home energy assistance she's received each year since the mid-1990s, when a divorce left her with an income of about $450 a month. She earns more now that she gets Social Security checks, but still relies on food stamps and energy aid to make ends meet.
"Not having to pay that $45 in electricity each month allows me to then purchase food," said Anderson, 65, of Clarksville. "I'm just trying to be as frugal as I can and trying to be a good steward of the money God has given me."
Agencies that provide home energy assistance to Anderson and nearly 170,000 other low-income Tennessee households are bracing for budget cuts this winter, even as temperatures drop and energy prices and unemployment remain high.
Congress and the Obama administration have proposed reducing funding for the popular Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program -- cuts that could lower or eliminate aid to thousands of laid-off workers, veterans, and retirees living on fixed incomes, advocates say.
A record 9 million people across the country applied for LIHEAP money last year, up from about 4 million a few years back, according to Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association.
Applications are expected to set another record in fiscal 2012, which began Oct. 1, because millions of people can't find work.
"Because we're not expecting the average number of households applying to decline and the economy is still pretty weak, this is really a tough time to be cutting LIHEAP," Wolfe said.
Under LIHEAP, the federal government provides grants to states, which then distribute them to their neediest residents through local social service agencies. Most of the aid goes to help people pay heating bills in the winter, but states can also use it to help with summer cooling bills.
LIHEAP received $4.7 billion in fiscal 2011, down from $5 billion in each of the previous two fiscal years. The Obama administration proposed $2.5 billion for LIHEAP for fiscal 2012 and paid out an initial allocation of $1.7 billion in October.
Appropriations committees in the House and Senate have recommended giving the program $3.4 billion and $3.6 billion, respectively, in fiscal 2012. The $1.7 billion already allocated will be subtracted from the final figure.
Advocates expect the chambers to settle on $3.5 billion - a 25 percent decrease from 2011.
Appropriators say the cuts are necessary to free up funding to target health care fraud, beef up the Race to the Top education reform program, lower the national debt, and pay for other priorities.
But advocates and some lawmakers say savings should be found elsewhere. A bipartisan group of senators from northern states introduced a bill last week that would restore the program's funding to $4.7 billion, and House lawmakers introduced similar legislation on Monday.
While discussions about LIHEAP often center on New England and the Midwest, where long winters make energy assistance a priority, local officials say the program is crucial in Tennessee too.
"If you cut LIHEAP, that's going to be a lot of people who are going to suffer," said Leslie Chiodini, executive director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Action Agency, which distributes LIHEAP funds in the county. "I don't think a lot of people realize how important this program is."
In fiscal 2011, Tennessee received $74 million to provide aid to more than 169,000 households. That's a jump from 134,347 recipients in 2010 and 127,477 in 2009.
More than half those households included a disabled person and about 30 percent included a senior citizen, according to the state Department of Human Services.
Yearly benefits in Tennessee range from $300 to $600 and average $450. To qualify, a family of four must earn less than $33,526 a year -- 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
Chiodini said her agency has received $1.2 million to provide aid to 2,000 households since July, but money will run out in January without additional funding. That would mean a waiting list of around 2,000 people this spring, she estimated.
Seniors on fixed incomes like Judith Anderson make up a large portion of LIHEAP recipients in Montgomery County, she said.
Without heating aid, she said, "more than likely they'll either go without food or medicine, or they'll get their utilities cut off."
Spokeswoman Lisa McCrady said the Metro Action Commission has distributed LIHEAP aid to 6,116 Davidson County residents since July 1. Because of expected funding cuts, she anticipates the number of households served by June 30 will decline to 12,265 from last year's 17,712.
So far Metro has received $5 million for LIHEAP this year, versus $8.4 million last year, she said.
Meanwhile, the average electricity rate in Nashville has jumped nearly 25 percent over the last five years. A typical household using an average of 1,300 kilowatt hours a month is paying $119.03 as of October, compared with $95.81 five years ago, according to Nashville Electric Service. More than half of Tennesseans use electricity to heat their homes.
NES and Piedmont Gas may be able to provide some additional help to low-income Nashville residents if Congress enacts cuts, but not enough to cover a substantial funding dip, McCrady said.
"We'll just continue to provide service to the amount of people we can serve," she said. "Anytime we receive additional money, we have no problem whatsoever with utilizing all the funds that were given to us. It shows us that the need is there."
Mike Smith, executive director of Southwest Human Resources Agency, said each of the eight West Tennessee counties under his agency's umbrella will run out of money by the end of the month. The possible exception is Madison County, which receives more funds because its population is larger.
"There's just so much unknown on the national level, we just kind of have to prepare for the worst," he said, adding that he's made plans for budget cuts of 5, 10 and 15 percent.
His agency serves about 4,000 households and has a waiting list of 8,000. Officials continue to accept applications, but they expect to serve only half of those who apply for LIHEAP aid this year, a sharp reduction from previous years, when they've served 80-to- 90 percent, Smith said.
"It doesn't look good," he said. "We've already had a pretty harsh winter, and we're just getting started."