Great Tax Incentives Still Exist, In Case You Missed the Federal Homebuyer Tax Credit

The federal homebuyer tax credit, which provided home buyers with up to $8000, is over, but there are still plenty of opportunities for prospective home buyers to get an excellent home price and additional incentives and bonuses. The real estate market still favors buyers even though we are almost half way through 2010, so purchasing a home this year is still a great financial investment. If you are a buyer still on the fence, don't wait! The buyer's market and a chance to get more home for your money won't be around forever. Plus interest rates in all likelihood will be going up so now is the time to take advantage of every opportunity the real estate market can offer.

Mortgage Advantages for Buyers Seeking Green, Healthy Built Homes and Real Estate

In February the New York Times reported on incentives offered to homebuyers interested in using home loans to make energy efficient upgrades. If you think are thinking of. lowering your home's carbon footprint and decreasing your environmental impact then now is the time to purchase a home and reap the benefits. "Fannie Mae, the government-backed company that sets lending standards for mortgages, said that by this summer it would unveil incentives for those who use part of their mortgages for energy-related improvements", NY Times writer Bob Tedeschi wrote, in an article titled Loans for Green Homes. After running pilot programs in Colorado, Maine and Pennsylvania, borrower incentives are expected to be introduced in New York by EnergyStar, a joint effort of the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency."

It may take time for these incentives to spread to other states, but in the coming months we can expect to see more incentives for anyone making energy efficiency a priority. North Carolina offers a number of incentives available to potential and existing homeowners. The Western North Carolina Green Building Council is a leader in the NC Healthy Built Homes movement. To learn more about local incentives and programs visit www.wncgbc.org.

Real Estate Companies Design Their Own Real Estate Incentives and Bonus Programs

In an April 26, 2010 press release Coldwell Banker announced its Buyer Bonus sales event. In direct response to the deadline for the federal homebuyer tax credit Coldwell Banker has activated a program meant to give potential home buyers some of the same financial incentives. According to Coldwell Banker, from May 1, 2010 to July 31, 2010 thousands of sellers will offer a credit of 3% or up to $8000 to potential buyers.

"The Buyer Bonus Sales Event will allow participating Coldwell Banker home sellers to essentially extend the benefits of the credit," said Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive officer for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.  "Without restrictions such as household income caps, the Coldwell Banker Buyer Bonus Sales Event allows for greater participation for all homebuyers.  And our sellers have a unique opportunity to allow their home to stand out from the competition in their marketplace," he continued.

Perks of the Buyer Bonus Program

Homes participating in the Buyer Bonus program will display Buyer Bonus Sales Event yard signs and be listed as a Buyer Bonus home online at ColdwellBanker.com. Homebuyers interested in taking advantage of the Buyer Bonus Sales Event can also search online for available homes by simply clicking the box labeled "Buyer Bonus Sales Event". Homes will also be featured in national television commercials beginning May 1, 2010, extensive online advertising, promotions on ColdwellBanker.com, social media updates on Facebook and Twitter, as well as in the Coldwell Banker blog and the Coldwell Banker On Location channel.

Sellers and buyers can use any benefits real estate companies, mortgage lenders and the government can provide, in the current real estate market. Don't let the chance to own your dream home pass you by! With the help of an experienced, knowledgeable real estate agent you can complete a successful real estate transaction and now is the time to take action.

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10 Facebook Safety Tips - How to Protect Yourself

Whether you are new to Facebook or a long time user, you should be diligent in protecting yourself, your family, and your friends while using Facebook. Here are 10 tips to keep your Facebook experience both enjoyable and safe.

1. Do not place your personal information on your Facebook profile. Items such as your residential address, your phone number, your cell phone number, your date of birth will all become very public information instantly and it will come back to haunt you in many ways. Check your profile constantly to ensure that you are not displaying personal information. The risk of identity theft or being tracked down by others is too great. If your friend really needs your contact information, then have them give you a call or send a private email outside of Facebook. Nothing is scarier than your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend calling you out of the blue or finding out that a new credit card was taken out in your name on the other side of the country by an ex-con.

2. Be careful when placing photographs of you or your children on Facebook. Please ensure that you have all your privacy settings set to maximum. There was a reported instance of a family photo being "snapped up" and used for commercial purposes. One family was surprised to find their Facebook family photo on a billboard in Europe.

3. Do not ever think that your Facebook page is private amongst only your friends and family. Job interviewers, lawyers, investigators, the police, and the entire world will be searching for information on your Facebook site at some point. Most people will need a lawyer whether it is for a divorce, a speeding ticket, a personal injury lawsuit or a work-related injury. We have personally seen instances where parties to a lawsuit and witnesses have posted items on their Facebook site which was subsequently used later in a job interview or a deposition or even in court. Do not think for one second that anything you post will ever be kept private. Your whole life is up for dissection and a simple Google search on your name will pull up your Facebook profile. Try it.

4. Do not accept all Friend Requests. Of course the purpose of Facebook is to socially connect with people you know. However, not every Friend Request is legitimate. There have been reported instances of private investigators, police officers, sex offenders and the like creating fake accounts to gain access to you online. If you do not know the person, then do not add them to your accepted friends. Again, as soon as they gain access, they will be searching your personal information, your postings, and viewing all of your photos. Keep your list of accepted friends and family close as you would in the non-digital world. The cute guy or girl that emails a Friend Request to you may just be the private investigator that has been hired to dig up dirt on you.

5. Be sure to keep your house clean. Most people who use Facebook, including myself, have run into the situation where their Facebook is clean and professional. Only then have a friend or family member post a photo of you in a bar when you were in college, or smoking when you were not supposed, or running down the street with the stolen street sign when you were in high school. These scenarios are often not done to harm you but they can be quite damaging to your professional and personal life. Be sure to monitor and clean your house for these skeletons in your closet. Notify any friends or family members immediately when an item is posted to take it down.

6. Be sure to watch what you place on your Wall. The Wall is exactly that, a wall such as the bulletin board at work or in school. When you make postings to your wall, the post is placed prominently on your Facebook site and also copied to all your friends and family as an update of what you are doing. It is the equivalent of hitting the Reply All in an email. Do not place postings regarding your late night out or your latest fling unless you want your friends, coworkers, and family to know of your escapades. If you really need to detail your latest rant against your boss or how you acted during the football game last week, do it in a private email outside of Facebook. There are now Web sites designed to post embarrassing Wall postings. Do not be the person that millions of Internet users are now laughing at.

7. Do not leave your computer on with your Facebook account open. Leaving access to your Facebook account is the equivalent of leaving your wallet or cell phone in public on the picnic table. Anyone can sit down and start making posts to your Wall, redesigning your site, or even entice friends to play the greatest prank on you in your life. Be sure to sign out.

8. Be sure to have virus software for your computer and keep it updated. There are several viruses out there that attack your email address library. The viruses then send out posts to everyone in your library asking them to become your friend in Facebook while giving them the same virus. This has happened to several prominent attorneys I know and there is no stopping it once it has begun.

9. Spend time checking your spelling and grammar. We are all busy people with busy lives. However, not checking your spelling and grammar on your postings in Facebook can lead to several unwanted consequences. First, you can mistakenly type a word that is offensive or leads to a direct contradiction in your intended message. Checking spelling on the front end when posting can save you hours of time in trying to correct a mistake that offends your employer, significant others or your family.

10. Be careful not to provide too much information. Facebook is intended to be a social network. However, you do not need to go into every detail about your wisdom tooth being pulled or how your latest hot date ended. People do like details but only in an appropriate environment. If you feel the need to share then do it in person or over the phone. This also includes your family and friends. You may feel the need to speak about your friend's latest date or their ongoing medical treatment but they may not want this information known to the world. They may have gone at great lengths to keep their medical treatment private and there is nothing worse than a non-family member knowing more than the immediate family members. Respect their privacy and you will be better for it.

Paying attention and following these 10 tips will ensure your experience with Facebook will be positive and safe.

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Five Immediate Benefits to Recycling Your Ink Cartridges

Today, many individuals and organizations have a good understanding about the influence their lifestyles or activities have on the planet on which they live, work and play. Despite this knowledge, many items that can be recycled are tossed in the trash bins and dumpsters at our homes and businesses at an astounding rate. It is then hauled away to landfills where it may take thousands of years to dissolve. In addition, toxic chemicals are often leaked into the groundwater.

If you spent your day working at a personal computer, whether at work or in a home office environment, it is likely that you have first hand knowledge and experience of the frequency that the ink supplies must be replenish in one or more printers. From home offices to the workplace, million of ink cartridges are simply toss in the garbage everyday. This mixture of rubbish and chemicals ends up harming the environment in a number of ways.

The environmental benefits of recycling your ink cartridges can not be underestimated. Following are five sound reasons why recycling your ink cartridges is the best choice for you and the environment.

1. Save

The most obvious advantage to recycling your ink cartridges is the fact that you usually can save money on this on this item. Perhaps more important is the chance to make a personal or organizational statement regarding pollution and waste. There are four areas where recycling your ink cartridges can make a difference: energy, pollution reduction, natural resources and landfills.

2. Conserve

Typically, the amount of energy that is consumed in the manufacturing process of a new product is several times the quantity required to recycle or reuse an existing item. One of the ecological effects of recycling your ink cartridges is that it saves energy. On average, it takes about 3.5 ounces of oil to make just one ink cartridge.

3. Preserve Natural Resources

Whether its trees, oil, water or other resources, is a win-win for us individually as well as collectively. Recycling your ink cartridges yields a tremendous savings on the raw materials that is needed to produce an ink cartridge. The resources need to make the average cartridge is about three pounds. When you decide to recycle or refill just one ink cartridge, you have made a very valuable contribution to the global recycling initiatives.

4. Save Landfill Space

On ink cartridges alone, it is estimated that as much as 80 percent are tossed in to our trash bins. This is somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 to 350 million of the cartridges that end up in our incinerators or landfills each year. This is the equivalent of 75,000 tons of trash. These landfills are filling up at a fast rate all over the globe. A significant amount of resources are being spent to manage this waste. Recycling materials, such as ink cartridges and other recyclables can save a tremendous amount of space. In addition, it eliminates toxic substances or corrosive chemical from leaking into the environment.

5. Reduce Pollution

The manufacturing process utilizes all types of fossil fuels, including coal, gasoline and diesel fuel in the production of goods like ink cartridges. This results in the emission of greenhouse gases. According to experts, this thin layer of gas traps large amounts of solar energy and prevents it from escaping into space. This is what causes "global warming." Reusing and recycling your ink cartridges will help towards alleviating the build up of greenhouse gases.

The process of recycling ink cartridges is actually a two-prong approach. You can buy recycled cartridges, which are typically less expensive than new cartridges. Besides helping to preserve scarce resources and the energy it takes to manufacture a cartridge, you can buy the ink you need as a lower price. You don't have to be concerned about the print quality; the only difference is that you are buying a recycled cartridge. You are not only being good to your bank account, but you can positively impact the environmentally.

Your other option the next time you need to replenish your ink supply is to have your cartridges refilled. This is another branch of the recycling process. You just take the empty ink cartridge to your local establishment and have the cartridge refilled or you can order a refill kit and simply refill the empty cartridge in your home. The kits come with precise instructions on how to get it done with little fuss or mess.

If you have not already started taking advantage of the benefits of recycling ink cartridges, it is something that you or your company can put into effect immediately. If you have never refilled your own cartridges there is plenty of help available from the vendors who sell the recycled cartridges and also plenty of information on the Internet.John Pickering is the owner of EezyTrade.co.uk, an online retailer of new and refilled printer cartridges for Brother, HP, Canon, Epson, Lexmark and Xerox printers. Visit us online today for epson inkjet cartridges and more and begin saving.

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Ways We Can Conserve Our Natural Resources

There are a myriad of ways in today's world to conserve our natural resources. Take some time to look at all the resources you consume and find ways to limit their usage. For example natural gas is a resource we as race use all of the time and in some cases very large quantities.

We can conserve this natural resource in few different ways. Many people will use natural gas to heat their home, and heat their water. If you purchase a tankless water heater, you are helping conserve our resource of natural gas.
Another way to conserve this precious resource is to find a new alternative and safe way of heating your home. Using a renewable energy source like Wind power, Hydropower, or Solar power would reduce your usage of natural gas.

These clean, renewable and efficient energy sources are a great benefit to the environment and to you. These natural and renewable energy sources are very similar to each other in how they work.

Take wind power for example, by placing large wind turbines in a windy area they will be spun by the wind generating energy that you can use for electricity.
The same concept goes with Hydropower, at dams, large turbines that are pushed by rushing water generates a substantial amount of power and energy.
Solar power will use a solar panel to collect the sun's rays to be converted into a natural, clean source of energy for you and your family. These three options of alternative energy will help you save the environment, our resource, and your money.

Another natural resource that is in need of conserving is our trees and forests. Lumber is put to use in many ways like, building materials, fuel, and paper products. We consume a substantial amount of lumber every year. Moreover, we as humans have a tendency to use more than we replenish.

This is causing mass destruction to wild life and plant life. As the number of trees and forests are decreasing for the large demand of lumber people are starting to realize just how much we need to conserve this natural resource. There are many ways that this can be accomplished.

You can at first start by limiting your use of paper products and by not wasting them. Paper products that are made from trees like envelopes, paper plates, cups and even sheets of paper. By limiting your usage of these products you are decreasing the large demand for the resource.

A larger step in helping conserve this natural resource is through the use of recycling. If you become active in recycling these products, and start buying recycled items you are playing a large role in helping to conserve our natural resources.

Oil and fossil fuels are another big concern in our world today. Not only do we consume so much of it on a daily basis that the fumes emitted from burning said fuels are harmful to the environment. Fossil fuels are not an infinite natural resource that we have it is limited.

The more and more we use the less there is for future generations. Because when this resource runs out, it will not return. There are ways you can conserve and limit the use of this natural resource. For example, hybrid cars are now available for people to buy and switch over to a more "green" vehicle. These are just some of the ways to go green and conserve our natural resources.

Printing Equipment Safety Guidelines - Safety Measures in Handling Printing Equipment

Did you know for a fact that the Printing Industry has considerable standing in UK’s business and economy by being 6th largest industry in the country?

Yes! In fact, there are about 15,000 existing printing companies in the country with about 340,000 employed workers. Thus, considering its large labor force, tasks and the machineries involved in a printing company, accidents are, not surprisingly, frequent occurrences. Annually, printing companies come up with a report of about 1,350 work-related accidents and major injuries like fractures and amputations are results of about 200 of these types of accidents.

In order to have a clear view of how and why accidents occur – they were classified into three common types: manual handling; slips and trips and machinery accidents. Manual handling accidents represent about 1/3 of all the accidents reported by the printing and newspaper publishing industries. While, slips and trips accidents have a reported 341 slip and trip accidents where a significant number caused major injuries. Slips and trips represents over 25% of all the accidents by this sector of industry. The third and most common type of accident are machinery accidents in the printing and newspaper publishing industries and represents around 16% of all reported injuries. These accidents occur during setting up or cleaning down of printing presses or print finishing machinery.

In the printing industry, it is important to manage Machinery safety in order to minimize accidents on machineries. These could be done by first identifying the problem areas in machines. After problem shooting decisions must be made on what to do and act on these decisions. Effective management of machinery safety means, that you troubleshoot and make sure that the following are done:

• Equipment is suitable for the use that it was intended for.
• Equipment is adequately maintained.
• Guards and protective devices are supplied and kept in good working order.
• Equipment whose safe operation is critically dependant on its condition in use and where deterioration would lead to a significant risk, are inspected at suitable intervals by a competent person.
• Adequate operator training and instructions are given.

Following the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) places general duties on employers to ensure that the work equipment they provide is suitable and safety for use. Practical improvements must be made especially on troublesome printing equipment identified. By this, accidents may be more lessened and workers would not have to risk too much in their performance.

Apartment Safety Do's and Don'ts

When you move into a new apartment, it's important to keep your safety top of mind as you're adjusting to different surroundings. Take a look at these apartment safety do's and don'ts:

1. Do let a neighbor know when you're out of town. A neighbor can keep an eye on your apartment, and alert the manager if there is any suspicious activity. It's a great idea to form a buddy system with a few key people in the complex who can watch out for each other.

2. Do report bad lighting, overgrowth of landscaping and broken locks. Your landlord is responsible for keeping all of these items in check to protect the safety of all tenants. It is up to you, however, to mention any problems that arise that the landlord might not be aware of.

3. Do be alert when walking to or from your apartment late at night. Report anything suspicious to your landlord, and consider carrying an alarm or pepper spray to be extra cautious.

4. Don't leave a note on your door indicating your absence. This is an open call for a thief to break in. It's best not to advertise anytime you're gone for an extended period.

5. Don't advertise that you live alone. This can make you an easy target for a variety of criminals. Consider using your initials on your mailbox and telephone listing to disguise that you are the unit's sole resident.

6. Don't get on an elevator with only one person unless you know them. Also, when you get into an elevator, stand near the control panel so you're more in control of the situation. This way, no one else can stop the elevator between floors.

7. Don't leave valuable objects in your windows or car. The less visible you make your valuable things, the better. Visibility might be an open invitation for a thief.

For more information, check out Move.com's How-to Rental Guide.

Construction Site Safety Basics

Construction sites are extremely dangerous places to be in. Because of the kind of work involved, the construction workers face a very high risk of getting injured and are also prone to accidents. Moreover, the equipment that the workers wear to reduce the exposure to harmful chemicals and elements in itself can cause accidents because it tends to reduce their flexibility and restrict their movements. It is said that approximately two people die per week on construction sites across the country. Therefore it is very essential that people working on these kinds of sites follow some basic but important guidelines for their safety as well as the safety of others.

General Guidelines for Construction Site Safety

For reducing or preventing injuries and accidents at the construction site, you have to begin with removing the unsafe conditions that exist as well as reduce the number of unsafe acts that need to be performed. But it is not possible to completely eliminate any of these conditions, as many times it is not predictable. Site workers must be given adequate training on safety issues and must be made to understand how critical it is for each one of them to practice the safety guidelines during work. Steps must be taken in advance to ensure that accidents are prevented as much as possible and if any hazardous situation arises, immediate steps must be taken to combat the situation and make sure that it does not does recur.

Some of the areas where you can practice safety guidelines are as follows:

Safety Around Electrical Equipment

It is critical that all workers know the most danger prone areas before they start working. Since chances for getting electrical shocks are high, care must be taken to prevent it. It is essential for workers to wear rubber gloves and boots, which are insulated. Electrical wiring should not be strung across the work areas and water should not be allowed to accumulate and form puddles in these areas. It is good to treat all electrical equipment as energized until tested and found not to be so.

Scaling Equipment

Ladders should always be checked and maintained in good condition. If it is defective, it should be discarded immediately or marked such that no one will use it by mistake in the work place. The ladder rungs must be kept clean with no traces of oil and grease. Before use, they must be secured properly so that it does not get displaced while a worker is using it.

In a similar way, maintenance of scaffolding is also very important. Only under supervision must scaffolding be set up or dismantled. Fall protection should be provided at all times and employees should wear harnesses while working at heights.

Avoiding Falls

Ensure that debris is not left lying around in the construction site. Also, any equipment that is used during work should be careful stored away after use and not left as it is, as workers might trip or slip on this equipment. Safety harnesses should always be worn if a worker is working at a height, as this is one of the main reasons for death during construction. A person competent to assess the situation and see if any hazards exist should inspect all anchorage points on a regular basis.

Proper Lighting

Lighting is crucial when working inside a closed area, but especially working at night. The rate of construction site accidents skyrockets when working at night due to insufficient lighting. Proper lighting may include floodlights, barricade lights and especially lights on head gear.

Closed Spaces

And finally, when working in closed and confined spaces like pits and trenches, it is good to have one standby person who will have no other duties other than to watch the workers on the inside and act or rescue in case of emergencies.

By following these simple guidelines, life on a construction site can become safer and the risk of accidents can be reduced.

National standard for psychological health and safety in Canadian workplaces

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