Christopher Pagli - REALTOR/ABR

If you answered yes to this question pay close attention to the following 8 steps to protecting yourself.

1) Watch For "Shoulder Surfers" - Always be aware of who is around you and watching when you use your credit/debit card.

2) Shred Sensitive Documents - Investing in a personal shredder is smart investment. Thieves or better known as "Dumpster Divers" rummage through trash looking for discarded bank statements, credit card bills, and receipts. Westchester County has purchased a paper-shredder truck to help residents destroy unwanted papers. The truck is available on all Household Recycling and Electronic Waste Days, contact your local town office for more info.

3) Only Write Four Digits of Your Account Number on Checks - many people write their full account number in the "memo" section of a check, including myself. You DON'T have to comply if asked to do so. This is enough to link your payment with your account. When paying your taxes never right your full social security number on your check, just the last four digits.

4) Shop Safely Online - Many websites scramble sensitive information, such as your credit card number, so that it can be read only by the merchant. Look for the picture of an unbroken key or closed lock in your browser window. Also make sure the web address on the page that asks for your credit card info begins with "https" and not "http".

5) Don't Get Phished - This is an email scam that lures personal info from unsuspecting victims. This scam begins with an email regarding your personal bank or credit card account stating there may be a problem. Once you click the link in the email you are taken to a bogus look-alike site that prompts you to enter sensitive info. If you comply you have just handed over your sensitive info to an identity thief.

6) Beware of Vishing - This is similar to "Phishing" but over the phone. Always remember financial institutions don't request identifying info over the phone as they already have it on file. Always report the incident to your financial institution.

7) Secure Your Wireless Router - Setup a personal firewall, change your default SSID (network name), disable SSID broadcasting, scramble or encrypt your data, and restrict network access to devices with an authorized Media Access Control address.

8) Check Your Credit Report - You can order a free credit report once a year by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or calling 1.877.322.8228

According to the National Pest Managment Foundation These little critters cause an estimated $5 Billion dollars in damage a year in the United States! Most homeowners know very little about them except that they eat wood and can destroy your home. Unfortunately you don't usually notice them until the damage is done. They can live in a structure and eat for decades before you notice the damage. Did you know that an average subterranean colony can consume a 2 by 4 per year? Then one day your toilet shoots through the floor or you lean against a wall and fall through, this has really happened. Can you imagine doing your laundry in the basement and all of a sudden you get hit with your upstairs toilet! Ouch!

Termites enter homes through small cracks as thin as a business card. Window vents and roof joists are also popular points of entry. Another red flag is direct contact between wood and soil, you want to avoid this at all costs. Especially decks, if you notice most decks need concrete footings per code anyway. Another thing you may notice is metal flashing around the bottom of the wood to prevent rotting. Here are a few tips to help avoid infestation:

1) Keep mositure out at all costs, avoid water pooling by the foundation with properly guided downspouts.

2) Don't store firewood, mulch, and any other wood by the house.

3) Ventilate your crawlspaces, termites love dark moist places.

4) Eliminate gaps and cracks in areas such as attic vents, windows joints, and roof eaves.

5) Remove old tree stumps and roots by the house.

6) Get yearly inspections for termites, there are testing cans that can be put in place around the perimiter of the home. The cans are placed with a piece of wood inside. The technician returns a few months later to see if there has been any activity.

Only a licensed technician can dispense termiticide, the chemical used to treat termites below the earths surface. There are two types of termites the Subterraneans, these are the most widespread and destructive type and Drywood Termites, which live in drywood and don't need contact with soil to survive. To find out more about termite probability in your area please visit http://www.Hud.Gov and search for "Termite Infestation Probability Zones". For a list of certified professionals you can visit the National Pest Management Associations website at http://www.PestWorld.org.

Always remember to get a pest inspection when purchasing a home. Many banks will require this for funding but you want to make sure your investment isn't being eaten away while you sleep.

I think we have all been annoyed by tele-marketers and direct mail solicitation. Below are five ways to get your name off lists and finally get some peace and quiet!

1) The Do Not Call Registry - 1.888.382.1222, you must call from the number you want to register, or you can register online at www.DoNotCall.gov. Here you will need to provide an active email address.

You may register as many numbers as you want but if by phone you have to call from each phone, online you can register up to 3 numbers at once. If you have more then 3 numbers you will have to go through the registration process again. The registration expires after 5 years. If you need to file a complaint tyou can do so at the above number or web address.

2) Do Not Mail List - You can have your name placed on the "Do Not Mail" list maintained by the Direct Marketing Association. Registering will reduce the amount of direct mail you receive, this expires after 5 years. You will then have to re-register.

You can register by mail: Send a letter and $1 check or money order to: Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 282, Carmel NY 10512 or go online www.DmaConsumers.org/cgi/offmailing, the $1 fee can be then paid by credit card. Also Caretakers can remove people they are caring for at http://www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.html

Deceased Relatives can be removed at http://www.DmaConsumers.org/ConsumerAssitance.html

3) Catalog Mailing List Removal - You can be removed from many catalog mailing lists by contacting Abacus Alliance - email: AbacusOptOut@epsilon.com or by mail Abacus Ince PO Box 1478, Broomfield, CO 80038

4) Sweepstakes Malings - To be removed contact 1) Publishers Clearing House, Consumer & Privacy Affairs, 382 Channel Drive, Port Washington, nY 11050 - Tel. 1.800.645.9242, email:privacychoices@pchmail.com 2) Readers Digest sweepstakes - 800.310.6261 or by mail - Readers Digest, PO Box 50005, Prescott AZ. 86301-5005.

5) Pre-Approved Credit Card Solicitations - The major credit reporting agencies offer a service that will take you off their mailing lists for pre-approved credit card solicitations...Call 1.888.5OPT.OUT or visit http://www.OptOutPreScreen.com.

As a Rotarian I felt the need to pass along the information below regarding Shelter Box. I was very impressed with the concept and feel it should be recognized by everyone.

Shelter Box is an international disaster relief charity, specializing in emergency shelter. The team instantly responds to hurricane, flood, volcano, earthquake, cyclone, tsunami, or conflict by delivering boxes of aid.

Each box supplies an extended family of up to 10 people with a tent and quality survival equipment to use while they are displaced. Exact contents vary according to local needs and conditions. Typically, contents include a 10 person tent, blankets, mats, stove, cooking equipment, tools, water purification, netting, ponchos, and a childrens pack.

Highly trained Shelter Box disaster response teams work with local Rotarians to assess the need and distribute boxes on the ground.

The cost of a box is $1,000, including delivery direct to those who need it. Every box is uniquely numbered so as to allow a donor to track the box (or to make a donation) via www.shelterbox.org. Over 92% of funding goes to aid. Since 2001, Shelter Box has provided shelter, warmth, and dignity to over 750,000 people following 80 disaters in 50 countries!

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better Governer Paterson unveils a new New York State tax credit to help keep the housing market alive!

Governor David A. Paterson announced that New York will offer a federal income tax credit to first-time homebuyers to encourage home sales in the State. The New York State Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) will enable first-time homebuyers to claim a tax credit equal to 20% of their annual mortgage interest costs, potentially saving the average homebuyer about $1,500 each year. The program will effectively extend, and in some cases improve upon the federal government's $8,000 First-Time Homebuyer Credit enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which expires on November 30th.

The New York State Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) can be used to reduce a homebuyer's tax burden for every year the mortgage loan remains outstanding. With an MCC, 20% of the amount paid in mortgage interest becomes a tax credit that can be deducted, dollar for dollar, from a homeowner's federal income tax liability. The remaining 80% of the mortgage interest continues to qualify as an itemized tax deduction, as long as there is sufficient federal tax liability. The MCC will be administered by the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA), a State agency that offers a variety of fixed-rate mortgages tailored to the needs of first-time homebuyers.


Please visit http://www.NYHomes.org for application guidelines and more information or speak to a mortgage professional and accountant.