Loren Johnson, CMPS

If you want to get away at bargain rates, consider a repositioning cruise. Every fall, cruise lines need to move their ships across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to warmer waters for the winter cruise season. I've seeing some great rates on these sailings for departures from October through early December.

These cruises make stops in Europe before making the trans-Atlantic journey. During days at sea you can enjoy shipboard amenities such as going to the spa, fine dining, or the pool.

The cheapest rates per night were departures from Barcelona, but there are also great rates from other European cities. The following sample rates were available when last checked, but they can change based on demand.

Royal Caribbean is offering a 15-day cruise from Barcelona to Texas, and rates start as low as about $27 per night. (The line usually sails from Galveston, but will sail from the Port of Houston until further notice.) The cruise departs on Nov. 29 and stops in Cartagena, Madeira, Portugal, Santa Cruz, Nassau and Miami before reaching Texas.

When this cruise was priced, inside cabins started at $399, ocean view cabins were $599, balcony cabins were $1,299, and a suite started at $1,999. Prices are per person, based on double occupancy.

Norwegian Cruise Line has a 13-day repositioning cruise from Barcelona, to New York City that departs on Nov. 16. Stops include the Italian cities of Florence, Pisa and Rome. Prices per person start at $349 for an inside cabin, $549 for an ocean view, $749 for a balcony and $949 for a suite. In comparison, the same suite cabin is selling for more than $1,999 per person in October for a seven-night cruise.

Carnival offers rates starting about $50 per night on 16-day sailings from Rome to Fort Lauderdale departing Oct. 29. The cruise stops in Barcelona; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Malaga, Spain; Madeira, Portugal; and St. Maarten. Prices start at $799 per person for an inside cabin, $1,499 for an ocean view, $1,729 for a balcony cabin and $2,399 for a suite. Carnival has a similar cruise for the same prices departing Rome on Nov. 6 that stops in Las Palmas, Spain, instead of Madeira.

You will need to find one-way fares to get to your departure point and to return from your final cruise port. While decent one-way fares won't be hard to find from your U.S. cruise destination, it will be trickier to find one-way fares to Europe, so you'll need to shop around.

The airfares offered by cruise lines are usually not your best buy, but it is worth checking what they offer. Bestfares.com has one-way tickets that are available for up to 50% off the lowest published fares. Call 1-800-516-9829. You also may consider cashing in some frequent-flier miles for the flight to Europe.

It's best to fly to your ship's departure city a couple days early to eliminate worries about reaching the vessel on time.

Contact: Carnival, 1-888-227-6482, www.carnival.com; Celebrity, 1-800-647-2251, www.celebritycruises.com; Holland America, 1-877-932-4259, www.hollandamerica.com; Norwegian, 1-866-234-7350, www.ncl.com; Princess, 1-800-774-6237, www.princess.com; Royal Caribbean, 1-866-562-7625, www.royalcaribbean.com.

The following is part of an article which was featured in Newsday, and written by Patricia Kitchen. The subjest matter is worth repeating here....and of course, if you have any questions, or know someonw who might need guidance along these lines, PLEASE call or e-mail me!

While the government's $700-billion bailout of financial firms does not include retroactive mortgage loan relief to help stave off foreclosures, there are actions homeowners can take to handle mortgage arrears and the legal action that can follow.

The most important step consumers can take is to talk with their mortgage servicers early in the process and get assistance from a low- or no-cost home counseling agency to help with budgeting, planning and negotiations with lenders, said Joanie LaFemina, coordinator of homeowner services in the Centereach office of the Community Development Corp. of Long Island, a HUD-certified agency.

Following are notifications that mortgage holders might receive and what they can do about them.

You're in Arrears

Mortgage servicers used to wait 60 days before notifying customers they were in arrears, but some are now cranking out those letters 30 days from the date of the first missed payment, said Manny Alvarado, operations specialist in the Manhattan office of Housing and Urban Development.

At the three-month mark, customers can expect a letter saying they are in "pre-foreclosure," LaFemina said. At that point the mortgage servicer is not likely to accept just one payment, she said; customers can and should call them to explain their circumstances and ask for a "workout"-an adjustment of loan terms.

Some will be receptive, others not, Alvarado said. But, "more lenders are interested in doing workouts than a year ago," he added.

Though it may be tempting, don't avoid opening the mail. Consumers are better off facing the problem, he said, plus some servicers include toll-free numbers to counseling agencies that can help walk them through the process. For a list of area counselors and other resources, go to www.hud.gov/offices.

Summons

Mortgage holders who are not negotiating with their lenders could then receive a summons within 45 to 60 days, depending on their county, lender and circumstances. The document will announce the customer is being foreclosed on, Alvarado said.

A summons means "the clock is ticking" and lawyers are involved, LaFemina said.

On Long Island most of the summonses require a written response within 20 days, and LaFemina suggests consumers get legal help. While an attorney fee can range from $150 to $500, she said, most homeowners will need such expertise in responding point by point to the summons, which outlines how the loan agreement was breached and the servicer's demands.

While consumers may be able to start workout negotiations at this stage, it may be trickier, she said depending on the circumstances, the loan servicer and how anxious attorneys representing the investor in the loan may be to proceed.

Still, she added: "There's no ‘never' anymore, and there's no ‘always.' ... Things are changing on a daily basis."

Foreclosure Date

Again, depending on the circumstances, this notice could follow a summons by 60 to 90 days, Alvarado said. Such a certified notice would inform consumers of the date of the sale of their homes, which could be 30 to 120 days from receipt of the notice.

At this point, consumers can still try for a workout, said Bruce Dorpalen, director of housing counseling for ACORN Housing Corp. While he, too, suggests mortgage holders call earlier in the process, he points to his organization's hotline (888-409-3557) and counseling office in Brooklyn. With the right paperwork and depending on the circumstances, he said, his group has managed to get eleventh-hour stays.

Apart from reinstatement and modification of the loan, at this point the only other option to avoid foreclosure is to file for bankruptcy protection, he said, which carries its own drawbacks, including a negative impact on your credit rating.

The following data on tear-over-year home sales for Maplewood, MN. is courtesy of the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors. I hope it can help you as you gather data about home listing or selling!

Maplewood

This information on year-over-year home sale information for Mahtomedi, MN. is courtesy of the Minneapolis Board of Realtors "Hot 100" list. I hope it can help you as you look at home listings!

Mahtomedi

Within the 451 page Rescue Bill that was recently passed in Washington are nearly 100 tax code changes that directly affect individuals and business owners, including education deductions, sales tax, energy credits, and even new disaster aid. Other tax breaks, which were due to expire, were extended, including property tax deductions, the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act, and the shield for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The property tax provision, set to expire in 2008, has been extended to 2009, and allows up to $500 ($1000 for joint filers) in deductions in addition to the standard property tax deduction - even if you don't itemize! The Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act, extended to 2012, was designed to protect those who already lost their homes due to foreclosures from facing an additional tax penalty for qualifying cancelled or "forgiven debt of up to $2 million. And, finally, the Rescue Bill also saves about 23 million Americans from the dreaded AMT, a kind of extra tax that some people have to pay on top of their regular income tax created by the Tax Reform Act of 1969.

These are just a few of the potential tax benefits created or extended by the Rescue Bill. As always, there are specific qualifying standards, and so it is essential to speak with a qualified tax professional about these and other tax benefits that could help you lower your tax bill and increase your confidence in today's tumultuous financial markets. (and if you don't know a tax professional...give me a call...I know of some very good ones to put you in touch with!)

Have a great week!