Lora "Leah" Stern, Realtor Rockland County Real Estate

Veteran's Day is a day set aside for serving those who served us by fighting for our country.

The first Veteran's Day was celebrated on November 11, 1919.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Armistice was signed ending World War I and Veteran's Day, originally called Armistice Day was established to honor that event.

Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 and became a day to honor American Veterans of all wars. From 1968 Until 1975 Veterans day was celebrated as a three day weekend and it was moved to the last Monday of October. It reverted to its original date in 1975, when President Ford signed a law which restored Veterans Day to November 11 and since then the Veterans Day holiday is observed on that day.

Veterans Day is a day for giving recognition to those who gave of themselves to make our country a safe place to live in. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate and give honor to America's soldiers for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good so that we can enjoy the freedom and quality of life that we have today. It is a day for all of us to honor the service of veterans past and present and express our thanks to them for helping to keep us safe.

Missy Caulk posted this beautiful real estate show last Veterans Day created by her friend Sara Cooper which does a wonderful job of giving honor and saying thank you to those that serve.

Join me in honoring our Veterans!!

Photo - by Mr. Thork

Are your energy bills skyrocketing? With home heating costs skyrocketing and winter approaching, we’re all looking for simple and inexpensive ways to cut our home heating bills. Here are some cost cutting tips - inexpensive ways to help reduce your energy bills this winter.

• Clean Your Furnace – Though this might not be the cheapest way to save on heating costs, it is one of the most effective. A clean furnace is an efficient one. Make sure to service yours regularly. At the very least, change the air filter, A dirty air filter will block the airflow from your furnace and reduce the furnace’s life expectancy.
• Use Compact Fluorescent Lighting – CFL bulbs use less than half of the energy of incandescent bulbs and last a lot longer. The choices, price and quality of the light available in CFL bulbs has improved greatly over time so if you’re not using it yet, start - and watch your electricity usage go down.
  
• Install and Use a Programmable Thermostat – Program the thermostat to match your lifestyle. Why heat an empty house? Lower the heat during the hours that your family is at work/school or asleep. Make sure to get one with different settings for night/day and weekday/weekend.
  
• Seal Air Leaks – Drafts are an indication of air leaks. Seal then with caulk or weather stripping to prevent the heat from leaving the house and the cold air from getting in.
• Use Your Ceiling Fans – A fan can draw warm air through your home and help keep it warm.
  
• Use Washing Machines and Dishwashers Wisely – Try and do full loads only. If you don’t run full loads you’ll need to run the appliances more frequently and will be wasting energy in the process.
  
• Keep Shades Up and Blinds Open –Take advantage of the natural daylight and solar heat that naturally comes from the sun through your windows. This will cut down on the amount of light bulbs and heat running all day.
• Insulate Your Water Heater – This will help your water heater retain heat and will reduce your energy bill over the course of the year. Of coarse, when you need to replace your water heater, as with all your appliances, make sure to buy an energy efficient model.
  
• Turn It Off – If there is an appliance, light, television that you’re not using, make sure you turn it off. Why waste electricity on things you’re not using.
• Turn it down - Of coarse the best way to save on heating bills is to turn down the thermostat – even a couple of degrees can make a big difference.

We don’t really have to give up all the gadgets we love in order to start saving energy in our homes. Just by making some simple changes in our habits and energy usage we can have a positive impact on our home budget and a positive impact on our environment as well

Photos - CFL by Dano, Thermostat by MickWright, Water Heater by JohnCarl Johnson

Homebuyers Tax Credit - Major Modifications Old vs. New (edit/delete)

Yesterday, the House voted to approve the extension and expansion of the homebuyer tax credit. The legislation was part of a piece of legislation that extended unemployment benefits as well.

The legislation extends the availability of the tax credit to purchases on or before April 30, 2010. Home Buyers must be in contract by April 30, 2010 and will have an additional 60 days to close and complete the transaction. The New Homebuyer Tax Credit will remain $8,000 for first-time buyers, but previous homeowners or current homeowners who purchase between December 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010 will be eligible for a credit of $6,500. These previous homeowners and repeat buyers must have lived in their homes consecutively for 5 of the previous 8 years and their homes must have sold or currently be on the market for sale.

The income limits to qualify for the tax credit have been expanded to $125,000 on a single return and $225,000 on a joint return.

You might find this chart that NAR just put out highlighting the differences and major modifications of the OLD verses the NEW Tax Credit helpful. The chart highlights what's new and what's different about the two programs in a very clear manner.

Here's the link to that chart: Homebuyer Tax Credit Changes.

Most of the real estate community believes that the tax credit has been working to revitalize the housing market. Our hope is that once again this will serve to contribute in a significant way to our economic recovery. Let's hope that we're right!

GO GREEN on Battery Saturday - The village of Suffern, NY is trying to do their part in GOING GREEN. They have set Saturday, November 7th, 2009 as the first “BATTERY SATURDAY” – meant to encourage people to keep their toxic batteries out of the waste stream.

Deputy Mayor John Meehan dreamed up the idea. Though the Town of Ramapo recycles batteries the drive to Pomona to the Rockland County Solid Waste Authority to dispose of them is often just not worth the trip for just a couple of smalll batteries. On Battery Saturday you won’t have to go far - batteries will conveniently be collected at Suffern Village Hall from 9AM to 3PM.

So, take advantage of the opportunity to easily and safely dispose of old batteries the GREEN way and schedule battery replacements, maintenance and check-ups for vehicles, appliances, smoke alarms or any other devices in your home that use batteries. Batteries of all sizes will be accepted – from small triple A’s to car and truck batteries.

For this one day only, Volunteers will do pick-ups of household batteries - from residents homes if batteries are put out in paper bags or boxes. NO LOOSE BATTERIES and no vehicle batteries will be picked up..

So…… Let’s all chip in and do our part to GO GREEN and keep toxic batteries out of our waste stream!!!.

The event is being co-sponsored by the Suffern Fire Department, the local CSEAUnit and the Suffern Foundation.

Photos Battery Recycling by Johnseb, Car Battery by Andy Armstrong

The Town of Ramapo is once again sponsoring their annual 5K Turkey Trot. This will be the 8^th annual event. This year's proceeds will go to support the Pajama Program, Inc. which provides new pajamas and books to Rockland County's children in need.

All are welcome to join (adults and teens) but, if running is not your thing, then a donation of a new pair of children's pajamas at the event is always welcome. The family event is scheduled to take place:

Sunday, November 8, 2009

9:30 AM

At

The Herb Reisman Sports Complex

Route 45 - (845-357-6100)

Spring Valley , NY 10977

Registration begins 8:15 AM; trot begins at 9:30 AM

The cost is $10 to pre-register; $15 day of the event

Registration forms are available at the Clark Recreation Center, 59 Campbell Ave. in Suffern, NY or can be downloaded at www.ramapoparks.org .

Postrace activities include refreshment, raffles, a bounce castle and DJ. Join us for the run and bring the family - it's bound to be a fun filled day!

If you miss the event, not to worry, you can participate by dropping off donations of PJ's at the Joseph T. St. Lawrence Center, located at 115 Torne Valley Road, Hillburn, NY 10931 (845-753-2324).

In the event of rain, the 5K Turkey Trot will take place on November 15, 2009

For further information about the Turkey Trot call 845-357-6100 or visit the Suffern Downtown Calendar .