Southern California’s wildfire victims now have some tax relief in the form of extensions on their federal tax return filing and payment deadlines and waivers of certain penalties and fees.
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From time to time, it is necessary or desirable to recruit new directors. It may due to a vacancy or an upcoming election. Often volunteers are reluctant to commit until they fully understand the scope of the job and time commitment. Here is a sample solicitation letter that outlines director duties:
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It may be difficult for anyone impacted by the deflated housing bubble to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But the author of the new book, “Pop! Why Bubbles Are Good for the Economy,” says that if home owners, buyers, sellers, builders, lenders and real estate can hold on, there are good [...]

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For parents who are just beginning to relax into their “empty nest,” Halloween may not be the scariest day of the year. A call or email from an adult child saying, “I’m coming home to stay” can send “they’re back” chills down the spine of any mother or father who believed their parenting days were [...]

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In an example of federal readiness for the nation’s latest disaster, providing shelter quickly became a focal point for the short and long term needs of residents displaced by the California inferno.
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The Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate from 5.25% to 4.75% in September and the stock market reacted with an instant gain of 335 points.
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The long-awaited Democratic solution to the subprime crisis debuted on Capitol Hill last Wednesday to raves and catcalls. But proponents and critics agreed on one thing: If enacted, House Financial Services committee chairman Rep. Barney Frank’s bill would transform major portions of the home loan transaction for prime and subprime borrowers alike.
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The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) told Congress that its members are committed to encouraging greater energy efficiency in housing throughout the U.S. and strongly believe that a voluntary, market-driven approach is the best way to address the nation’s residential energy concerns, not Congress federalizing the state building code process.
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California home prices fell year-to-year for the first time in 10 years in September. The fall came with a record month-to-month sales slump, accompanied by double-digit home price plunges largely in the south but also in the state’s capital city.
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As fires still burn throughout California, many people remain either evacuated or homeless having lost their homes to a raging blaze. Still others are fortunate enough to at least have a place to go home to — despite the poor shape it’s in when they return.
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