Maryann Giacobbe Houlihan Lawrence

IRS AUDIT PRIORITIES Latest Suspects:         The IRS is focusing    on certain taxpayers   After a few years of focusing its audit efforts on low-income taxpayers, the IRS has shifted its priorities to go after high-income filers and people who are hiding money from the government.Here are a co...

TURN SWEAT EQUITY INTO TAX-FREE PROFIT         Benefit from Current Laws Despite the recent slump in the real estate market, the current tax law provides an opportunity to invest in fixer-upper homes and realize a tax-free profit. The reason has to do with a tax law, passed in 1997, that increas...

COMMUNITY LIVING RESOURCES These Q and A's are managed by Richard Thompson from www.regensis.net. Richard has been involved for many years with various aspects of community living. He provides consulting services to community groups and industry vendors.Question:Our board likes to do a lot of bu...

HOME SAFETY UPDATE: RECENT PRODUCT RECALLS Topic Summary:  Every month there are millions of products recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for safety defects. Here is a summary of the items on the current recall list.Select Product Recalls For October 2011:Each line item is linked ...

Topic Summary:  If your home's value has dropped you may want to investigate a property appeal. But doing so mandates you have proof and the numbers to back up your claims. The most important piece of information you will need is a solid home valuation. Yes there are websites that can give you an...

WASHINGTON WATCH: NEW BILL ADDS ENERGY TO AFFORDABILITY. Topic Summary:  When you apply for mortgage financing either on a new loan or a refinance, the decision makers look at several numbers when deciding if the amount you are asking for is justified by your income and expenses such as taxes an...

Unclaimed Money and Assets IMPORTANT: There is no governmentwide, centralized information service or database on how unclaimed government assets may be obtained. Each individual federal agency maintains its own records. 1. How can I find out if the government has unclaimed money or property that...

  Grants, Loans, and Financial Assistance   Making Home Affordable © –  Check whether you might be eligible for mortgage modification or refinance through the Making Home Affordable Program. Treasury Hunt - Determine if a deceased relative owned U.S. Department of the Treasury securities. Unclaim...

     Halloween Food Safety Tips for Parents     Take these simple steps to help your children have a fun – and safe – Halloween Children shouldn’t snack while they’re out trick-or-treating.  Urge your children to wait until they get home and you have had a chance to inspect the contents of their ...

3 steps to fixing a warped floor Floating floor system is recommended Q: Our shared-wall townhouse was flooded when our neighbor's washing machine overflowed. The concrete foundation is apparently not that even, and the water puddled in the middle of our place. Disaster clean...