Read more: http://rismedia.com/2010-01-06/the-expanded-home-buyer-tax-credit-could-chase-away-the-winter-blues/#ixzz0ciHncFIP

Just in time for our New Year's celebrations (click here if you still don't know where to bring in 2010), research out of the University of Reading in the United Kingdom suggests that two glasses of champagne per day could improve your heart and your circulation.

Like red wine, tea, blueberries, olive oil and other so-called "super foods," champagne (and other sparkling wines like cava and prosecco) contains polyphenols, which appear to slow down the natural removal of nitric oxide, a vascular active molecule which controls blood pressure. Got that? Basically, the polyphenols lead to higher nitric oxide levels in blood, which can increase blood flow and decrease blood pressure and the likelihood of blood clots forming, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

This discovery builds on the medical recommendation that two glasses of red wine are beneficial to the heart and circulatory system, though white wine has not been shown to offer similar benefits.

Like you needed a reason to break into the bubbly.

HEALTH & SAFETY: Safety Tips for Holiday Decorating

The holiday season is here...and with the holidays comes decorating! The following tips and suggestions will help ensure safety as you get in the holiday spirit.

• Decorate only with lights that have a NOEL or U/L testing agency label. Check wires, plugs and sockets for signs of wear or defects. Remember: If in doubt - throw them out.
• Do not overload outlets and extension cords. Never tie together more than three extension cords.
• Be sure decorative lights used outside are approved for outdoor use.
• When decorating outdoors, be aware of all power lines. Don't work near overhead power lines or anywhere there is a possibility of contacting an overhead power line, either directly or indirectly, with a ladder or other piece of equipment.
• Place Christmas trees away from fireplaces, radiators, television sets, and other sources of heat that may prematurely dry out the tree and make it more susceptible to fire. Make sure the tree has a sufficient amount of water at all times.
• Don't burn wrapping paper or boxes in the fireplace. These types of materials ignite quickly and may burn uncontrollably.

1. Free Money. The $6500 Step up Buyer and $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers is valid before April 30th 2010. This is a special tax credit from the government that you don't have to pay back, as long as you stay in the home for at least 36 months.

2. Affordability. Based on recent property declines and current interest rates, home affordability has not been higher since it was first tracked over 40 years ago. Your grandparents couldn't have received a better interest rate than you can today.

3. Tax Breaks. The IRS allows you to deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage, your property taxes and, in many cases for those who qualify, some of the costs to buy your home and mortgage insurance. Owning a home is a great way to lower your tax bill.

4. Build Wealth. Unlike paying rent, with each mortgage payment you make, you build equity and you decrease your income tax liability. Owning a home is still the best long-term investment.

5. Appreciation. As home prices have fallen precipitously in today's tough economy, the basis for realizing appreciation in future years is very strong. Historically, even with other periods of declining value, home prices have exceeded consumer inflation. From 1972 through 2005, home prices increased on average 6.5%, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

6. Stability. Knowing you can establish roots and raise a family in one location, free of the desires or needs of your landlord to sell the property you are living in. This is something no other investment provides. You can't live in a stock, and you can't raise your kids in a bond.

7. Independence. Enjoy the freedom to do what you want to your home. After all, it's yours to do what you wish. And, with any improvements you make, you have the ability to benefit from your investment. Try that with an apartment!

Breaking News: Homebuyer Tax Credit Set to be Extended and Expanded!

Below is a summary of the new modifications in the extension and expansion of the tax credit:

1)  The $8,000 tax credit will be extended and available for first-time purchases before May 1, 2010.

2)  A new $6,500 tax credit will be available for repeat buyers who purchase between December 1, 2009, and May 1, 2010. To qualify for this provision, buyers must have used the home sold or being sold as a principal residence consecutively for 5 of the previous 8 years.

3)  Prospective purchasers with binding contracts in place as of April 30, 2010, will be allowed an additional 60 days to complete the transaction.

4)  Income limits are expanded to $125,000 on a single return and $225,000 on a joint return.

If you know anyone looking to buy their first home at a time when prices and interest rates are still down, or if you are thinking of buying another home and getting the new $6,500 credit please contact us today.

Toyota recalls 3.8 million vehicles

Potentially dangerous floor mats cited for company's largest U.S. recall

WASHINGTON - Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, the company’s largest-ever U.S. recall, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash.

“A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop a vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death,” Miller said.

NHTSA said it had received reports of 102 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck on the Toyota vehicles involved. It was unclear how many led to crashes but the inquiry was prompted by a highspeed crash in August in California of a Lexus barreling out of control. As the vehicle hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, family members made a frantic 911 call and said the accelerator was stuck and they couldn’t stop the vehicle.

“This is an urgent matter,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. “For everyone’s sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration.”

The recall will affect 2007-2010 model year Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.

Toyota’s previously largest U.S. recall was about 900,000 vehicles in 2005 to fix a steering issue. The company declined to say how many complaints it had received about the accelerator issue.

The Japanese automaker warned owners that if they think their vehicle is accelerating out of control, they should check to see whether their floor mat is under the pedal. If a driver can’t remove the floor mat, Toyota advises drivers to step on the brake pedal with both feet until the vehicle slows and then try to put it into neutral and switch the ignition to accessory power.

For vehicles with engine start/stop buttons, Toyota said the engine can be shut off by holding the button down for three seconds.

In the August incident near San Diego, the fiery crash of a 2009 Lexus ES 350 killed California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, 45, and three others on State Route 125 in Santee. The runaway car was traveling at more than 120 mph when it hit a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames. One of the family members called police about a minute before the crash to report the vehicle had no brakes and the accelerator was stuck. The call ended with someone telling people in the car to hold on and pray, followed by a woman’s scream.

NHTSA investigators determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle, something that could have snared or covered the accelerator pedal.

Toyota spokesman John Hanson said the final report had not yet been submitted in the California case.

“We don’t know what the actual cause was of that accident other than preliminary reports that have been published so it’s impossible for us to comment on that particular incident,” Hanson said.

In mid-September, Toyota ordered 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealers nationwide to ensure that each new, used and loaner vehicles had the proper floor mats and that the mats were properly secured.

In September 2007, Toyota recalled an accessory all-weather floor mat sold for use in some 2007 and 2008 model year Lexus ES 350 and Toyota Camry vehicles because of similar problems.

For more information, consumers can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s hotline at (888) 327-4236, Toyota at (800) 331-4331 or Lexus at (800) 255-3987.

The recall will involve popular models such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid.

Toyota said it was still working with officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a remedy to fix the problem and said owners could be notified about the recall as early as next week. Toyota spokesman Irv Miller said until the company finds a fix, owners should take out the removable floor mat on the driver’s side and not replace it.