Columnists

When it is time to update your home, chances are, you will consider remodeling the kitchen or bathroom. These two areas can add the most value to your home in the long run and often make a big impact on your home’s resale value. According the National Association of Realtors, the average return on investment for a minor kitchen remodel is 82.7 percent, while a major bathroom remodel and major kitchen remodel averaged 72.5 percent. Making sure that the remodeling process runs smoothly takes time … [Read more...] about Time to Remodel the Kitchen or Bath: How to Get Started

Flagstaff real estate has quite the reputation for being seasonal. No doubt, it is much busier in the summer months than in the snow covered, wind howling, dark days of winter. Although it gets much slower in colder months, it does not die off completely. Mild winters allow for new construction homes to keep being built; it’s also much easier to navigate streets and neighborhoods and driveways are more clear. We are not always in line for a mild winter though and many winter months see … [Read more...] about Is It Time to Hibernate or Can We Still Sell Real Estate?

 One of the greatest fears of most taxpayers is the idea that the Internal Revenue Service might audit them. I have prepared taxes for well over 20 years, and one of the most common requests is: “Please keep me from getting audited.” The preparer does not control that. The IRS screens returns and uses an internal computer program to determine who may or may not be audited. The first thing that will happen is the taxpayer will receive a letter saying that their tax return for a certain year is … [Read more...] about Anatomy of an Audit

 Every time you hear how many gazillions Facebook, or Apple, or Google is worth, I know what you’re thinking. Why not me? The only thing stopping you is that you need to invent The Next Big Thing. The challenge is to figure out what The Next Big Thing is. To do that, you have to figure out what people want badly enough that they’ll pay good money to make it The Next Big Thing, right? Not necessarily. What if you created something no one particularly wanted because it doesn’t exist yet, but … [Read more...] about A Simple Guide to Getting People Hooked

Based on an Arizona court decision, Arizona “housing for older persons” communities must consider Fair Housing issues when enforcing their residency restrictions. In Canady v. Prescott Canyon Homeowners Association, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that “housing for older persons” community associations must waive their minimum age restriction and allow disabled individuals, regardless of their age, to reside in the community with persons who meet the age restriction. Age-restricted … [Read more...] about Housing For Older Persons Communities Change Age Limits

Unscrupulous financial scammers preying on the elderly is probably the most well known form of elder abuse. What most people don’t realize is that elder abuse is more prevalent and far-reaching than fraud and scams. Elder abuse encompasses a wide range of mistreatment, including physical, emotional and sexual abuse, abandonment and neglect. It most often comes from family members, friends or, surprisingly, even the seniors themselves in the form of self-neglect. Unfortunately, it is also greatly … [Read more...] about Breaking the Cycle of Elder Abuse

If you are ever confronted by the police as a suspect, remember two rules: First, don’t lie. Don’t say anything to the police that is not true. Second, don’t incriminate yourself. Don’t say anything that admits a fact that could cause you to get in trouble. Here’s how this advice plays out in the context of a DUI. If you have been drinking and get pulled over driving a vehicle, the police will ask questions about your drinking. An officer will likely tell you he can smell the odor of an … [Read more...] about What to Do if Suspected of Driving Under the Influence