Choose Your First Home: 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits Available

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you’re ready to move out of your apartment or your parent’s home, there isn’t any time better than the present. Right now, first-time homebuyers, or those who haven’t owned in the last three years, can receive up to an $8,000 tax credit.

Beginning to search for your first home is an important step to having the ability to build better finances and to live in a place that’s comfortable. If you’re considering a new home for your family, there are specific things that you’ll want to know before diving in.

Before you even begin to look at homes, make sure that you conduct your own investigation. This will mean that you should find the going rates, how much other owners are paying every month, and what you can or aren’t able to afford. Current homeowners who have lived in a current home consecutively for 5 of the past 8 years can receive up to a $6,500 tax credit when purchasing a home.

You will also want to see what types of houses are going and what they are going for. If you know the basics of what’s available, it’ll be easier for you to get exactly what you want. You should also consider things such as your credit rating and your paycheck. You don’t want to walk into something that is over your head or start to look for something, only to find out that you won’t be able to move in.

Making connections with the right people is important. One of the most important decisions that you can make is to find a real estate agent that you feel comfortable talking to. This will make a difference in the type of deal that you get as well as what type of home and mortgage you end up with. Real estate agents have the ability to do investigations for you and find something that is best for you. You’ll also want to make sure that there are connections with home inspectors and the right lenders. Without the right people set in place, you might encounter problems getting the best deal on your new home.

After you begin to look around with your real estate agent, be sure that you begin to understand the terms that are being given to you. Loan terms, terms about the market, and other real estate ‘jargon’ will oftentimes be mentioned. If you don’t know what something is, ask, research it, or check with someone who’s been through the process before. Getting into a first home is a tremendous step up from an apartment, making it important that you understand excactly what it is that you’re getting involved in.

Keep the following in mind to not miss out on 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits.

Future extensions may not be availabe, so all qualified homebuyers are urged to act and have a written, binding contract by April 30, 2010, and must have a closing by June 30, 2010.

The income limits for singles is now $125,000, while for married couples it is $225,000 with a $20,000 phase-out of the credit for both.

While searching for a new home can be fun, it’s also a challenge.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Win a Conference Pass to BlogHer10 in NYC: Giveaway

2-Day Conference in New York City

Win A Ticket

If you’re a veteran blogger, you’re probably familiar with all the conferences that take place throughout the year in various parts of the country.

If you’re new to blogging, Blog Conferences are a great opportunity to meet fellow mom bloggers, affiliate marketing bloggers and bloggers from all walks of life.  Together they share information and bounce ideas off of each other.

BlogHer is open to anyone and everyone who considers themselves part of the blogosphere; BlogHer is particularly focused on highlighting the skills and talents of women who blog. All genders, ages, ethnicities, and levels of blogging experience are encouraged to attend! We promise there’s something for everyone.  (And in case you’re curious, about 10-15% of attendees are men.)

Many of my readers know I was all excited about attending BlogHer10 in New York City this summer however I’m now unable to attend.

WIN my ticket! I’m hosting a Giveaway for a 2-Day Conference Pass to BlogHer ‘10 in NYC!!!!  (a $298 value for the 2-day pass) open only to my readers who are email subscribers!

Mandatory Entry Requirements.

Main Rule:   (remember if all of these rules are not followed and completed then no others will count)
1. Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment)

2.  Enter by writing  a blog post of approximately 200 – 300 words about why you would like to attend a blogging conference.  Let me whether you’ve ever attended BlogHer or similar conferences in the past, and how you benefited from them.

Choose one of the keyword phrases below and corresponding links to place within your post.

If you have more than one blog, you may write one post per blog url that you own.  Each post will count as an entry.  You will need to post your link here in a separate comment for each entry.

Your blog must have its own domain and have a Google rank of 2 or better.  Blogs not meeting these requirements will not count as an entry.

3.  Please use one of these keyword phrases within the context of your post, and make sure that the link is live, and works before submitting :

Link #1: “WAHM tips” and link to http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog/backlinks-how-to-build-solid-traffic/

Link #2: “blogging resource tips” and link to http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog/alexa-toolbar-benefits/

Link #3: “product reviews and giveaways” and link to http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog/review-info/

Rules #1, #2 and #3 must be completed to be considered entered into the contest.

Submit a comment for each blog post, along with the live URL link to your post. If the post is done in accordance with the above rules, it will be counted as an entry in the contest to win a 2-Day Conference pass to BlogHer ‘10 in New York City.  Please ascertain that all links work before submitting your post.  Posts that are incomplete will be voided.

This contest will run until April 15, 2010 at 11:00 pm. EST

*No purchase necessary
*Open to USA and Canada Only 18 years and older
*Rules for each entry must be followed to be valid.
*Winner will be contacted by me to transfer ticket. May not be re-sold or transferred to another person. Not exchangeable for cash.

For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.  Grab this banner to place on your sidebar, linking to this post, and it will also count as an extra entry.  Please leave your blog’s URL:

SUBMIT ENTRIES HERE FOR MY SPREADSHEET:

For a second chance to win, Visit Digital Mommy, who’s also hosting a BlogHer10 Conference Pass Giveaway!

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Snow What Winter Olympics? Find Me at the Lodge

What Kind of Snow Bunny Are You?

After the blizzard the Mid-Atlantic states and Washington D.C. experienced this week, we in Connecticut were lucky we missed it.

But our turn in New England is coming on Wednesday!

How do you handle snow?  Does your inner-child come out?  Maybe you always dreamed of participating in the Winter Olympics! Do you rush off to go skiing, snowboarding, skating or sledding? Do you hunker down inside, or maybe go on a cruise or fly south like the snowbirds from up North do?

I just took this little test – and if you read through my posts and 101 Random Things About Me – you’ll see it’s right on the mark! Look for me inside the Ski Lodge!

You Are a Snow Kitten

You like snow in small doses. You find snow to be comforting, and you love to snuggle up under a blanket of snow. You’re not a big fan of the hassles of snow. You’re happy to see it come, but you’re also happy to see it go. Go ahead and venture out in the snow from time to time! Throw a snowball or make a snow angel. You have an inner snow bunny inside you, and it’s time to let that bunny play.

Are You a Snow Bunny?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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BlogHer10 Conference Pass Giveaway Coming Up!

2-Day Conference in New York City

Win A Ticket

Many of my readers know I was all excited about attending BlogHer10 in New York City this summer.

If you’re a current email subscriber to Moomette’s Magnificents – thank you; but if you aren’t yet – you must might want to subscribe NOW because I’ll be running an exciting contest in March!

But first things first.

If you’re a veteran blogger, you’re probably familiar with all the conferences that take place throughout the year in various parts of the country.

If you’re new to blogging, Blog Conferences are a great opportunity to meet fellow mom bloggers, affiliate marketing bloggers and bloggers from all walks of life.  Together they share information and bounce ideas off of each other.

BlogHer is open to anyone and everyone who considers themselves part of the blogosphere; BlogHer is particularly focused on highlighting the skills and talents of women who blog. All genders, ages, ethnicities, and levels of blogging experience are encouraged to attend! We promise there’s something for everyone.  (And in case you’re curious, about 10-15% of attendees are men.)

My friends Connie, from Brain Foggles; Heather from Beautiful British Columbia; Murray from Murray Newlands Marketing Blog; and Trisha from MomDot all are veteran conference attendees.  It’s thanks to friends like these who help me to improve on my blogging skills and techniques and enable me to meet new friends through social networking.

Do you think you’d like to attend some conferences, but need to get sponsored to attend? Read up on some of the following tips to help get sponsored.

Now that you’ve made it this far, I’ve saved the best for last.

Certain plans don’t always pan out, and this year’s BlogHer10 conference falls on my grandson Slugger’s birthday weekend this August.  I already bought my conference pass to BlogHer10, and will be hosting a Giveaway (a $298 value for the 2-day pass) to my readers who are email subscribers!

So watch for my upcoming Giveaway post Enter the contest HERE which will tell you the rules and sign up for my Newsletter!

For More Information Visit:  BlogHer10

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Haiti Earthquake Humanitarian Effort Needed

Help Haiti

Earthquake Disaster Relief

Haiti has suffered a horrendous, devastating earthquake within the last week.  In desperate need of food, medical supplies, clothing and water, the country of Haiti, in the Caribbean is desperate from help from all over the world.

It’s difficult to comprehend the suffering of so many people, young and old, just by watching media and news coverage of the vast destruction of this natural disaster, the likes of which have not occurred in my lifetime.

My daughters’ high school, Mercy High, has always been involved in humanitarian effort for Haiti. Many of the girls from their school have volunteered their time over school vacations for the orphanage at Foyer des Filles de Dieu.

You can contribute to Haiti relief efforts at Mercy High School

If you would like to make a contribution to aid in this disaster, here’s a link to a reputable relief organization.  AmeriCares, based in Stamford, Connecticut is one of the international agencies that is assisting in relief efforts.

AmeriCares welcomes monetary donations, and any checks should be made out to AmeriCares.

Countries of the world are opening up their hearts to help in this emergency relief.

Thank you for your humanitarian effort.

For More Information Visit: AmeriCares website.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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How To Get More Blog Followers – Friday Follow Celebration

Friday Follow

Get More Followers!

This meme occurs on Fridays and is a great way to meet new friends and get more blog followers! Welcome to the first ever Follow Friday Celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades!   They invite you to join them every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

• Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
• Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots. They will follow you back.
• Follow as many blogs as you’d like to have followers
• Comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow
• Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

Spread the word about Friday Follow by grabbing the button for your blog and come celebrate again every Friday.  Feel free to also send out a tweet, blog, stumble or share the news in your own special way!

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Google Friend Connect – my buttons are on my sidebar!

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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In Memory of Karissa – Prissy Green

Another Candle in the Wind

Saying goodbye and Godspeed to Karissa Gindling, at Prissy Green

I like to dispel the myths of the beauty industry and see through their marketing. I am vinegar and water cleaner, and I make my own laundry soap. (yea, I went that far!) Composting, gardening dirt loving girl.  I am honestly not that prissy, I am more or less,just addicted to beauty products!  And living a green and clean life! I will admit I don’t have it all down perfectly and I am far from an expert, but that is exactly why I wanted to do this blog.  As I get informed, I promise to share my knowledge with you to the best of my ability!

And she did.

Related Articles:

• In Home Spa Treatment: Pamper Yourself
• 3 Tips For Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
• Reading Glasses Shopper – Review and Giveaway
• In Memory of Karissa – Prissy Green
• Telescopic Explosion Mascara By L’Oréal Paris

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Tags: 2010 Homebuyer Credit, business, family, finance, first-time homebuyer, house, money, mortgage, real estate, real estate agent, tax credit

It’s My SITS Day! Welcome to Moomettes Magnificents!

January 12, 2010 by Moomette's Magnificents (Admin)  
Filed under Facebook, Veranda Chit Chat, Web 2.0, baby boomer, family, grandparenting, leisure, lifestyle, parenting, social networking, twitter

163 Comments

The Secret Is In the Sauce

The Secret To Success Is Support

Hi Everybody!  I’m so excited as today is my special SITS Day!

What perfect timing for a celebration as this past weekend was also my BIRTHDAY!  It’s great to celebrate with all my SITStas!

If you aren’t familiar with SITS – It’s a great group of gals from who believe that The Secret Is In Support by leaving comments on each other’s blogs and you can find out more at The Secret Is In the Sauce.

What’s a party without cake?  Since I have a recipe blog also at Moomettesgram’s Favorite Recipes, I’ve baked my favorite cake to share with you!

If you haven’t met me before, I’m Cindi, and also known around the blogosphere as “Moomettesgram.” You can find out more about my quirks on my Nav bar under 101 Random Things About Me.

I’m a Baby Boomer (+ one more year older now!) and I write offering tips about working from home.  I also offer Product Reviews and Giveaways from the perspective of a Baby Boomer Grandmom from New England, who’s “Been Around the Block.” I also like to share scenic photography pictures of New England on my Wordless Wednesday memes.

You’ll see I’ve been married for over 35 years.  I have 2 grown daughters – both college grads.  The oldest is married and a Marketing Director, and my youngest is currently in grad school studying Therapeutic Pediatric Disabilities.  I have two grandkiddos that I often speak about – ‘Lil Moomette who’ll be 4 this year, and Slugger who will be two.

Since this is my special day, I’d like to share some favorite posts.

Earlier last summer I did a 4-part series which was sort of a chronicle of “this is my life” – from when I was in my teens up until the kids arrived, at Woodstock: Part 1 – Talking About My Generation.

Another favorite was my fateful vacation trip to Bermuda.  We don’t get to travel too much and won a trip to Bermuda through a raffle when my oldest daughter played Lacrosse in college.  You can find out why I ended up with a souvenir Tetanus Shot Certificate for my scrapbook at Gas Crunch: Bermuda + Boomers + Scooters = A Souvenir Tetanus Shot.

Lastly, even though I’m a Baby Boomer, in my mind I still like to think I can walk into Victoria’s Secret and think I’ll look good in some of the things they sell.  Find out what really happens when someone my age walks into such a store – Lingerie:  Or What Do You Do With This Stuff?  A Baby Boomer Dilemma.

I hope you’ll also check out my Work-At-Home Tips section, along with my product reviews and general Humor and Curmudgeon commentary under “Veranda Chit Chat.” I also welcome people to Guest Post, and you can find all my current Guest Posts, Blogging Resource and Social Media informational tips on my sidebar under “Must Reads.”

Thanks for stopping by and helping me celebrate my SITs Day and Birthday Week!  (Yes, I’m beyond birthDAYS and make a whole week’s celebration out of it!)  You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Stumble Upon on my sidebar!

I look forward to meeting everyone and hope you’ll become regular visitors!

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Ice Wine And Early Bird Specials

Settling In To a New Year

Visions of Ski Lodges Dance In My Head

Happy New Year everybody!

Hopefully all my readers had a safe, enjoyable holiday.

I was supposed to babysit the grandkids last night, but my daughter and charming-son-in-law’s plans changed, so the Hubster and I went out to our favorite Italian restaurant for an “early bird” dinner.  Geesh, what’s become of us?

When we were younger, we used to go to New York City for New Years and party all night long; then the kids came along and we’d go out to our friends for a nice dinner and party and come home about 2 am.

Now, as Baby Boomer’s, it’s early-bird dinners, we stay home and the hubs turned in around 9 pm on New Years. Last night I blogged and tweeted and partied online doing the hashtag #lamenewyearseve.

I embibed a bit with sipped some Ice Wine on New Years eve.  There’s still some left from Christmas, and since it’s sort of officially still New Year’s Day, I’m finishing it I finished it.

You may ask what’s Ice Wine?  No, this isn’t a paid post, or anything of that sort.  I didn’t know what it was either until I went to Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York to visit my brother one year.  We toured some wineries, since it’s wine country up there.

Here’s the official Wikipedia definition of ice wine:

Ice wine (or icewine, as one word, or in German, Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine.

When my brother visited for Thanksgiving, he brought a house gift of Ice Wine from Hunt Country Vineyards for my daughter.

I would describe it as smooth and sweet – almost like a brandy. To me, it leaves a definite coating when you drink it, unlike a regular wine. It’s meant to be an apertif, or after-dinner wine. I serve it in my Waterford Crystal wine glasses. Perhaps it could also be served in cordial glasses.

I’ve tweeted about ice wine, and Renee Ross from Cutie Bootie Cakes asked what it was.  Speaking of Renee – she was my Secret Santa Pal this year when I participated in the T.J.Maxx and Marshall’s Secret Santa exchange.  More on that in another post!

Now, in my mind I’m sitting by a roaring fire or wood stove looking out the window at the snow-covered ground in New England here.  I don’t ski anymore, but would be content to curl up in a ski lodge that has Wifi or read a good book, and sip a nice vintage ice wine!

Actually, I tried to order the Hunt Country online, but Connecticut and their stringent laws, won’t allow purchases of wine online (so I was told when I went to place my order.)  I doubt I could even join a Wine of the Month Club here. In fact, even though Pennsylvania borders New York, they don’t allow it either!

I’ve found others locally at are equally as good – one has sweet flavors of pineapple and citrus while another has peach and honey flavors in it.

Have you tried Ice Wine?  What’s your favorite! If not, you might look into it for Valentine’s Day!

Don’t forget to check out my Best Posts of 2009! Happy Holidays!

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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New Years Eve Party 101: Celebrate Responsibly

Don’t Drink and Drive

Ringing in the New Year

I’ll be babysitting the grandkids this year since my oldest daughter and my charming son-in-law will be going out for a night on the town.

When I was younger I always looked forward to New Year’s Eve.  My husband’s family enjoyed partying, and there was many a New Year’s Eve that we would travel from Connecticut to New York City and spend the night.

All the in-laws would stay at the same hotel in the Big Apple.  We’d have dinner in the theater district at Sardi’s or Gallagher’s (where you can see the beef hanging in the window!) or sometimes at Jack Dempsey’s Restaurant on Broadway.  Afterwards we’d take in the scene at Times Square to get a glimpse of the ball.  Later we’d go back to the hotel and take in a show at Rockefeller Center the next day, and stop in at Tavern on the Green.

What was nice about going to NYC was that once we were there, the car was parked and we didn’t have to drive.  We’d take a cab or walk wherever we wanted to go.

Many cities and towns now have First Night celebrations, which is really nice because most family events and are alcohol-free.

During the holidays, everybody looks forward to celebrating with family and friends.  Our mailbox fills up with invitations to Christmas and Hanukkah parties, dinners, and other get-togethers.  Through each exciting gathering we learn to control our eating to avoid those holiday and New Year’s pounds.  Another thing to be aware of is how much alcohol we consume.

Everyone wants to get into the spirit of the occasion.  But good natured frivolity can get us into trouble when we drink without thinking at office parties and other holiday gatherings.  Having a truly good time means handling our alcohol responsibly. 

We need a plan before we even reach the party.

Choose a designated driver. You hear it all the time but that’s because it’s important.  This doesn’t give permission to drink until you can’t stand up but at least when you are ready to go home, someone who is in control of their faculties will be in charge of driving.  To appear fair, rotate the role of designated driver among your circle of friends so everyone gets a chance to participate fully in the party happenings.

Mix your alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic beverages. One or two drinks can have less of an effect on us when drank intermittently with soda.  If you drink only one or two drinks it may be best to hail a taxi rather than risk driving home because you’re unsure whether you’re over the limit or not.

Blood alcohol content is how the police test for the amount of alcohol still circulating in your system.  In the United States, the legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08 percent.  Anything above that is considered breaking the law and will result in a DWI or DUI arrest and possible prosecution.

When someone is stopped by the police, they assess the need to administer a breathalyzer test.  The person blows on the instrument and it registers a blood alcohol level.  The number that appears is admissible in court should it come to that.

But, how did they know to stop you?  Believe it or not, someone under the influence of alcohol tries to rationalize that they are alright to drive.  It’s the ones who are just over the limit that rationalize the most.

They reason that if they drive slower, they’ll make it home safely.  Unfortunately, the body has other plans.  Alcohol slows the reaction time.  As a result, people under the influence of alcohol drive slower so they have less trouble braking if needed.  They brake more often because they are trying not to hit anything.  Forgetting to turn on the headlights isn’t uncommon.

On the other end of the spectrum, someone who is blatantly drunk will drive fast, swerving across the center line and showing a disregard for traffic signals and signs.  Wide turns result in accidents either with stationary objects or another moving vehicle.  When people drink and drive, someone can die.

The bottom line is don’t drink and drive.  The odds are against us that we’ll get away with it.  Don’t bet someone else’s life (or your own) on it.

Happy New Year!

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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