RISMEDIA, September 1, 2010–Over-worked, over-tired and stressed-out workers have one more thing to worry about this coming Labor Day – how many vacation days they could potentially be losing this year. And if the President of the United States, who just returned from a respite on Martha’s Vineyard, can still find time, then shouldn’t everyone?

The fact that people are not using all of their vacation days is well documented and the statistics are staggering. According to data released in a 2009 vacation study, U.S. adults who only receive an average of 13 vacation days per year typically leave three days unused. When considering that the U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics has recorded approximately 153 million employed Americans, this means that each year an average of 459 million vacation days are going unused in the United States. Based on these overwhelming facts, Royal Caribbean is encouraging consumers to use their hard-earned vacation days and reminding them that even The President – a person with arguably one of the hardest jobs in America – needs to get away every now and then.

“Vacations are not a luxury, they’re a necessity,” says John de Graaf, Executive Director of Take Back Your Time, a nonprofit organization that studies issues related to overwork. “Men who take them are 32% less likely to suffer from heart disease than those who don’t. For women, it’s 50%. And women who don’t take vacations are more than twice as likely to suffer from depression. Pass them by at your peril.”

Championing a “cruise them, don’t lose them” message, Royal Caribbean is giving vacation-deprived consumers encouragement to leave their desks behind in favor of some much needed rest and relaxation. The cruise line has recently launched a compelling video – Vacation Daze – showcasing the irony of letting vacation days expire and the absurdity of this unfortunate reality. The video can be seen at www.youtube.com/royalcaribbeanintl. For solutions and a variety of cruise options to fit all schedules, visit www.royalcaribbean.com or contact your travel agent.

“The average American spends 261 days commuting, filling out time sheets and wondering what’s for dinner. As Labor Day marks the end of summer, we wanted to shine a spotlight on this perennial issue and also remind people to take a much needed and hard-earned break, even if it’s just for a couple of days,” states Betsy O’Rourke, SVP Marketing, Royal Caribbean International.

A recent travel industry survey suggests that close to half (45%) of working Americans let hard-earned time-away go to waste in 2009; furthermore, three-quarters (78%) anticipate leaving as many as 10 vacation days on the table in 2010. Why the annual commitment to all work and no play? Most confess that coordinating schedules with family and friends is too difficult (51%) or they are not able to afford a “real vacation” (40%); others admit it is less about personal situations and more about work-life being too busy to enjoy time away (47%). While consumers express pessimism towards the possibility of a work escape, adults who choose to go on vacation feel reconnected with the family (53%), more productive and positive about their jobs (34%), as well as the health benefits of being rested and rejuvenated.

RISMEDIA, August 19, 2010–A majority of large U.S. employers are moving forward with plans to make changes to their 2011 health care benefit programs in the wake of both health reform and expected large health benefit cost increases next year, according to a new survey by the National Business Group on Health, a non-profit association of large employers.

The survey found that more than half (53%) of respondents are still planning to make changes to their benefit plans despite the uncertainty that exists around complying with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Another two of ten employers (19%) are scaling back changes they planned to make while an equal number are making no changes. The remaining respondents were still undecided pending further review of the final regulations.

Among the employers who will be making specific changes to their health benefit plans to comply with the new law, 70% said they will remove lifetime dollar limits on overall benefits while 37% reported they will make changes to annual or lifetime limits on specific benefits. About one in four (26%) will remove annual dollar limits on overall benefits while 13% will remove pre-existing condition exclusions for children. The survey, based on responses from 72 of the nation’s largest corporations representing more than 3.7 million employees, was conducted in May and June, 2010.

“While the health reform law has forced employers to evaluate their health care benefit strategies and decide whether to comply with the law or lose grandfathered status, they haven’t lost sight of the fact that controlling rising costs remains one of, if not, their highest priority. They have to foot the bill, not the government,” said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health. “In fact, with cost increases expected to accelerate next year, many of the plan design changes employers are making are being done to help curb those increases, as they have to do every year.”

According to the survey, employers estimate their health care benefit costs will increase an average of 8.9% next year, compared with an average increase of 7% this year. To help control those increases, employers are planning to use a wider variety of cost-sharing strategies. The survey found 63% plan to increase the percentage employees contribute to the premium, up from 57% who did so this year, while 46% plan to raise out-of-pocket maximums next year compared with 36% this year.

More Employers Shifting to Full-Replacement Consumer-Directed Health Plans
More than six in ten (61%) employers will offer a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) in 2011. While the most common type of plan employers will offer is a high-deductible plan combined with a health savings account (64%), the survey found a big spike in employers moving to a full replacement plan. Among employers offering a CDHP, the number moving to a full replacement plan doubled from 10% this year to 20% in 2011.

“Consumer directed health plans are living up to their expectations as a way to help save employers money and put employees in greater control of their health care. In fact, offering these plans was the most often-cited tactic by employers to control costs. We fully expect that employer interest in CDHPs, and especially full-replacement plans, will continue to increase in the future,” said Darling.

Other survey findings include:

– With the health reform law making Medicare Part D benefits richer as the “doughnut hole” closes between now and 2020, 5% plan to drop retiree health coverage in 2011 while 60% are considering doing so.

– Four in ten (41%) employers offered premium discounts for completing health assessments while 22% offered premium discounts for participating in tobacco cessation programs.

– One in four (25%) employers plans to raise the co-pay or co-insurance for retail pharmacy prescription drug benefits while 21% plan to do the same for mail-order pharmacy benefits.

RISMEDIA, August 14, 2010–Eye strain, fatigue and headaches are common indicators that your digital devices – including computer monitors, smart phones and video games – might be causing you discomfort.

According to recent research with VSP Vision Care eye doctors, 33 percent reported that nearly one third or more of their patients suffer from symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome or digital device-related vision problems. The most common symptoms of patients suffering from Computer Vision Syndrome include eye strain (82 percent), dry or irritated eyes (74 percent), fatigue (70 percent) and headaches (61 percent). Yet, two in three eye doctors report 20 percent or fewer of their patients even know what Computer Vision Syndrome is, showing a low level of understanding of the condition.

Computer Vision Syndrome is a serious condition that can have a major impact on the well-being, work productivity and learning capacity. As six hours is the average time spent in front of a digital device, American workers alone are spending in excess of 200 billion hours a year in front of a digital screen.

“Computer Vision Syndrome is a major problem for Americans,” said Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford, VSP provider. “For professionals with this condition, work productivity can decrease by as much as 20 percent. We are seeing patients uncomfortable in the workplace with neck pain, headaches, eye strain, blurred vision, etc. that could easily be avoided. It’s important for people to discuss their digital usage with their eye doctor and make sure they are getting annual eye exams.”

VSP Vision Care recommends the following tips to help lessen the symptoms of computer-related eye strain:

1. Blink Often: When looking at a computer or handheld digital device, it’s common for you to blink two to three times less than you normally would. This can lead to “dry eye.” Blinking bathes your eyes in tears, and tears are naturally therapeutic for the eyes.

2. The 20/20/20 Rule: When spending long periods in front of a digital device, every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away to allow your eyes to rest.

3. Ensure Proper Lighting: Poor lighting often causes eye strain. To help ease the strain on your eyes, keep bright lighting overhead to a minimum and position your desk lamp to shine on your desk, and not at you. Position your computer screen in a way that reduces reflections and glare from windows or overhead lights.

“Today, digital device eye strain is the number one computer-related complaint ahead of carpal-tunnel, neck and back pain,” Dr. Bonilla-Warford continued. “Eye doctors are trained to help patients mitigate the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome, and can even offer computer vision glasses, which are prescribed glasses that provide the optimal lens power for viewing your computer screen at the correct distance, without the need for excessive focusing or squinting.”

RISMEDIA, August 12, 2010–In a survey released, 59 percent of Americans considered green alternatives for their home improvement projects in the last quarter with window energy efficiency being the leading green home improvement project. However, only 19 percent of homeowners surveyed were motivated to conduct home improvement projects because of tax credits. The survey was part of ServiceMagic’s Q2 2010 Home Remodeling and Repair Index, which is compiled of data from 1.6 million service requests received through ServiceMagic’s online marketplace from May to July of this year as well as results from a survey of over 1,200 homeowners and 500 service professionals conducted in July 2010.

Homeowners Go Green with Windows
When homeowners did go green, they focused largely on window upgrades for the home with an increase in window service requests up 81 percent from last year in the same quarter. Eighty three percent of survey respondents invested in windows for energy reasons with cost saving from increased energy efficiency being the top motivation. Top reasons homeowners did not request energy efficient window systems were that green products were too expensive, the tax credit did not justify the additional expense or they were simply not aware of the tax credit.

Beyond Window Projects, Going Green isn’t in Demand
For homeowners who did not consider green alternatives, 50 percent of them were not aware of the green options, while 27 percent did not like the green product choices and 16 percent found the cost of green products outweighed the benefits. Moreover, less than 10 percent of homeowners requested green or energy efficient alternatives for their home improvement projects, as reported by 62 percent of service professionals.

“A surprising trend this quarter is what we are learning about consumer purchasing behavior around green and energy efficiency,” said Craig Smith, CEO for ServiceMagic. “While we show a fairly decent level of awareness for green and energy efficient alternatives, it isn’t translating to action beyond window projects.”

By Gail MarksJarvis

RISMEDIA, August 2, 2010–(MCT)–It’s a shocking statistic: About 47 percent of early baby boomers and 44.5 percent of Generation Xers — age 36 to 45 — are on course to run short of money for basic living expenses like food and electricity in retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Will you be among them? Taking a glimpse into your future now will help you make sure you don’t end up wondering how to pay the cable bill in your 70s.

If you started putting about 10 percent of your annual salary into a 401(k) or IRA in your 20s, and keep doing it until you retire, you will probably be fine. If you haven’t started, start now.

Ten percent might sound like a painful amount of savings, but it’s not as rough as people think. If you are lucky enough to work for a company that rewards you for saving with what’s called “matching” money, you can combine free money from your employer with your savings. So if your employer gives you a 3 percent match, 7 percent from you will do. In addition, you get a tax break as a reward.

What’s the impact? If you are 25 and earning $30,000 now, you will invest about $40 a week in your 401(k) this year, and if your investments behave the way history suggests, you wind up with about $1.2 million when you retire. Of that, about $370,000 will be from the free matching money your employer dropped into your 401(k) — a pretty good deal. For this calculation, I assumed you would invest in a mutual fund with your retirement date of 2055 in its name, that your salary goes up 2 percent a year and that you earn an average of 7 percent a year in the mutual fund. To experiment with your pay and savings, try: http://401k.fidelity.com/public/content/401k/Tools/ContributionCalc/

That $1.2 million might seem excessive. But don’t decide it’s not necessary. In 45 years, inflation will likely make $113,000 feel like today’s $30,000. Don’t let that spook you. We adapt to inflation as we go, and our salaries tend to go up to reflect the cost of living. About 45 years ago, an income of $4,500 would have been equivalent to $30,000 now. See http://bls.gov/data/inflation(UNDERSCORE)calculator.htm.

Since most people don’t save 10 percent starting with their first jobs, they must make up for lost time later. But some simple rules of thumb and an Internet calculator can give you a quick snapshot.

How much will you need? If you are about to retire and have saved 12 times your last annual salary, you should be OK, says Charles Farrell, a Denver financial planner and author of “Your Money Ratios.” This will allow you to be fairly certain that you won’t run out of money in retirement, provided you abide by a financial planning rule of thumb: During your first year of retirement, remove no more than 5 percent of your savings and then each year afterward, withdraw only a little more to cover the cost of inflation.

So if you retire this year with $1 million saved, you can remove $50,000 for a year of living expenses. The next year, you will be able to increase the original amount by 3 percent for inflation. You will live on $51,500. Of course, you will have Social Security too — maybe adding another $20,000. You can find out how much Social Security you should get each month at http://socialsecurity.gov/OACT/quickcalc.

Financial planners generally tell people they will probably feel comfortable in retirement if they have enough savings to replace 70 to 80 percent of their last pre-retirement salary. That’s because they will no longer have expenses like commuting to work or saving new money for retirement. But a person who has expensive hobbies, wants to travel or takes on an expensive mortgage could find 80 percent too limiting.

At any age, use the “ballpark estimate” calculator at http://choosetosave.org/ballpark/index.cfm?fa(EQUALS)interactive for a glimpse into your future. Based on your current savings and income, the calculator will tell you if you are likely to build up enough money in your nest egg to replace 70 to 80 percent of the money you were used to living on during the year before you retired. And if your savings, Social Security and any guaranteed pension money in a “defined benefit plan” will fall short of delivering what you will need, the calculator will tell you how much more to save each year to get to where you want to be.

When you do that calculation, notice that if you delay retirement, your Social Security payments will be larger and make up for some of the money you failed to save. And a part-time job can also help. But do the calculation so you know now and can make a difference while working.

(c) 2010, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Creekside lots are $2,300.00 each.  

There are 21 lots left, 10 were sold in April/May.

All are city utilties and have a minium of 1200 sq. ft. 

There are 8 houses and they will be finished in 2 weeks.

The builder is offering a special price of $122,900.00.

For questions call Lesha Hays.

By Paige Tepping

RISMEDIA, July 13, 2010–When you walk into an appointment with a prospect, you must be prepared to guide your seller through the home selling process. Many agents do this with a scripted sales presentation while others choose to wing it. Top producers don’t read a sales script line-by-line, but they do have a well-thought-out outline for what they want to talk about in their meeting with prospects.

The best listing presentations are ones where you’ve created and memorized a planned presentation that concisely explains the selling process and any frustrations, concerns, and problems sellers may face. But they go beyond that.

If you simply memorize a pre-written script, you will sound mechanical and fail to build rapport with your prospects. You will be focused on what to say next, rather than focusing on your prospect, listening to his or her concerns, and observing his or her body language. To become exceptional at giving listing presentations, you must practice your script over and over until you are so familiar with it, that it becomes second nature to you. Once that happens, you can walk into any situation and customize your listing presentation to your prospect’s biggest issues and concerns.

Krista Baker, President of Morningstar Marketing Coach, LLC, offers the following tips for getting the most out of your listing presentation.

1. Build rapport initially
When you first meet with your prospects, include a few minutes of small talk and potentially get your prospect to laugh at a joke before you launch into the heart of your material.

2. Ask questions
If you’ve internalized your listing presentation, you should have specific questions you can ask sellers that will allow you to hit each point in your presentation without sounding like you are giving a sales pitch. The person who asks the questions is the one in charge of the appointment, so make sure for every point you want to address, you start with a question and let the seller do the talking. Some ideas for questions to ask include:

-Questions about themselves – How long they’ve lived there, what they like best about the home, what aspects of the home caught their attention when they first purchased it?
-Questions about their selling motivations – Why they are now considering selling, their timeframe for moving, when do they plan on putting up a for sale sign, where they are moving to, which is most important: fast turnaround or a top selling price? What questions do they have about the selling process?
-Questions about the home – Have they made any improvements, what price range do they have in mind, will they be leaving any items in the home, can they offer any buyer perks or help with financing?
-Questions about hiring a real estate agent – What are their criteria for hiring an agent? What kind of marketing do they expect?

3. Actively listen
The best presentations involve actively listening to the seller for the majority of the time. Your presentation should be 80% listening to the seller and 20% asking and answering any questions. Let the seller do most of the talking.

4. Have visuals
While you don’t need a PowerPoint presentation to be effective, you should have samples of your advertising and marketing materials, as well as testimonials and case studies from happy clients. Show your prospects exactly how you’ve helped your clients sell their homes and what they can expect if they list with you.

By actively listening to your prospects and demonstrating your expertise through samples of marketing materials and case studies from happy clients, you can increase your prospect-to-client conversion rate and start taking more listings. 

By Ruth Mantell and Amy Hoak

RISMEDIA, July 2, 2010–(MCT)–Home buyers are close to gaining more time to obtain a federal home-buyer tax credit of up to $8,000.

President Obama is expected to sign off on legislation as early as today following approval in both congressional chambers earlier this week. It would extend the deadline for the home-buyer tax credit, giving buyers with purchase contracts in place three more months to close on the sale.

Specifically, buyers would have to close before Oct. 1 to be eligible for the extended credit. The closing deadline was originally June 30. To be eligible, buyers need a contract that was in place by April 30.

The National Association of Realtors has estimated that about 180,000 otherwise eligible buyers were likely to miss out on the credit if the original deadline was upheld. It’s been difficult for some buyers to get their mortgages approved on time, as lenders work through a clogged pipeline of applications.

———

(c) 2010, MarketWatch.com Inc.

Visit MarketWatch on the Web at http://www.marketwatch.com

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 

If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from allergies, the key to relief is to control allergy triggers — allergens. There’s a lot you can do to make your home more comfortable.

Avoid Dust, Dander, and Pollen

 Dust mites (really, their droppings) are the most common trigger of allergy and asthma symptoms. These tiny insects live in the dust particles that naturally collect in our homes. Pet — and human — dander ( skin cells) and pollen, of course, also are common culprits that trigger allergy and asthma symptoms. The key is to have as few places as possible for particles to collect on, and to keep these places clean.

•Keep windows closed and use air conditioning. Don’t use fans, which stir up dust. Also keep the house dry.

 •Replace wall-to-wall carpet, if possible. Carpeting traps dust. Flooring like hardwood, tile, and linoleum is better. Use small rugs that can be cleaned easily. If replacing carpet isn’t feasible, vacuum it at least weekly. Use a vacuum with double bags or a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate) filter.

•Cover mattresses, box springs, and pillows with plastic cases or special allergen-proof fabric covers.

 •Avoid down pillows or comforters. •Avoid upholstered furniture, which can trap allergens; try to use only wood, plastic, leather, or vinyl furniture that can be wiped clean.

 •Replace dust-collecting blinds and long drapes with window shades or washable curtains.

•Wear a mask and gloves when cleaning and vacuuming.

•If you have pets (of course, it’s better for you not to have pets), keep them out of the bedroom, since we spend the majority of our time at home in the bedroom. Bathe your pets regularly as well. And keep them off of upholstered furniture.

Prevent Mold

 Although there are thousands of kinds of molds, few are toxic. But household molds can trigger allergy symptoms in allergy sufferers. So avoiding mold can help you avoid asthma, congestion, and other allergy-related symptoms. And the best way to avoid mold is to avoid moisture.

•Keep the house dry. •Don’t leave wet clothes in the washing machine where mold can quickly grow.

 •Wash shower curtains and bathroom tiles with mold-killing products.

 •Don’t have too many indoor plants — especially in the bedroom; mold can grow in plant soil.

 •Fix any leaks or seepage in the house, indoors and out.

•Put plastic over dirt in crawlspaces and keep them well-ventilated. •Use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom.

•Turn off humidifiers if you see condensation on windows.

•Use dehumidifiers and air conditioners in basements and other areas of the house where mold tends to grow, especially in hot humid climates. •Clean dehumidifiers and humidifiers every week.

•On concrete floors, remove carpet and use area rugs that can be lifted and washed, or install a vapor barrier over the concrete.

 Control Cockroaches

 Cockroaches’ droppings contain a protein that is a primary asthma trigger. Cockroaches need water to survive and they thrive on what you leave behind, so they’ll be less likely to be a problem in a clean, dry house. Fix leaks, keep food in containers, don’t leave out dirty dishes, clean the kitchen thoroughly after meals including under appliances, and take out the garbage regularly. Also block any openings through which cockroaches could enter from outside, including windows, wall cracks, and floor gaps.

It’s not easy to admit that it’s our own behavior that sets the tone in our home. We are just as responsible for the mess as we are for the good taste in decor.

SPRAY PAINT FOR FABRICS
We all hate it when mats, lamp shades or throw pillows don’t come in the colors we like. Upholstery Fabric Paint by Simply Spray is a non-toxic, non-flammable aerosol spray can that allows you to paint over couches, chairs, pillows, linens, lampshades and more. Eco-friendly and water-based, the paint is an alternative to other harsh-smelling indoor sprays. Another plus is that it remains soft to the touch and is fade resistant. (It won’t rub off either.) Cost is $12.99 per can. Details: simplyspray.com.

BAD HABITS LEAD TO CLUTTER
I know it seems that way, but clutter doesn’t just happen. Most of the time, it’s the direct result of a few bad habits that you may not realize lead to clutter, according to an article in the June edition of Good Housekeeping. The four habits mentioned are “Being afraid to let go of items,” (in case you might need them later); “Not stepping up to tasks,” (walking right by something that needs your attention); the worst of all, “Procrastination,” (delaying a decision about what to do with your things); and “Buying too much stuff,” (shocked?). Check out the mag on newstands now for solutions for each of these habits.

HOME REPAIR PROJECTS THAT MAKE SENSE
It is not fun when you realize that a home repair project you just finished — and spent your savings and time on — either isn’t going to save you money or wasn’t even necessary to begin with. “Green Sense for the Home: Rating the Real Payoff From 50 Green Home Projects” (The Taunton Press; $21.95) by Eric Corey Freed and Kevin Daum examines the issue and helps homeowners determine what projects make financial sense. Covering 16 projects you can do today (changing light bulbs or using less toilet water), 21 you can do tomorrow (adding solar power or installing a whole-house fan) and 13 you can do when building a new home (reclaiming your water and building with reclaimed or recycled materials), the book offers two different and sometimes opposing perspectives on each. An in-depth analysis breaks projects down according to their impact on the environment and, of course, your wallet.