Okay, okay, maybe not the next best thing and maybe not even new for most people, but it sure is new to me! Since moving back to the Dayton area I have had the hardest time finding a new groomer for my pampered pooches. From being wildly expensive to just down right dirty. A few weeks ago I took a trip to my local pet store Pet Valu to buy my black lab Baylee diapers, she is an old lady and needs those sort of things (Oh what fun!). The whole store was recently remodeled and they added a self serve dog wash! This may not be exciting to some but when you have a 75 lb walking ball of fur that is bound and determined to clog your bathtub drain this is a game changer (see her picture? Isn’t she cute?).
I was so intrigued by this, coming from Jacksonville, NC there was nothing like this. I can bring my dog and wash her in someone else’s tub and they clean up after me? Yes please! This particular store offers everything you need for your washing needs, a big tub with steps, removable sprayer, towels, apron,shampoo,conditioner, blow dryer, and my favorite the FURminator . All of this for only $10. When speaking to a few of the local groomers and getting price quotes some wanted as much as $60 just for a wash. I love the idea of these self serve dog washes, it is a great money saving opportunity and is totally worth not having to clean my drain out. I hope to see more of these pop up in our great community.
Understanding the costs of moving expenses is complicated and with projected changes to the allowance for military families – it may just cost more to make it happen!
Well, it’s a bit of a Bah, Humbug this Christmas season for military families who are experiencing a second consecutive effective reduction in their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) this year.
I say “effective” reduction because, technically, BAH rates have risen by an average of 3.4%, which translates to roughly $54 per family. This increase still means that if you are a military family, you will now be responsible for an additional 1% of your housing expenses in 2016.
The 1% increase is on top of the additional 1% that you paid in 2015. There’s no sign of this downward trend letting up either, as by 2019, military families should expect to cover 5% of their out-of-pocket housing costs.
It’s not that we weren’t expecting this to happen, though. If you’ve been reading along with our coverage of the projected changes to BAH over the past few years, you’ll have noted that this is a much more positive outcome for military families than we could have expected (it’s good to look for the silver lining, right?). At one point, it looked like the DoD would eliminate BAH. At another point, rumors suggested that military families would return to covering 20% of their out-of-pocket housing costs, as they did when BAH first originated.
What does this mean for you?
If your BAH is roughly $1,500, then you could expect to pay yet another $50 in additional housing expenses next year. However, this rate of reduction only applies to military families who PCS, as those currently on station are grandfathered into their current BAH rate (unless BAH rises, and then the new allowance applies).
$50 per month may not seem like a lot, but it quickly adds up. At the end of the year, your family will need to cover approximately $600 in housing expenses.
Have you seen the sudden explosion in bicycles in our town? I am happy to see the Link Bike Share program has kicked off to a great start. I know I will be checking out a bike and touring the town again!!
As shared by Downtown Dayton Partnership “Fast Facts” 05/15/15
New Bike Share Program Enjoys Successful First Week
Dayton’s first bike share program, Link, reported that just one week after launching on May 5, the program had seen more than 1,300 trips and 350-plus unique users checking out bikes. “We are thrilled to have more than 1,300 trips in the first week,” said Bike Miami Valley Executive Director Laura Estandia. Link offers more than 200 bikes to be checked out of any one of the 24 stations for short trips. The first 30 minutes from check-out to check-in are included in the price of all membership rates. Visit linkdayton.org for more information. Sponsors include: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, CareSource, City of Dayton, Five Rivers MetroParks, Montgomery County, New Belgium Brewing Company, PNC, Premier Health, Public Health – Dayton and Montgomery County’s Creating Healthy Communities Program, Sinclair College, and the University of Dayton.
“The package of tax extensions approved by the U.S. House and Senate, and headed to the President’s desk for signature, includes important provisions that will help distressed homeowners and commercial property investors with transactions made during 2014. NAR applauds Congressional leaders in both chambers for their effort to pass this legislation before adjournment.
“Realtors® strongly supported the bipartisan Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief Act, which was included in the package to prevent underwater borrowers from paying taxes on any mortgage debt forgiven or cancelled by a lender in a workout or after their home was sold for less money than was owed. We are grateful to Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Dean Heller, R-Nev., and Reps. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., and Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., for championing the provision.
“The legislation also includes one-year extensions of the 15-year depreciation schedule for leasehold improvements and the deduction for improvements to energy efficient commercial buildings.”
When inventory is low and it seems buyer’s don’t really have many options – DON’T rule out a listing just because it has been on the market awhile…it could be that the seller was holding firm to their price and unable to negotiate – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a look / make an offer!! Many times, buyers or their agents may think that a seller “wouldn’t take less” – which may be true or necessary in some cases. BUT – there could be other things the seller is willing or able to negotiate on that would make THE DEAL for the buyer. I always tell the buyer to at least make the offer – once it’s in writing we can negotiate to get it done!
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