Global Insight has ranked Honolulu 14th among the top 20 U.S. destinations.

We were beat out buy Atlanta?

In keeping with the good news, Honolulu has been named the second healthiest city to live and retire in the U.S.  (Additional Article for reinforcement)

Honolulu was ranked No. 2 because 95 percent of its residents are covered by health insurance. Residents here also spend more time exercising than almost any other city surveyed and locals have one of the highest rates of life expectancy among the other cities surveyed.

As of January 1, 2010, building permitswill not be issued for homes that do not have solar water heaters.   Is this a good move?

Honolulu is the #1 city to live in in the U.S. and the 12th best in the world.  I must admit, I agree with this. (slight-bias)  This would explain why I became a  ”Permanent Tourist”. 

I originally came to Hawaii as a favor to a friend for 3 months after graduating college with a round-trip ticket in hand and the full intention of leaving after 3 months.  A few thousand waves later and I am still here.

I just celebrated my 9th year here and never used that return trip ticket.  It is framed on my wall now. 

Want a new stove that cooks faster, is safer and more efficient than anything before?

Magnetic induction may just be the next “thing” to arrive.  I am sure most of us would have to give it some time before it is affordable enough to make sense.

An induction cooktop looks a lot like an electric smoothtop, but what goes on beneath the surface is very different…Put a pot made of a magnetic material - like iron or steel - onto that field and the energy gets transferred to it in the form of heat. Nothing else gets hot, only the pot, and you can adjust the field and the heat with the knob, just as with your old stove.

Magnetic Induction offers several advantages over gas and electric.

The rankings are out for the World’s Best Places to Live. 

Mercer Consulting’s annual roundup of the global cities with the best quality of life is here, and Zurich once again comes out on top. The best place in the U.S.? Honolulu at No. 28.

This along with Best Life Magazine’s vote of Honolulu as the #1 City To Raise A Family and The Housing Predictors voted Honolulu as the Hottest Real Estate Market in 2008.

Can you say, ”Tri-fect-a!”  Not bad for this year.

As seen on the Today Show, Best Life Magazine has voted Honolulu the #1 city in the U.S. to raise a family.  Check out the video on the Today Show website .

You can also read the article at the Honolulu Advertiser.

They want to raise their children somewhere safe, where they can attend good schools with favorable student-teacher ratios, above-average test scores and respectable budgets. Plenty of museums, parks and pediatricians also contribute to a good quality of life, whereas multihour commutes, expensive houses and divorcing friends and neighbors do not. Best Life editors used these categories and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Education Statistics, the FBI, the American Association of Museums, the National Center for Health Statistics and the American Bar Association to evaluate 257 cities. Here are the best — and worst — places to raise a family.

Are You Moving?http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=124364,00.html

Moving Expenses

Your moving expenses may be deductible on your federal tax return if you meet certain tests relating to all three of the following requirements:

• Your move is closely related to the start of work at a new job location,
• You meet the distance test, and
• You meet the time test.

However, if your employer reimburses you for the cost of the move, the reimbursement may have to be included on your tax return.

For more details on the qualifications for deducting moving expenses or reporting reimbursement, review IRS Publication 521, Moving Expenses. Also see Form 3903, Moving Expenses, which is used to figure the amount of the deduction.

Buying a Home

Many people find that home ownership allows them to itemize deductions on their tax returns. If you’re a first-time homeowner, you should know that mortgage interest, “points” paid to obtain the mortgage and real estate taxes are deductible expenses that can be itemized to help reduce the amount of taxes you owe. Other expenses that can be itemized and deducted include medical costs, certain state and local tax payments, charitable contributions, casualty losses and certain miscellaneous deductions. If the total amount of your itemized deductions is more than the standard deduction amount, you can usually benefit by itemizing.

See if itemizing will make financial sense for you by reviewing Pub. 17, Your Federal Income Tax, and the instructions for Schedule A of the Form 1040. Review Pub. 530, Tax Information for First-Time Homeowners, for more information on allowable home-related deductions.                

Selling Your House

If you sell your main home, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly) from your federal tax return when it’s time to do your taxes. This exclusion is allowed each time that you sell your main home, but generally no more frequently than once every two years. To be eligible for this exclusion, your home must have been owned by you and used as your main home for a period of at least two out of the five years prior to its sale. You also must not have excluded gain on another home sold during the two years before the current sale.

If you and your spouse file a joint return for the year of the sale, you can exclude gain if either of you qualify for the exclusion. But both of you would have to meet the use test to claim the $500,000 maximum amount.

If you do not meet the ownership and use tests, you may be allowed to use a reduced maximum exclusion amount if you sold your home due to health, a change in place of employment or unforeseen circumstances. Unforeseen circumstances can include divorce or a disaster resulting in a casualty to your home, for example.

For more information, see Pub. 523, Selling Your Home.

Reporting Your Change of Address

If you have a new address, notify the U.S. Postal Service, so it can forward any tax refunds or IRS correspondence. The Postal Service will also pass your new address on to the IRS, which will update your account. You may also notify the IRS directly by sending Form 8822, Change of Address. Or write to the IRS center where you filed your most recent return and provide your full name, old and new addresses, Social Security number and signature. Remember to let your employers know about any address changes so you’ll receive your W-2s after the end of the year.
 
IRS publications and forms are available in the Forms and Publications section of this Web site, or you can order a free copy by calling toll-free 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676).

Related Items:

• Pub. 521, Moving Expenses (PDF 144K) 
• Form 3903, Moving Expenses (PDF 38K)
• Pub. 530, Tax Information for First-Time Homeowners (PDF 120K) 
• Pub. 17, Your Federal Income Tax (PDF 2072K)
• Schedule A, Itemized Deductions (PDF 116K)
• Pub. 523, Selling Your Home (PDF 194K)
• Form 8822, Change of Address (PDF)

I don’t normally post about anything that doesn’t have something to do with real estate, but today is an exception.  The state of Hawaii has never experienced a game such as the University of Hawaii vs Boise State game last night at Aloha Stadium, so in rememberance of last night and the amazing season that has all lead up to this point, I have attached the highlights from local newspapers and from the postgame video I posted. 

Highlights

Post Game Video

Fan-Tastic
Victory! Warriors Win WAC Title
Warriors Are WAC Champs
Crowd Goes Wild Over Hawaii Victory
Crowning Moment
Fast Finish For Colt

Waiting for the bus at Murphy’s.

Pregame Aloha Stadium Photo

During Game Action

Postgame Celebration

I am in the middle of planning for two remodels right now, and came across this website.  If you are planning on doing a remodel and want ideas for ANYTHING interior or exterior, Home Decorating Photos is the site to use.  It cost money, but it is well worth it.  It is also a great resource for getting design and decorating ideas.