The New Conforming Loan: is it All it Was Made Out to Be?

Home buyers have been waiting in the wings with an air of anticipation for months now as the 2008 Stimulus Package rounded the corner. There were high hopes that we would see low rates for homes that could cost as much as the 0,000 in some markets. Buyers have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the new rates to become available so that they could more easily afford the more pricey homes that they are interested in. Some feel that there may have been a slight drop in buyer interest during this waiting period as people hoped to stretch their wings a little bit further than what they have been limited to spending so far. With today’s real estate market, no one seems to be in a rush to buy these days. Most people feel that if we just wait a few more months, prices will continue to drop. A recent Countrywide employee was cited as stating that we’ll be seeing the largest volume of adjustable rate mortgages complete their terms during the winter of 2008 and 2009. If rates can’t drop down low enough to support those buyers we’ll see even more foreclosures than the market has already experienced.

So what happened with the new conforming loan? The new deal isn’t quite as good as it sounded. An example would be San Diego where the new conforming loan can extend to include properties up to 7,500 for a single-family home. This is certainly much larger than the prior conforming loan limits of 7,000. But there is a big catch. If your loan isn’t a normal conforming loan, the lenders will be placing extra fees into the loan package for you. Via a variety of small penalties, you’ll likely end up paying nearly 1% higher for a “larger” conforming loan than you would have for a standard conforming loan of under 7,000. So what’s the big deal? Currently, a jumbo loan runs roughly 1.2% higher than a standard conforming loan. So when you see these difference you’ll realize that we really are talking about three classes of loans now.

* The Traditional Conforming Loan

* The New Conforming Loan from HR 5140 which ranges from 7,000 to 125% of the average home price for a community

* The Jumbo Loan for greater than 125% of the average home price for an area

The interest rates seem to run 0.5-1% higher for the New Conforming Loan and 1.2% higher for the Jumbo Loans.

In fact the only reason that the New Conforming Loans strike us as a deal still is that Jumbo Loans have been gradually diverging from conforming loan rates. While the conforming loan rates dropped in recent months, the Jumbo Loan rates have actually increased. This divergence in rates makes the New Conforming Loan seem like a good deal, but in all practicality it only is replacing the prior role of the Jumbo Loans.

What’s this mean to the buyer? It’s business as usual. If you are looking at purchasing a home then don’t let the mortgage sway you. Your rates will be similar as they were in the past. There is some question as to what would happen if you wait until the HR 5140 act expires later this year. If the Jumbo Loan keeps its relatively higher rate compared to the Conforming Loan we may see that the gap will further widen between traditional conforming and jumbo loans truly making it harder to afford the more valuable homes in your area. Currently we have a graduated loan system where rates rise as the price goes up. But when the gap opens up because of the expiration of the New Conforming Loan we may see some real trouble affording homes that require Jumbo Loans. There may be no time like the near future for checking homes for rent. Locking oneself into a property associated with a declining market could cost you more money than the tax savings of purchasing. Instead you may truly save money by renting.

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Encinitas Hotel Facilities Give The Complete Satisfaction For Encinitas Bed Breakfast

Your vacation in The Encinitas can be given a homely touch by the warm welcome of the Encinitas Bed Breakfast of InnAtMoonlightBeach.com. One of the reasons is obviously the sheer variety of lodgings you will find in Encinitas.

Like most of its other buildings, the Encinitas hotels also have a grand elegance. Besides, you will witness the real flavor of the US culture at the coffee shops and pubs of Encinitas. The beach is really attracts the tourist and that why they come here again and again.

The arrangement at the Encinitas Bed Breakfast in Encinitas hotel for the comfort and convenience of guests has a distinct English air about it. These come as a supplement to the regular hotel rooms.

You can feel equally comfortable in the various private apartments rented by their owners. However, the Bed and Breakfast buildings are meant only for lodging. The food is provided by the multitude of pubs and restaurants.
InnAtMoonlightBeach.com, is one of the Best Hotel in heart of Encinitas. Cheap and Discount Encinitas Bed and Breakfast is available in this Encinitas hotel.

Our comfort inn hotel has many suite bedrooms offering every amenity and every room comes complete with free car parking and special discount on every booking. Rooms are available for occupancy from 2pm onwards on the day of arrival and the check out time is 11am on the day of departure. We are pleased to cater for special dietary needs if informed in advance. Our Comfort install bans hotel offer’s special bed and breakfast in Encinitas, online hotel rooms booking in advance, bed and breakfast accommodations, cheap and discount hotels booking, safe and secure Encinitas hotels near the beach, best hotel with luxurious rooms and also available modern facilities. 100 percent satisfaction guarantee with our hotel.

Days Inn Encinitas Moonlight Beach is the smart choice for today’s business traveler and vacationing families on the go. You’ll enjoy our spacious accommodations, generous amenities, and courteous staff.

Hotel amenities include complimentary continental breakfast, Encinitas Bed Breakfast, guest laundry, and heated outdoor pool with sundeck. From a gracious welcome until your final farewell, you’ll feel right at home at the Days Inn Encinitas – truly the best value under the sun.

The people in Encinitas are a happy mixture of different ethnic backgrounds. Aside from your typical White Americans, there are the African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and Asians. A community of citizens with the same ethnic background is not difficult to find. This uncanny mixture of varying cultures makes travel to California as colorful and as memorable as can be.

Tourist spots abound the state. Numerous theme parks like Disneyland, Lego Land, Knott?s Berry Farm, Six Flags, and Magic Mountain are famous the world over. For those who want to commune with nature, there is always the national parks such as Yosemite. A journey through the state?s major cities would unveil modernity at its finest, but one could always take a trip to historic places like the Old Town of San Diego where rustic houses makes you feel like time stopped in the 19th century. For a touch of glitz and glamour, there is always Hollywood.

Here, one could leisurely stroll down the walk of fame, visit the movie studios, see the celebrity?s homes, or even witness a movie being made. A visit to Hollywood could definitely make travel to California unforgettable.
The coolest thing about Encinitas isn’t the beach itself, but the pervasive beach culture.

A child of the ’60s that grew up to become a real estate gold mine, Encinitas offers the best of both worlds: the refined tastes and civic responsibility that come with prosperity and the energy and vitality that come from free-spirited ideals and attitudes. Whether you’re interested in yoga, acupuncture or stronger potions like coffee, you’ll find plenty of choices in town. There are three primary beach zones in Encinitas, each with its own unique character and appeal.

Taxes and Assessments Are Out of Control But You Can Change That!

People do not believe they can have any say when it comes to their taxes and assessments, but they are wrong. The economy is in an uproar right now and cost are rising all around us. We as consumers have the opportunity to take measures in many ways to help ease the financial burdens. Get yourself in the habit of questioning everything you spend money on by asking yourself if there is a way that you can somehow reduce this cost. I am going to discuss one particular bill that you have probably never even thought to question in the past. Your property taxes,based on your assessment, this is a major bill that you are faced with every year. I want you to read this article and relate it to your situation. Take this seriously because the chances are you will be able to save a substantial amount of money on your taxes.

The crash in the housing market has drastically reduced the cost of homes on the market. There are very few areas in the country where housing prices have not decreased exponentially. Entire neighborhoods have lost value in their housing. If your house has lost value, challenge the assessment. If you anticipate a silver lining in the black cloud of declining home prices in the form of lower property taxes you may be disappointed. The National Taxpayers Union figures that as much as 60% of taxable property in the U.S. is over assessed, largely because assessment cycles have not caught up with the decline in home values.

In California, for example, a home’s assessed value is based on its purchase price, plus increases of up to 2% annually. The house is not revalued until it is sold again. This means that the home owners are paying taxes on the value of the house when they purchased it plus any yearly average increases. The fact is the real value of the home has without a doubt decreased in the face of our recent economy but the chances are your assessment has not. To capture the price plunge of the past few years, homeowners must file an appeal and prove that their home’s assessed value exceeds its market value. In San Diego County, the assessor’s office processed 80,000 appeals in 2008; the average reduction in assessed value so far is 0,000, equivalent to a tax cut of ,200.

Many jurisdictions calculate a home’s assessment as a fraction of its market value, so do the math to make sure your home is priced fairly unless you enjoy paying taxes. Also verify that you have received any breaks you are entitled to, such as a homestead exemption or a reduction for seniors or veterans.

If you believe your home property assessment is to high you have the right to appeal. Go to the assessor’s Web site or office to double-check the “property card” and any working papers for your home. Are the figures for square footage and number of bedrooms and bathrooms correct? Has the assessor accounted for any features that could detract from your home’s value, such as an irregularly sized lot or a carport instead of a garage? Pull the property cards for five or ten neighboring homes that are similar in terms of age, style and features. If the assessments on similar properties are a lot lower-1O% or more you have a good case based on uniformity which means you could be paying less taxes. Everything you need is public record, meaning you have every right to request and receive the information.

If you believe your home’s assessment exceeds its market value, you will have to provide sales-price data for several comparable homes. You can get that information from a real estate agent, or check the local public library or your clerk’s office. Ask the assessor whether a recent appraisal for, say, a refinancing is acceptable proof of .your home’s market value.

Read your assessment letter for details on how to appeal. You will probably have two windows of opportunity. During the first, you may request a reduction in the assessment of your home for the forthcoming tax bill. During the second, you may appeal for a retroactive reduction and refund of taxes paid.

Until your appeal is resolved, pay your taxes in full to avoid incurring penalties and a lien against your home. As a last resort, you could go to court, but that is an expensive process usually best suited for commercial property owners with more at stake. You may see advertisements for companies that will help you appeal your assessment, often in exchange for about half of any savings on your taxes. But with the right preparation, you can do just as well yourself using a guide such as How to Fight Property Taxes (.95), from the National Taxpayers Union (www.ntu.org). The NTU’s Web site also has links to state and local taxpayer associations that may offer further insight into the appeals process.

In today’s economy you have to be proactive, every area of your life that you can save money you must take advantage of. As a home owner you have rights and just because the tax bill comes from a government agency does not mean that they are always correct. Exercise your rights and challenge your tax bill if you believe your home assessment is to high.

Types of tobacco

Types

Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (December 2009)

Aromatic Fire-cured

Aromatic Fire-cured smoking tobacco is a robust variety of tobacco used as a condimental for pipe blends. It is cured by smoking over gentle fires. In the United States, it is grown in northern middle Tennessee, central Kentucky and in Virginia. Fire-cured tobacco grown in Kentucky and Tennessee is used in some chewing tobaccos, moist snuff, some cigarettes and as a condiment leaf in pipe tobacco blends. It has a rich, slightly floral taste, and adds body and aroma to the blend.

Another fire-cured tobacco is Latakia and is produced from oriental varieties of N. tabacum. The leaves are cured and smoked over smoldering fires of local hardwoods and aromatic shrubs in Cyprus and Syria. Latakia has a pronounced flavor and a very distinctive smoky aroma, and is used in Balkan and English-style pipe tobacco blends.

Brightleaf tobacco

Brightleaf tobacco leaf ready for harvest. When it turns yellow-green the sugar content is at its peak, and it will cure to a deep golden color with mild taste. The leaves are harvested progressively up the stem from the base, as they ripen.

Brightleaf tobacco is commonly known as “Virginia tobacco”, often regardless of the state from where it is harvested. Prior to the American Civil War, most tobacco grown in the US was fire-cured dark-leaf. This type of tobacco was planted in fertile lowlands, used a robust variety of leaf, and was either fire cured or air cured.

Sometime after the War of 1812, demand for a milder, lighter, more aromatic tobacco arose. Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland all innovated quite a bit with milder varieties of the tobacco plant. Farmers around the country experimented with different curing processes. But the breakthrough didn’t come until around 1839.

It had been noticed for centuries that sandy, highland soil produced thinner, weaker plants. Captain Abisha Slade, of Caswell County, North Carolina had a good deal of infertile, sandy soil, and planted the new “gold-leaf” varieties on it. Slade owned a slave, Stephen, who around 1839 accidentally produced the first real bright tobacco. He used charcoal to restart a fire used to cure the crop. The surge of heat turned the leaves yellow. Using that discovery, Slade developed a system for producing bright tobacco, cultivating on poorer soils and using charcoal for heat-curing.

Slade made many public appearances to share the bright-leaf process with other farmers. Prosperous and outgoing, he built a brick house in Yanceyville, North Carolina, and at one time had many servants.

News spread through the area pretty quickly. The infertile sandy soil of the Appalachian piedmont was suddenly profitable, and people rapidly developed flu-curing techniques, a more efficient way of smoke-free curing. Farmers discovered that Bright leaf tobacco needs thin, starved soil, and those who could not grow other crops found that they could grow tobacco. Formerly unproductive farms reached 2035 times their previous worth. By 1855, six Piedmont counties adjoining Virginia ruled the tobacco market.

By the outbreak of the Civil War, the town of Danville, Virginia actually had developed a bright-leaf market for the surrounding area in Caswell County, North Carolina and Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

Danville was also the main railway head for Confederate soldiers going to the front. These brought bright tobacco with them from Danville to the lines, traded it with each other and Union soldiers, and developed quite a taste for it. At the end of the war, the soldiers went home and suddenly there was a national market for the local crop. Caswell and Pittsylvania counties were the only two counties in the South that experienced an increase in total wealth after the war.

Burley

Main article: Burley (tobacco)

Burley tobacco is a light air-cured tobacco used primarily for cigarette production. In the United States it is produced in an eight state belt with approximately 70% produced in Kentucky. Tennessee produces approximately 20% with smaller amounts produced in Indiana, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Burley tobacco is produced in many other countries with major production in Brazil, Malawi and Argentina. In the U.S., burley tobacco plants are started from palletized seeds placed in polystyrene trays floated on a bed of fertilized water in March or April.

Cavendish

Main article: Cavendish tobacco

Cavendish is more a process of curing and a method of cutting tobacco than a type of it. The processing and the cut are used to bring out the natural sweet taste in the tobacco. Cavendish can be produced out of any tobacco type but is usually one of, or a blend of Kentucky, Virginia, and Burley and is most commonly used for pipe tobacco and cigars.

The process begins by pressing the tobacco leaves into a cake about an inch thick. Heat from fire or steam is applied, and the tobacco is allowed to ferment. This is said to result in a sweet and mild tobacco. Finally the cake is sliced. These slices must be broken apart, as by rubbing in a circular motion between one’s palms, before the tobacco can be evenly packed into a pipe. Flavoring is often added before the leaves are pressed. English Cavendish uses a dark flue or fire cured Virginia, which is steamed and then stored under pressure to permit it to cure and ferment for several days or weeks.

Corojo

Main article: Corojo

Corojo is a type of tobacco primarily used in the making of cigars, originally grown in the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba.

Corojo was originally developed and grown by Diego Rodriguez at his farm or vega, Santa Ines del Corojo and takes its name from the farm. It was used as a wrapper extensively for many years on Cuban cigars, but its susceptibility to various diseases, Blue mold in particular, caused the Cuban genetic engineers to develop various hybrid forms that would not only be disease-resistant, but would also display excellent wrapper qualities.

Criollo

Main article: Criollo tobacco

Criollo is primarily used in the making of cigars. It was, by most accounts, one of the original Cuban tobaccos that emerged around the time of Columbus. The term means native seed, and thus a tobacco variety using the term, such as Dominican Criollo, may or may not have anything to do with the original Cuban seed nor the recent hybrid, Criollo ’98.

Oriental Tobacco

Main article: Turkish tobacco

Oriental tobacco is a sun-cured, highly aromatic, small-leafed variety (Nicotiana tabacum) that is grown in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, and the Republic of Macedonia. Oriental tobacco is frequently referred to as “Turkish tobacco”, as these regions were all historically part of the Ottoman Empire. Many of the early brands of cigarettes were made mostly or entirely of Oriental tobacco; today, its main use is in blends of pipe and especially cigarette tobacco (a typical American cigarette is a blend of bright Virginia, burley and Oriental).

Perique

Main article: Perique

Perhaps the most strongly flavored of all tobaccos is the Perique, from Saint James Parish, Louisiana. When the Acadians made their way into this region in 1755, the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes were cultivating a variety of tobacco with a distinctive flavor. A farmer called Pierre Chenet is credited with first turning this local tobacco into the Perique in 1824 through the technique of pressure-fermentation.

Considered the truffle of pipe tobaccos, the Perique is used as a component of many blended pipe tobaccos, but is too strong to be smoked pure. At one time, the freshly moist Perique was also chewed, but none is now sold for this purpose. It is traditionally a pipe tobacco, and is still very popular with pipe-smokers, typically blended with pure Virginia to lend spice, strength, and coolness to the blend.

Shade tobacco

Shade grown tobacco field in East Windsor, Connecticut

It is not well known that the northern US states of Connecticut and Massachusetts are also two of the most important tobacco-growing regions in the country. Long before Europeans arrived in the area, Native Americans harvested wild tobacco plants that grew along the banks of the Connecticut River. Today, the Connecticut River valley north of Hartford, Connecticut is known as “Tobacco Valley”, and the fields and drying sheds are visible to travelers on the road to and from Bradley International Airport, the major Connecticut airport. The tobacco grown here is known as shade tobacco because it is grown under tents which protect the tobacco plants from direct exposure to the sunlight. This imitates the conditions of tobacco plants growing in the shade of trees in tropical areas. The result are leafs of lighter color and of a more delicate structure. They are used as outer wrappers for some of the world’s finest cigars. It is not entirely clear who introduced this method of growing tobacco, but it is likely that the New York firm of Schroeder & Bon or its founder Frederick A. Schroeder were instrumental in developing this agricultural innovation.

Early Connecticut colonists acquired from the Native Americans the habit of smoking tobacco in pipes and began cultivating the plant commercially, even though the Puritans referred to it as the “evil weed”. The plant was outlawed in Connecticut in 1650, but in the 1800s as cigar smoking began to be popular, tobacco farming became a major industry, employing farmers, laborers, local youths, southern African Americans, and migrant workers.

Working conditions varied from backbreaking work for young local children, ages 13 and up, to backbreaking exploitation of migrants. Each tobacco plant yields only 18 leaves useful as cigar wrappers, and each leaf requires a great deal of individual manual attention during harvesting. Although the temperature in the curing sheds sometimes exceeds 38 C (100 F), no work is done inside the sheds while the tobacco is being fired.

In 1921, Connecticut tobacco production peaked, at 31,000 acres (125 km) under cultivation. The rise of cigarette smoking and the decline of cigar smoking have caused a corresponding decline in the demand for shade tobacco, reaching a minimum in 1992 of 2,000 acres (8 km) under cultivation. Since then, however, cigar smoking has become more popular again, and in 1997 tobacco farming had risen to 4,000 acres (16 km). However, only 1,050 acres (4.2 km) of shade tobacco were harvested in the Connecticut Valley in 2006. Connecticut seed is being grown in Ecuador, where labor is very cheap. The industry has weathered some major catastrophes, including a devastating hailstorm in 1929, and an epidemic of brown spot fungus in 2000, but is now in danger of disappearing altogether, given the value of the land to real estate speculators. The older and much less labor intensive Broadleaf plant, which produces an excellent maduro wrapper as well as binder and filler for cigars, is increasing in area in the Connecticut Valley.

Thuoc lao

Main article: Thuoc lao

Thuoc lao is a nicotine-rich (although not as strong as mapacho) type of tobacco grown exclusively in Vietnam and is often smoked by Vietnamese rice farmers.

It is most commonly smoked after a meal on a full stomach to “aid in digestion”, or along with green tea or local beer (most commonly the cheap “bia hoi”). A “hit” of thuoc lao is followed by a flood of nicotine to the bloodstream inducing strong dizziness that last several seconds. It should be said however that even heavy smokers have had trouble with the intense volume of smoke and that side effects include nausea and vomiting.

Type 22

Main article: Type 22 tobacco

Type 22 tobacco is a classification of United States tobacco product as defined by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, effective date November 7, 1986. The definition states that type 22 tobacco is a type of fire-cured tobacco, known as Eastern District fire-cured, produced principally in a section east of the Tennessee River in southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee. Most type 22 tobacco in northern Tennessee is grown in Robertson and Montgomery County.

White Burley

This section requires expansion.

Harvested white burley in Cincinnati, Ohio.

White Burley similar to Burley tobacco is the main component in chewing tobacco, American blend pipe tobacco, and American-style cigarettes.

In 1865, George Webb of Brown County, Ohio planted Red Burley seeds he had purchased, and found that a few of the seedlings had a whitish, sickly look. He transplanted them to the fields anyway, where they grew into mature plants but retained their light color. The cured leaves had an exceedingly fine texture and were exhibited as a curiosity at the market in Cincinnati. The following year he planted ten acres (40,000 m) from seeds from those plants, which brought a premium at auction. The air-cured leaf was found to be mild tasting and more absorbent than any other variety. White Burley, as it was later called, became the main component in chewing tobacco, American blend pipe tobacco, and American-style cigarettes. The white part of the name is seldom used today, since red burley, a dark air-cured variety of the mid-1800s, no longer exists.

Wild Tobacco

This section requires expansion.

Wild tobacco is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of South America. Its botanical name is Nicotiana rustica. In Australia “Nicotiana benthamiana” and “Nicotiana gossei” are two of several indigenous tobaccos still used by Aboriginal people in some areas. “Nicotiana rustica” is the most potent strain of tobacco known. It is commonly used for tobacco dust or pesticides.

Y1

Main article: Y1 (tobacco)

Y1 is a strain of tobacco that was cross-bred by Brown & Williamson to obtain an unusually high nicotine content. It became controversial in the 1990s when the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) used it as evidence that tobacco companies were intentionally manipulating the nicotine content of cigarettes.

Y1 was developed by tobacco plant researcher James Chaplin, working under Dr. Jeffrey Wigand for Brown & Williamson (then a subsidiary of British American Tobacco) in the late 1970s. Chaplin, a director of the USDA Research Laboratory at Oxford, North Carolina, had described the need for a higher nicotine tobacco plant in the trade publication World Tobacco in 1977, and had bred a number of high-nicotine strains based on a hybrid of Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana rustica, but they were weak and would blow over in a strong wind. Only two grew to maturity; Y2, which “turned black in the drying barn and smelled like old socks,” and Y1, which was a success.

B&W brought the plants to California company DNA Plant Technology for additional modification, including making the plants male-sterile, a procedure that prevents competitors from reproducing the strain from seeds. DNA Plant Technology then smuggled the seeds to a B&W subsidiary in Brazil.

Y1 has a higher nicotine content than conventional flue-cured tobacco (6.5% versus 3.23.5%), but a comparable amount of tar, and does not affect taste or aroma. British American Tobacco (BAT) began to discuss the trialling of Y1 tobacco in 1991, despite it not being approved for use in the United States. B&W promised in 1994 to stop using Y1, but at that time they had 7 million pounds of inventory, and continued to blend Y1 into their products until 1999.

References

^ A typical mix of ingredients would be around 54 percent tobacco, 22 percent water, 8 percent alcohol (Glycerol/Sorbitol) and the rest sugars and specific flavoring (e.g., cherry).

^ See Robert T. Pando (2003). Shrouded in Cheesecloth: the Demise of Shade Tobacco in Florida and Georgia. Master of Arts thesis. Florida State University. PP. 22 sq., available online at http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-11142003-204324/ and Carl Wilhelm Schlegel (19161918). Schlegel’s American Families of German Ancestry. Vol. 3. P. 370.

^ http://sres-associated.anu.edu.au/fpt/nwfp/pituri/pituri.html

^ “Inside the Tobacco Deal – interview with David Kessler”. PBS. 2008. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/settlement/interviews/kessler.html. Retrieved 2008-06-11. 

^ a b c d Pringle, Peter (1998-02-22). “Tobacco giant bred high-nicotine crop in attempt to keep smokers hooked”. The Observer. 

^ “Smoke Gets In Your Ire”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2003-05-04. http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20030504edroddy04p1.asp. Retrieved 2008-06-11. 

^ a b “The Future of Y1″. University of California, San Francisco. 1990. http://www.library.ucsf.edu/tobacco/batco/html/12700/12752/. Retrieved 2008-06-11. 

^ a b “Chronology of Significant Y1 Events”. Brown & Williamson. 1995-06-26. http://tobaccodocuments.org/bliley_bw/566628820-8821.html. Retrieved 2008-06-12. 

^ Seper, Jerry (1998-01-08). “Justice uproots ‘crazy tobacco’; Prosecutors target high-nicotine leaf”. The Washington Times. p. A4. 

^ “The Low Tar Lie”. British Medical Journal. 1999. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/8/4/433. Retrieved 2008-06-11. 

^ “Evaluation of Y1 Tobacco”. British American Tobacco. 1991-11-21. http://www.library.ucsf.edu/tobacco/batco/html/10700/10744/. Retrieved 2008-06-11. 

^ “Note for Tobacco Strategy Review Team”. British American Tobacco. November 1991. http://www.library.ucsf.edu/tobacco/batco/html/11600/11658/otherpages/allpages.html. Retrieved 2008-06-11. 

^ Mishra, Raja (1998-03-07). “Despite pledge, cigarette still include high-nicotine tobacco/Brown & Williamson’s CEO said four years ago the practice would stop. Newly released papers also indicate he misled Congress.”. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A3. 

Categories: TobaccoHidden categories: Articles needing additional references from August 2008 | All articles needing additional references | Articles to be expanded from August 2008 | All articles to be expanded | Articles to be expanded from December 2009

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Western US Retirement Picks

I am pursuing my final career – and I am quite comfortable
working a 40-hour schedule for the first time in my life. I take
my time and pick my clients carefully.

I get to take a day off here and there for golf, and I travel
around the western states every couple of months. Over the past
two years I have been keeping an eye out for the perfect spot to
retire in the Western US.

I now live in a small community near the Bay Area in Northern
California. I’ve lived here for 20+ years, and it has been
great. The Bay Area is vibrant, has a good climate, and is home
to some of the most creative people on the planet. But it
certainly isn’t paradise.

It is an expensive place to live. The highways are congested.
The boarders of the US are out of control and that has hit
California hard. The government is dysfunctional, and we pay a
premium for that. While we have good weather, it is great half
the year and somewhat over-rated the other half. My business has
changed over the past five years. I can do about 80% – 90% of it
from anywhere. That’s the beauty of information and
communication technology.

Let me share with you what I have found as I looked for better
working/ retirement locations in the western US. – Portland,
Oregon area; especially Southern Washington - Prescott, Arizona
- Northern Baja, Mexico - Hilo, the big island of Hawaii -
Boise, Idaho

Southern Washington: I recently visited a friend who built his
dream house on a few acres in Southern Washington, about 30
minutes from Portland. His 2,500 square foot house cost about
the same as a ¼ acre lot in the Bay Area. He is within easy
drive of a good airport and Oregon has no sales tax. He can
explore the Cascades and reach ocean or skiing in a few hours.
Yep – it rains a lot, but not as much as Seattle.

Prescott, Arizona: This gem is home to 30,000 people, who enjoy
mountain vistas and a temperate, sunny, four-season climate
thanks to its mile-high elevation. If you aren’t real fussy, you
can find a nice house for 0k. If you are a little fussy or
want some land, expect to pay 0k or better. Prescott is an
old, established town with historic buildings and strong family
culture. It’s true that absentee Californians have snapped up a
good bit of the real estate up. But they have been are running
around most of the west buying spare homes and putting them in
the “bank” for future use

Northern Baja, Mexico: Don’t write this one off too fast,
especially if you are in So Cal. and want a second home near the
beach. It is not as crazy as it sounds You can live near the
beach in Rosarito and get an absolutely great ocean view or
ocean front house for a fraction of the price of a house located
two hours north in San Diego county. South of the Border
property even has financing available from this side of the
border.

Hilo Area on the Big Island: One of the best deals in the United
States has been discovered and land prices are climbing rapidly,
but guess what? Land in Hilo is still inexpensive. If you are
looking for a slow pace, it doesn’t get any slower than Hilo.
This area is absolutely beautiful yet not a prime location for
vacation resorts and condos. Condos on Kauai, Maui, and the
other side of the big island run 0 – 0k, yet a Hilo acre
lot can be purchased for to k, and houses for 0k. If
you want some privacy, like to garden, and have dreamed of
building a hideaway on an tropical island, there is still time
to do it in the USA. It rains almost daily in Hilo but showers
are short and the 75 to 80 degrees temperatures makes the
showers and lush green growth a real delight.

Boise is rated as the second best city to do business in the US
by Forbes Magazine. It has a population of about 400,000, and
median house prices around 5,000. Boise is an excellent
gateway to the natural beauty of the Northern Rockies. For those
of you not quite ready to hang it up, but looking for an
interesting, affordable small city environment, Boise deserves
your serious consideration.

How to Take Care Common Pool Problems

If you are in the market for real estate with a swimming pool there is a wide range to choose from. Along with the joys of pool ownership are some common problems that you will have to deal with. Learning how to solve common pool problems will allow you to get more pleasure out of your pool. Many of the common problems pool owners confront are simple to fix with some help and guidance and once you have become adept at handling these issues you and the whole family can enjoy a clean, safe sparkling swimming pool.

What to Do about Calcium, Debris and Algae

The most common problems that pool owners have to confront are calcium, debris, algae, burning eyes, chlorine odor and cloudy pool water. Calcium accumulates around the edges of pools and in the filtering system moving parts. Calcium is not bad for swimmers but it may be uninviting and it can, with time; clog up your filtering system. Algae while most commonly green, comes in many forms and if your pool has any type of it, no one will want to enter it. Debris can be a real annoyance especially for Arizonans during the monsoon season as you may have to skim the pool daily to keep it clean.

Improper chemical balance of your pool is likely the source of many of your other issues. Too much or not enough chlorine, pH too high or too low, total alkalinity too low or calcium  too high can lead to a variety of issues like an unclear pool or stinging eyes. Luckily there are easy solutions to all of your common pool problems that you can take care of yourself or with a bit of help.

If you have hard water, you will likely need to use a chlorine product that does not contain calcium hypochlorite which can result in elevated levels of calcium deposits leading to more problems. Monitoring your chemical levels should reduce mineral buildups and keep your pool clear so you avoid a heavy chlorine smell and protect your eyes from the chemicals. Debris can be a real annoyance but unless you want to purchase a pool cover it is a part of daily pool maintenance. Scoop the debris from your pool daily and be sure to look at your filter often and clean it with a hose as needed.

Solutions Employed by Pool Owners

The best thing you can do is find a neighborhood retailer that sells pool chemicals and avail yourself of the education they can give. They can direct you to a chemical testing kit so you can determine the chemical levels you are dealing with. Once you have determined what your chemical levels are you can find products to correct any deficiencies that may be causing you problems. The supplier should know exactly how to handle each issue and be able to instruct you on what to do for your pool.

Enjoy a Clean, Blue, Sparkling Pool Year Round

When the chemical levels in your swimming pool are perfect, you can enjoy your pool every day. Taking the time to test your chemical levels every few days will ensure that you and the whole family will have a safe, fun swimming experience and you can avoid more expensive problems later on.

In California, you may want to think about buying Santaluz houses with private pools for sale. Another area to consider would be Scripps Ranch pool properties in San Diego County.

What Recession?

Is it really all in our mind?

What an amazing event, the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States and the first African American in the White House. So monumental was this moment that over 2 million Americans huddled in The National Mall on a cold winter morning in Washington DC just so they could say to their children in years to come, ‘I was there’.

Trains, planes, cars and over 10,000 busses ferried some 4 million average Americans into town. 13,000 ‘Port A Potty’s’ were set up in the National Mall ready for the crowd. 90 military high school bands and community groups turned out for the parade and 81 year old Charlie Brotman announced the big day as the President’s announcer; a job he has had for fifty two years!

The entire country stopped, witnessed and celebrated the moment. And an amazing moment in time it was, as time of hope, of change, of reflection and of anticipation.

So it begs the question.

At that moment, where was the recession?

It seems that the recession for many, is a state of mind. When it’s top of mind it’s Armageddon, but when it gets in the road of a good party, a dinner with mates, or a reason to feel better, it’s forgotten. So who is really hurting?

In the last few weeks I’ve been doing my own bit of research both from the safety of my Florida home over the Christmas break and from my travels to Houston, New Orleans, Washington DC, New York, San Diego, Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Connecticut and a few pit stops in between. And it’s been really very interesting.

By way of some simple examples; it seems to me that hair and nail businesses have never been busier, bowling alleys are having a field day, restaurants are still belting out the all American Supersize everything meals and golf courses are still tough to get a tee time. In other words, we’re whinging about slow sales and a spiralling market, yet someone is still spending the money? So who’s telling the real story?

The media will report retail sales are down, and yet at Costco the mayhem that happens there every day can be likened to everyone scrambling for the restroom at halftime during Superbowl.

I had dinner with a mate of mine last night who was worried about his ‘job’, and yet only minutes earlier took me on a tour of his house to show me his 0,000 renovation to his home.

I listened to the cab driver whinge about the economy as he took me on my short ride from Santa Monica to LAX, and yet he dressed like a banker.

I spent some time on the phone to a real estate mate of mine who tells me that 2008 was a most shocking year for him, and then only a few sentences later offers me a lift with him from California to a meeting in Arizona on his private jet.

Here’s my humble take on it all.

This is the 3rd real economic change I’ve lived through in business. In 1987, during the market meltdown I was just starting in private enterprise, at a time when most people said, ‘what are you doing, you’re crazy’ we had a field day in the property market and made some great money thinking a little laterally about the market and how to work it to our advantage in a changing time. I was new to business and therefore had no belief system and no fear that prevented me from thinking that business could be anything other than, well, good.

In 1997 during the Asian Crisis, it was an entirely different story. We got hammered. But as I look back, we probably didn’t NEED to get the belting we did had I been a better business leader. I’d been in business for about 10 years and had about 4 companies during that time in different categories. By 1997, I had a belief system, debt, staff, and all the other stressors of business. By 1997, business for me was, well, defined. I had metrics and KPI’s that told me when things were bad and of course that’s how I perceived them and of course we had to have a tough time because of those beliefs and my belief system. And the experience cost me half a million dollars.

In 2007, I was a little smarter. This time around my belief system was to, as Dan Frishberg says, ‘break from the heard’. Lead, not follow. Believe only what can be done, not what can’t. Believe in yourself not necessarily what the media is dishing me up. As a result, the last 2 years for us have been some of our best in business. Sure, there’s a recession going on out there somewhere. But it’s not MY recession.

So as I finish my month of unsubscribed, impromptu research around the country and my reflection on my last 20 years in business, through 3 major economic changes, I reinforce to myself that the real recession will happen if you let it. And business is still an illusion.

California Foreclosure Homes: Great Properties at Excellent Values

Homebuyers these days are wary of investing in a real estate market that offers little in the way of sure bets on good values, so if you’re going to be buying a new home anytime soon, the first thing on your mind will be getting the lowest price possible. And currently, no other type of property allows you to buy lower than California foreclosure homes. California has long been an extremely desirable location for homebuyers, but the recent struggles in the market would cause anyone to think twice before making such a big financial commitment. But California foreclosure homes offer the opportunity to buy at a discount, sometimes as much as 50% below market value, simply because they are being sold as repossessions. And the market for California foreclosure homes has truly never been better. The state is home to the largest foreclosure inventory in the nation, with over 50,000 properties currently available. This incredible volume creates an optimum opportunity for investment, as more homes on the market means lower prices, and buyers from San Francisco to San Diego have been finding huge deals. Buying California foreclosure homes may be one of the few ways left these days make sure that you’re making a worthwhile investment in a home. When you’re buying below the value of already extremely low property values, the potential for future gain is incredible. If you’re interested in, try searching for California foreclosure homes with ForeclosureSupport.com. their easy to use service makes targeting the types of properties you want simple, and they also provide great market information that can help guide you to the best purchase possible.

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The History of Oceanside, CA in the late 18th Century

In 1883 the completion of the railroad connecting San Diego and San Bernadino provided increased access to the Pacific coast. Andrew Jackson Meyers, a businessman from the area surrounding the mission, requested and received a grant of 160 acres south of the area that would later become Camp Pendleton, at the time known as Rancho Santa Margarita. J Chauncey Hayes acted as Meyers’s real estate hand, selling town lots and eventually petitioning for a post office for the growing community. The name Oceanside came from a popular diversion of the time as families inland would often go “ocean side” to escape the heat and enjoy the beautiful Pacific Coast.

Incorporated in 1888, Oceanside grew rapidly over the following years as the railway brought people and businesses to the sunny beach town. In 1893 the first of the Oceanside Municipal Piers was built, and in the subsequent century Oceanside became the popular tourist destination it is today with the addition of the Oceanside Harbor and the El Camino Golf Course. In 1942 a particularly intense period of growth came with the purchase of the Rancho Santa Margarita land north of Oceanside by the US Marine Corps for the establishment of Camp Pendleton.

Today Oceanside CA is a thriving community of long-time residents, local armed forces, and beach-loving tourists who flock to our beautiful coast and golf courses throughout the year. With a climate ranked the fifth most desirable in the world (!) and the second most desirable in the entire United States, the city of Oceanside is the perfect destination throughout the year for visitors looking for a mellow yet exciting environment offering stretches of perfect sand, a multitude of spas and resorts, a colorful harbor offering fishing expeditions and various watersports, and much more.

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Restructuring Magna Entertainment for a Strong Future

Magna Entertainment (MECQ) is the largest owner of Horse racetracks in America.  It also owns a wagering platform, XpressBet, Casino properties connected to its tracks and other horse racing related entities.  Currently, the firm is operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  It’s founder and Chairman, Frank Stronach has promised aggressive action to fix its problems.

 The horse racing industry, like many businesses, has suffered during this tough economic downturn.  Firms with excessive debt have experienced extreme difficulties, Magna is no exception.  The company had gone through an ambitious buying spree from 1999 through 2002.  During this time period it purchased Golden Gate Fields (Albany, CA), Gulfstream Park (Hallandale Beach, CA), Thistledown (North Randall, OH), Portland Meadows (Portland, OR), Santa Anita Park (Arcadia, CA), Laurel Park (Laurel, MD), and Pimlico (Baltimore, MD) where the Preakness is held.  Recently the firm sold Lone Star Park (Grand Prairie, TX) and Remington Park (Oklahoma City, OK) to the Chickasaw Nation.  Now it appears, with its bankruptcy filing, the rest of these properties are on the auction block.

 Laurel Park and Pimlico are expected to be auctioned off sometime in January 2010.  Included in the package is also the Bowie Training Center in Baltimore, MD.  Presently there are a number of bids for these prized facilities including from Penn Central Gaming.  Penn Central owns a number of racetrack facilities, racinos and casinos around the country.  What price these tracks fetch will help reduce Magna’s debt load.  More needs to be done.

 Magna should preserve its crown jewel, Gulfstream Park, in order to continue to be a viable and eventually prosperous entity.  Additionally, it should maintain its Palm Meadows Training Center in Palm Beach County, Florida.  Gulfstream is a wonderful property with additional development opportunities and a Casino.  This should be the base upon which the revitalization of Magna can be built.

 Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California is one of the most beautiful racetracks in North America.  It should also be preserved as part of the Magna entity when it emerges from bankruptcy.  With both Gulfstream and Santa Anita remaining in the company’s portfolio it will be well on its way toward creating strong growth and income for its shareholders.

 Additional properties that should be preserved under a newly reformulated Magna Entertainment would be:

San Luis Rey Downs (San Diego, CA)—a thoroughbred training center. XpressBet—its online wagering platform. Steufex TM—a straw based bedding product with facilities in Austria and North Carolina.

All of these entities will add value to the company’s core assets, Gulfstream and Santa Anita.

 All other racetracks should go on the auction block with the proceeds used to retire debt.  Any other excess land should also be sold off as real estate conditions improve.  It should make an aggressive move now to sell off all of its off-track betting (OTB) facilities connected to its tracks.  The online experience is rapidly gaining popularity and unless an OTB has the appeal and appearance of a race-book like they have in Las Vegas, NV.  The company should also dump its investments in other subsidiaries in a timely and profitable manner.

 Magna Entertainment runs excellent operations in an efficient and profitable manner.  They just got caught in the economic downdraft coupled with a decline in interest in horse racing.  Add to that the tremendous debt load the company took on and the seeds of failure were sown.  The entity can remain a vital operation by holding onto its prized possessions, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park.  With the prescriptions above Magna can have a prosperous future.