For most people, the bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the entire house. In fact, this is one of those rooms where you can probably spend the most personal and private moments of your life. Therefore, the need to keep this important room neat and well-kept is crucial. It is also important that your bathroom looks good and comfortable. Most of the US citizens residing in major cities like San Diego (CA) and National City (CA) pay special attention to their bathroom remodeling process so that this important room is always neat and clean with an elegant look.

In today’s world, there are various types of materials that are used to make bathroom vanities. These can be made from solid wood, glass, laminate, and medium-density fiberboard to name a few. However, there are numerous myths related to these materials. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of using different types of vanity materials that can be an important part of any bathroom remodeling plan:

* Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF): This is a composite wood product made up of waste wood fibers that are glued together with pressure, heat, and resin. Due to its main characteristics, such as uniformity and smoothness, MDF can be used in various applications. MDF also does not swell or shrink with changes in humidity levels, making it a wonderful material to use for bathroom cabinets. In numerous homes throughout US cities like San Diego (CA) and Bonita (CA), you will find many homeowners using MDF made vanities due to its durability and other good features.

* Laminate: This material is available in a wide variety of textures and colors such as stone, wood pattern, solid colors, and marble. Due to its ease of care and durability, laminates are mainly used in commercial work.

* Glass: Glass cabinets are very easy to care for, however, they have very limited space. Most of these dressers come with open shelves for storage, but you need some planning when it comes to keeping things inside as it is visible to everyone. Vanities made of glass are usually quite expensive and are often mixed with chrome to give it a sophisticated look.

Many nonprofit groups are upset that they are allowed to hold car wash fundraisers in some California cities. It’s not that government officials are against their groups raising money, it’s that they’re worried about where the dirty, soapy water ends up. It’s a problem and it might be a good thing if he understood some of the history behind the rules instead of getting mad about it.

HISTORY

Well, it all started many years ago when Congress passed the Federal Clean Water Act in 1972 during the Nixon Administration. This was in response to major pollution problems related to the pollution of the nation’s waterways by factories, open pit mining, and sewage treatment plants or the lack thereof. It was actually a big problem. It was an ecosystem disaster that caused disease and death to wildlife and some people. When it was discovered how serious the problem really was, the federal government authorized states to deal with problems within their state. States enacted state laws to help fix the problem. Meanwhile, the federal government tightened the standards forcing states to either toughen their standards or break them. With the threat of withholding federal funds for the states, the states continued to make more and more laws. Obviously the industry was not happy and even government agencies were unable to comply with the laws they made. Therefore, target dates were enacted to allow time for everyone to comply. Environmental consulting firms sprang up overnight along with a whole new industry of manufacturing environmental equipment and products, many of which were not even compliant themselves. Of course, all good things take time, and cleaning our water is obviously a good thing.

The State of California divided the state into nine different regions realizing that each region had different pollution problems based on the types of industry, demographics, and population of the areas. These regions were called ‘Regional Water Quality Control Districts’ (RWQCDs). All of these were controlled by the State Board which was defined by the Federal Clean Water Act as the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). Once the problem was broken down into smaller parts, things started to get better.

The SWRCB was formed in California and is commonly called ‘The State Board’. The State Board regulates the Control of Water Quality, which is any activity or factor that may affect the quality of state waters and includes the prevention and correction of water pollution and nuisances. This sounds very broad and the State Board has a lot of power. Fortunately, with the combined efforts of industry, government, and the public, they now understand the issues well enough to make smart decisions and fully understand that their organization needs to make money. Therefore, instead of preventing and banning the activities, everyone is working on solutions and procedures to allow responsible downloading creating a win-win situation.

Recently, the State Water Quality Control Boards asked counties to submit their approval and receive permits to discharge the same water they have been discharging for years. These permissions were called NPDES permissions. This means the National System for the Elimination of Polluting Discharges. Most counties assigned an existing department to work on this permit. Most likely it is the county Flood Control Department. Unfortunately, this part of the county deals with permits for land development, bridges, infrastructure, etc. Until now, they knew very little about the contamination. Some counties turned this responsibility over to the Department of Environmental Health Services, who in turn worked with the Department of Flood Control that controls storm drains. NPDES permits are state approved for local county urban runoff discharges. Every city in every county through municipal codes is supposed to pass ordinances and come up with a plan to control their local runoff/pollution. The county remains accountable to the state and the states to the federal government. The NPDES requirements are a consequence of the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, although they are enforced, permitted and regulated locally by cities, counties and states.

The actual law used to enforce these statutes can be found at 13.260 – 13.265 of the California Water Code. At one point he actually says:

“No person or persons may discharge water into any waterway without permission or a permit from a regional state water quality control board.”

This sounds pretty absolute, doesn’t it? It is against the law for you to take a glass of water from your sink, walk over to a storm drain, and pour the water down the drain. Obviously, this in itself would not harm the environment, but by granting absolute power, the Regional Water Quality Control Boards can analyze everything on a case-by-case basis. So get serious about your water after washing those cars.

RAINWATER DISCHARGE

City, county and state governments know that the car wash has always been a favorite fundraiser for sports teams, scouting troops, schools and other non-profit groups. Due to low capital investment costs, because laundering fundraisers can generate significant amounts of profit. For the last ten years, government agencies, especially in California, have been working with industry to find solutions to clean up our water. Today, the waterways of the United States are significantly cleaner than in the past, even though many regions are more densely populated. It has been working very well. Now we go one step further. No contamination from any source, even mobile dog groomers. In just the last few years, government agencies have decided that the adverse environmental impact is too great to allow car wash fundraising. Along with strong lobbying from fixed-site car wash owners, some cities and counties have banned these fundraisers unless certain procedures are followed to ensure wash water does not enter storm drains, ditches, or pathways. fluvial.

Their reasoning is as follows: Dirty water containing soaps and detergents, exhaust residue, gasoline, and motor oils wash out of cars and flow into nearby storm drains. Unlike the water we use in our homes and businesses that goes down the drain and is treated in sewage treatment plants, the water that goes to storm drains flows directly into rivers, bays, oceans, and lakes without any treatment. . Obviously, a car wash fundraiser alone will create little to no adverse environmental impact. But government agencies know that collectively, car wash fundraisers contribute to significant pollution.

They also realize that biodegradable soaps don’t lessen the impact. This is because biodegradable just means that the soap will degrade over time. So does plutonium, it just takes longer. Soaps and car wash products are still toxic to aquatic life, even if they are biodegradable. Think about this a bit. If you really want the city to let you do a car wash as a fundraiser, you’re going to have to figure out how to keep dirty, soapy water out of the storm drain.

When water began draining from New Orleans in 2005, we learned that most New Orleans homeowners did not have flood insurance, since they were supposedly in “low risk” areas. More than 60% of homeowners will need to rely on their own savings and limited federal assistance to rebuild New Orleans, at an uncalculated cost to homeowners and taxpayers.

Could that level of disaster, especially that level of uninsured disaster, happen in California? Less than 15% of California homeowners currently have earthquake insurance, due to its high cost, “it can’t happen to me or my house” factor, and coverage is not required by mortgage providers. The next big earthquake will result in billions in uninsured damage, but is earthquake insurance really worth the high cost?

How did we get here?

The state of California requires all homeowners insurance providers to offer at least one earthquake insurance (albeit at a high cost). Until 1994, it was widely available, but the high costs of damage from the Northridge earthquake caused 97% of homeowners insurance providers to withdraw from the state of California. In response, the California legislator formed the California Earthquake Authority to provide earthquake insurance.

What is the California Earthquake Authority and how does it work?

The California Earthquake Authority provides two-thirds of the earthquake policies in California, sold through its member providers such as Allstate and State Farm. An owner buys the policy through his regular insurance agent, but the policy is actually a CEA policy.

The CEA currently has about $7.2 billion to pay claims, which it says is enough to pay for foreseeable damages (Loma Prieta in 1989 had $6 billion in total damages). If damage claims exceed $7.2 billion, then each claim would receive a pro-rated share of their losses, unlike a regular insurance company, which promises to pay actual damages under the insurance policy. The State of California cannot help pay claims from general funds.

The policies also have a high deductible, typically 15% of the home’s value. In other words, your home must be damaged by more than 15% of its value before the insurance will start to pay out. Therefore, this insurance is not for cracks in the driveway, it is for significant structural damage to your home. The policy also pays for limited content ($5K and up) and loss of use ($1500 and up).

Why is earthquake insurance so expensive?

Insurance policy premiums are calculated based on probabilities: the probability that a house like yours in a neighborhood like yours will catch fire or that a driver like you will be in an accident. With data from millions of households, these probabilities can be calculated with reasonable precision. But no one can reliably predict the probability of an earthquake strong enough to damage your home.

And, as you can imagine, the damage from an earthquake, flood, or hurricane is widespread, potentially over thousands of square miles, rather than one or a few dozen houses, as in a fire. As such, the insurer would have to pay out zero claims or billions of dollars in claims – too much variance to reasonably plan or accurately quote.

Are we really at risk here in San José?

According to the USGS, there is a 62% chance of an earthquake measuring 6.7 or greater (such as the Northridge earthquake) in the Bay Area in the next 30 years. In my ZIP code (San Jose 95126), the USGS estimates an 80% chance of a 6.0 earthquake and a 20% chance of a 7.0 earthquake in the next 30 years. Whether you consider it a high risk depends on your tolerance for earthquake risk: I consider a high risk of a moderate earthquake and a somewhat low risk of a terrible earthquake, in the next 30 years.

But like any real estate related problem, everything is local. The actual location of your home significantly affects your risk: bedrock, reclaimed bay land, soil type, nearby creeks, actual distance from the epicenter can all affect potential damage.

But of course many earthquakes occur where the USGS wasn’t even aware of a fault line, and we never know when or where it will happen, until it does.

Should I get earthquake insurance?

Factors to consider:

• Could you afford to rebuild your home with your own savings and investments?
• Can you afford to pay the high cost of insurance, indefinitely?
• Could you make the payments on your current mortgage and a new rebuild loan?
• Can you mitigate your potential losses by bolting your roof to the walls and the walls to the foundation, for example?
• What is your tolerance for earthquake risk?
• What are the risks of the current construction of your house (type, age, foundation)?
• What are the risks of your specific location (soil type, distance to known faults)?

Are they worth the costs?

Let’s say you have a house that would cost $250,000 to rebuild, you will own the house for the next 30 years, and your earthquake premiums are $1,200 per year. Over the next 30 years, that would be a total of $36,000 in premiums (assuming your premiums don’t increase, to keep things simple).

Instead of buying insurance, invest the premiums in a diversified mutual fund. With an 8% annual return, you would have $135,000 (before taxes) in year 30.* But, of course, you will only have that total in year 30, not year one, which means that if the earthquake hits tomorrow, you won’t have I don’t have the money.

The deductible is another big drawback for many homeowners. Insurance pays only for major structural damage, not broken dishes or cracked driveways, which means you’re less likely to use it. Keep in mind, however, that you won’t need to come up with the cash for the deductible; You can choose not to bear those repair or rebuild costs, or you can apply for an SBA loan to pay the deductible (assuming a federal disaster occurs). area is declared).

Why not just get federal help or “walk out” and let the bank take the property?

The federal government would likely provide access to SBA loans, if the area is declared a federal disaster area (no small business required). However, the maximum loan of $200,000 from the SBA may not be enough to rebuild your home, and it is a loan you must pay back (in addition to your existing mortgage).

If you have refinanced your mortgage, you have a recourse mortgage, which means that not only can the bank foreclose on the property in case of default, but the bank can also go after your personal assets and future income in case of default. non-payment. . Therefore, you cannot just leave, especially if you have a good income and some personal assets. The bank can help you by deferring payments for a few months, but you still have to pay off the loan.

last thoughts

We have earthquake insurance on our house. Our house wasn’t built yet in the 1906 earthquake (so who knows if it would hold up), it’s over 75 years old and not bolted to the foundation, and we have a refinanced mortgage. For my family, the insurance premiums are worth the peace of mind in the event of a major earthquake. That’s exactly what insurance is for: “you never know.”

*calculations ignore inflation

California is a hot spot for mobile car detailers and mobile car washes, why? Well, a lot of it has to do with the number of cars and the excellent weather. So, I wasn’t too surprised when someone from Sacramento, CA asked me a series of questions about weather issues, rain in particular, and how that affects the mobile car wash business. You see, he is considering starting such a small business venture himself and asks:

“With California being the sunshine state, we’re lucky to have good sunny days. When the rain comes, will I still be able to work?”

Ah, very good question, yes, the weather, well, we eventually figured it out and got it down to a science. When you clean fleets, rain helps you go faster, it also uses less water, presoak is seconds instead of minutes, and rinsing is too. Concrete Cleaning, Shopping Carts, Signage, QSR (ConcreteWashGuys.com), Decks (DeckWashGuys.com), well, rain is your friend. And when it comes to snow, we’ve got that licked, too: WashGuy.com/mt.

The California market is good for several reasons, but it also has major drawbacks. The regulatory climate is crazy and some angry small business owners say that the bureaucracy has its head in the back most of the time. Ronald Reagan had some good quotes about it, much more critical than me.

Now this is not to say that rain is not a problem, it is a big problem, but smart planning, good organization, lots of accounts and being on the verge of manipulating the schedule is where you can win, turn the lemon tree that mother nature Brought you Sunkist Lemonade by trainloads. Oh, cleaning trains is also a good business.

• TruckWashGuy.com/railcars.shtml
• DetailGuys.com/nw85.shtml

Then there are all those tomato truck trailers outside Sac, we cleaned them in the rain, they should have been on TV for that; The dirtiest jobs! Yuk, but he sure paid well. Next, the would-be entrepreneur asks me another big question: “People tend to leave their cars in the winter and don’t wash them as often. How could I keep working in the winter months and switch to airplanes?”

Yes, people ie personal cars, SUVs, office lot wash or corporate employee car wash on site can be a problem in winter and in Sac depending on the year El Niño for example can be a challenge for that sector of the business. Switching to airplanes isn’t that easy, airplanes are a year-round endeavor anyway, and you need to know what the heck you’re doing, have bills, lots of insurance, and your employees need to be of a higher caliber, maybe pilots themselves and also background was checked.

Classic Army is a popular manufacturer of airsoft guns. They are stationed in Hong Kong, although they export a lot around the world. The company mainly manufactures replica airsoft guns; airsoft guns that closely resemble their real life counterparts. One of the reasons why Classic Army, abbreviated CA, is so successful is the impressive realism of its products. As stated, they can look almost identical or completely identical to the actual weapons they were modeled on (save for the orange tip).

CA pistols are usually full metal, which means that where there is metal in the actual gun, there is metal in the CA replica. Other parts, such as the gearbox, are also usually metallic. The fact that CA weapons are all-metal has a big effect on their price. There are no AEGs under $200, although the M15A4 carbine, a spring pistol, is under $100. The specs for the AEGs are pretty much the same, as most shoot between 300 and 350 feet per second, and they work best with 0.20g BBs. Also, most AEGs come with high capacity magazines, which is another reason why Classic Army is such an attractive brand.

The products that CA produces are all based on real weapons, and they can make a line of airsoft guns based on a real rifle. For example, they currently have ten airsoft guns, all based on the M4 carbine. They also have weapons based on the Heckler & Koch G3, Heckler & Koch HK33, Heckler & Koch G36, Heckler & Koch SL8, Heckler & Koch MP5, Steyr Aug, AK-47, M249 SAW, SR-25, M14, M16A2 and SCAR- L. As you can see, CA has airsoft guns based on the most popular real rifles, with more to come. In addition to airsoft guns, CA also produces spare parts, accessories, tactical gear, batteries, and more.

Despite the high quality of AC products and their wide appeal, they are not the most popular manufacturer in the world and have a lot of competition. In fact, the best airsoft producer statistically is Tokyo Marui, although Classic Army is catching up with them in popularity for AEGs. Tokyo Marui also manufactures (in addition to AEGs) gas and electric pistols, as well as a number of air pistols and radio controlled devices.

The future for Classic Army looks bright. Many of their upcoming products have already been announced. New airsoft guns coming up include a Colt, a Glock, and a new Steyr Aug (the AUG A3). Depending on the type of airsoft gun, new Classic Army products will generally enjoy a brief period of high sales and popularity, but after the initial fad ends, they may fade into the background. Currently, the M4 series of carbines is the most popular of CA’s products, and they are expected to retain that position.

What are some good reasons to roll over a 401k to an IRA? One of my clients asked that question recently. So, I frowned, then looked at the ceiling and thought about it.

All retirement accounts have advantages. Some have disadvantages. In the best case, an employer sponsors a plan that makes matching contributions, allowing you to grow your fund faster than you could on your own. That’s what you get with a 401-K; The best case.

But, since they are employer-sponsored plans, one of the reasons to roll over a 401k to an IRA is a job change. But, your new job might also have an employer-sponsored retirement plan. If so, the best solution might be to transfer the fund from one escrow company to the other. Your new employer and your old employer may even use the same escrow company, which would really simplify things.

Generally speaking, custodial companies allow you to invest in mutual funds or stocks. Government bonds are sometimes offered for those who want to “play it safe.” Companies like T Rowe Price, without actually offering advice, rank the mutual funds they offer based on risk. Of course, all funds are tied to the stock, so there is always some risk involved.

The IRS allows retirement funds to be invested in a variety of other vehicles, including real estate. However, most companies that administer 401-Ks do not allow investors to choose other options. So one of the reasons to roll over a 401k to an IRA is to have the ability to diversify the fund, investing in less traditional, more profitable, or less risky options.

To do so, you need a self-directed account. A custodian that allows for a truly self-directed investment will allow you to choose any option allowed by the tax code. You can choose tax liens, publicly traded stocks, privately owned stocks, structured settlements, and as I mentioned earlier, real estate.

Guaranteed ROI on a real estate investment? Yes, we offer a guaranteed ROI of at least double what you earned on your traditional investments such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, etc. last year. That’s right, double what you earned on your investments last year. City Capitol does not guarantee how much money you will earn, but it does guarantee that you will earn at least double your ROI last year. I strongly recommend that you review this information for yourselves. This could be the path to financial freedom in retirement.

Real estate is a good option for diversification because your investment is safe. The account holds something real, something that has real value. Yes, that value can change, it can go down, but it’s not affected by company earnings or other economic factors that can affect a stock’s value.

My client was asking about the reasons for transferring a 401k to an IRA, because he was not satisfied with the returns he was getting annually. He wondered if there wasn’t a way to earn more, faster.

Suppose you have $100,000 in your retirement account and you currently earn 10% per year. That hasn’t happened recently, but let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that you were earning that much.

If you took that $100,000 and bought a house, resold it for a $10,000 profit, and then repeated that three times in one year, you’d be getting a 30% return on your investment. So one of the best reasons to roll over a 401k to an IRA is to earn more and secure your retirement. I hope that answers the question. If you have a couple of minutes to spare, feel free to browse my website.

A couple who are contemplating adopting a child but do not have the necessary funds to pay all the costs associated with the procedure should do their research to find out what financial options are available that are relevant to their personal situation. The cost of a private or agency adoption will run between $12,000 and $25,000, depending on the circumstances. Adoptions can be expensive, especially international ones. Over the last decade, due to the growing awareness of the associated expenses, more financial aid options have become available to people who want to adopt.

There is a growing trend to use the health insurance of the adoptive parents to cover the medical expenses of the birth mother. Some banks and financial institutions have loan programs to offer low-interest loans to qualified applicants. These loans are used to help cover the cost of adopting children.

A federal tax credit of $13,170 is available to those who have completed the legal adoption process. The IRS allows a tax credit of $1,000 per year for each child a family adopts. This tax credit will expire at the end of 2011, but there is legislation in place to make this tax credit a permanent benefit. Financial aid benefits may be used by adoptive parents to pay for court costs, attorney fees, adoption fees, or any other expenses. Parents of adopted children qualify for an annual tax deduction of $3,200 per child. In addition to federal tax credits, some states offer a tax credit or subsidy for adoptions in their state. Parents receive more financial help from the state for the adoption of children with special needs.

The military offers financial assistance to active duty military personnel who are adopting a child. The parents are funding $2,000 one time for an adoption. The amount rises to $5,000 for the adoption of several children. Many private companies and government agencies offer benefits to their employees in the form of reimbursement after the adoption procedure is completed. Rebates are also offered to offset costs for some state employees, including teachers.

There are many charities that offer grants to adoptive parents. Many religious affiliated non-profit organizations provide grants to Christian families to help overcome any financial burden that comes with adopting children. Federal and state assistance is available for hard-to-place children with a loving and caring family. These government grants ensure that financial resources and services are accessible to help families successfully adopt a child.

If you are interested in Kansas adoption agencies and/or Missouri adoption agencies, be sure to visit http://www.adoption-beyond.org.

There are so many ways you can save money and get cheap car insurance. As with anything, if you really try, chances are you’ll be successful and if you follow some of the tips below, you’re bound to get cheaper insurance than you’d otherwise pay.

The first tip is to make sure you pit different companies against each other and take advantage of the competitive nature of the insurance industry. The best way to do this is to go online and get the best quote you can find. You can then take this to all kinds of different vendors and find out if they’re going to improve it. Chances are, with all the different companies competing for your assignment, you’ll find at least one that offers you a better deal.

The next tip is to make sure you don’t stop there. You never really know what you’re going to get unless you ask, and so if you keep looking for more, you’ll eventually find it. The best thing you can do is take this great quote directly to your current provider and give them a chance to improve on it. If they do, great, if not, at least you have the other offer to fall back on.

The next important tip to keep in mind is to know the mind of the insurer that offers you a policy. Really think about what are the reasons why she gets this expensive insurance fee. Some factors will include her marital status and where she lives. For example, if you are single and live in a crowded area, you will pay more than if you are married and live in the country.

Of course, these factors can’t necessarily be changed and you wouldn’t want to change them either, but others can. For example, if you have a bad driving record, you may want to enroll in a safe driving course. Or if you drive a flashy because maybe you could consider getting one that is considered so risky.

One last piece of advice is to simply increase your deductible. If you don’t think you’re likely to have a problem, doing this will help lower your monthly fee.

Here are some of the best tips for getting cheaper insurance rates.

There are things that we can all do, for example, pay attention to watering the lawn. Overwatering doesn’t help the grass, most roots only go down three to four inches, any extra watering just goes to waste. Consumer Reports has great tips on how you can reduce your water use. This is a good place to start. Implement one of these items each week for the next year, make it a goal;

[http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detailv2.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=154785&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=21135]

I think efficiency is the key. Having been a former marathon runner, I believe in conserving energy and water to get to the finish line. It is possible and there are many people who have worked on this type of issue. We are now firm believers that we are at the beginning of a Paradigm Shift with human water consumption. It’s time we looked at the big picture; Think about it.

http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid279.php

There have been so many incredible achievements over the years through various times of drought by those charged with controlling this finite freshwater resource. These new innovations and successes have come incrementally and yet we as the public pay no attention to our own responsibility in the use of this precious commodity. It is time for us to change the way we think about our water use, explore new options, and take a close look at current projects underway in our country, such as the desalination plant in Tampa and the SRP-Salt Water River Project in Phoenix and Arizona. In Johannesburg, at the 2002 World Summit, the main point was water, fresh and clean water for the world. We are very concerned about water here in the United States. At the Colorado State Fair recently, the main concern was also water. Having traveled to every city in the United States, I saw lake levels and river flows in CO, UT. MT, WY. OR, CA, NM, TX, OK, WV, TN. GA, FL, SC, NC, PA, NJ, KY, ND, SD, KS, NE, MA, CT, RI, NC, SC, and VA in my. We are not the only country on the planet with such problems, in fact we are much better off than most, but this is not a reason for us to fall asleep.

Water is everyone’s business, not just those who wash cars. We need to work together to conserve and work on ways to be more efficient in the long run. Think about it, join us to conserve our water sources and this valuable resource that gives us life.