A super twist on “Raised Plaster Stenciling” that’s easy to do and leaves a great “impression”; Rubber stamps pressed in to the wet plaster.Where Raised Plaster Stenciling creates a design that stands out from the wall, using rubber stamps pressed in to wet plaster creates indentations that give a really different look that creates awesome shadows.

There are literally millions of rubber stamp designs in your local craft store, rubber stamp specialty shop or on the Internet that you can choose to create your own designer walls. Choose a large design so that it shows up well on your wall. Consider plant elements such as ferns, leaves, flower heads and so on. Or get crazy and combine a number of designs.

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Are you tired of the same old, boring standard-issue postage stamps available from the US Postal Service? Not that the US Flag, George Washington, a heart, a flower, or some “special edition” picture of a famous person, place, or thing, doesn’t make for a great stamp already.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could print out our own vanity postage stamps? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could design our own stamps? We could use our company logos. We could make it be a photograph of ourselves, our family, or a loved one? We could print a funny message within the stamp. Or the stamp could even be a cartoon comic with a “joke of the day” printed on it.

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As a real estate investor, you must be aware that each and every dollar that you have working for you in an investment is making you money, and, conversely, every dollar that isn’t working for you represents a lost opportunity to further compound your profits. So, when the time comes to put your property up for sale, you have two options. The 1st option that you have at your disposal is simply to make a outright sale and recognize a gain. This means you must pay capital gains taxes. Whenever you pay money to the United States government you are losing potential profits.

The second, and often more lucrative option is to conduct a 1031 exchange. A great way to keep more of your investment funds making you more money is to conduct an exchange instead of making an outright sale. Section 1031 has a non-recognition provision, meaning you do not have to pay the taxes immediately; in fact, you can defer the taxes indefinitely, while your wealth is compounded by the extra income produced by investing your tax deferment.

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Q: I was contacted by the city tax collector to say that my business is scheduled to be audited to see if I owe sales tax on items purchased on the Internet. Can they really make me pay sales tax on internet purchase? I thought you could buy things online tax free?
– Charlie B.

A: Sorry, but your local municipality is well within its rights to audit your business to identify items purchased online. The city can also demand payment of sales tax on those items if sales tax was not previously paid. Don’t be surprised if the auditor asks for access to your books and to see purchase receipts and invoices for at least the past year.

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If you invest in tax lien certificates, there are certain things that you need to do in order to keep your investment profitable. By automating your business, you won’t miss any deadlines that might reduce your profit on your tax lien portfolio. You must keep track of when you bought your tax lien certificate, when subsequent tax payments are due, and when the redemption period ends. You will also need a system for recording liens with the county, sending out 30 day notices at the end of the redemption period, sending out requests to tax collectors for taxes due and tracking the profitability of your liens.

Let’s start from the beginning. Before you even purchase a tax lien certificate, you need to contact the tax collector and get a list of the sale properties. Some tax collectors will give you a list with all the information that you need to do your due diligence, but most will not. You need a system for finding the information that you need, doing due diligence on the properties and deciding on which properties you want to bid on and just how much you can pay and still make a decent profit.

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People getting caught in the web of tax debt are increasingly common. Tax debts occur due to financial problems caused by prolonged unemployment, layoffs, illness, accidents, or divorce. And if you are one among them, do not get overwhelmed by tax debt, as there are several simple ways to solve all the tax debt problems and to keep the tax collector out of sight.

Life throws up several situations in which you might not be able to pay your taxes and this result in the accumulation of taxes. The penalties imposed on accumulated taxes can make the situation even worse. The accumulation of taxes often overwhelms the defaulter. Consulting a tax debt attorney is one of the best ways to obtain tax debt help. Tax debt attorneys can provide you with adequate advice or go to court on your behalf. These people know how to work for their clients who has some tax dues or are in tax debt. They provide enough assistance, which helps you to decide on how to pay the tax dues, and they will also negotiate with the IRS so that you will be granted some relief.

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Here are some tips from the Tax Lien Lady to help you increase your chances of being a successful bidder at a tax lien or tax deed auction.

Be one of the first to register for the sale and among the first to arrive at the sale. At very large tax sales it’s not easy for the tax collector to see the bidders in the back of the room. More bids are awarded to the buyers that are in front of the tax collector (or who ever is doing the auction). At some sales seating is assigned based on your bidder number, so register early for the sale. If seats aren’t assigned, be sure that you arrive at the sale early so that you get a good seat. I like to get to a tax sale one hour before the sale begins, that way I know that I can get a good seat.

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Tax liens can be a relatively safe investment. A good return on your money is also possible. The catch? Everyone knows about this now, and the bids are pushing down rates of returns.

When we went to the local tax lien sale here in Fremont County Colorado, we were amazed that a little community like this could have so many investors wanting to buy tax liens. This is good for the county, but not for an investor.

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