TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR SENIORS Join 2 Community Centers for an informative panel discussion on various options for transportation for seniors in Johnson County followed by a question-and-answer sessions. Oct. 9, 10-11:30am Roeland Park Community Center 4850 Rosewood Dr Roeland Park, KS Oct. 10, 6:30-8pm Jewish Community Center Campus 5801 W 115th St Overland Park, KS PAGE TO STAGE: FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING MEMORY LOSS Oct. 15, 10:30am This is a new community outreach program incorporating creative arts therapies for those experiencing memory loss. Using the children's book, Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool, participants share in storytelling and theater-based activities triggering positive memories. For questions, call 913-851-0215 Blue Valley Library CARING FOR THOSE WITH ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA Nov. 3, 2-3pm Hear Esther Kreek's touching story of caring for her husband who had Alzheimer's disease. Learn about resources, organizations and support groups in the Kansas City area available to caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. This free event is cosponsored by Jewish Family Services. Jewish Community Center Campus Heritage Center
The Homestead Refund is a rebate program for the property taxes paid by homeowners and renters. The refund is based on a portion of the property tax paid on a Kansas resident’s homestead. If you own your home, the refund is a percentage of your general property tax. If you rent your home, 15% of the rent paid for occupancy is used as the property tax amount. The maximum refund is $700.
To qualify you must be a Kansas resident, living in Kansas the entire year. Your total household income must be $30,800 or less.
You must also meet one of the following requirements:
You were born before January 1, 1956; OR
You must have been totally and permanently disabled or blind during the entire year of 2010, regardless of your age; OR
You must have had a dependent child living with you all of last year who was born before January 1, 2010, and was under the age of 18 the entire year 2010.
You are a disabled veteran (50% or more disability) or the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who has not remarried or the surviving spouse of an active duty military personnel who died in the line of duty and not remarried.
Homestead Refund Advancement Program
This program provides eligible homeowners with the opportunity to apply a portion of their anticipated Homestead refund to help pay the first half of their property tax.
There is a question on Form K-40H asking the homeowner whether they want their next year’s homestead advancement sent directly to their County Treasurer. If the box is checked on the 2010 K-40H, the 2011 homestead advancement will be sent directly from Kansas Department of Revenue to the County Treasurer. This eliminates the need for the homestead claimant to physically deliver the homestead eligibility letter to the County Treasurer.
If you do not check this box, you can not participate in the homestead advancement program, and none of your homestead refund will be used to pay your 2010 property taxes.
SAFE SENIOR - Kansas Property Tax Relief for Low Income Seniors
SAFE SENIOR is a property tax refund program administered under the provisions of the Kansas Homestead Act (property tax refund). SAFE SENIOR is also referred to as, "Kansas Property Tax Relief for Low Income Seniors".
The refund is 45% of the 2010 general property tax paid or to be paid - as shown of the 2010 real estate tax statement for the residence in which the claimant lived in 2010. The 2010 property tax consists of the 1st half which is due December 20, 2010 and the 2nd half which is due May 10, 2011. The property tax is the total of both the 1st and 2nd half taxes.
A claimant may receive either a Homestead or a SAFE SENIOR refund but not both.
You must meet all the following requirements for the SAFE SENIOR refund:
Kansas resident all of 2010,
Owned a home in Kansas during 2010,
Aged 65 years or older for all of 2010 (born before January 1, 1945) and
Where can I get help with my Homestead or Safe Senior claim? Customers who need help are encouraged to visit the various sections of our website or call the Kansas Tax line at 1-785-368-8222.
The Kansas Department of Revenue also provides free assistance in Topeka, on the first floor of the Docking State Office Building at 915 Southwest Harrison. The state office hours in Topeka are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Volunteer Income Tax Preparation (VITA) Sites In Kansas
The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income (generally, $40,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Certified volunteers sponsored by various organizations receive training to help prepare basic tax returns in communities across the country. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations. Most locations also offer free electronic filing. To locate the nearest VITA site, or call 1-800-829-1040.
Short-term tests lasting just two or three days should not be conducted during unusually severe storms or periods of unusually high winds. Severe weather will affect the measurement results in several ways. First, a high wind will increase the variability of radon concentration because of wind-induced differences in air pressure between the building interior and exterior. Second, rapid changes in barometric pressure increase the chance of a large difference in the interior and exterior air pressures, consequently changing the rate of radon influx. Weather predictions available on local news stations can provide sufficient information to determine if these conditions are likely. While unusual variations between radon measurements may be due to weather or other effects.
AAA Radon Solutions Daniel Rodriguez 816-454-5885 www.aaaradonsolutions.com
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) —For many homeowners, remodeling a kitchen or bathroom can lead to many sleepless nights. Not only do worries abound about picking the right tiles or cabinets, but there are few resources to let you know if you're paying the right amount
But now homeowners can compare costs of similar remodeling jobs based on the size and type of the room, where they live and the materials they want to use with a new tool from real estate web site Zillow.
Called Zillow Digs, the free web service and app allows users to select the rooms they want to redo, the styles they want -- such as modern, Mediterranean, art deco -- and how much they want to spend. The site then returns a series of photos of real renovations that fit those criteria with estimates that are based on an algorithm that takes into account rates from local contractors, as well as material costs and regional labor rates.
The results include both an average cost estimate and an estimate range, which can vary quite dramatically. Users can input their location to better tailor estimates based on local labor and material prices. A homeowner living in Manhattan, for example, will get a much higher estimate for a kitchen renovation than someone living in Peoria, Ill.
Costs are broken down by materials and labor and further subdivided by each aspect of the job. For a bath renovation, for example, the estimate will include the price of a new bathtub and how much it costs to install it.
And when homeowners find something they like on Zillow Digs, they can use the site to connect with contractors, architects and designers.
Last year, $125 million was spent on home renovation projects, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. And, as the housing market continues to improve, spending is expected to rise by nearly 20% this year.
"Through the first three quarters of 2012, investment in the residential sector was responsible for one out of every six dollars added to our GDP," said Eric Belsky, the center's director. "Moving forward, home improvement spending is expected to make an even larger contribution."
Homeowners are also getting more bang for their remodeling buck. For every dollar spent on an overhaul of a midrange kitchen, a home's value rises by about 69 cents, according to Remodeling magazine's annual Cost vs. Value Report 2013. That's up from about 65 cents on the dollar in 2011-2012.
