1

HABBITAT FOR HUM

ANITY OF UTAH COUNTY

Hammer Time

HABBITAT FOR HUM

ANITY OF UTAH COUNTY

News

What’s Up

• The Habitat ReStore in Orem just recently received a donation of high end office furniture including lateral filing cabinets, credenzas, metal cabinets with shelves, wire trash cans, small tables, TV and monitor brackets and more! Check the new items out at 340 South Orem Blvd., Orem today from 10-6!

• Love is in the Air! Habitat for Humanity of Utah County will be having a Valentine’s Party on Monday, February 11, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. at the Provo Seventh Day Adventist Church. Habitat homeowners and partner families will be decorating cookies and making crafts at the party.

• Pick your Passion! Habitat for Humanity of Utah County is joining forcing with other local non-profits to promote a one-day giving and awareness campaign called Love Give Utah (County) in late March. The campaign is part of a statewide initiative sponsored by the Com-munity Foundation. Watch out for further details and plan to give a couple bucks or more to Habitat on March 22nd!

• There are many benefits to donating a car: protecting natural resources by recycling end-of-life cars into new steel, saving gas by getting old gas-guzzlers off the roads and helping build more homes locally with the funds raised from your vehicle donation! Find out more at www.habitatuc.org/habitat_car_donations.html.

• Are you having a Big Super Bowl Party? Donate all your aluminum cans to Habitat and help us “make a first down” for families in need in our community! Details and drop off locations at www.habitatuc.org/donate/gogreen.html.

• A small way to make a big difference! Join Habitat's FAM Club and help us serve more fami-lies in our community! Only $5.00 per month. Join today at www.habitatuc.org/FAM_Club.html.

• Check out Habitat’s VP Deals Site! Habitat for Humanity has partnered with VP Deals to get all the latest bargains on local products/venues. Check out this week’s specials at www.habitatucdeals.info. A portion of your “deal” purchases will help Habitat further its hous-ing mission in the community.

• Have you tested your home for radon yet? – Habitat is working with the Utah Cancer Action Network, Utah County Health Department, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to encourage community members to test their homes for radon. We offer radon test kits at the ReStore or online for just $6.00! Learn more at www.habitatuc.org/radon_awareness.html.

• Need Tools for all those Winter Projects? Stop by Habitat for Humanity of Utah County’s tool lending library and “check out” needed tools and lawn care items for free. The lending li-brary, located inside the Habitat ReStore at 340 South Orem Blvd., Orem, is open Monday through Saturday from 10-6. An application and proof of residency are required. Look online at www.habitatuc.org for more information.

Feburary 2013

HABITAT “TO SHOW LOVE” TO ITS COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS & VOLUNTEERS

Habitat for Humanity of Utah County will be holding its seventh annual volunteer and community recognition event on Thursday, February 7, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. at the White Willow Reception Cen-ter in Provo. The Valentine’s themed event, sponsored by Central Bank, will include delicious sweets and savories. Business partners, supporters, and community volunteers will be honored for their outstanding service efforts with the local Habitat affiliate the past two years.

HABITAT TO SPONSOR SECOND ANNUAL WOMEN’S RESOURCES AND JOB EXPO

Habitat for Humanity of Utah County is working with various community agencies and Utah Valley University (UVU) to hold the second Annual Women’s Resources and Job Expo on Tuesday, Feb-ruary 5, 2013, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the UVU Sorenson Student Center Ballroom. The Expo was started to help local single mothers and others to gain access to employer and resource infor-mation. There will be a wide range of local employers and community organizations on hand to pro-vide information and take applications. There will also be workshops, sponsored by Wells Fargo, on Money Management, etc. All interested community members are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served. Further information can be found at http://www.uvu.edu/turningpoint/pdf/jobexpo.pdf.

2

2 • Save Money for Home Repairs and Maintenance – A new home maintenance fund has been established to help Habitat homeowners save for future home repairs and maintenance. Homeowners now can pay a little extra ($10.00 or more) with their monthly mortgage payment. The extra amount will be saved in an escrow like account and can be accessed for home repairs and maintenance. To sign up or for more information, contact Kena at (801) 344-8527 or kena@habitatuc.org.

Photo Gallery A "DAY ON" IN THE COLD! Students from Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University spent their "day off" and braved very cold temperatures to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King on Martin Luther King Day by volun-teering their time at the South Franklin Community Center in Provo. The student volunteers worked with Habitat for Hu-manity of Utah County staff to wrap the exterior of the build-ing and get it ready for siding.

Out of the Fog and Into the Halls! Utah Valley University (UVU) teamed up with Habitat for Hu-manity of Utah County to sponsor the Sixth An-nual “No Snow” Indoor 5K last Saturday, January 26th. Over 130 community members (adults and kids alike) ran or walked the 3.1 miles indoors through UVU’s interconnected hallways. Some runners even hit the stairs for a great workout. Following the 5K, participants enjoyed a pancake and oatmeal breakfast and door prizes. Proceeds will benefit the UVU/Habitat for Humanity home currently being built in Provo with the Artanduaga family.

3

3 3

FEBURUARY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Feburuary Build Days

Volunteers are currently being sought to help with construction, renovation, revitalization, and landscaping pro-jects. Build days are held Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Volunteers are needed espe-cially during weekdays at the South Franklin Community Center and the Artanduaga home in Provo. Sign up online at www.habitatuc.org/volunteer.

Home Maintenance Classes

Man Booths –

• Women’s Resources and Job Expo February 5th

• Utah Valley Convention Center Home Expo February 8th and 9th

• Utah Valley Home and Garden Show February 22nd and 23rd

• Work in the ReStore Monday through Saturday from 10-6

• Assist with Habitat Recycling efforts.

For more information, look online at www.habitatuc.org or contact LeAnn at (801) 368-2250 or leann@habitatuc.org. You can also sign up online at www.habitat.org/volunteer.

Home Maintenance Tips (themoneypit.com)

Snow Removal Tips and Tools

Before the next snow hits, it is a good time to get out your snow removal tools to be sure you're set for the next snow storm. But what kind of tools will you need to dig out? That depends on how prepared for snow removal you want to be. Here are some snow removal tips to help you remove the snow the easy way.

Shovel Selection: Snow shovels today are light years ahead of the oversized aluminum spatulas we grew up with. Now you can choose plastic or metal shovels, big or small, and decide if you want the edge of your shovel to be scalpel sharp or as dull as a butter knife. There are even shovels with a bent handle designed to make it eas-ier on those of us with bad backs. Since all shovels do the job, let your own judgment guide you.

Shovel Safety: No matter how modern your shovel is, shoveling is hard work! To be safe, keep these snow re-moval tips in mind:

• Shovel right after the storm. The longer you wait, the heavier snow gets. Wet snow can weigh 20 lbs per shovel-full, or more, and one wrong turn of the shovel can throw your back out for good.

• Pace yourself. If you haven't been training for the next Ironman competition, take it easy! For most people, snow shoveling is an exhaustive aerobic activity you're not used to. Work slowly and take plenty of breaks when snow shoveling to keep your heart rate down.

• When shoveling, keep your knees bent and lift with your legs, not your back.

• Carry the snow to the place where you want to dump it from the shovel. Throwing the snow can twist your back, putting you out of commission for days.

• Check out Habitat & Community Action’s Free Home Maintenance Course. The next class will be Wednes-day, February 27, 2012. The topic is: Basic Plumbing Repairs. Classes begin at 6:30 p.m. and are held at the Habitat office at 340 South Orem Blvd., Orem.

• At HOME DEPOT – Registration is necessary. Call store or register online. Look online for the February clinic schedule at www.homedepot.com.

• At LOWE'S - you must sign up for How-To Clinics by calling 229-1485 or stopping by their store at 140 West University Parkway in Orem. Look online for February clinic schedule at www.lowes.com.

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT TO SERVE ON

COMMITTEES

Volunteers are needed to serve on all of Habitat’s local committees. Monthly meet-ings, limited time commitment, no experi-ence necessary, varying interests and skills. Look online at www.habitatuc.org/volunteer/committees.html for more information and meeting times.

CREW LEADERS AND SITE HOSTS NEEDED TO HELP

GUIDE CONSTRUCTION

Volunteers with construction experience or those wanting to im-prove their construction skills are being sought to participate in the affiliate's Crew Leader and Site Host Programs. Orientations are monthly. The next orientation will be on February 9, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. at the Habitat office in Orem. For information, contact LeAnn at the number or email below.

4

4

HOUSEHOLD HINT (www.hints-n-tips.com)

Carpet Stains - Use dishwashing liquid and peroxide. The stains actually just disappear. Be careful on dark carpets because peroxide can have a bleaching effect.

Sidewalk Salt: Once the snow is shoveled, you need salt to melt ice that forms on walkways or steps. Choosing the right sidewalk salt is important. Traditional rock salt is extremely corrosive and can seriously harm concrete, leaving it pitted and worn.

A better choice is to use calcium chloride, a less corrosive product that melts through the ice, but doesn't harm your sidewalk or your floors when it's dragged into your house. Before winter sets in, pick up a bag of calcium chlo-ride, mix in some sand, and keep it in an old trash can or bucket near your front door. This way, it's easy to just reach in and sprinkle sidewalk salt on your steps and walkway whenever you need it.

Snow Blowers: What if you want to be really ready for "the big one"? Snow blowers are a large investment but there's nothing more beautiful than seeing one of these babies grind through a two foot pile of wet snow and send it 30 feet south faster than you can say "old man winter."

Snow blowers run from $1,000 on up. With those prices, be sure you know what you're buying. Remember, it's more about the type of surface you're clearing than the type of snow or even amount of snow. For a step-by-step buying guide on how to choose the right snow blower for you, visit www.snowblowersdirect.com. Light duty "single phase" snow blowers should be used only on flat surfaces. You can't use them on a gravel driveway for example, because the auger comes in direct contact with the ground. For more snow or a bigger area, you'll need to bring in the heavy artillery. Two phase snow blowers are the most expensive, but two phase snow blowers are strong enough to cut through frozen snow that's days old.

Remember the Boy Scout motto: always be prepared, at least when it comes to snow removal! Dust off your snow shovel, be the first on your block to buy sidewalk salt, and then just sit back, relax, and let it snow.

Make Your House a Healthy Home & More Environmentally-Friendly

Too! (EPA)

Reuse items such as old computers, clothing, and appliances by repair-ing tem, donating tem to charity, or selling them to reduce landfill use.

Save Energy (www.we-energies.com)

Fans

• Use fans with your air conditioner. Fans help reduce energy costs by circulating the cool air from your air conditioner. This allows you to raise the temperature and still be comfortable. Use oscillating fans for greater circulation.

• Use ceiling fans for air circulation. In hot weather, set the ceiling fan direction to blow air down. The air mov-ing across your skin creates a cooling effect, allowing you to raise the temperature on your thermostat and still feel cool. In cold weather, set the fan to blow toward the ceiling. This pushes warm air away from the ceiling and evenly distributes heat in the room.

• Use a whole-house fan. These fans are mounted in the attic and ventilate your entire home. Be sure to open some windows before turning on a whole-house fan. A qualified heating contractor can help you determine if you need a whole house fan.

• Maintain your fan. Keep your fan in good working order. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations for care and maintenance. This helps control the operating costs

SAVING TIP (The Simple Dollar)

Plan your meals around your grocery store’s flyer. Instead of just planning your meals based on a cookbook or whatever you can dream up, plan all your meals around what’s on sale in your grocery store’s flyer. Look at the biggest sales, then plan meals based on those ingredients and what you have on hand, and you’ll find yourself with a much smaller food bill than you’re used to.

5

5

Saving at Tax Time

Tax Time is a great time to kick start or grow your savings for the future! U.S. Savings Bonds are one safe and easy way to do it. There are a lot of great reasons to buy U.S. Savings Bonds at tax time.

• You do not need a lot to get started — start with as little as $50. Use just part of your tax refund to start saving.

• It is simple at tax time. Just select the amount you want saved from your income tax refund and you’ll receive your bond in the mail.

• Earn interest. Your money starts growing immediately.

• Bonds are safe. Bonds will never lose value and they are backed by the U.S. Government.

• No fees. There are no fees to buy or cash in your bond.

• Money for the future. You help your loved ones live their dreams when you buy bonds.

• Gift savings to your loved ones. Bonds can be purchased in someone else’s name – so you can help jumpstart the savings and dreams of the people you care about.

SAVE STRATEGIES (www.americasaves.org)

What are tax time bonds?

Tax Time Savings Bonds are Series I U.S. Savings Bonds. Issued and guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury Department, Tax Time Savings Bonds can be purchased directly on your tax form. You can cash in your bond after one year at most banks or credit unions, but the longer your keep it the more it will grow in value. Your bond will earn interest for up to 30 years. If you cash your bond within 5 years, you’ll lose the last three months of interest.

The current interest rate on Series I Savings Bonds is 2.2% through April 30, 2013, and will adjust for inflation every six months. Bonds offer competitive returns in comparison with other savings vehicles.* Growth on your bonds is guaranteed! Bonds make saving safe, simple and secure.

RESOURCES

Have your taxes prepared for free! VITA is United Way of Utah County’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance pro-gram. Anyone in Utah, Summit or Wasatch Counties with an income of $51,000 or below may be eligible to have their taxes prepared and filed for free by trained volunteers. Local volunteers are IRS certified and look for specific tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit. Volunteers help participants receive the best refund possible. United Way of Utah County’s VITA program is a part of a coalition with other nationwide financial institutions, nonprofit and government agencies and the “Earn It! Keep It! Save It!” program. Appointments are necessary and fill up quickly, please schedule as early as possible. Starting January 17 through April 15, dial 2-1-1 to make an appoint-ment or to find out more information about VITA. Tax preparation sites are throughout Utah County.

Community Action Services offers Home Buyer Education Classes on a monthly basis. Classes in February will be held February 6 and 7, 2013 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. or February 23, 2013 from 9:00-4:00 p.m. To register, please call (801) 691-5200 or go online to www.communityactionuc.org.

Are you concerned about your financial future? Do you lack skills to get ahead in the workplace? People Help-ing People’s Utah County Employment Program can help you reach your full potential at work and in life. And best of all . . . It’s FREE! Open to all low-income women! Call 1.855.303.5300 (toll free) today for more information.

BENEFITS OF HOMEOWNERSHIP

Affordable Housing can REDUCE OVERCROWDING and other sources of housing-related stress that lead to poor educational outcomes by allowing families to afford decent-quality homes of their own.

6

6 BE CAREFUL! (members.houselogic.com)

9 Easy Mistakes Home Owners Make on Their Taxes

Don’t rouse the IRS or pay more taxes than necessary — know the score on each home tax deduction and credit.

The IRS has a tool you can use to help figure out what you owe.

Sin #6: Failing to track home-related expenses

If the IRS comes a-knockin’, don’t be scrambling to compile your records. Many people forget to track home office and home maintenance and repair ex-penses, says Meighan. File away documents as you go. For example, save each manufacturer's certification statement for energy tax credits and lender or govern-ment statements to confirm property taxes paid.

Sin #7: Forgetting to keep track of capital gains

If you sold your main home last year, don’t forget to pay capital gains taxes on any profit. You can exclude $250,000 (or $500,000 if you’re a married couple) of any profits from taxes. So if you bought a home for $100,000 and sold it for $400,000, your capital gains are $300,000. If you’re single, you owe taxes on $50,000 of gains. However, there are minimum time limits for holding property to take advantage of the ex-clusions, and other details. Consult IRS Publication 523.

Sin #8: Filing incorrectly for energy tax credits

If you made any eligible improvements in 2012 -- or will in 2013 -- such as installing energy-efficient windows and doors, you may be able to take a 10% tax credit (up to $500). But keep in mind, it's a lifetime credit. If you claimed the credit in any recent years, you're done. Fill out Form 5695.

Part II of the form, which covers systems eligible for a larger tax credit through 2016, such as geothermal heat pumps, can be incredibly complex and involves cross-checking with half a dozen other IRS forms. Read the instructions carefully.

Sin #9: Claiming too much for the mortgage inter-

est tax deduction

You can deduct mortgage interest only up to $1 million of mortgage debt, says Meighan. If you have $1.2 mil-lion in mortgage debt, for example, deduct only the mortgage interest attributable to the first $1 million.

Sin #1: Deducting the wrong year for property taxes

You take a tax deduction for property taxes in the year you (or the holder of your escrow account) actually paid them. Some taxing authorities work a year behind — that is, you’re not billed for 2013 property taxes until 2014. But that’s irrelevant to the feds. Enter on your federal forms whatever amount you actu-ally paid in 2013, no matter what the date is on your tax bill. Dave Hampton, CPA, tax manager at the Cincinnati accounting firm of Burke & Schindler, has seen home owners confuse payments for different years and claim the incorrect amount.

Sin #2: Confusing escrow amount for actual taxes

paid

If your lender escrows funds to pay your property taxes, don’t just deduct the amount escrowed, says Bob Meighan, CPA and vice president at TurboTax in San Diego. The regular amount you pay into your escrow account each month to cover property taxes is probably a little more or a little less than your property tax bill. Your lender will adjust the amount every year or so to realign the two. For example, your tax bill might be $1,200, but your lender may have collected $1,100 or $1,300 in escrow over the year. Deduct only $1,200. Your lender will send you an official statement listing the actual taxes paid. Use that. Don’t just add up 12 months of escrow prop-erty tax payments.

Sin #3: Deducting points paid to refinance

Deduct points you paid your lender to secure your mort-gage in full for the year you bought your home. How-ever, when you refinance, says Meighan, you must de-duct points over the life of your new loan. If you paid $2,000 in points to refinance into a 15-year mortgage, your tax deduction is $133 per year.

Sin #4: Misjudging the home office tax deduction

This deduction may not be as good as it seems. It's complicated, often doesn’t amount to much of a deduc-tion, has to be recaptured if you turn a profit when you sell your home, and can pique the IRS’s interest in your return. Hampton’s advice: Claim it only if it’s worth those drawbacks. If so, here's what to know about what you can write off.

Sin #5: Failing to repay the first-time home buyer tax

credit

If you used the original home buyer tax credit in 2008, you must repay 1/15th of the credit over 15 years. If you used the tax credit in 2009, 2010, or 2011 and then sold your house or stopped using it as your primary resi-dence, within 36 months of the purchase date, you also have to pay back the credit.

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,

Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.”

― William W. Purkey

7

7

Johnny McCoy

Jordan Jensen

Karin Jessen

Mark Hillam

Oak Hills 4th Ward

Randy Christiansen

Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity

Utah Cancer Action Network

Utah County Health Department

Utah County Sheriff’s Office Work Diversion

Utah Department of Environmental Quality

Utah Heritage Foundation

Utah Valley University

UVU Accounting 2020

UVU Construction Management

UVU Service Council

UVU Volunteer and Service Learning Center

YSA 63rd Ward

Alexis Palmer and Staff

Andrea Jensen

Brandon Jeppson

BYU Habitat Chapter

BYU Volunteer and Service Learning Center

Christine Keyser

Utah Valley Circles Initiative

Cory Jensen

CRSA

Dan Gonzalez

David Harlow

Discovery Academy

Dr. Kevin Smith

East Bay 2nd Ward

Elizabeth Bradley-Wilson

Freedom 1st Ward

Gary Jensen

IM Flash Technologies

Jamba Juice

THANK YOU

Utah Valley University, UVU Volunteer and

Service Learning Center, Utah Cancer Action Network

BE GOOD TO YOUR HEALTH (Intermountain Health Care/Select Health)

Choosing foods wisely: the 6 nutritional building blocks

Change your eating habits – block by block, day by day. Small gradual changes in your life have a much bitter impact then a short term diet.

• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

• Eat more whole grains.

• Choose unsaturated fats and oils.

• Choose heart-healthy proteins (fish, beans, soy, and nuts)

• Select low-fat dairy products.

Limit sodium (salt), sugar, and alcohol.

8

8

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 4 5—Development Service

6 7— Site Selection

Volunteer and Community Rec-ognition Night

8 9—Site

Host/Crew Leader Train-ing

10 11—NRI

Committee

Family Valen-tine’s Party

12—Building Com-mittee

13 14 15—Executive Committee

16

17 18—President’s Day

19 20—Board

Meeting 21—Finance Com-mittee

22 23

24 25—ReStore Com-mittee

26 27—Home

Maintenance 28

Executive Committee February 15 7:30 a.m., Office

Family Valentine’s Party February 11 7:00 p.m., Provo SDA

President’s Day February 18 Office and ReStore Closed

NRI Committee February 11 3:00 p.m., Office

Home Maintenance February 27 6:30 p.m., Office

Development Service February 5 Noon, Office

Site Selection February 7 Noon, Office

Site Host/Crew Leader Training February 9 9:30 a.m., Office

Building Committee February 12 2:00 p.m., Central Bank

Board Meeting February 20 7:00 a.m., Office

Finance Committee February 21 8:00 a.m., Office

ReStore Committee February 25 Noon, Office

Volunteer and Community Recognition Night February 7 6:30 p.m. at White Willow

8 Habitat for Humanity Of Utah County