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Did you know? Though Confucius lived more than 2,500 years ago, the Chinese philosopher is still famous today for his wise teachings. While Confucius’ political and cultural influence is hard to overstate, his beginnings were meager. This only further proves the point of the quote below, which reminds us that great movements often start with small steps.
"The man who moves a mountain begins
by carrying away small stones."
––Confucius
Did you know? While recently traveling through Europe, I noticed many parking lots covered with pergola's to shade the cars.....with SOLAR roofs that created energy and cooled the cars! France will now require all parking lots with 80 or more spaces to be covered by solar panels. Major corporations in the U.S. are switching to solar energy for both the cost benefits and net-zero goals related to climate change and carbon reduction. If each parking space requires about 170 square feet, and a solar panel requires roughly 18sf....that's 9 panels per space.....the average Walmart store has about 900 parking spaces = over 8,000 solar panels or enough to power 675 cars per day. Could covered parking lots be the next important power source to offset this growing demand? If you have any questions about solar… talk to Steve Short….What you knew about solar 10 years ago is totally different now…..
Did you know? The US Department of Energy may reveal a “major scientific breakthrough” this week after scientists were reportedly able to produce a fusion reaction that created a net energy gain for the first time. The development - a major milestone in the pursuit of limitless clean energy - was made recently at the government-funded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The net gain reaction is considered to be a “holy grail” of zero-carbon power, a major step towards being able to create a technology one day that could offer a clean and virtually limitless supply of energy. (Washington Post)
Did you know? Tax deductions and your home..... Before getting into your tax deductions consider whether you'll benefit more from a standard deduction or an itemized deduction.
The 2022 standard deduction is:
- Single, or married but filing separately: $12,950
- Married and filing jointly: $25,900
- Head of household: $19,400
Deductions:
- Any mortgage interest on a loan up to a maximum of $750,000, including loans for 2nd homes if they stay within the limits of $750,000 ....AND home equity loans.....AND mortgage insurance.
- All capital gains up to $250k for singles and $500k for married couples on a home you sold that you had lived in for at least 2 of the past 5 years.
- Property tax deductions: If single, up to $5,000 but a married couple filing together can deduct up to $10,000.
- You can deduct the discount points of your mortgage.
- Recent home improvements as long as they are deemed necessary, ie an improvement to accommodate a medical condition or installing utilities that were previously unavailable.
- Home office related expenses if you are running a business from home.....Working from home for an employer does not count.
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