Real Estate Safety Tips Important During The Holidays | Tallahassee ...

Real Estate Safety Tips Important During The Holidays

Real estate safety is a topic that I have not written much about, but I think it might be far overdue.

There are three levels to real estate safety that many folk might never consider, especially in a place as safe and cordial as Tallahassee, Florida.

But the world can be a dangerous place, so home buyers, home sellers, and real estate agents alike should practice wise real estate safety.

Real Estate Safety For REALTORS

It is very common for prospective buyers to contact real estate agents and say ?I?d like to see the home for sale at 123 Main Street.? And often times, agents who are hungry for business make the mistake of agreeing to meet at the property. This is a bad decision.

This creates a real estate safety issue for the buyer (assuming they do not know anything about the real estate agent), an issue for the agent (assuming they have never met the prospective buyer), and the homeowner, who did not agree to allow unqualified people to go through their home.

There are plenty of cases reported throughout the US where real estate agents have gone to meet strangers and have been scammed, harmed, robbed, and even killed.

Our Real Estate Security Policy at Century 21 Manausa and Associates requires all first contacts to occur at the office or at a safe location, not at a property for sale. We do this to protect ourselves and our customers.

Real Estate Safety For Buyers

Buyers often have no thoughts of real estate safety because they let their excitement of buying a home lead them through the buying process. But this just isn?t wise.

Homebuyers should always demand to meet the real estate agent at the office.

They should interview and hire a real estate buyer?s agent before previewing any homes, and this isn?t just for real estate safety either.

Buying a home should be both fun and safe, and ensuring that you have a great real estate buyer?s agent is the correct first step.

Real Estate Safety For Sellers

Homeowners need to practice smart real estate safety as well.

Do some research before you interview agents for the job of selling your home.

Follow readily available, common sense tips for home sellers.

Demand that all buyers be screened before being brought to your home. Even if real estate safety wasn?t an issue, why would you want your home visited by strangers who have no desire or means to purchase it?

Also, require an electronic lock box be used to maintain the key to your home. This way, if anything is broken or stolen when your home is shown, there will be a record of which agent(s) last showed the home.

Just as with buyers, real estate safety for sellers comes from hiring a trusted, well known real estate company (like Century 21 ).

Egyptians narrowly back constitution, say rival camps

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians voted narrowly in favor of a constitution shaped by Islamists but opposed by other groups who fear it will deepen divisions, officials in rival camps said on Sunday after the first round of a two-stage referendum.

Next week's second round is likely to give another "yes" vote as it includes districts seen as more sympathetic towards Islamists, analysts say, meaning the constitution would be approved.

But a close win, if confirmed, would give Islamist President Mohamed Mursi only limited cause for celebration as it would show a wide rift in a country where he needs to build consensus on tough measures to fix a fragile economy.

The Muslim Brotherhood's party, which propelled Mursi to office in a June election, said 56.5 percent backed the text. Official results are not expected till after the next round.

Mursi and his backers say the constitution is vital to move Egypt's democratic transition forward. Opponents say the basic law is too Islamist and tramples on minority rights, including those of Christians who make up 10 percent of the population.

The build-up to Saturday's vote was marred by deadly protests. Demonstrations erupted when Mursi awarded himself extra powers on November 22 and then fast-tracked the constitution through an assembly dominated by his Islamist allies.

However, the vote passed off calmly with long queues in Cairo and several other places, though unofficial tallies indicated turnout was around a third of the 26 million people eligible to vote this time. The vote was staggered because many judges needed to oversee polling staged a boycott in protest.

The opposition had said the vote should not have been held given violent protests in the Arab world's most populous nation, which is watched closely from abroad to see how Islamists, long viewed warily in the West, handle themselves in power.

"It's wrong to have a vote or referendum with the country in the state it is - blood and killings, and no security," said Emad Sobhy, a voter who lives in Cairo. "Holding a referendum with the country as it is cannot give you a proper result."

INCREASINGLY DIVIDED

As polls closed, Islamists attacked the offices of the newspaper of the liberal Wafd party, part of the opposition National Salvation Front coalition that pushed for a "no" vote.

"The referendum was 56.5 percent for the 'yes' vote," a senior official in the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party operations room set up to monitor voting told Reuters.

The Brotherhood and its party had representatives at polling stations across the 10 areas, including Cairo, in this round. The official, who asked not to be identified, said the tally was based on counts from more than 99 percent of polling stations.

"The nation is increasingly divided and the pillars of state are swaying," opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on Twitter. "Poverty and illiteracy are fertile grounds for trading with religion. The level of awareness is rising fast."

One opposition official also told Reuters the vote appeared to have gone in favor of Islamists who backed the constitution.

The opposition initially said its exit polls indicated the "no" camp would win comfortably, but officials changed tack during the night. One opposition official in the early hours of Sunday said it would be "very close". There was no formal statement from the opposition National Salvation Front.

"Even if this result is correct, that does not mean that this constitution can pass, because it means more than 40 percent of the people didn't agree with it," said Issam Amin, speaking on a Cairo street and echoing the opposition line that the constitution needed consensus backing not a simple majority.

A narrow loss could still hearten leftists, socialists, Christians and more liberal-minded Muslims who make up the disparate opposition camp, which has been beaten in two elections since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown last year.

They were drawn together to oppose what they saw as Mursi's power grab and his constitution push. The National Salvation Front includes prominent figures such as ElBaradei, former Arab League chief Amr Moussa and firebrand leftist Hamdeen Sabahy.

If the constitution is approved, a parliamentary election will follow early next year. Opposition leaders say the Front could help unite the opposition for that poll after their divided ranks have split the vote in previous elections.

DEADLY VIOLENCE

But analysts question whether the opposition group in this form will survive until a parliamentary election. The Islamist-dominated lower house of parliament elected earlier this year was dissolved based on a court order in June.

Violence in Cairo and other cities has plagued the run-up to the referendum. At least eight people were killed when rival camps clashed during demonstrations outside the presidential palace earlier this month.

Several party buildings belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood's party have been burned by angry protesters in recent weeks. On Friday, a day before the vote, rival factions armed with clubs, knives and swords fought in Alexandria.

In order to pass, the constitution must be approved by more than 50 percent of those casting ballots. There are 51 million were eligible voters in the nation of 83 million.

Rights groups reported some abuses, such as polling stations opening late, officials telling people how to vote and bribery. But Gamal Eid, head of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, said abuses were not enough to invalidate the vote.

"We accepted the referendum so we accept the result," said Ahmed Mohamed, a Cairene who backed the draft. "If the majority said ?yes', so be it. I didn't see forgery where I voted."

Islamists have been counting on their disciplined ranks of supporters and on Egyptians desperate for an end to turmoil that has hammered the economy and sent Egypt's pound to eight-year lows against the dollar.

If the constitution is voted down in a second round, which now looks unlikely, a new assembly will be formed to draft a revised version, a process that could take up to nine months.

The army has deployed about 120,000 troops and 6,000 tanks and armored vehicles to protect polling stations and other government buildings. While the military backed Mubarak and his predecessors, it has not intervened in the present crisis.

(Additional reporting by Tamim Elyan, Shaimaa Fayed and Reuters Television; Writing by Edmund Blair and Giles Elgood; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/violence-flares-cairo-egyptians-vote-033934702.html

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The Foods I Enjoy | Experts Column

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Source: http://expertscolumn.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-foods-i-enjoy.html

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Russian opposition leaders eye spring for renewed push

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's opposition leaders say they will press ahead with a campaign of public rallies against President Vladimir Putin despite a modest turnout at one weekend protest in Moscow.

About 2,000 people turned out on Saturday for a rally which did not have approval from city authorities and demanded an end to Putin's 13-year rule before riot police detained four opposition leaders.

"Mass action every two to three months is necessary," Sergei Udaltsov, a protest leader with a strong following among leftist opposition members, was quoted as saying by Interfax.

"I think that next time - towards the spring - very powerful preparation for action is needed."

Udaltsov was one of the four detained, alongside anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny and protest leaders Ilya Yashin and Ksenia Sobchak.

The rally took place in front of the headquarters of the Federal Security Service, known in Soviet times as the KGB, in sub zero temperatures despite the fear of arrest.

Protests began in December 2011 after Putin's United Russia party won a parliamentary election marred by allegations of vote-rigging. At their peak last winter the rallies attracted up to 100,000 people, witnesses said. Attendance has dwindled since Putin began a six-year third term as president in May and started what the opposition says is a clampdown on dissent.

"We are witnessing certain boredom, as people have hoped for a quick result," Yashin was quoted by Interfax as saying. "It is not a sprint, it is a marathon."

Navalny, under investigation for suspected fraud and money laundering, said that a lot of people turned out for Saturday's rally given the frigid weather and opposition by authorities.

"It was frosty, it was an unauthorized action - which practically guarantees arrests... but a lot of people came," Navalny was reported by Interfax as saying. Navalny has dismissed the accusations against him as "utter nonsense".

Another prominent protest leader, Gennady Gudkov, said he thought the next large action should be held in January-February, suggesting a rock concert in support of freedom, according to Interfax.

Opposition leaders were gathering on Sunday at a meeting of the Russian opposition's Coordinating Council, according to Interfax. The council was established in October tasked with trying to mount a structured challenge to Putin.

The council declared on Sunday that its main aim is to achieve political reform in Russia, Interfax reported.

(Reporting By Megan Davies; Editing by Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-opposition-leaders-eye-spring-renewed-push-172447480.html

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The Best Small Business Marketing News & Blog Posts of the Week ...

This post is meant to be helpful for all levels of SEO expertise. You can also find DIYSEO posts classified by level of expertise on the following pages:

Sad news greeted us this morning with the news coming out of Connecticut. In times like these, words seem so inadequate. All we can say is that our hearts and thoughts go out to all those affected by the tragedy.

Let?s get started with this week?s round-up, shall we?

Beginner SEO and Marketing

Video: How to Verify Google Webmaster Tools With HTML Meta Tag ? One of the first steps you?ll need to take when launching a new site is verifying your site with Google Webmaster Tools, which provides site owners with priceless information and tools. This video will walk you through the process.

War of Words: Myth-Busting Content Marketing ? The idea of content marketing can be a bit scary when you?re just getting started. But are you resisting or afraid of this marketing strategy for the right reasons? TopRank busts some of the myths that keep many websites from reaching their full potential.

Journalism 101 ? What Bloggers Need to Know ? Journalists are trustworthy for a reason: they follow specific steps when reporting or sharing information. Sadly, bloggers often forget or don?t know about these steps and can end up causing a number of issues or damage. Vertical Response did an excellent job going through some of these steps to ensure your blogging is always trustworthy and top notch.

Intermediate SEO, Marketing & Business Tips

Content Marketing: 7 Tips for Content Repurposing ? Repurposing content isn?t a new idea, but doing it well isn?t as easy. This week, MarketingSherpa had some great tips for repurposing content while still keeping it interesting and useful. And while we?re on the topic, how about getting more mileage out of your content by making it mobile friendly? Duct Tape Marketing published a quick guide for accomplishing this in its post entitled How to Make Your Content Mobile Friendly.

How to Customize What You Share on Facebook ? The descriptions that associate your links when they?re posted to Facebook really do matter, and sadly, the social network doesn?t always pull the appropriate one. This post from Flyte Blog does an excellent job of walking us through the process and how to use OpenGraph to solve this issue.

Advanced SEO, Marketing & Business Links

Why Your Pay-Per-Click Campaigns Fail ? A failing PPC campaign can be one of the most frustrating things on the planet. You?ve got money constantly going out, but the returns for it are constantly declining. It can often seem like you?re watching a train wreck. But don?t worry. Vertical Response has a few ideas as to why this is happening and how you can turn things around.

Email Marketing: Factors That Influence Open Rates ? It doesn?t matter how good your email copy is if you can?t get the people on your mailing list to open it. This week, MarketingSherpa shared a list of factors that could be killing your email marketing campaigns and preventing potential readers from clicking.

Content Marketing Trends to Adopt in 2013 ? There are always tons of prediction posts being published during this time of year, but we found this one from Small Business Trends particularly interesting and helpful. We hope it provides you with some ideas that will improve your content marketing strategy in the coming year. If you?re looking to get more out of your 2013 content marketing strategy, you might also want to check out Crafting a Successful Cross-Channel Marketing Strategy.

Great Posts Published This Week Everyone Should Check Out

No More Free Google Apps for Businesses ? New businesses who were considering Google Apps may get a bit of a surprise when they sign up. There is some good news, however. While Google is now charging a small annual per-user fee, businesses will now get a bit more bang for their buck. Small Business Trends has the details.

Top 8 Google AdWords Changes That You Must Know ? There have been a ton of changes at Google AdWords this year. Have you kept up with them all?

Facebook Captures YouTube Traffic ? In a pleasant (unpleasant?) chain of events this week, Facebook has begun to capture YouTube traffic. Is this good news for everyone? Or just businesses with strong profiles on both networks? In other news from the social giant this week, ?Facebook Hit 13 Million Pages Worldwide.

Twitter Makes Search Results More Visual ? Facebook wasn?t the only one making changes this week. Twitter improved its search results by restructuring the way it presents its results. Do you think these changes will make images and videos more important in the coming months? Twitter also created a bit of a ruckus this week when it was discovered that Instagram Photos Are No Longer Visible on Twitter.

Google AdSense Text Ads Get a Makeover ? iNeedHits reported that AdSense text ads are now looking a little different. What do you think of the changes?

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Want to Improve Your SEO Rankings?

Source: http://blog.diyseo.com/2012/12/small-business-news-12-16-2012/

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California killer admits to two murders in NYC

Rodney Alcala told a Manhattan judge that he wanted to plead guilty to two murder counts so he could get back to?California?and pursue an appeal of his death case.

By Tom Hays,?Associated Press / December 14, 2012

A serial?killer?already sentenced to death in?California?admitted Friday to murdering two other young women in New York City in the 1970s.

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Rodney Alcala told a Manhattan judge that he wanted to plead guilty to two murder counts so he could get back to?California?and pursue an appeal of his death case. He had complained in letters to the judge that his jailers in New York wouldn't give him access to a laptop computer and legal records.

Alcala wants the materials "to do the work I need to do on my death penalty case," he said before withdrawing a not guilty plea entered earlier this year.

The 69-year-old Alcala ? a former photographer and one-time dating-show contestant who's been behind bars since 1979 ? appeared in court with his hands shackled and his gray hair in a ponytail.

With the plea, Alcala will receive an automatic term of 25 years to life for his crimes in New York, to be served concurrently with his other convictions.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., who had his cold-case unit reopen the New York investigation two years ago, said the plea finally brings justice to victims of killings from another different era.

"Rodney Alcala's victims were never forgotten," Vance said in a statement. "Tragically, neither of them lived past the age of 23. Two families were robbed of daughters who never had a chance to have families of their own, grow old, and see the city change and become safer."

Alcala has spent the last 33 years tangling with?California?authorities in a series of trials and overturned convictions. He eventually was found guilty in 2010 of killing four women and a 12-year-old girl in SouthernCalifornia?in the 1970s. He represented himself, offering a defense that involved showing a clip of his 1978 appearance on "The Dating Game" and playing Arlo Guthrie's classic 1967 song "Alice's Restaurant."

While pursuing an appeal in?California, Alcala was indicted last year in the killings of Cornelia Crilley and Ellen Hover in New York, partly on evidence that emerged during his?California?trial, prosecutors said.

Crilley was found strangled with a stocking in her Manhattan apartment in 1971. Hover, a comedy writer and former Hollywood nightclub owner's daughter who had a degree in biology and was seeking a job as a researcher, was living in Manhattan when she vanished in 1977. Her remains were found the next year in the woods on a suburban estate.

Alcala had been eyed in Hover's death for decades and in Crilley's killing for at least several years.

According to court papers, a detective went to talk to Alcala again in 2005. On learning that the investigator was from New York, Alcala asked, "What took you so long?"

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/dJbEPEYlw1U/California-killer-admits-to-two-murders-in-NYC

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Video: Hot in Hollywood: ?The Hobbit,? ?Voice? finale

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50199511/

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Microsoft updates Bing Desktop app for Windows XP and higher

Previously only enjoyed by Windows 7 users, Microsoft has updated its Bing Desktop app to play nice with all modern versions of Windows going all the way back to XP. The OS' latest iteration already packs a slew of Bing-powered applications, but none of them replicate the app's headlining trick: syncing desktop backgrounds with Bing's daily wallpaper. Windows 8 (and XP, Vista and server) users who adopt the 1.1 update can set the app to change their background daily, or manually set it to any background form the past nine days. News aficionados can peek at trending headlines and popular images underneath the search field, which itself can be docked at the top of the screen for easy access. Microsoft has also added French, German, Chinese and Japanese language support to the app. If this piques your interest, go ahead and download it at the source -- that is, if you haven't Google-fied your Start Screen just yet.

Filed under: Microsoft

Comments

Via: Microsoft News

Source: Bing, Bing Desktop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/bing-desktop-update/

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Healing Relationships: Author of Marriage and Relationships Book ...

?Hello, this is Roland. I know that you care about your relationship. I'm glad you stopped by. I just adjusted the settings on my book so that you can read the first 100 pages free.?

Read the first 100 pages free

A handbook for couples. Dr. Roland Trujillo, M.S. Human Relations, Doctorate in Pastoral Psychology, marriage mentor and author of 12 books, tackles the tough questions with humor, discernment, and understanding. Whether you are in a short term or long term relationship, newlywed, or a seasoned partner, this book is for you. Also ideal for people who are not in a relationship but want to know more about relationships, and for those who are adult children of dysfunctional families. From the Garden of Eden to the 21st century, Roland has marriage covered.

Source: http://commonsensecouples.blogspot.com/2012/12/author-of-marriage-and-relationships.html

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Who Wants An Apple TV? ?Everyone? Says David ... - Yahoo! Finance

Rumors about Apple TV have been circulating for two years. Will the third year be the charm?

"Everyone is expecting it," says David Kirkpatrick, founder of Techonomy Media and author of The Facebook Effect. "There are lots of reasons to think Apple can and should do a TV product" beyond the simple set-top box the company already makes, Kirkpatrick tells The Daily Ticker. It would be an "actual TV with guts that connects to the Internet," according to Kirkpatrick.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that Apple (AAPL) has been meeting with suppliers, including Japan's Sharp Corp., to test designs for a large-screen high definition television set. Apple had no comment on the Journal report.

"Everyone wants a better TV experience," says Kirkpatrick and Apple presumably has the means to provide that. "Pretty much everybody at this point believes that Apple is the best at creating good interfaces and experiences in consumer electronics. So everyone wants Apple to solve the problem."

Apple TV could also help satisfy Apple's need to grow revenues, says Kirkpatrick. In October Apple said revenues could reach $52 billion for the current quarter, which was $3 billion below analysts' expectations. The news sent Apple shares falling, resuming a decline that began after the stock closed at a record high of $702.10 in mid-September.

Related: Apple Stock Suffers Biggest Drop in Four Years: A Buying Opportunity for Investors?

Apple shares are now trading 21% below that record high but its market cap remains the biggest in the world at $498 billion.

"Wall Street is most eager to see Apple do TV," says Kirkpatrick. It could potentially be a boon for CEO Tim Cook who "could get more credit than he's ever gotten before, if he pulls it off." Cook is proving he's "a great strategist" for the tech giant, Kirkpatrick notes.

Follow The Daily Ticker on Facebook!

More from The Daily Ticker:

Congressional Gift Giving: No to Caviar But Yes to Campaign Contributions

Corporate Taxes: Notably Absent from the Fiscal Cliff Discussions

Why We Need Labor Unions After All

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/wants-apple-tv-everyone-says-david-kirkpatrick-135215293.html

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Twenty & Change | Dignity in pets: Why I prefer cats to dogs

David Feimster sends the racing hot dogs out of the gate during a Hot Dog Pig Race at the 2012 York Fair. You?d never see a bunch of cats in an event like this. Daily Record/Sunday News photo by Paul Kuehnel.

When I found out about Animal Planet?s upcoming special ?The Year in Pup Culture,? in which puppies will be dressed up to represent memorable moments from 2012, one thought crossed my mind: ?There is no way a cat would be caught dead doing this.?

I have had cats my whole life, so maybe I?m a little biased in this opinion, but I?ve always thought cats made for better pets than their canine counterparts. Don?t get me wrong: I love dogs. They are a ton of fun to play with, they can actually serve public duties as guides, they can offer strong companionship to just about anyone, and they can tag along with you as you go for a jog.

But here?s the thing with cats: They don?t need their owner?s constant, undivided attention to survive each second of each day. Dogs are needy creatures, and because of that desire to love, they subject themselves to ridiculous events like ?The Year in Pup Culture.? They will let people dress them up in absurd costumes that they do not need and do not love because their human friends love to treat them like their own infant children.

Try to get a cat to wear those costumes. Go on. I?ll wait. ? OK, now that you?ve been given some sizable scratch marks all over your arms and face, let me say that cats have an unparalleled sense of pride, at least as far as domesticated animals go. They don?t need human affection to get by every day; as long as their dish has food and water, their litter box is clean and there?s a windowsill to sit on and glare out of, cats are cool with life. My family has left our cats at home alone on vacation for weeks at a time, with a friend having to just come by once a day to refill the food dish. We couldn?t have left for a day and left a dog alone in the house.

Point is, cats don?t need to please their human counterparts. You want to play with them a while? Cool, toss me that crumpled-up receipt in your back pocket. You want to leave me to my own devices? Cool, I?ll be sprawled out in this patch of sunlight if you want me later. Cats are easily contented; with dogs, you?ve got to work for it, and I just don?t feel like taking care of a child at this point in my life.

Now, of course there are certain kinds of dogs who are much more dignified than others. But most of them are just too old to care anymore. And yes, there are times when cats want some attention, and they can be more than a bit noisy about it. The kitten currently living in my apartment certainly falls in that category. But I can still just sit back and read for a few hours and let him bounce off the walls while I do so, only getting up to occasionally pick up the stuff he?s knocked over. And I know he?d never let anyone dress him up like Mitt Romney.

Source: http://www.yorkblog.com/twenty/2012/12/13/dignity-in-pets-why-i-prefer-cats-to-dogs/

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Summit Signature Homes Wins Silver Key Award for Custom Home ...

Chicago Real Estate Forum and Marketing RELEVANCE congratulate Summit Signature Homes for winning a Silver Key Award in Excellence in New Construction for a Custom Home.

Summit Signature Homes stated: Our clients in this town are aged 35-45 and many are relocating from downtown Chicago or building their second home. The draw of this location is the oversized property which backs up to the Hinsdale Golf Club, offering plenty of privacy. In addition, the home is close to Clarendon's charming downtown, train station, schools and parks.

This all-American Nantucket style home offers an open floor plan and features 10-foot main level ceilings, four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a large mud room and bonus room. This home is situated on a 60-by-239 deep lot in Clarendon Hills which is larger than the standard 60-by-150 size lot normally found in town. We worked closely with our clients and architect to make sure the backyard was a focal point from the main living area in this home.

In Clarendon Hills you are limited by the FAR requirements. We maximized the square footage on this home including the added space above the garage (bonus room). In addition, we situated the garage on the front of the home with a sideload entrance. We wanted our clients to be able to turn their car around so that they would have an easier time exiting their driveway.

For more information on Summit Signature Homes , please visit summitsignaturehomes.com or call 630-366-2011

The Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago's KEY and SAMMY Awards celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2012. The awards began in 1972 and have grown throughout the years to now feature more than 100 building, remodeling, marketing and personal achievement categories. The KEY and SAMMY awards are the premier awards of Chicago's residential building industry. To see more award winners, visit Chicago Real Estate Forum.

Source: http://www.chicagolandrealestateforum.com/2012/12/13/summit-signature-homes-wins-silver-key-award-for-custom-home/

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You Did Not See Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Elizabeth Weingarten, age 8

Photograph by Marla Weingarten.

It happens sooner or later for every kid: Someone spills the beans about Santa Claus. In 2011, Elizabeth Weingarten confessed that in third grade, she revealed the truth about Santa to a classmate. Out of guilt, she tracked down her young friend to make sure she hadn?t ruined Christmas forever. The original piece is reprinted below. Also, read Stephen Tobolowsky on discovering that Santa isn't real.

On Nov. 29, exactly 26 days before Christmas, a Chicago TV news anchor and a second-grade teacher in New York revealed the truth behind one of society?s most pervasive lies. The anchor broadcast the painful facts on the 9 o?clock news; the teacher broke the news to her students during a geography lesson. The anchor was deluged with irate responses and apologized for her ?callous? act on-air the following evening. The teacher?s words caused ?a blizzard of outrage? at George W. Miller Elementary School, where her actions are now being ?addressed internally.?

What, exactly, was the appalling crime of these two women? They both denied the existence of Santa Claus. Now, they?re paying for it.

I was 8 the first?and only?time I spoiled Santa for a believer. My parents had come clean about the Santa myth to me a year or two earlier because I was offended that the jolly geezer didn?t care about?me,?a Christmas carol-singing Jew from the northern Chicago suburbs.?Why did he only leap down the chimneys of my Christian friends? What had I done to deserve this prejudicial treatment? My parents finally cracked, and I was relieved. My friends?weren?t?more special than me after all!

I knew, of course, that most kids my age were not privy to this knowledge. Possessing the secret made me feel deliciously superior. I understood the cruel, complicated world a little better than my third-grade buddies.? Unfortunately, my newfound sophistication didn?t enhance my secret-keeping abilities.

During one December art class, groups gathered around long, paint-splattered tables, coloring with broken crayons and chewed markers.?I had somehow snagged a spot at a table with the popular third-grade girls. One of them, Jacqueline, was decorating a letter she?d written to Santa Claus.

Why was she wasting her time with correspondence for an imaginary man when she could be drawing something productive, like a half-person, half-dragon? (I loved drawing those.) Should I tell her what I knew so she could begin a more meaningful art project? Suddenly, it seemed silly to conceal this bit of wisdom. Spilling the secret would be a public service, I imagined. In fact, sharing the information might make me cooler?like the kids who learned the meanings of swear words before everyone else.

?You know there is no Santa Claus, right??

Instantly, my cheeks burned as I realized I had committed a grievous wrong. So great was my shame that it?s blocked out any memory of how, exactly, Jacqueline reacted. All I recall is wishing I could dissolve into metallic goo and seep away through a hole in the ground, a la?Alex Mack. I shouldn?t have told her!

I?ve felt guilty about it ever since. Each year, around Christmas, I recall the events of that afternoon and wonder: Did my gaffe kill part of her hopeful, glittering soul? Does she think of me each year by the Christmas tree, her eggnog made bitter by the memory of the day I took an ax to her childish sense of awe and wonder? How often did kids spoil Santa for their classmates?

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=7c86fd757c8107661e0a5fff193bf7ff

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Ending fiscal uncertainty would boost economy: Lockheed CEO

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is poised for strong economic growth if political leaders can just move the nation beyond the current "debilitating" budget uncertainty, the chief executive and chairman of Lockheed Martin Corp said on Thursday.

"I see an enormous opportunity for the country to step forward with a more positive growth agenda if we can get resolution for these policy issues," Robert Stevens said, citing promising trends in manufacturing, housing, the energy sector and even consumer sentiment.

Stevens and Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed's president and chief operating officer, spoke with Reuters in wide-ranging interview that also touched on the company's drive to pump up foreign arms sales at a time that U.S. military spending looks set to flatten after a decade of growth.

"Getting a resolution for the fiscal cliff issues takes away a huge amount of uncertainty," said Stevens, who will retire at the end of this month as CEO of Lockheed, the biggest U.S. weapons maker.

He called for a balanced solution that included spending cuts, comprehensive tax reform and additional revenue, but said Washington also needed to tackle immigration reform and the nation's troubled educational system.

Lockheed, which reported revenue of $46.5 billion last year, is the prime contractor for the Pentagon's biggest weapons program, the $396 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. It also builds F-16 fighter jets, a broad array of missile defense systems and a new class of coastal warships.

Stevens said his company and others were upbeat about America's future but were holding back on investment, hiring and acquisitions because of what he called "compounding uncertainties" about future tax rates and U.S. budget levels.

"If you could create the climate to unlock some of that liquidity you'd see ... stimulative effect from the business community moving forward," he said.

Stevens and other defense industry executives have been speaking out for the past year against automatic, across-the-board budget cuts that would strip $500 billion from projected Pentagon spending levels over the next decade, on top of $487 billion in cuts already scheduled for that period.

He said some further reductions in defense spending may be necessary but that the Pentagon should be allowed to determine which accounts to trim, rather than face the indiscriminate cuts that are now slated to go into effect on January 2 under the process known as "sequestration."

Stevens called those cuts "a very blunt instrument" that would result in broken contracts and layoffs, while undermining U.S. national security and global cooperation agreements.

The budget cuts, together with steep tax increases, are popularly known as the "fiscal cliff."

A Business Roundtable survey published Wednesday showed U.S. chief executives' view of the domestic economy hit a three-year low in the fourth quarter, with fiscal cliff concerns holding back decisions on hiring and capital spending.

Stevens said the automatic budget cuts could lead to furloughs of air traffic controllers, FBI agents and border patrol officers in addition to military program cuts, although it now appeared clear that main impact would not be felt for 90 days or longer - more a slope than a cliff.

Stevens and Hewson, who will succeed Stevens as CEO on January 1, declined to predict whether Congress and President Barack Obama would reach an agreement before the end of the year.

Shares of Lockheed and other arms makers on Thursday fell amid growing concerns that Congress and the White House will not reach a deal before year end. Lockheed shares closed down $1.82, or 2 percent, at $89.99 in trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Hewson said Lockheed had been preparing for a downturn in U.S. defense spending for the past three years by cutting its workforce from more than 146,000 to around 120,000, streamlining operations, and eliminating 2 million square feet of facilities, with 2.9 million more square feet to be cut by the end of 2014.

She said the company had been "very proactive" in cutting overhead costs, while investing in new materials and processes to reduce the cost of weapons systems, and that would continue.

"Whether there is or is not sequestration, affordability will be a constant theme. We have to get more out of the investments to ensure our security," Stevens added.

He said the Pentagon and its suppliers faced particular challenges in the current budget environment given the long-term nature of developing and buying weapons systems such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, warships and missile defense equipment.

"Our product cycles, our service cycles, our levels of commitment, they go out decades," Stevens said. "We're here today a business that has decades in our planning horizon and a visibility of less than 20 days because in 20 days we don't know if sequestration is going to take place or not."

Hewson said Lockheed, which is also the largest information technology provider for the U.S. government, was poised for continued modest growth despite the difficult environment, citing good prospects for future foreign arms sales and growth in areas such as cyber, space and healthcare IT.

"We do see continued growth," she said, although the trajectory would not equal that since the September 11, 2001, hijacking attacks.

(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Ros Krasny and Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ending-fiscal-uncertainty-boost-economy-lockheed-ceo-010448228--finance.html

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NATO's Syria committee head believes Assad will go

Driving in the rural town of Veazie, Maine, after midnight, a woman accidentally hits what she thinks is an oversized cat. She puts the unconscious animal in her car and drives several miles. In the town of Bangor, Maine, the cat regains consciousness.?That?s when the...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/natos-syria-committee-head-believes-assad-082151599.html

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365 Days of Health & Fitness: Anxiety: How Common is It? : Mental ...

by Dana R. Arevalo

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Welcome.? For the past couple of days, I have been having major issues with Blogger via desktop.? Today, I will be delivering more than one post.? I apologize that we were off-air yesterday.? Hopefully, we do not experience any further issues.?

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Last week, I wrote a post as a contributing writer on?the amazing blog P.O.V.? Revisiting the article, I noticed its popularity.? Therefore, I would like everyone to take a moment and recognize mental illness.? Many times individuals are afraid to discuss it in detail out of fear that they will be considered "different" in a bad way.? This is not the case.? Please take it seriously.? Share this with a friend or a loved one.? See the link below:?

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Disclosure:? Please note, the author will not be held liable for any content herewith nor is she an expert in psychological or psychaitric disorders.? This post is meant for informational purposes only.? Please contact your physician shall any issues arise.? We will not be held legally responsible for any decisions or thoughts the reader may experience.? ?

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Source: http://www.365daysofhealthandfitness.com/2012/12/anxiety-how-common-is-it-mental-health.html

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NY agency voting on using smartphones to hail cabs

NEW YORK (AP) ? Every New Yorker knows how to hail a yellow cab.

The next step for some might be to "e-hail" a cab using a smartphone.

Members of the city's Taxi & Limousine Commission are to vote Thursday on whether to allow people to nab a ride electronically. Downloaded apps would link customers with drivers.

If the vote is yes, companies offering the high-tech hailing method can compete for business.

TLC Commissioner David Yassky says the city would lay down some ground rules to accommodate people raising their arm to stop a cab the old-fashioned way. But the commissioner says that as long as the technology exists, it should be available to customers and drivers.

Till now, the city has banned yellow taxis from prearranging rides.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-13-E-hailing%20Cabs/id-9e555b14684043beba9d88ab63ac85a0

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AMR pilots union meets company CEO, still backs USAir merger: spokesman

(Reuters) - American Airlines' pilots union still supports a merger with US Airways Group, a union spokesman said on Thursday, unmoved by a pitch from AMR Chief Executive Tom Horton that the company should exit Chapter 11 as an independent carrier.

Next week, US Airways CEO Doug Parker is expected to meet with the board of the Allied Pilots Association, spokesman Dennis Tajer said.

Horton, who became CEO of American parent AMR Corp as the company filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011, requested the meeting with the pilots union leadership and met with the board for about three hours on Thursday, Tajer said.

"The case was made for the standalone plan, and APA leadership gave the standalone plan pitch due consideration but after the meeting continued to believe that a merger is best for the longtime interest of our pilots and our airline," the spokesman added.

American Airlines met with the union to thank it for its leadership in reaching a new labor contract, "discuss the next steps in our evaluation of strategic alternatives and exchange information," according to a statement from spokesman Mike Trevino.

US Airways declined to comment.

US Air has been pushing for a merger with American all year, and its plan has the support of unions that represent American's flight attendants and ground workers, in addition to the pilots union. The two carriers combined would be on par with current No. 1 United Continental Holdings in scope.

"We anticipate that Mr. Parker will articulate his vision and plan for the new American Airlines next week," Tajer added.

American Airlines creditors want a potential merger with US Airways to be an all-stock deal rather than one that pays some claims in cash, people familiar with the matter said this week. Merger discussions among US Airways, AMR and its creditors are at an advanced stage, the sources said.

The pilots unions at both American and US Airways said this week they would join the merger talks with AMR creditors and the companies. The Allied Pilots Association last week approved a new labor accord with American that grants it a 13.5 percent equity stake in a reorganized AMR.

Keith Wilson, president of the pilots union, said in a message to members on Wednesday that Wall Street analysts suggest an American-US Airways merger is likely. "While I will refrain from speculation, we must be ready to move quickly toward a potential merger," Wilson said.

American Airlines shares rose 16.9 percent to 76 cents on Thursday, while US Airways rose 2.1 percent to $12.97.

(Reporting by Karen Jacobs; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/amr-pilots-union-meets-company-ceo-still-backs-224210969--finance.html

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Christmas Party Time! | MissHostess

I can easily conjure up the sights, smells and sounds of the holiday season: evergreen and pine, bells, lights, busy shoppers, the color red, kisses, desserts, snow and shovels.? Oh yes, not to mention the smoke plumes that invade your home as your husband tries to ignite logs in your fireplace. Is that only at my house?

The holidays are strongly tied to traditions, which in turn are tied to strong and nostalgic emotions?the annual holiday party where office stories of the year are made, the annual must-be-at gathering at your Aunt?s, or the sledding or skating outings on Christmas Day.? Traditions are basically made in the food we eat and the ways in which we celebrate?and there is always room for those new traditions to be mixed in with the old.

Around the holidays, you may be hosting many different types of gatherings: one with the family, one with the friends, and another with the co-workers. Here I will present three different variations of the Holiday Christmas Party, all varying slightly in the food you will present to the style of hosting, though some things will remain constant, such as the mood, which will always be FESTIVE!

The Mood

What one word most comes to mind when thinking about the Holidays? FESTIVE.? And what other word comes to mind when thinking of the word FESTIVE?? Bright, loud, and happy!? String those lights, crank up that music, put on something that makes you feel like dancing, grab a drink and start mingling!

The Decor

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Christmas can be one of the easiest times to decorate?simple things such as extra bulbs placed in a large glass hurricane look dramatic as a simple table centerpiece.? Cut fresh branches of evergreen and assemble on the dining table with a large hurricane containing candle as a simple centerpiece. You can also use the branches of evergreen to frame the mirrors in your home. Oh yes, and not to mention that large, sparkly tree that sits in your living room, making everything look all shiny and bright and new!

The Food and Drink

If you are serving a seated meal for this gathering, you may be serving the same type of food as you had at Thanksgiving.? However some families have some Holiday food rules: Turkey at Thanksgiving and Pork or Seafood at Christmas.? Other meats such as venison, pork or seafood are great alternatives to the traditional turkey, and are a great way to begin a tradition of your own.

Traditional Menu?Edit the sides at your will, or add more ?take a look at the?sides section.

Appetizers

Charcuterie and Cheeses?assorted meats such as salami, mortadella, prosciutto, sopressata, and good quality smoked sausage, and ham.? Serve a variety of type of cheeses, varying in color and texture, such as swiss, aged cheddar, Colby, brie, and blue.

Vegetable Platter with Sourcream Dip? Cut vegetables such as celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, radishes (add great color too), and grape tomatoes.? To make a simple dip, simply mix together a packet of ranch flavored seasoning with sour cream.

Mushroom and Swiss Cheese ?Pouffs

?Beginnings

Traditional Lasagna--Lasagna or another similar pasta dish is always welcome as a first course, though it is definitely an option, as you will probably have so much food to serve for the main course!? Lasagna is also a great meal to make ahead and just keep in the fridge throughout the week.? I like to make this dish when I have friends or family in town. Everyone loves it, and I always make enough so that my guests can help themselves to it should they desire a mid-day snack.

?Mains

Classic Roasted Turkey with Mushroom Gravy

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Seafood Feast

Clams with Smoky Bacon and Tomatoes

Seared Peppered and Garlic Crusted Tuna Steaks

Shrimp Scampi

Sides

Vegetable Medley

Garlic Mashed Red Skins

Wild Rice with Sage and Leek

Hearty Mushroom Risotto

Dessert!

Here are my top 5 for the Holidays!

The Hosting

If you will be having many family members at your home, you usually have three options for serving the meal: Buffet style, country style or plated style.

Serving the meal buffet style is the best way to serve a meal if you have MANY people to serve who will not be sitting at the same table.? For example, you may have a seating area in the kitchen, another in the dining area, etc.? So setting up all the food in one main spot for people to serve themselves makes sense.? Should everyone be seated at the same table, large or small, you can serve the meal country style, which basically means setting out the dishes or platters of food onto the table for everyone to pass around and serve themselves.? A plated meal is not usually done with many people, considering the work involved, however if you have extra help, or have hired the help of a caterer, this could be an option!

If you expect to have kids at this gathering, yes, it might be nice to set up the ever-revered and quintessential ?kids table?.? This is a chance for you to be creative with your seating options:

• Set your child?s arts and crafts table with a nice tablecloth, and attempt to place in the same area as the adults so there can be some sort of supervision
• Set the children?s table on a large coffee table.? Children may find it fun to sit on the floor on cushions and eat their meal this way
• Have an extra game table that you can just cover with a nice table cloth? Convince your husband that he never really uses that poker table he bought from Costco, anyhow, should he shudder at the prospect of spilled Shirley Temples.

Setting up a Bar

Should your family be of the type that likes to enjoy a few or many cocktails during the Holiday Season, setting up a bar is a must!? This can truly be a self-serve station, OR, if you are really feeling fancy, you can hire one or two experienced bar tenders to tend to the drink needs of your guests.

Whatever you choose, ensure that you have stocked your bar with the absolute essentials:

• Vodka: Belvedere vodka is one of my favorites, but I also find that Svedka vodka is a great tasting vodka for about half the price.
• Rum:? Clear Bacardi rum is a basic favorite, and goes well for any cocktail recipe which calls for rum.
• Whiskey: Jack Daniels is the whiskey that most people usually ask for by its name.? Cue, ?I?ll have a Jack and coke?, please.
• Gin: Although this is spirit is not as much as asked for as is vodka, it is still a basic that is good to have on hand for those gin and tonic lovers. Plus, there is hardly an expiration date that applies to spirits, so consider it an investment.
• Liquors: These liquors are most often served as after dinner accompaniments to dessert, though your guests may ask for these before the meal. ?Some basics to have on hand, which can be served in a rocks glass at room temperature or over a couple of ice cubes, depending on the preference of your guests:
  • Amaretto di Disaronno:? An almond flavored Italian liquer: sweet and smooth
  • Baileys Irish Cream: A cream based liquor that is also sweet and is often added to coffee as a spike.
  • Scotch:? Having at least one scotch on hand for those old souls at your gathering is a good idea.? It?s okay if you are not a scotch connoisseur, you can always buy the tried and true scotches.
  • Garnishes: ?At a minimum, cut wedges of lime and lemon, and set on a plate.? You can also set olives and cherries in a bowl.? These are the most commonly used garnishes and are a good starting point for any bar.

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The Hosting

Last year I hosted a spur of the moment party on Christmas Day night at my home with some of my closest friends.? Let me set this up for you:? Most of us had over-dosed, at this point, on essential family gatherings, shopping, and desserts. We needed to relax, drink a few, and to not eat any more desserts (though I?m pretty sure we still probably did).? We had such a good time we decided to make it a tradition.

?The Food

One option is to re-invigorate any leftovers you?ve had from any earlier family gatherings.? Re-plating, and heating up the leftovers in the oven instead of the microwave, are fresh ways to present your leftovers.? You can also make a couple of new appetizers such as creamy spinach dip or stuffed mushrooms.? See the?Appetizers? for some good ideas!

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The Hosting

How well do you know your co-workers? This is the group that will most likely have the highest degree of variation in personalities, tastes, and preferences. It will be important to create an atmosphere that will cater to everyone.? This can often be misconstrued as ?benign?, or ?boring?, but au contraire!? Think of it as creating the ?classic? holiday party:? A mix of crowd pleasing appetizers, traditional holiday music, and spirits made available, though not showcased.? In this world of different cultures and beliefs, the concept of offering sprits but not showcasing it is due attention.

There is a good chance that others may have brought a dish to share at the party.? Thank the person and make an arrangement to include the dish on the table along with the rest of the offerings.? Ensure to ask the person if there is any special way that you should serve the dish.? You never know: he or she may say that it should be heated for 10 minutes before serving, or that they need a spoon or fork added to the dish for serving purposes.

?The Food

Make a couple of good, pleasing appetizers.? Any mix of any will work?see my appetizers.? Try to have a mix of dips, bready apps, and meats.? A good meat and cheese tray, a couple of dips, and savory pastries, along with fresh fruit and desserts is always good.

Source: http://misshostess.com/blog/christmas-party-time

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Income Streams

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It?s another Expert Briefs, where I ask really smart business owners to answer your burning questions.

If you?ve missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all ?>

So, on that note, this week I asked our panel of experts ?

It?s nearly the end of the year, so I?m personally looking
back over the last year. My question this week is

?Where does your money come from???

Here are their responses they so graciously shared.

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Tiffany Dow of The Guide to Shiny Object Syndrome says:

I get my Internet income from a variety of sources. I?ve always loved having many different sources because of the panic I would feel (and uncertainty) if I relied on just one stream. So my income is divided up into 5 parts:

1. My own eCourses
2. PLR sales
3. Digital affiliate income
4. Affiliate marketing on Amazon
5. Ghostwriting

When it comes to the lion?s share, it would have to be my own ecourses ? because not only do I make money directly, but I worked to recruit an army of affiliates to promote for me. This provides approximately 40% of my online income. The best tip I can give you on this is to forget who else has already done what. Do it your way and you will have fans!

Next on the list is my PLR store. I?ve been building this for years and now have almost 500 products in my marketplace. It runs on autopilot and I have affiliates promoting it, earning 50% of the cart sales. Most PLR sellers create about 5-10 packs and quit, but volume is key to waking up and seeing $200 cart sales. PLR accounts for about 30% of my sales.

Digital affiliate income is what I consider my reviews to be. Here?s a tip on earning from digital reviews: whenever I buy any product, I implement and review it right away. It pays off because people trust me when they see my results unfold. The profits are twofold: once from the sales you make reviewing it as an affiliate, and again because you?re taking action and implementing! I make approximately 25% of my income from reviews.

The last two items on my list ? affiliate income on Amazon and ghostwriting are very small players in my income, but not because I?ve failed at them. Combined, they only add up to about 5% of my income. I rarely ever ghostwrite anymore (just primarily to keep my skills sharp) and I?ve sold off (flipped) most of my Amazon sites and Squidoo lenses, so I?m just now building them back up. Best advice? KEEP the money makers. Build a portfolio, instead of flipping for fast cash.

-> Want more from Tiffany? Check out her The Guide to Shiny Object Syndrome

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Bob Jenkins of How to Use Mindmaps to Organize Your Business says:

Hey Nicole ? I love having a diversified set of revenue sources to balance out the ebbs and flows of having a business.

Here?s my breakdown from October 2011 ? October 2012:

• 40% ? Personal Coaching Clients
• 16% ? Mindmap My Business 3-Day Virtual Training
• 15% ? Affiliate Income (Affiliate Marketing)
• 13% ? Information Products
• 12% ? Hotseat Holiday Workshops/Retreats
• 1.4% ? Domain Sales
• 1.4% ? Welcome To The Call
• 1.2% ? Beef Jerky

A few things are interesting from this list for me (and from reviewing these kinds of numbers).

First, if I was like most coaches, I would be missing out on a ton of revenue without the additional revenue sources like information products and information products.

The 3 private label sources (Domains ? GoDadady, WelcomeToTheCall ? Instant Teleseminar, and Beef Jerky ? Jerky Direct) that make up a combined 4% are both neglected and rarely advertised. I consider spending more energy on them, but then I remember how much more fun I have coaching and teaching virtual workshops.

Some of these sources are also inter-related, in that they provide the same customers multiple levels of access and intensity. If I sold in a bunch of different niches, it would be harder for me to improve my revenue/customer numbers.

For example, the Hotseat Holidays both lead to and stem from personal coaching clients.

As for affiliate income, my top generating recommendations over the past year have been for Lon Naylor (Learn Camtasia), Clay Collins (TheMarketingProgram), Digital Access Pass membership software, and Aweber autoresponders.

-> Want to learn more from Bob (and get uber-organized)? Check out How to Use Mindmaps to Organize Your Business

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Connie Ragen Green of Affiliate Marketing Case Studies says:

The end of the year always means that I will be reviewing and thinking about my online business to see what worked, what I loved doing, and what I need to completely revamp and update in my business.

2012 has been a year of great growth for me. I am now speaking internationally, which was a goal I set for myself at this time last year. This is my sixth full year online, so I am now more comfortable in every area of my business. You may have heard about the ?10,000 Hours Rule?, a concept based on a study by Anders Ericsson and discussed throughout the book ?Outliers: The Story of Success? by Malcolm Gladwell. The premise is that one needs to accrue ten thousand hours of experience in an area before being able to move to the next level of competence and understanding. I am now at the point in my business where major changes are more likely to occur.

• 50% ? Affiliate marketing continues to account for about fifty percent of my income. I enjoy the responsibility that comes along with only recommending the people and products I love, in the exact areas that are relevant to building a successful online business.
• 25% ? My own products and courses account for another twenty-five percent of my income, and I now stay tightly focused on what I create and sell under my brand.
• 25% ? The rest of my income is derived from my high level Mentor programs, my Weekend Retreats, and from speaking at live events around the world.

My recommendation is to write down everything you are doing to generate income in your business to see which things are working best for you. The ultimate goal is to have a profitable business that allows you to engage in activities that you enjoy while serving the needs of your target audience.

-> Want to learn how Connie wins so many Affiliate Contests? Check out her Affiliate Success Case Studies.

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Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

Where does my money come from? Had an interesting situation come up this week on Facebook. Lynn Terry and I have a big 1200+ member group working through a 90 Day Low Carb Challenge and someone got it in their head that we are some sort of Ninja Marketing Geniuses who make money every time someone clicks a link or likes anything. Lynn said ?If only that were so!? LOL!

Affiliate marketing does represent a nice chunk of my income and it is one of my favorite sources since it tends to be the income that keeps on coming long after I did whatever I did to initiate it. It comes naturally as I recommend the tools, people and resources I have found most useful in my own online business.

Information product sales is another valued source of income for me. I have six different courses/workshops for sale right now plus a membership program. Sales come through my own list and via my amazing affiliates.

As we discussed not long ago, a surprising source of income for me is the check I get from an advertising network for displaying their ads on my small mom and family focused blog network. Sponsored posts, paid promotions and the like are all nice extras for my budget from month to month.

Occasionally I go back to my roots and generate cash with my graphic and web design skills. In fact, I put the word out last night that I?m accepting a couple of new clients. (I?m raising cash for something important!) I don?t want to service clients on a regular basis, having a skill others are willing to pay to tap is a powerful thing.

I?ve dabbled with a few other things this year but unfortunately most of that didn?t turn out to be the turn on I?d expected and I?ve let those projects go dormant. I think it?s important for everything to know that every project and idea is not going to be profitable. I learn from these disappointments and use those lessons to be smarter about everything else I do.

Finally, I earn money by coaching clients one on one. What might interest everyone is the fact that this is not my primary income. Several people have told me that that is what they assume ? that I?m getting RICH by coaching others. I?m not THAT coach who only makes money from coaching. I actually make money from real life projects that have nothing to do with telling someone else what to do as you can see here.

Flexibility, variety, having these choices is a dream come true for this solopreneur. I wish you all the same!

-> Want to learn more from Kel? One of the ways she earns money is through Podcasting. Check out her Smart Podcasting Course.

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Jeanette S. Cates, PhD of Plan Your Online Business says:

What a great question! I generally know my numbers, but I was curious about how they have changed over the years. In fact, I pulled a spreadsheet for 2000 ? 2012 and here?s what I found:

• In 2000, my revenue was half consulting and half products (which includes teaching classes). That was fairly early in my Internet Marketing career, so that makes sense.
• By 2005, revenue was 25% affiliate programs, 15% adsense (the heyday!), 20% consulting, and the rest in product sales.
• By 2010,revenue was at 20% affiliate programs, only 8% consulting (who had time?), 20% member sites (the hot thing that year!), and the rest in product sales, including partner products.
• This year, it?s steady at 30% affiliate sales, 22% consulting, 22% member sites, and the rest in product sales.

It?s so important to have a mix of revenue sources. As some things come and go, other items remain steady. You may have years when you create a bunch of products and others when you want to work more closely with your clients in smaller sites and consulting. Remember ? it?s YOUR business and you get to choose how you make your living!

-> Want to peek inside Jeanette?s head and get ready for next year? Check out Plan Your Online Business

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Dr. Mani of How to Set Goals says:

Interesting question, Nicole.

Here are my answers, as they apply to online infopreneur income alone:

• Affiliate marketing ? 25%
• Freelance writing ? 20%
• Adsense ? 5%
• Infoproduct Sales ? 30%
• Books on Amazon ? 5%
• Membership sites ? 10%
• Other ? 5%

It helps that I periodically review this set of numbers, and see how well they match my overall goals for the year. That way, I?m able to tweak and focus on what matters for the month or quarter.

-> Want to learn more from Dr. Mani? Check out his report about How to Set Goals

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Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Well this has been interesting to me to read the responses.?

My income is similar to my friends above.

1. My Own Product Sales
2. My PLR Sites
3. Affiliate Marketing
4. Personal Coaching
5. Google Adsense (Niche Sites)
6. Web Hosting
7. Amazon Kindle
8. Consulting

I?ll get into a bit more detail on each.

1. My Own Product Sales.

I have several training products that I sell to intermediate and advanced level online business owners.

My most recent one that I?m super proud of is BlogCPR.com ? how to keep your blog fresh.

I also have some courses at the beginner level, including the ones at MomsTalkBiz.com

2. My PLR Sites

I have three PLR sites.? Each is slightly different in focus.

EasyPLR.com
I opened EasyPLR in 2006. At that site, I mainly sell packs of articles, reports, and ecourses. There is no membership component involved. The goal with the site is to get people to make an impulse buy as it?s a low priced item and then find out they love me and my stuff and trust me. Then they become repeat customers.

YummyPLR.com
Yummy PLR was opened after EasyPLR (I believe in 2007). We sell food PLR there, including PLR recipes. This site is a membership model and many of our members stay for years.

CoachingPLRContent.com
I opened Coaching PLR content with Melissa Ingold in 2010. At that site, we want to arm our customers with resources, tools and presentations they can use to expand their expert status even further. We have worksheets and PowerPoints slides and scripts and all kinds of stuff with PLR rights. A lot of our customers use our presentations to create video training and to do live webinars, as well.

3. Affiliate Marketing

I don?t have exact numbers in front of me, but I would say that I earn approximately 50% of my income through affiliate marketing.

This varies from promoting things like Hillbilly Housewife ebooks on a niche site ? to promoting exercise videos from Amazon on another niche site, to promoting services like Aweber here, on my blog and to my lists.

4. Personal Coaching

I take on a handful of personal coaching clients at a time. I spend a lot of time one-on-one with them which is why I only work with a few. I find it extremely rewarding and I love it.

I focus on Infoproduct marketers who have at least one product, who already know who their customers are, and they have their product up for sale (or nearly there). Once they get to that point, I have a blast helping them to multiply their income.

5. Google Adsense on Niche Sites

I still have some niche sites with Adsense on them. For four years, Google paid my mortgage. But, now? Not as much. It?s just a nice little deposit every month. The good thing is that I don?t have to do anything to earn it.

6. Web Hosting.

I am a partner in a web hosting company ? MomWebs.com (with Kelly McCausey).

We focus on helping newbies who are skeeeered of technology to get their WordPress sites up and running. (Many of them switch from Blogger to WordPress with our help.) So that project brings in some monthly cashola, as well.

7. Amazon Kindle

My Kindle earnings are small, but they will be growing next year.

You can see a few of my Kindle books here:

8. Consulting

On occasion, I will do hourly consulting for online or offline businesses. I don?t do this too often, simply because I don?t like to have a schedule where I have to be somewhere (even on the phone) at a certain time ? yeah I?m weird like that. But am always open to having someone buy an hour of access to my brain.

Well that?s an overview. I hope it was interesting to you.

Talk to me.

Is this what you expected to hear?

Is it similar to your income streams? Or different?

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. If you like this post ? share it and check out my friends? sites. That?ll make me happy! Appreciate you!

Here are the folks who contributed today?

Source: http://www.nicoleonthenet.com/13415/income-streams/

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