Jimmy's Favorite Sites

By Jimmy R. Hammond, CPA

Here are a few sites I have discovered which are helpful, informative or interesting. These sites relate to Annapolis, to business or are just worth dropping in for a casual visit. Let's go surfing and take a look.

Recently my son prepared for an auto trip from Toronto to Montreal. He took care of the pets, had the car serviced and all the normal procedures for leaving town, but he then capped if off by downloading several books to CDs for the trip at www.audible.com. According to my son, the selection was great, the cost was much cheaper than the actual book or CD purchased from the book store, and the download and CD burning feature worked without a hitch. This might be just the thing you need for your next trip.

Sometime during the past couple months I became quite annoyed by an unknown late night caller from area code 954. I thought I could quickly find the source of the call by using *69 or by using a reverse number look- up feature at www.anywho.com. Neither method revealed the caller. I then turned my attention to the location of the area code. My search of an area code directory turned up the following: linmad.com/areacodemap.html. This colorful area code directory can be customized for you by the company that created the PDF document, although it is quite colorful, informative and useful in the free configuration right off the Internet. Take a look. (By the way, area code 954 was in Miami, Fla.)

Several months ago I received an unsolicited e-mail (SPAM) from www.accu-pressure.com. My follow-up to their inquiry was quite positive. This company markets tire valve caps that can visually alert you with green, yellow and red alerts when your tire pressure changes four to 10 pounds At $12.95 for four caps, it was cheap enough to put them on all four of our cars. Several friends have purchased them as well. It is quite nice to walk around the car before a trip and see that small green ring. I no longer am asked "does that tire look low to you?" That alone is worth the cost. I discovered www2.cr.nps /tps/tax/irsanswers.htm when doing rehabilitation tax credit research for the owners of a recently renovated building in Annapolis. This 17-page FAQ document, authored by Mark Primoli of the IRS, is quite informative, easy to read and right on point. If you are considering improvements to a historical business structure I would recommend you download and read this wonderful primer immediately. Location and timing are critical issues for you to qualify for this 10 percent or 20 percent credit. Stop! Look! Read! Now! If you and your spouse have decided that you can't live together any longer and there is no legal contest over property, kids or pets, then take a look at www.completecase.com. This very creative attorney came to my attention via the Washington Post several months ago. As you might imagine, the legal community does not always condone this type of service but, for as little as $249, the information might be more than you could get from an hour of face to face time with your friendly counselor. At a minimum, you might just be a little smarter if and when you should choose to confide in local legal council. As always we encourage your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks.