The best way to garden is to put on a wide brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig. [source]
If you’re a conscientious user of home electronics, you always turn them off when you’re not using them. But they don’t actually go all the way off—they continue using energy to power features like clock displays, remote controls, and battery rechargers. Depending on the efficiency of your unit’s design, the standby power use can be minimal or substantial.
Median hourly earnings of electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers were $13.44 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.39 and $17.10. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.17, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $21.36. In May 2004, median hourly earnings of electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers were $12.86 in electronics and appliance stores and $12.28 in electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance. [source]
By 2005 over 50% of professionals will be independent consultants contracting for specific services and projects and that most will be working from a home office. -U.S. Labor Department prediction in 1999
The work-at-home market is affluent and educated. According to IDC, home business owners are more likely to have college and postgraduate degrees. The average income for home office households is $59,000, versus $45,000 for total households. [source]
As early as 1999, IDC reported 40.2 million home working households in the U.S. Approximately 24 million people ran home-based businesses. Over 26 million performed work at home after hours. Nearly 29 million had corporate home offices. [source]
If you’re working from home, deducting the costs associated with your home office can be a big tax saver, but the rules are tricky. To get the deduction, the law requires you to use your home office "exclusively and regularly" for your business. It must be an area in your home where you don’t mix business with other activities. [source]
A recent study found that more than one in five second-home buyers were using equity from the sale of a primary residence to finance their purchase. [source]
Buyers in the nation’s capital get extra frosting on the homebuyer’s incentive cake. First-time buyers (liberally defined) get a federal tax credit of up to $5,000. That’s the same as having Uncle Sam kick $5,000 into your down payment. Even if you own a home somewhere else (including the D.C. suburbs), you can qualify for this sweet tax break if the house you buy is the first one you own in D.C [source]
The basic elements of good home design can be learned and achieved by all. [source]