Wayne McCormick
Broker/Owner
Realty Executives of Northern Arizona
Get several estimates and be wary of the one that is much lower than the rest. The low estimate may balloon later with extra charges for things, such as moving bulky items or going up and down stairs.
Ask if the person you are dealing with works for the moving company or is a moving broker. The latter arranges transportation, and that estimate may not match the moving company’s estimate. The broker also isn’t responsible for loss or damage.
Have the mover inspect the household items in person to get the most accurate estimate of the move’s cost. Show the mover everything, including items in the garage, attics and basements. Be clear about packing and other services you want, which could impact the estimate.
Ask whether the mover is using a binding or non-binding estimate. The former is an agreement made in advance and guarantees the cost of the move. The latter is not always accurate, and charges could be higher than expected. Get all estimates in writing.
Before signing contracts, understand the moving company’s liability and pickup and delivery dates. Never sign blank or incomplete documents.
Be on-site when your goods are being packed and loaded, and unloaded.
Better Business Bureau
Logs complaints against businesses and helps resolve disputes. Online reports available about complaints against moving companies.
Arizona Department of Weights & Measures
Helps regulate the moving industry and investigates complaints. Online reports available about movers that have been investigated.
800-277-6675 or www.azdwm.gov
American Moving and Storage Association
Trade association for the moving industry and a consumer resource. Logs complaints and helps resolve disputes. Online information available about certified moving consultants in the Valley.
703-683-7410 or www.promover.org or www.moving.org
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Federal agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that works to decrease moving fraud. Provides complaint information on companies and has an easy-to-use Web site for researching a company’s federal registration, safety rating, insurance status and more.
888-368-7238 or www.protectyourmove.gov
By Robert J. Bruss
Even if you don’t itemize your income-tax deductions and claim the standard deduction, if you are one of the more than 25 million taxpayers who changed homes in 2006, you may be entitled to big tax savings for your household moving expenses as an “adjustment to gross income.”
To qualify, you must have changed your job location in 2006. It doesn’t matter if you work for the same employer, changed employers, became self-employee or started your first job.
You must meet the job-location-change rule to be eligible for moving-cost deductions. Either spouse can qualify, but part-time work does not count.
If you changed your residence location, but you didn’t change job locations, you are not eligible to deduct household moving costs. To qualify, your new job site must be at least 50 miles farther from your old home than your old job location. For example, if the distance from your old home to your old job location was 10 miles, then your new job must be at least 50 miles farther away from your old home. That’s 10 plus 50, or 60 miles.
If you passed this first test to qualify for the moving-expense tax deduction, then you also must pass a more difficult test.
Your second test requires you to stay in the vicinity of your new job site and work full time at least 39 weeks during the 52 weeks after your residence move. However, time spent searching for a new job doesn’t count and you need not continue working for the same employer or at the same location. If you are self-employed, this test requires you to work at least 78 weeks full time in the vicinity of your new qualifying job location during the 104 weeks after the household move.
The purpose of this tougher test is to prevent self-employed people from deducting moving costs if, after moving, they work only a few hours each week. But this work-time test is waived for job layoffs, disability or the taxpayer’s death.
Don’t panic if you don’t meet this test by April 16. Most taxpayers who meet the job-location-change test won’t meet the work-time test before their tax returns are due by April 16. That’s all right. Uncle Sam understands.
If you meet the 50-miles additional-job-distance test but you haven’t yet met the work-time test, you have a choice if you expect to continue working in the vicinity of your new job site.
Your first choice is to claim the moving-expense tax deduction and then if you later become ineligible, amend your tax returns and pay the additional tax.
Your second choice is not to claim the moving-expense tax deduction but when you later meet the work-time test, then file an IRS Form 1040X to claim the moving expense deduction, which probably will result in a tax refund for you.
Most tax advisers suggest making the first choice because if you don’t claim the moving-expense deduction when filing you tax returns, you might forget to amend your tax return later.
Indirect moving expenses are not tax-deductible. An indirect moving expense involves costs related to the move but not part of the actual move.
Examples include pre-move inspection-trip airline fares, meal en route during the move and real estate sales or lease commissions. Also, the costs of moving your butler, cook, maid, chauffeur, nurse and nanny are non-deductible indirect moving costs.
However, there is no limit on deductions for direct moving costs. Examples of such costs are hiring a moving van, in-transit storage for up to 30 days, pet shipping expense, moving insurance and expenses for transporting your “personal effects,” such as your yacht, horse and recreational vehicle.
If you take a plane, train or bus from your old location to your new city, the fare is deductible. Or if you drive from your old home to your new home, you can deduct actual out-of-pocket automobile expenses, such as gasoline and oil, but not auto repairs and depreciation.
Or you can elect to take the standard 18 cents per mile for moves in 2006, plus parking and tolls. In addition, costs of lodging – but not meals – en route are deductible.
If your employer reimburses you for direct moving costs for which you have receipts, there is no additional taxable income because the deductible moving costs are offset by the employer reimbursement.
However, if your employer gave you a flat moving-cost allowance, the excess allowance exceeding your deductible direct moving costs is taxable income. Employer reimbursement for non-deductible indirect moving costs, such as a pre-move house-hunting trip, is taxable income for the employee.
Members of the U.S. armed forces have special rules that do not include moving and storage expenses furnished by the military or cash reimbursements for expenses actually paid. There is also an income exclusion for moving and storage costs incurred by a spouse and dependents of the armed forces member even if they do not reside with the military member before or after the move.
Reimbursements in excess of actual moving costs are included in the service member’s gross income, but moving expenses exceeding reimbursements are tax-deductible details are available from you tax adviser.
Packing and moving is a daunting task. To prevent overwhelm, start packing early. To make packing easier, follow these few simple techniques.
Using proper packing materials pays off in the long run. You can purchase sturdy boxes, specialty boxes and packing materials at local moving or shipping companies. Some wholesale companies and large stores will have free boxes available after a shipment. Wadded up newspaper, old pillows and blankets make inexpensive padding materials.
The following tools and materials will make your packing go more smoothly:
Wrap items individually and always place a layer of crushed paper in the bottom of the carton for cushioning. Fill empty spaces with additional crushed paper.
Make sure cartons are firmly packed with heavier items on the bottom and lighter ones on top.
Put heavy items in small boxes so that they are easier to carry.
Pack one room at a time numbering and labeling each box on the top and side with a description of its contents and which room the box belongs in. Label boxes containing breakable or sentimental items as “Fragile.” Keep a detailed list of what items are packed in each box to make unpacking easier.
Plan ahead for what you'll need the first day after your move. Packing a separate bag with your toiletries, a change of clothes, etc., will avoid unnecessary scrambling or a run to the local store. Also pack a box of necessities such as toilet paper, towel, soap, dish cloth, broom and dust pan, trash bags, telephone, etc.
Empty all drawers of breakable or spillable items.
Pack all breakable items with lots of padding: line the bottom of the box with crushed newspaper. Mark boxes “Fragile” so they are handled with care.
To prevent unnecessary damage, put all furniture knobs, feet, screws, etc., in a container that you can keep with you so the parts won't get lost.
Do not pack flammable goods or heat sensitive items like candles, audio and video tapes, computer disks, propane tanks, aerosol cans, oil based paints and certain cleaning fluids.
For boxes going into storage, pack items together according to the seasons in which you will use them. Mark the boxes accordingly.
When packing the truck, make sure the items you'll need first are loaded in last (e.g., kids toys, kitchen items, bathroom items, telephone and radio) so you can find them easily.
Use common sense when loading your truck by keeping in mind the size, sturdiness and weight of your boxes.
Nobody likes to clean or repair gutters. However, there are a few ways to make the job easier. First, for clogged downspouts, try using barbecue tongs to reach in and pull the leaves out. This doesn't always work, but considering the alternative of using a hose to flush out the clog and getting wet and covered with gutter goop, it’s worth a try.
Second, to repair loose gutter nails try replacing them with extra-long lag screws. The lag screws tend to be stronger, hold better and can easily be installed with a cordless drill equipped with a nut driver bit.
Concrete always cracks. For most cracks less than 1/4" , applying concrete caulk is a good way to make repairs. Just clean the crack out with a high-pressure hose nozzle, let it dry and then apply the caulk into the crack. For larger cracks, substitute concrete patch for caulk.
Large cracks or small, repair is necessary because water that seeps into cracks will soften the ground underneath and cause more cracking. The situation worsens if the water freezes.
With all the wet weather that spring brings, wooden windows and doors can't help but swell and stick. To repair a sticky door or window, first mark where it is sticking, next remove the door or window by taking out its hinge pins, prop it up securely, then use a hand plane to carefully remove any excess material that is causing the sticking. Power planes will also work, but they tend to remove too much wood. When the wood shrinks back during the drier, warmer days of summer, the gap will be too wide.
For sliding windows, the trim around them is often the cause of sticking. Trim must be removed and reinstalled to allow for more movement. To do this, carefully remove the trim with a flat bar and pull the nails out backwards, that is, grasp the nail point with pliers and pull. If the trim was installed properly with finishing nails, you should be able to do this without damaging the wood. When reinstalling, keep the fit snug but not as tight as it was. If you reinstall the trim too loosely, the windows will rattle when the wood shrinks again.
To keep windows and doors from sticking in the first place, make sure that they are sealed with a good coat of paint, including the tops and bottoms. But don’t paint the channels where windows need to slide. Instead, use a light coat of linseed oil as a sealer.
The problem with water stains is that painting over them will not make them go away unless you use a primer-sealer first. When looking for a sealer, follow these basic guidelines: First, oil-based sealers usually work better than water-based ones. Second, choose a sealer that has a high amount of solids, which are the pigments and other elements that do the actual covering of the stain. Paint, hardware and home centers carry primer-sealers, sometimes called sealer-primers.
Another tip for using an oil-based sealer is to use disposable brushes and rollers. Cleaning up after using oil-based products can be messy and often requires that you spend more on paint thinner than your brushes and rollers are worth.
It used to be that the only way to do a good paint job over rust was to get out the naval jelly or wire brush and remove the rust first. Thankfully, paint additives are now available to help paint stick to rust while also neutralizing the rust and stopping corrosion from continuing under the paint.
Left untreated, rust will eventually cause fixtures to lock up. Prevent this by keeping fixtures well lubricated. One of the most common mistakes people make is trying to lubricate outdoor fixtures with light oil or silicon from spray cans. Because these oils are so light, they often evaporate and/or dilute existing lubrication thereby making the problem worse. For fixtures like gate hinges and latches, use heavy grease. It will not evaporate and its high viscosity is the best thing for heavy-duty parts. Most auto parts stores have heavy grease.
The 2-mile traverse from Snowbowl Road to Bismarck Lake is level and scenic
By Randy Wilson
Most bike rides at 9,000 feet will literally take your breath away -- there's not much extended level terrain at that elevation.
But on the newest section of the Arizona Trail that traverses upper Hart Prairie, the only breathtaking experience is the scenery -- the ride is flat and smooth. This two-mile segment between Snowbowl Road and Bismarck Lake opened only last month. But as I've seen the last two weekends, it has already been discovered by cyclists and hikers of all ages.
My guess is that when the next editions of local guidebooks and trail maps come out, this route will rise to the top of the list of must-do family outings, especially in fall.
Scores of volunteers worked with the Forest Service over the course of four weekends stretching back to May to get this trail section into shape. They've dug out the lava-field rocks that make bushwhacking across the prairie a real ankle-twister and put in retaining walls where the trail crosses washes. They've also snaked the trail gently through several aspen groves rather than clear-cut a straight path from one end to the other.
Most importantly for novice cyclists and hikers who want to enjoy the views without risking a cardiovascular event, the trail-builders have held pretty much to the 9,000-foot contour line. My guess is that the new section gains and loses no more than 100 feet along its entire two miles.
Start at Aspen Corner
The starting point for a level ride is the pulloff parking area at what is known as Aspen Corner on Snowbowl Road -- that's the wide curve with split rail fencing about a mile below the Snowbowl parking lots. The Forest Service posts the pullout as No Parking starting around Dec. 1 or whenever heavy snowfall occurs, so readers who want to use this access point have just one month left until next spring.
From the parking area, follow an old dirt road downhill for a quarter-mile before it crosses the Arizona Trail -- there are tree markers on each side of the road. If you keep descending and come out onto the prairie above Alfa Fia Tank, you've gone too far.
Take the Arizona Trail to the right through the trees until it breaks out onto the prairie in about 200 yards (The left trail is unfinished and ends in about a half-mile in a tangle of blow-downs.). From here, the trail heads north on a gentle uphill grade with views extending well beyond Kendrick Peak nearly to the Grand Canyon.
The first sign you'll encounter says Loop Trail, and it refers to the new Aspen Loop trail that swings down from the Humphreys Traihead parking lot about a half-mile above. That parking lot and the Aspen Loop will be the winter access points to this trail section for snowmobilers and cross-country skiers once Snowbowl Road is closed to parking.
Continue on the main trail as it winds through several washes until coming to the first grove of mixed aspen and conifers in about a mile. The trail winds down through the grove before continuing north across the prairie.
In another half-mile of easy climbing, you'll come to another, larger grove of aspen that fell prey to the fierce winds that rocked the peaks several weeks ago. The blowdowns were extensive, but Forest Service crews and volunteers have cleared a path.
Aspen grove a high point
This grove turns out to be the highest elevation on this trail segment and it is a great spot for a picnic. The trail continues north for about another half-mile before reaching the junction with the unfinished trail segment coming up from Bismarck Lake -- a sign provides direction. The trail to the lake is rockier but perfectly passable for cyclists and hikers of all abilities.
The lake is a magnet for wildlife of all kinds and is a favorite with elk hunters in fall. It is nearly dry this time of year, but on Saturday I could hear the honking of migratory geese circling in the distance.
The lake is a good turnaround point for what becomes a 4-mile round trip. On Saturday, I dropped down off the trail onto Hart Prairie Road, then rode south until I came to an old ranch road that heads up the prairie to Alfa Fia Tank and my parked vehicle.
Eventually, this segment and other sections of the Arizona Trail will be part of a Loop Trail that circumnavigates the San Francisco Peaks. Look for volunteer trail construction opportunities in the Daily Sun's Outdoors calendar starting next spring.
If you go ...
Arizona Trail on upper Hart Prairie
2 miles one-way
Elevation: 9,000 feet
Nearly level, outstanding views
Parking at Aspen Corner on Snowbowl Road and the Bismarck Lake trailhead.
Alternate access from Humphrey Trail/Snowbowl parking lot via the new Aspen Loop trail.
By Jack Welch
I really didn't learn to swim until the age of 45. I wanted to participate in the Lake St. Louis Triathlon and since the water component of that activity was too far to allow for a dog-paddle effort, I took swimming lessons at the YMCA. I did improve, but only marginally, and on the day of the event I arrived at the race site poorly prepared for a lake swim. Without pool lines to guide me I quickly realized swimming straight was going to be a problem. A major problem.
By downgrading the value of visual cues, I was able to turn a half-mile swim into an hour-and-a-half tour of every boat dock along the eastern shore of the lake. Making the situation worse was the ever-increasing sound of barking dogs as I floundered in the water just beyond their reach. Because of the continuing uproar, everybody knew where I had been, but nobody -- including myself -- seemed to know where I was going. Soon small children were tossing flotation devices in my direction and, much to my chagrin, a mother duck, followed closely by a bevy of ugly ducklings, quacked their way past me and my unique version of the Australian crawl. Because of this woeful experience, I was able to add swimming to my list of competitive shortcomings.
So, without much encouragement from me -- but with lots of deserved support from the Flagstaff community -- the new Aquaplex has opened its doors and has quickly established itself as a prime swimming and recreation center. Less apparent has been its emergence as a hub for bicycle activities. Located just south of the new railroad overpass on the corner of Fourth Street and Huntington Drive, many high-value bicycle routes, trails and forest access points are within easy reach of its front entrance.
Consider this. By riding only four miles (one way) to the Campbell Mesa Trailhead -- south on Fourth, east on Soliere, south on County Club Drive, east on Old Walnut Canyon Road -- you can be mountain biking on any of the five loops that now exist on that mesa.
Using the same route, but turning north instead of south once you reach County Club Drive, you can ride the new concrete barrier-protected FUTS over Highway 40 and the railroad tracks to the Highway 89/County Club Drive intersection. Return to the Aquaplex from that location by using the new tunnel under Route 66 and the paved FUTS that runs west toward downtown Flagstaff.
Or, for a larger adventure, use the new tunnel under Highway 89 at Country Club Drive to access the Mount Elden interface trails. Of future value will be the completion of the paved FUTS on the north side of Highway 89 that is currently under construction and will soon allow trail access from the Flagstaff Mall to the city limits near Townsend-Winona Road.
Another interesting route from the Aquaplex will be available when the road construction on West Huntington is finished. Once completed you'll be able to ride to Enterprise, where the paved FUTS/Arizona Trail is located on the west side of that road. By riding south on that pathway (toward Sam's, you'll be able to access the Rio de Flag FUTS near the Waste Water Treatment Plant. And once the road and trail connection is made from Enterprise across Route 66 up to the Ponderosa Parkway, a rider will be able to access the McMillan Mesa trail system to reach the Kelly Crossing bridge over Cedar that leads into Buffalo Park. Currently, you can also access the Enterprise north/south trail by using the paved FUTS that runs west along Route 66 from Fourth Street.
But, you can plot your own ride routes from the Aquaplex by using the old FUTS map -- Flagstaff High Country Trails -- which is still useful if you remember many of its "proposed" routes are now finished. A new, updated map showing the FUTS and bicycle lanes is due to be published next spring. And before I finish this column, I must acknowledge the excellent work done by ADOT and the city on the nearly finished paved urban trail system around the Flagstaff Mall. What once was a nightmare area to ride a bike has been transformed into a useful and very enjoyable bicycle route. On behalf of the Flagstaff bicycle community, I wish to thank all those responsible for a job well done.
By Randy Wilson, Daily Sun Editor
Why ride the roads when you can take the trail?
It meant not having to travel on dangerous Fort Valley Road and was more scenic, too.
Now, the tables are turned: The trail link between Coconino Estates and Cheshire has been severed for several years pending the resolution of an easement dispute, while Fort Valley Road is now served by an excellent bike path separated from the roadway.
Over the years, I’ve branched out from the FUTS system as my mountain biking prowess has progressed from nil to novice. Here are a few of my favorite parallel tracks.
Schultz Creek Trail vs. Schultz Pass Road: This may be everybody’s favorite parallel trail, especially if you’ve ever ridden the washboard roadbed and eaten dust behind several pickups. Motorbikes were banned several years ago, and most of the eroded creek banks and side ruts have filled back in. The trail surface has also been smoothed out by rock-removal crews, and that has meant an even larger volume of weekend riders. But the experience of riding the Schultz Creek Trail for four miles on a cool summer morning, both up and back, is unsurpassed, especially compared to the dusty ride on the nearby rode. Find the trailhead at the intersection of Elden Lookout Road and Schultz Pass Road.
Little Elden Springs Trail vs. Forest Road 556: For those cyclists who have come up the Schultz Creek Trail and want to continue eastward to Doney Park and Highway 89, this is the trail that avoids dusty and sometimes congested FR556 for several miles. It starts at Schultz Tank and descends gently for three miles until intersecting the road near Elden Springs Horse Camp.
Rocky Ridge Trail vs. Elden Lookout Trail: Until this trail was “improved” (read: smoothed out) several years ago, I didn’t even think of trying it on my mountain bike. And besides, Elden Lookout Road is paved for the first two miles and not that crowded with vehicles. But since the improvement, I’ve given it several tries, each time having to dismount more times than I’d like to admit. But because the views from the ridge are so stunning, even walking my bike over the rough spots is hardly a bother. The trail runs for four miles from the intersection of Elden Lookout and Schultz Pass roads before crossing the former and becoming the Upper Oldham Trail, which is a more difficult track that climbs up to the Sunset Trail.
Hart Prairie Road vs. Highway 180: This substitutes one road for another, but if you have time and don’t mind several serious hills, this 11-mile route beats dodging Grand Canyon-bound camper vans any day. For a change of scenery on the way back, cross the highway and come back on Forest Road 171 to the west. You can get to it by taking Forest Road 193 near Crowley Pit.
Old Munds Highway vs. Interstate 17: This is the ultimate no-brainer in parallel tracks for those wanting to bike between Flagstaff and Kachina Village. The old road branches off Highway 89A just south of Fort Tuthill, crosses beneath the interstate via tunnel, then offers a rolling, paved track all the way to Mountainaire and Kachina. A fun family day trip.
By Randy Wilson, Daily Sun Editor
The story in the Daily Sun said the city of Flagstaff was about to purchase a 16.6-acre parcel called “Hoffman Tank” for $1 million to preserve as a wildlife corridor.
The name rang a bell, and sure enough, there on the Emmitt Barks Flagstaff Trails Map was a “Hoffman Tank” right alongside one of my favorite bike routes to Fisher Point.
So on Memorial Day, after standing stiffly for an hour at graveside services at Citizens Cemetery, I was ready for a bike ride to check out the newest city property.
What piqued my interest was that, although I had ridden through this sector on the map many times, I don’t recall ever having seen the tank. Usually such features are heavily trampled and surrounded by elk and cattle tracks. Had I been going to fast to notice? Or was there a different Hoffman Tank?
From the cemetery, I intercepted the FUTS trail along the Rio de Flag starting at Lone Tree Road. This is a scenic, one-mile ride in a limestone canyon that seems in a different world, considering how close it is to homes and businesses just above the rim.
But soon enough, the trail collided with the real world in the form of the bridge at Interstate 40, then the Rio de Flag sewage treatment plant and its holding ponds.
But on this Memorial Day, the wind was brisk and the odor was minimal. I was soon heading south in the Broad, lush Rio de Flag valley south of I-40. The trail to Fisher Point hugs the western bank, flanking a fenced grazing allotment and with great views of the Peaks for cyclists with rear view mirrors.
In about a mile from the treatment plant, the trail arrives at a fork and, on the map, Hoffman Tank. I dismounted and began searching for clues of a watering hole. Sure enough, elk tracks coming down a slope led to a small mound that, on closer inspection, was ringed by a downed barbed-wire fence. Just beyond the fence, the tracks plunged down an embankment and into the dry mud of … Hoffman Tank.
During early spring and monsoon, I am sure the tank is a magnet for thirsty wildlife – assuming they prefer fresh water to the treated effluent of the nearby Rio de Flag. It also provides more cover than the Rio de Flag – the tank is ringed on three sides by trees.
As a cyclist for whom the destination usually takes precedence over the journey. I now know to slow down at the trail fork near Hoffman Tank in hopes of seeing elk and deer. I can also appreciate the wisdom of the city’s purchase – were the Hoffman Tank parcel to be taken out of public hands, it would close off easy access from the west to the lower Rio de Flag to both cyclists and wildlife.
Granted, cyclists could zig-zag down the steep limestone cliffs. As for elk, they would need to find a new tank – and they don’t have a handy map to help them.
