High ROI Improvements for Home SellersIf you’re going to sell your home this summer, taking some time to make improvements may help get you the best possible sale price. Consider making some of these strategic home improvement investments.

The following list includes projects which may increase your home’s appeal and value:

Interior and exterior painting Refreshing the paint on the interior and exterior of your home provides a quick payoff for a rela-tively small investment. Wondering what color to use? Real estate industry

experts suggest pale yellow because homes with this color palette tend to sell faster and for more money.

Add a deck to up your home’s value A deck adds additional space for backyard living and outdoor cooking. Decks are popular features that are on the “must have” list for many homebuyers. According to recent market data, homeowners can expect to recoup 85 percent of their costs for building a deck.

tkcpa.com | May 2018

TKCPA Wine & Food Pairing

This month, we are featuring the 2017 Rosé Grand Klasse Reserve by Gård Vintners’. They craft value-driven, award- winning wines from their sustainable estate vineyards. Get a taste of this barrel select release of 100% Grenache Rosé at the Walla Walla tasting room—this may become your spring and summer staple wine.

WHAT TO EXPECT: White blossoms rose petal, white peach and sweet grapefruit. Swirling adds white tea, honeycomb and a hint of spice. The palate has great volume with clarity and a pithy citrus finish.

PAIR IT WITH: Mid-weight Rosé is perfect with salmon, or a niçoise salad. Think strawberry salad or sashimi with lighter styles of rosé. For fuller expressions (even those with a hint of sweet), go for BBQ fare. Cheers!

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What’s Happening in Walla WallaThe TKCPA staff had a blast bowling for a great cause! TKCPA sponsored a lane, and all of the money raised will be used locally through the Windermere Foundation.

For the past 29 years, the Windermere Foundation has donated a portion of the proceeds from every home purchased or sold towards supporting low-income and homeless families in the community.

We highly recommend adding a little bowling to your life—a lot of laughs and good times! ■

http://walla-walla.windermere.com/foundation.

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Kick your kitchen up a notch One of the highest ROI home improvements is a kitchen remodel. Experts recommend doing high-quality upgrades including name brand fixtures, stainless steel appliances and high-end counters. However, they also caution that you should keep the cost of your upgrades on par with the overall price point of your home. Therefore, if you have a small house in a low-cost neighborhood, don’t go all out with a fancy kitchen makeover. You would be better off updating worn countertops and anything that is broken or extremely dated (like a linoleum floor or outdated 1980s-era cabinets).

Go bigger in the bathroom Similar to kitchen updates, bathroom upgrades like new countertops and fixtures can provide solid returns—up to 78 percent of the original cost according to some realtors. This is a space where you want to avoid upgrades that are too fancy or unique because your taste may not be the same as your buyers. Keep any bathroom changes simple and classic.

Liven up your landscaping The first impression of your home starts the moment a prospective buyer pulls up. Neat, tasteful land-scaping can help to impress home-buying pros-pects and increase the price they are willing to pay. Planting perennials, removing dead vegetation, trimming hedges and even paying for a professional landscaper to tidy things up will be worth your while when it comes to negotiating a home sale.

Investing in these and other high-ROI home improvements now can help you attract more potential buyers and maximize your selling price. Grab a paintbrush and pruning shears or plan a remodeling project to start increasing the market value of your home! ■

Source: RealSimple.com

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Meet Matt Quistberg Enrolled Agent

Matt Quistburg is an Enrolled Agent at TKCPA. He graduated from Walla Walla Community College and earned his degree in AAAS and AA in accounting. We sat down with Matt to get to know him a little better and asked him hard hitting ques-tions like, “What are three traits that define you?” Here’s what he had to say.

What have you learned about yourself while working at TKCPA? The ability to adapt and remain flexible to perform a variety of tasks. I find this keeps the “daily grind” fresh and rewarding with the added benefits of reduced stress and increased confidence.

What is the best place you traveled to and why? Lincoln City, OR. I like the mix of the ocean, beach and mountains, plus the friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

If you could do another job just for one day, what would it be and why? I would umpire a professional baseball game. I love the game and currently umpire youth baseball.

What is one thing you couldn’t live without? Oxygen!... and ice cream!

What are three traits that define you? Honesty, integrity and hard work.

What would people be surprised to know about you? I am a father of seven foster kids and their 10 (grand) kids.

What is the best book you have ever read? “Pathways to Perfect Living” by Vernon Howard

What are the top three highlights of your life? 1. Graduating from college 2. Starting my career at TKCPA 3. Reconnecting with my high school sweetheart

Spring Strawberry Spinach Salad• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds • 1/2 cup white sugar • 1/2 cup olive oil • 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar • 1/4 teaspoon paprika • 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 tablespoon minced onion • 10 ounces fresh spinach – rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces

• 1 quart strawberries – cleaned, hulled and sliced • 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy of allrecipes

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Employee Spotlight

TKCPA Wine & Food Pairing continued from page 1

Are you expecting a tax refund? If so, don’t treat your tax refund as ‘bonus’ cash. Rather look at it as simply a return of taxes paid beyond your actual obligation. This will help you think about using this money purposefully. Here are some ideas to try: Start or increase your emergency fund By stashing away your refund into a rainy day fund, you’ll build both a financial safety net and peace of mind. Eliminate or pay down high-interest debt Once you have estab-lished an emergency fund, paying off any high-interest debt such as credit card balances, payday loans and debt consolidation loans is one of the best things you can do to improve your financial situation. Consider refinancing your mortgage With relatively low mortgage rates available, you may want to consider refinancing your mortgage to lower your monthly payment and save money. Your refund can provide the funds to pay closing costs and other refinance fees.

Contribute to tax- sheltered accounts Using your tax refund to top-up (or start) a Roth IRA or 529 college savings plan offers you a double bonus. Not only will you be compounding dollars and interest for your future retirement or college tuition needs, but you’ll be creating a tax deduc-tion as well. Improve the lives of others If you have your own financial bases covered, then making a charitable donation is another

good use of your return. The less fortunate will benefit from your gen-erosity while offering you a tax deduction. Reinvest in yourself or your business Is there something you would like to improve in your business? Or would you like to take a class? If you have funds

leftover after taking care of savings and debts, these are a few more smart choices to invest in. While it is tempting to use your tax return as a windfall, it is important to remember that you earned it. Also, if you are receiving a sizable refund, consider adjusting your tax withholding amount, so you have more of your income to use to cover expenses throughout the year. ■

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Receiving a Tax Refund? Spend It Wisely With These Tips!