KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Harris Interactive^©, one of the world's leading market research firms, has completed a comprehensive study on homeowner preferences for roofing and exterior home features. Sponsored by DaVinci Roofscapes^®, the color leader in the polymer roofing industry, the nationwide study of homeowners age 40 and older with household incomes of $150,000 or more and who own a single-family home valued at $400,000 or more, finds that homeowners* are eager to select durable exterior products for the home that complement their personalities and that color is important to them when deciding to replace those exterior features.

Conducted between November 22 and December 13, 2011, the Harris Interactive survey was commissioned by DaVinci to establish a benchmark for monitoring homeowners' color attitudes and product opinions related to the exterior of the home. The extensive survey questions dealt with gaining insights into the overall exterior of the home along with specific information on the roof, windows, siding, doors, trim and garage doors.

Some of the key findings of the survey include :

v  A vast majority of homeowners (88 percent) across all regions of the country see the exterior of their homes as one entity and not a sum of its separate components.

v  Color preference for exterior features on the home is driven mostly by homeowners' individual sense of style (45 percent) and their desire to blend in with their surroundings (42 percent).

v  One-third of surveyed homeowners (32 percent) indicate that they are restricted on the color palettes they are allowed to use on exterior features of their homes, usually by a homeowner association or by historical area requirements.

v  Curb appeal is considered extremely/very important to higher end homeowners, particularly those in the Northeast where one-third mentioned curb appeal as being "extremely important" to them.

Colorful Roofs

"We were especially interested to learn what role color plays in the homeowner's mind

when planning for major home improvement projects," says Ray Rosewall, CEO and President of DaVinci Roofscapes. "What we discovered is that color does play an important role when deciding to replace exterior features. In addition, color availability from manufacturers for different exterior features plays a role in what brand a homeowner will purchase.

"At DaVinci, we offer 49 standard colors of polymer slate and shake roofing tiles that can be used to create a virtually infinite variety of color blends for a roof. Hearing these study results confirm that we're on the right track with our color offerings and that homeowners are gravitating to companies that offer a variety of colors for the home exterior."

Survey results indicate that shades of black, gray and brown are currently the most popular colors of roofing products on homes. "These results match up with our ongoing sales records," says Rosewall. "When we talk about color in roofs, we're not talking about orange, pink or purple. We're speaking about dozens of different gradations and shades of brown that we offer, from light clay to dark autumn, or a multitude of gray shades from light gray to dark weathered gray."

Roofing Desires

When considering a new roof purchase, homeowners are far more interested in purchasing a roof that lasts than cutting corners by purchasing a low-cost product. Durability was identified as the number one factor when determining which new roof to purchase, followed closely by longevity. Key factors that received the most mentions as having "a lot" of influence in the decision on what type of roof to purchase include :

·       Durability (88 percent)

·       Longevity (83 percent)

·       Low/no maintenance (72 percent)

·       Resistance to weather (71 percent)

·       Has a warranty (69 percent)

·       Fire resistancy (57 percent)

·       Material the roof is made of (55 percent)

·       Price (50 percent)

"Fortunately the family of DaVinci polymer roofing products satisfies the needs ranked

highest by homeowners in this study," says Rosewall. "Durable and resistant to weather, insects, rot and mold, our recyclable tiles have a 50-year warranty and we offer the most affordable polymer tile on the market today."

One of the other interesting elements of the survey results include influencers that will encourage homeowners to purchase a new roof on an existing home. Not surprisingly, 65 percent of respondents indicated that they would replace their roof if it became damaged from severe weather. After that, significantly lower numbers of people said they would replace their roof soon because it is old and worn out (23 percent), the roof is near the end of its warranty (13 percent), they want a roof that's more energy efficient (12 percent) and their current roof looks bad, is stained or discolored (11 percent).

Study Methodology

This 15-minute survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of DaVinci Roofscapes among 1,005 U.S. homeowners age 40+ with household incomes of $150,000 or more and who own a single0family home of at least $400,000 in value in the South and Midwest, at least $500,000 in the Northeast and West (excluding California) and at least $700,000 in California between November 22 and December 13, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through its North American and European offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help its company --- and its clients --- stay ahead of what's next. For more information, visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

About DaVinci Roofscapes

DaVinci Roofscapes has manufactured award-winning polymer slate and shake roofing since 1999. The roofing tiles are virtually maintenance free and far more cost effective than the natural product. DaVinci leads the industry in tile thickness, the tile width variety and the greatest selection of subtle earth-toned colors. Company products have a 50-year warranty and are 100 percent recyclable. DaVinci proudly makes its products in America and is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. For additional information call 1-800-328-4624 or visit www.davinciroofscapes.com.

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If you're just beginning to think about your 2011 income tax return, you've got a late start - but it's still not too late to cash in on some savings.

"A lot of the deductions associated with the economic stimulus package will disappear in 2012, so if you want to take advantage of them, you've got only until Dec. 31," says Jessica James, CPA and author of Justice for None (www.AuthorJessicaJames.com), an insider look at IRS tactics in a tax fraud investigation and trial.

But, she says, there's still plenty of time for some other measures to ease your share of the tax burden. Now is also a good time to resolve to start earlier in 2012 to minimize that year's tax bill. Here are some tips for both 2011 and 2012 savings:

• Contribute to retirement accounts. If you haven't already put money into your traditional or ROTH IRA account for 2011, you've got until April 17 to do it. If you have a Keogh or SEP (Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Arrangement for businesses), and you get a filing extension to Oct. 15, you've got until then to make your 2011 deposits. The maximum IRA contribution for 2011 is $5,000, or $6,000 if you're 50 or older by the end of the year. For self-employed people, the maximum for SEPs and Keoghs for 2011 is $49,000.

• Don't fear the home office deduction. In the past, many tax filers didn't claim a home office deduction because it was seen as an IRS red flag. But the requirements and forms have been clarified so people can do that properly - and not make mistakes that can lead to an audit. Also, the rules have been expanded so more people can claim the deduction. If you use a home office exclusively for business, even if you don't meet your clients there, you're eligible. For instance, a handyman who does his work other people's houses can claim the deduction if he does his paperwork at his home office. Another change is that, in the past, if you claimed 10 percent of your home as an office, that amount would not be included in the $250,000 tax-free profit from the home's sale that's allowed for an individual by the IRS. Be sure to make your claim reasonable, or it will get questioned; a $25,000 home office deduction for a business with $50,000 annual gross revenue is not reasonable.

• Maximize your Flexible Spending Account. The Health Care Act will limit the maximum you can put into these pre-tax medical expense accounts in 2013. So 2012 is the last year to use an FSA to pay for orthodontics and other large medical expenses using pre-tax earnings. A medical expense flexible spending account, or FSA, allows you to use before-tax earnings to pay for medical or health care expenses not covered by your health insurance. Assuming a 25 percent tax rate, you avoid $25 in taxes for every $100 you spend from your FSA.

• Need to sell an investment? Next year may be the time. The Tax Relief Act maintains the tax rate cap on capital gains and dividends at 15 percent through 2012. In 2013, the cap for capital gains will increase to 20 percent and for dividends, 39.6 percent. The Health Care Act also created a 3.8 percent Medicare tax on investment income, effective in 2013. Given those scheduled increases, plan to take advantage of the rates next year.

James is an author pseudonym used because she fears her novel may provoke IRS retaliation. It's a fictionalized account of her experience as a minor player swept up in an IRS probe that included anyone associated with the primary target, a corporation. She says that, though she was innocent of any wrongdoing, she was coerced into accepting a plea deal by the IRS, which was bent on amassing adjudications of guilt to justify the investigation's expense. She pled guilty to a count of falsifying a tax return and continues to work as a CPA.

About Jessica James

Jessica James is a CPA and the author of a novel, Justice for None, about her experiences as a minor target in a major federal tax fraud case.  After her ordeal, she decided to write about it as a warning to others who think they can take on the government and win.

"Americans are looking for leadership.  The 13 million people who are unemployed need to know that leaders in Washington can come together to get people back to work and move the country in the right direction.

"Washington needs to focus on fostering opportunities with an environment where the economy can improve and jobs can be created.  Tax certainty and low taxes are a major factor, and one of the biggest tax increases in history will happen at the end of this year if Congress and the President don't stop it.  America's fiscal problems don't come from a revenue shortage, but from too much spending, and government spending needs to be reduced.  A massive federal debt gets in the way of economic growth.  So does the heavy hand of government regulation, and it must be lifted.  America also needs new export markets for our products and services, and the economy is helped by affordable energy, so domestic production has got to be a priority.  The President's decision last week, to deny the Keystone pipeline project, prevents energy-related infrastructure development that creates jobs, in this case as many as 20,000 jobs.  The decision also stymies an energy partnership with a friendly neighbor, and whether or not the United States approves the Keystone project, the oil will be produced, and if it doesn't come here, China likely will get it.  The result of this decision is just the opposite of what our national priority ought to be and that's opportunity.

"Since 2009, President Obama's theory of economic stimulus and government intervention has failed in terms of job creation, economic growth and fiscal responsibility, so we need a new direction.  At the same time, President Obama seems determined to test and even exceed the powers of his office.  America has a system of checks and balances that's generally worked for more than two centuries.  The President's interest in putting the executive branch above the other branches of government is unconstitutional and counter-productive.  It's something Americans rejected 235 years ago.  Today, finding common ground with the elected representatives of Congress would be more productive than trying to govern by edict from the Oval Office."

Braley Response to State of the Union Address 

Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement after attending President Obama's State of the Union address tonight:

"I'm glad the President so strongly emphasized strengthening the middle class tonight.  I was especially encouraged by his focus on economic fairness, creating jobs, and investing in education.

"The American middle class is being squeezed more than ever, yet Wall Street bankers and big corporations are making record profits.  It seems like there are two sets of rules - one for the elite, and one for everyone else.  America has always been about opportunity.  We need to level the playing field and keep the promise that if you work hard, you can get ahead.  An easy first step in strengthening the middle class is to pass a yearlong extension of the payroll tax cut.

"Our schools, colleges, and universities are avenues of opportunity.  We need to strengthen education if we are going to succeed in the global economy.  China and India are churning out well-educated and skilled workers.  We need to meet their challenge."

Governor Quinn Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address

CHICAGO - January 24, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today released a statement regarding President Barack Obama's fourth State of the Union Address.

"We in Illinois applaud President Obama for the vision he laid out in tonight's State of the Union. The President put forth a blueprint for a growing economy that gives all Americans equal access to the success through hard work that has always made this nation great. We agree with the President that we can't wait - we need to keep pushing to restore our economy and the American middle class.

"In Illinois, we are focused on the same issues that the President laid out tonight: creating manufacturing jobs and training our workforce for the 21^st century; making education more accessible; modernizing our roads and bridges; and prioritizing housing for our families.

"And as the President said, an America built to last calls for responsibility from each of us and fairness for all. We commend the President on his vision, and look forward to working together as a nation to restore our economy and create opportunities for all Americans."

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Lt. Governor Simon Statement on State of the Union

CARBONDALE - January 24, 2011. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon pledged to work with President Obama and Illinois schools to send more students into the workforce with college credentials that qualify them for in-demand jobs.

"President Obama's blueprint for our economy is built on a strong, skilled American workforce," Simon said. "A growing number of jobs require employees to hold more than a high school education, but not necessarily a bachelor's degree. Illinois community colleges are poised to help more students earn career certificates and associate degrees that translate to good-paying jobs. I will work with the colleges, state leaders, and President Obama to ensure that we offer clear paths to employment. If our students work hard in school, we want them to find a job here in Illinois that will enable them to raise a family, own a home, and save for retirement. Our focus on college completion will help create an America that's built to last."

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Tea Party Response to State of the Union

Tonight Obama did what he has done for the past 3 years: showcased the class warfare rhetoric WE HAVE REJECTED while showing no interest in providing some semblance of leadership.

In case you missed it...

Into this stew dives Iowa Democrat Rep. Bruce Braley, who unveiled his Plain Regulations Act on Wednesday, saying, "Gobbledygook dominates the regulations issued by government agencies, making it almost impossible for small businesses to understand the rules of the road." Forcing the government to write in plain English is a great idea. So good, in fact, that it's enough to make you wonder why it hasn't happened already.

Government by Gobbledygook

Federal regulations are wordy, jargon-filled and incomprehensible. Will a new bill remedy that?

Slate.com

1/20/12

When businesspeople complain about regulations, you should generally be skeptical. The regulations, after all, are there precisely because some businesses can make more money by despoiling the environment, endangering public health and safety, and threatening the financial system. A regulation that's not annoying someone by wrecking his money-making scheme would be completely pointless.

But there is one category of complaints about regulations that should earn your sympathy: the complaints that too many government regulations are unreadable. Incomprehensible rules undermine, rather than enhance, the goal of preventing misconduct. They create unique burdens on smaller organizations or new entrants into a line of work. Hard-to-understand rules are a lawyer's best friend, and the need for companies to lawyer up is a huge advantage to large or established entities.

Consider, for example, the relevant federal rules about renovating an old building suspected of containing lead paint. I hesitate to even quote examples of confusing regulatory language lest my column itself become unreadable, but surely the U.S. government can do better than: "On or after July 6, 2010, all renovations must be performed in accordance with the work practice standards in §745.85 and the associated recordkeeping requirements in §745.86(b)(1) and (b)(6) in target housing or child-occupied facilities, unless the renovation qualifies for the exception identified in §745.82(a)." You'll be glad to know, however, that §745.82(a) does, among other things, offer an exemption for "emergency renovations" (which has a word salad definition of its own)?with the sub-exception that "emergency renovations are not exempt from the cleaning requirements of §745.85(a)(5), which must be performed by certified renovators or individuals trained in accordance with §745.90(b)(2), the cleaning verification requirements of §745.85(b), which must be performed by certified renovators, and the recordkeeping requirements of §745.86(b)(6) and (b)(7)." Got it? Me neither.

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Into this stew dives Iowa Democrat Rep. Bruce Braley, who unveiled his Plain Regulations Act on Wednesday, saying, "Gobbledygook dominates the regulations issued by government agencies, making it almost impossible for small businesses to understand the rules of the road." Forcing the government to write in plain English is a great idea. So good, in fact, that it's enough to make you wonder why it hasn't happened already.

The answer turns out to be that it has. Many times.

Braley himself authored the Plain Writing Act of 2010, which passed in the fall of that year and was signed into law by President Obama. The act requires the federal government to present newly written forms and other documents in a "clear, concise, well-organized" manner. This, too, was a good idea, and has produced some genuine progress: Check out the before and after versions of this Medicare fraud letter. At the same time, clarity is perhaps in the eye of the beholder. I'm not sure I would consider this new NOAA draft statement of priorities to be model English, despite having been written in the post-Plain Writing Act era.

Braley's new bill proposes extending the plain-English requirement to new regulations. Legal demands for clearer writing date back at least to the 1970s, when Jimmy Carter issued executive orders requiring regulations to be "cost-effective and easy-to-understand by those who were required to comply with them." The Reagan administration decided to rescind those orders, but they made a comeback in the Clinton years. Executive Order 12866 demands that regulations be "simple and easy to understand, with the goal of minimizing uncertainty and litigation," and Executive Order 12988 contains eight separate references to "clear language." Vice President Al Gore presented regular No Gobbledygook Awards as part of his reinventing-government initiative.

And yet after all these executive borders, we still need Rep. Braley and his bills.

Perhaps the beginning of wisdom here would be to admit that writing well is hard. It's even harder when a regulation serves both as an instruction for citizens and businesses and as a potential object of litigation. Making text easy to understand and minimizing the possibility of lawsuits are two different jobs. "Legalese" is a term of disparagement, but lawyers write that way for a reason. And it's not as if government is the only place where bad writing afflicts us. We've all been baffled by instruction manuals, annoyed by consultant jargon, and confused by health insurance forms. Some of us are full-time professional writers and still wrestle with the question of how to explain complicated subjects in a way that's accessible, informative, and accurate. If getting the job done were as simple as editors handing out a memo ordering everyone to write better, the media would be a very different place.

What's really needed is more resources and more support. The PlainLanguage.gov website maintained by an informal group of federal employees who call themselves the Plain Language Action and Information Network, is a useful tool, but it's a bit threadbare. The government could use an active and feisty core of dedicated writers, editors, and graphic designers to punch up key documents. The EPA lead rule, for example, probably needs to stay wordy and unreadable for legal purposes but could be easily punched up by a flowchart that would help you figure out which category you belong in.

The Internet should be a godsend for clarity, enabling agencies to bury wordy definitions beneath links or helping you find the relevant rule by asking questions the way TurboTax does. But to do that stuff, someone would have to roll up her sleeves and do the work. That would require some money and some new personnel, which are in short supply. Also, that hard and boring work lacks the populist common sense appeal of simply mandating clearer writing and making fun of gobbledygook.