September, 2010 - At least once a month, I get an e-mail predicting the ruination of civilization due to some event, law, Obama proposal or the like.

I got one that has been circulating for most of the summer. Here's how it starts, with all the grammar intact:

"Under the new health care bill -- did you know that all real estate transactions are now subject to a 3.8 percent Sales Tax? The bulk of these new taxes don't kick in until 2013 (presumably after Obamas re-election). You can thank Nancy, Harry and Barack and your local Democrat Congressman for this one. If you sell your $400,000 home, there will be a $15,200 tax. This bill is set to screw the retiring generation who often downsize their homes."

The e-mail then blames the health care reform bill for slipping in this new line item about home sales tax as a way of paying for health care. It "proves" its point by including an image of a Spokane, Wash., newspaper column, which includes a list of provisions in the bill. The article was written by a wonk from a conservative think tank. It was debunked the next day, but came back to life as a viral e-mail.

In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors, which received so many questions about this that they set up a separate Web link, the new law does not impact average home sellers, just a handful of those in the very top income bracket.

The non-partisan website FactCheck.org also has been flooded with questions. Here's what they say about the widely circulated e-mail:

"The truth is that only a tiny percentage of home sellers will pay the tax. First of all, only those with incomes over $200,000 a year ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly) will be subject to it. And even for those who have such high incomes, the tax still won't apply to the first $250,000 on profits from the sale of a personal [primary] residence -- or to the first $500,000 in the case of a married couple selling their home."

FactCheck also points out that the average home price in the U.S. is $170,700, way too low to be subject to the tax. The site gives a couple of examples of the kinds of home sellers that might end up paying some extra tax under the new bill, such as:

A single man who makes $210,000 a year and sells his ski condo for a $50,000 profit. (Good luck with selling your vacation home at a profit this year, but in the future things may change.) He'll pay $1,900 in additional tax due to the new law.

That's a lot different than what the e-mail says, but it doesn't make the health care bill proponents sound nearly as evil.

It's human nature to look for facts that support our opinions and to want to sway others to agree, but those who believe and forward bogus e-mails are letting themselves be used to spread false information.

Here's a tip: Any e-mail that has been forwarded many times, has many recipients and has a political or fear-mongering nature that immediately quickens your adrenaline might -- might -- be false or exaggerated.

Several websites offer free fact-checking: Snopes.com, FactCheck.org, as well as professional associations for related topics, such as NAR.

It's not as much fun to check the information and hit "delete" as it is to forward a smoking hot, angry e-mail. But it would be an adult-like thing to do.