Like Our Assoication, we will be closed Thursday and Friday, and we added Monday, as well for our offices at Tommy Tucker Realty Co.

We received the following e-mail today from our local association ...

The Cedar Rapids Area Association of REALTORS® office will be closing today at
3:00 p.m.

The office will also be closed Thursday, December 23rd and
Friday, December 24th .

We want to wish everyone a safe and happy
holday!

The
Cedar Rapids Area Association of REALTORS®

*** *** ***

Good News for Downtown Cedar Rapids reported on Wednesday.

Rockwell bringing hundreds of new jobs downtown - The Gazette
UPDATE: Rockwell Collins will move 400 employees into downtown office space being restored from the June 2008 flood, giving ... More

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Our office hours for the Christmas Holiday have been updated

On behalf of all us at Tommy Tucker Realty Co., we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas this Holiday Season.

Our offices will be closed for the Christmas Holiday from Thursday, December 23Rd through Monday, December 27Th. Our offices will re-open on Tuesday, December 28Th at 8:30 a.m. We have closed our offices for normal business, so our staff can enjoy the Christmas holiday with friends and family.

We would enjoy hearing from you, so if you need to contact us, please call us at 319.365.6956 and leave a message during the Holiday. If immediate service is required, we will have someone get back to you as timely as possible.

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It has felt like Winter most of December thus far, but today We welcome The First Official Day of Winter

The Season has officially arrived December 21st.

Typically, the first day of Winter is the 21st of December each year, but in 2011 it will be on the 22Nd. So, today, we welcome Winter officially to our community, though with the cold weather and snow this month already, many people already noticed the season had arrived.

Throughout the Winter months, feel free to contact Tommy Tucker Realty Co. for your real estate needs. Our company began serving the greater Cedar Rapids area in 1958 in a variety of aspects of real estate and property management. Do you have a need or want in one of the following:

• Property Management


• Leasing


• Sales


• Purchasing


• Like-kind exchange


• Government rental opportunities - Tommy Tucker Realty Co. is a registered government contractor and is assisting various property owners, as there agent, with government leases


• Tommy Tucker Realty Co. is licensed to practice in real estate in the State of Iowa


• Tommy Tucker Realty Co. is a registered landlord/operator in the City of Cedar Rapids


• Chapter 29 questions - did you registered your property in Cedar Rapids?


• Chapter 22 questions


• Chapter 69 questions - Equal Opportunity and Fair Housing


• Business brokerage


• Multi-family


• Subsidized and non-subsidized housing

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Our office will have Christmas Holiday hours during December 24Th to December 27Th and will be closed for staff and our agents to enjoy time with friends and family. If service is needed, please contact us and we will work to contact you by phone.

Our normal business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F or by appointment.

Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings to everyone this Holiday Week

The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids will celebrate our Club Holiday Party today during our regular meeting.

This year's program will feature the Washington High School Madrigal Singers. We caught them at the Cocoa and Carols concert that Washington High put on earlier this month, so it should be an entertaining Rotary Club celebration this year. The Madrigal Singers also performed at this year's Fire & Ice Festival in Cedar Rapids earlier this month.

Here's a taste of The Madrigal Singers performing at Rotary West's program earlier this year.

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The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids welcomes Christopher Blake as its program for Monday, December 6Th

Rotary Monday

The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids is the 33Rd largest Rotary Club in the world. Robin and Tommy Tucker are both members of Rotary International. Robin's grandfather, Tommy's father, was also a member of Rotary. Robin's daughter enjoyed her Rotary experience in high school, as a member of Interact, which is Rotary experienced at the high school level.

Robin is looking forward to attending Monday's meeting where:

Rotary Program:

Christopher Blake, President of the newly named Mount Mercy University

The Four-year Catholic liberal arts university in Cedar Rapids officially became an university in 2010, after it's rich history as Mt. Mercy College.

Robin attended a Jesuit Catholic university out of state, after growing up in the Cedar Rapids community, graduating from George Washington High School. After college, he worked in public accounting. He returned to Cedar Rapids at the end of 1987 and began his career at Tommy Tucker Realty Co. in 1988. Robin has a variety of work experience and enjoys his service to the community as a Realtor and as a Rotarian.

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Cedar Rapids welcomes our first official Snow on Saturday, December 4Th

Allow more time to travel. Time to adjust to winter driving conditions in town and across the State of Iowa.

Winter may not officially be here, but typically December - January - February are the winter months in Iowa.

We are currently marketing a two bedroom house for rent on the NE side of Cedar Rapids. The house rents for $575.00. It includes hook ups, an unfinished basement and a one stall garage. An ad is found in the current issue of The Gazette.

We are seeking new listings for 3 or 4 bedroom properties. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers are seeking rental opportunities for Government Leases in the Cedar Rapids/Marion area. Tommy Tucker Realty Co. is an authorized government contractor. We are currently representing Cedar Rapids and Marion property owners as there management agent for government leases for executive rentals. We provide management services for a variety of property owners in the area.

Talk to Robin Tucker for more information on how your home could provide housing for the government or for other people seeking housing here in the Linn County area. We can also assist in marketing your property for sale. We are members of the Cedar Rapids Area, Iowa and National Association of Realtors®. Visit our local MLS.

Thank you for visiting us online and Merry Christmas this holiday season ...

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Government Affairs: Local, State, Federal issues

On Friday, December 3Rd, the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce hosted a Government Affairs meeting, sponsored by Rockwell Collins. Robin Tucker, Realtor® with Tommy Tucker Realty Co. was among the attendees.

Several local state legislators were in attendance, as a room full of Chamber members, city and county elected officials had a conversation on the upcoming 2011 Legislative Session in Iowa, as well as local priorities and/or concerns.

• A review of the 2010 election, where a new governor (GOP) was elected, 60 GOP (22 new GOP members) to 40 DEM in the House and 26 DEM/24 GOP in the Senate


• One question asked, how should one best contact you as a member of the Legislature? Which led to an interesting conversation on the importance of building "relationships" whether discussing politics or in any aspect of life or business


• Flood mitigation (walls/levies) and upstream retention was discussed


• Concerns over Iowa's current property tax system, especially the impact on commercial/industrial taxes


• Home rule and the City of Cedar Rapids' need for more revenue steams


• Future of Vision Iowa


• Parking garage for new Federal court house - funding sources for the City?


• How will Cedar Rapids fund flood mitigation (walls/levies) - proposed bill and using Sales Tax revenue, similar to the City of Newton in it's recovery, after Maytag moved out


• Raising the hotel/motel tax from 7% to 9% - goal of local visitor's bureau


• The local visitor's bureau commented that 70% of the visitors to our area are from out of state - study concluded


• Frustration of State Government - 99 counties, lack of accountability and/or innovation, number of school districts and reason for the outcome of the 2010 elections ...

It was an interesting 90 minutes or less. Five members of the Linn County delegation in Des Moines were present. House members: Nick Wagner, Tyler Olson, Renee Schulte and Kraig Paulsen. Senate member: Rob Hogg was present

Sen. Hogg indicated he had one priority in 2011 for upcoming session: flood mitigation and upstream retention. All five members in attendance were re-elected in 2010. It is likely Rep. Paulsen will be the next Speaker of the House in the Iowa Legislature. The house was previously 56 DEM/46 GOP prior to the 2010 elections.

After the Realtor Government Affairs breakfast on Wednesday with the same five legislators, it was interesting to view the discussion at the Chamber event.

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Robin Tucker is attending our Realtor Legislative Breakfast as we welecome the first day of December 2010

We want to welcome the month of December to all. Busy morning, with the Realtor Legislative Breakfast for our local association. We are meeting with local legislators, ahead of the next session of the Iowa Legislature in January 2011. Then, off to a walk through with our new residents of a five bedroom executive home in NE Cedar Rapids.

If we can be of assistance to you this Holiday season, please let us know. ~ Robin Tucker

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