Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Local Homebuilders' Parade of Homes is coming up this week

Spring Parade of Homes - 19 New Homes will be on the local Home Builders parade this Spring.

  • April 30 - Noon to 5:00 pm

  • May 1 - Noon to 5:00 pm

  • May 3 - 5:00 to 8:00 pm

Tickets: $9 at all Casey's General Stores


$10 at the homes

For more information & pictures: http://crhba.org/springparade.cfm

Monday, April 25, 2011

April 26, 2011: Easter Monday

It is back to the office, after enjoying the past Easter weekend with family and friends.

We learned today that 226 31St Street NE will be coming on the market July 1St for rental. The current tenants will be moving out at the end of June.


Do you have a property underutilized that would be good for a person or family to rent in the greater Cedar Rapids area? We may be able to help match you with customers in the area.


The property at 830 14Th Street NE is pending. We expect new tenants to move in at the end of the week. The two bedroom house at 1625 12Th Avenue SE will be available June 1St. The tenants have given notice to vacate.


At my Rotary luncheon at Noon, Mayor Ron Corbett spoke on the May 3Rd L.O.S.T.T. [PDF], an extension of the local option sales tax for infrastructure purposes. Four tenths of each cent will go for existing roads in the City of Cedar Rapids. The breakdown is as follows:



  • Property tax relief (10 percent),

  • Flood protection systems for the east and west side of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids (50 percent) and

  • Existing road infrastructure (40 percent)

The Cedar Rapids Area Association of Realtors have endorsed the tax for Cedar Rapids. For more information on the local sales tax in Linn County, you can visit the County Auditor's site. For more information on the "yes" side of the vote, you can visit the following web site.

Talked to a prospect for a house for sale on the west side. We do anticipate some Executive Houses coming this Summer for Rent.


ttrco

Friday, April 22, 2011

We wish you a Good Friday, Happy Earth Day; Safe and Enjoyable Easter Weekend

Our offices are closed on Good Friday to allow our office staff, along with our related neighbors time to enjoy the Easter weekend with friends and family.

We want to wish everyone a Good Friday. Friday, April 22Nd is also Earth Day.

Our offices will reopen, with normal business hours on Monday, April 25Th. Please contact us by e-mail or you can call our office at 319.365.6956, leave a message and it will be forwarded to someone, so we can follow-up with you.


ttrco

Monday, April 18, 2011

Happy Tax Day to all: April 18, 2011

It's Federal Tax Day today, Monday, April 18, 2011, since Washington D.C. had a Holiday on the 15Th this year. It's also a beginning of a Full Moon.

This morning, the radio was at 3Rd Street East and the underpass of I-380 for the beginning of demolition for the new Events Center in Cedar Rapids.

City Hall to Start Demolition at Convention Complex Site on April 18 - KCRGTV9

We attended our monthly local Realtor Government Affairs meeting this morning. Good lively conversation on a variety of issues.



  • Congress and President's Obama repeal of the 1099 Landlord Reporting Law


  • Update on various RPAC events and fundraising


  • The Chair asked a short report on the Charter Review Commission, which I and 12 other citizens were appointed to. Work will be from May 5, 2011 to August 15, 2011


  • We discussed the upcoming May 3Rd LOSST votes for Linn County, including the cities of Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins and Fairfax


  • Chapter 29 lawsuit update that will be held April 22Nd at 11 a.m. in Linn County Court - local landlords are suing the City of Cedar Rapids over Chapter 29


  • Discussed the Melrose Avenue matter in the City of Iowa City


  • Discussed the Mortgage Interest Deduction and the proposed $40 dues increase from the National Association of Realtors for all members


  • Discussed the local sign ordinances for Cedar Rapids and Marion

At Noon, attended the Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids program from Jim Schnoebelen and Dave Elgin on Transportation, with an update on the Highway 100 extension for the City of Cedar Rapids.


Other notes for the week of April 18, 2011



  • 4/18, Passover


  • 4/18, Revolutionary War began on this date in 1775


  • 4/22, Good Friday, our offices will be formally closed for our work families to enjoy the Easter holiday with family and friends


  • 4/24, Easter

Have a great week! If you are traveling, be careful, take it easy and play it safe!


ttrco

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Realtor Robin Tucker appointed to City's Charter Review Commision


The City of Cedar Rapids at the recent regular City Council meeting on April 12, 2011, during the the consent agenda [PDF], appointed 13 members to serve on the Cedar Rapids Charter Review Commission. Section 7.02 of the Home Rule Charter [PDF] calls for a Charter Review Commission in the year 2011 and every ten years thereafter.

The Resolution appointed Paul Pate (co-chair), Kay Halloran (co-chair), Nancy Bruner, LaNisha Cassell, Monica Challenger, James Craig, Patricia (Tricia) Miller, Mary Nelson, Fatima Smejkal, Scott Overland, Robin Tucker, Nancy Welsh and Carleton Whiting (terms effective through 08/15/11) to the Charter Review Commission. Many of the Commissioners were taken from applications.

Background: The City’s Home Rule Charter Section 7.02 requires that a Charter Review Commission be established in 2011. The commission shall review the existing charter and may recommend any charter amendments that it deems appropriate to the council. Mayor Corbett along with all Council members each chose one individual and four at-large individuals to serve on the Charter Review Commission. The group’s final report should be submitted by 08/15/11. Recommendations by the charter can either be approved by the Council or submitted for voter approval. Ballots are printed in September for the November election and therefore recommendations from the Charter Review Commission must be submitted by August.
In 2004-05, the local Home Rule Charter Commission was formed, as 15 member commission to recommend to the voters an alternative form of goverment to the the current Commission form of government, at the time. In May 2005, the Home Rule Charter was constructed and presented to Mayor Paul Pate and the City Council. In June of 2005, by a vote of 69% support, the City of Cedar Rapids voted to move to Home Rule. The City had been under the old Commission form of government from 1908 to 2005. Cedar Rapids was one of the last cities above 100,000 still using the Commission form.

Today, the City of Cedar Rapids operates under the Home Rule Charter form of government as prescribed by Chapter 372 of the Code of Iowa. As section 4.01 as the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Code of Ordinances points out: The Home Rule Charter ("the charter") is set forth in this code as an unnumbered chapter. The Home Rule Charter [PDF] draws from the popular Iowa form of government: the Council-Manger form, along with some of the traditions of local government in Cedar Rapids, such as "citizen participation" in boards and commissions, which was a popular part of our commission form of government.

Robin Tucker served together on the Home Rule Charter Commission in 2004-05, along with Nancy Bruner. Ms. Bruner served as one of the co-chairs, while Mr. Tucker served as drafting chair on that previous commission. I look forward to the opportunity to serve with Nancy again, along with the other members who have been appointed the Commission.

The two co-chairs of the recently appointed Charter Review Commission are the most recent outgoing mayors for the City of Cedar Rapids. Mr. Pate was the last Mayor under the previous form of government, while Ms. Hollarn was the first Mayor elected under our Home Rule form of government. The other nine members of the Commission appear to represent a cross section of our community. Commission work is schedule to begin on May 5, 2011 and the Mayor and Council have instructed the Commission that they have until August 15, 2011 to compete the work of the Commission.


ttrco

Monday, April 4, 2011

Happy First Monday in April to Everyone!

Happy Monday, April 4, 2011...

We have a couple of two bedroom houses for rent in SE and NE Cedar Rapids. There are plenty of properties for sale in the Cedar Rapids area, as well. Are you interesting in an in-fill lot in a residential neighborhood in NE Cedar Rapids, near Daniels Park?

We had a visit from the local steering committee today on the MedQuarter Regional Medical District, which is proposing a second SSMID for Downtown Cedar Rapids. They are proposing a $3.75 per $1,000 of valuation tax for roughly 50 blocks East of the current Downtown SSMID. The petition requires at least 25 percent of all owners of the property within the proposed Cedar Rapids Medical SSMID.

At Noon today, attended our weekly Rotary Meeting. This month's theme is Transportation and we heard today from our local representative on the state's transportation commission, along with the Director of the Iowa DOT.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Welcome to April everyone ... Spring is arriving in Greater Cedar Rapids


The signs of Spring have arrived. We welcome April on a Friday in 2011!


  • Warmer temperatures and the sighting of a Robin and other birds

  • The passing of the Vernal Equinox

  • The switch to Daylight Savings Time

  • Major League Baseball has started

What's up in April?



  • April Fools Day - April 1

  • New Moon - April 3

  • Birth date of Thomas Jefferson, 1743 - April 13

  • Palm Sunday - Sunday, April 17

  • Federal Taxes Due for 2010 - April 18

  • Passover and the Revolutionary War Began, 1775 - April 19

  • Good Friday - April 22

  • Easter - Sunday, April 24

  • Easter Monday (Canada) - April 25

  • Administrative Professionals' Day - April 27

  • Father In-Law's Birthday - April 30
We have properties for sale in the Cedar Rapids area. Search for listings 24/7 from the privacy of your own computer. If you have questions on buying or selling real estate, please feel free to contact Tommy Tucker Realty Co. - Robin Tucker Today is the first day of April. We are enjoying seeing many of our customers arrive with rent. If we can be of service to you in the management of your property, please feel free to contact us at Tommy Tucker Realty Co. We have been helping buyers, sellers and various property owners in a variety of ways, since 1958 in the Greater Cedar Rapids area! Are you looking to lease a new home? We have properties for Rent in the Cedar Rapids area. We anticipate listing a 5 bedroom, 2.5 bath two story executive rental in April, which should be available in May. For more information on houses for rent in the Cedar Rapids area, visit our web site.

If you have any questions about our community, our property management or real estate brokerage services, please let us know. We want to wish all our readers, customers, clients, vendors, peers in the industry and neighbors... A Safe and Happy April!


ttrco