We welcome November here at Tommy Tucker Realty Co.

We welcome the month of November!

Can we interest you in a 2, 3 or 4 bedroom house in Cedar Rapids, Iowa?

Visit our web site

Well, the first ten months are now in the books for 2012.  We welcome the eleventh month of November.  Happy All Saints Day, which is traditionally the day after Halloween.

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  Daylight Savings Time Ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 4th
• Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meets on November 5th, 12th and 19th of November - news
• Election Day is Tuesday is on November 6th - Find you poll in Linn County, Iowa
• Fair Housing Conference in Cedar Rapids/Marion on Thursday, November 8th
• Iowa vs. Purdue at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City on Saturday, November 10th
• Veterans Day is Sunday, November 11th
• Worlds Orphans Day is November 12th
• CRAAR November Real Estate Today Show is on Wednesday, November 14th
• CRAAR Inaugural 2012 is on Thursday, November 15th
• International Day for Tolerance is November 16th

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 22nd

Our offices are traditionally closed for our staff to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday with family - Call us, if you need a REALTOR?

 November 23rd

Small Business Saturday is November 24th

Iowa vs. Iowa State for Heroes Game at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City on November 24th

We invite all call or e-mail from you this month or throughout the year.  Happy November and have a great day.  Thank you for visiting us. - Robin Tucker

Beautiful Sunday for an Open House on September 16th

We hope all is going well.

Tommy Tucker Realty Co. is hosting an Open House 2-4 p.m. at 290 Indiandale Road SE on nice, spacious, redecorated 4 bedroom, 3 stall two-story with many nice characteristics...

$237,200 list price and also available for lease. Call Robin Tucker today at 319.431.6930 to discuss.

Open House on Sunday, September 16, 2012

We will host a 2 to 4 p.m. Open House on Sunday at 290 Indiandale Road SE.  House is for sale and/or rent.  This a spacious
bedroom, four bath two-story with three stall garage.

List Price: $237,200
Rental Price: $1,600 per month (prefer 12 month lease)

Your Host: Robin Tucker, REALTOR 319.431.6930

TOMMY TUCKER REALTY CO.
http://www.ttrco.com

First weekend of June: June 2-3, 2012

Busy morning in Downtown Cedar Rapids, with the first Downtown Farmers' Market for the month of June.  Tommy Tucker Realty Co. is located at 613 Second Avenue SE. 

Are you looking for a new home to buy or lease in Cedar Rapids or Marion, Iowa?  We enjoy the opportunity to help both customers and clients in their real estate needs.

• Buying
• Selling
• Leasing
• Property Management
• 1031 Exchange
• Real estate consultation

Today, we are advertising the following properties in The Gazette.

On Sunday, June 3rd, we will be conducting an Open House from 2-4 pm at 290 Indiandale Road SE.  A spacious and updated four bedroom, two-story home in a nice wooded neighborhood in Indian Creek Hills subdivision of Cedar Rapids. The property sells for $237,200 and lease options begin at $1,700 per month.

If you have any questions, please contact Robin Tucker, Realtor® Broker/Officer with Tommy Tucker Realty Co.  We have helped buyers, sellers, clients and customers, since 1958 with various property management and real estate brokerage needs.

Happy Monday, May 21 from the desk of Realtor Robin Tucker

We hope you are enjoying the wonderful weather in the Greater Cedar Rapids area.

On Sunday, we conducted an Open House from 2-4 pm at 290 Indiandale Road SE.  This is wonderful property for $237,200 per month.  The owners will also consider lease terms on this property.

Robin Tucker serve with fellow Realtors on the Government Affairs Committee.  This month's meeting was held on Monday, May 21st in the morning.  The Committee heard from and asked questions to the following candidates for Linn County Auditor. Joel Miller (incumbent), Brian Gradoville and Jim Houser, who all are running in the June 5Th Democrat Primary for Auditor.  A Republican candidate will face the winner in the November 6th General Election in Linn County.

After the CRAAR Government Affairs meeting, we meet with a local commerical banker to discuss matters in our local community. 

At Noon, Robin attended his weekly Rotary Club meeting.  Monday's program was on Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. 

RYLA is a leadership training program sponsored by Rotary International that promotes, encourages and rewards outstanding young people.

Area sophomores and juniors can apply to attend the RYLA leadership training program that will be held at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, Sundary July 15 to Friday, July 20, 2012.

Rotary International is an organization of business and professional people united worldwide to provide humanitarian service, encourage ethical standards in all voacations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

Open House: 2-4 pm on Sunday, May 20th at 290 Indiandale SE in Indian Creek Hills subdivision of Cedar Rapids, Iowa

We invite prospective buyers and prospect tenants to take a closer look at this wonderful two-story property, with over 3000 square feet finished.  This two-story home has a fenced rear yard on a .33 acre lot on a quiet, wooded dead-in street.

The house consists of four bedrooms up, with a master bath and full bath.  There is a half bath on the first floor and in the lower level.  Part of the full basement is finished.  The garage has a mud room and space for three vehicles.

A nice spacious first floor with a family room that was added, after the property was built in 1964.  There is formal dining and living areas, as well as casual living and dining areas on the first floor.

We invite you to stop by and take a look at 290 Indiandale Road SE between 2-4 pm on Sunday.

Your host is Robin Tucker 319.431.6930 with Tommy Tucker Realty Co.

New Listings: 4 Bedroom House for sale SE Cedar Rapids and 4 Bedroom Executive Rental in Marion

We hope you are enjoying your April.

We want to announce the addition of two new listings this month. We have a updated and newly decorated four bedroom house for sale in SE Cedar Rapids at 290 Indiandale Road SE[PDF link]. The property is listed for $237,500.

New Listing for rent in Linn Mar Community Schools:

This property is listed for $2,000 per month and will be available May 1st. Check out more on 2220 Empire Street in Marion. Let us know, if you have any interest on any of these properties or know anyone you may have an interest or need. We appreciate referrals.

http://www.ttrco.com/  We have other listings to consider.  Happy Spring everyone!

We have a nice 4 Bedroom Executive Rental in Cedar Rapids; along with 2 Small, 2 Bedroom Bungalows

290 Indiandale Road SE for Rent

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

$1,600 per month

Coming early January 2012

We invite you to take a close look at this nice two-story house, with four bedrooms, two and one half bath and room for a three cars in the attached garage. Over 3,000 square feet finished. Fenced rear yard on quiet street in Indian Creek Hills subdivision of Cedar Rapids. If you have children, the property is in the Cedar Rapids Community Schools (Erskine ES - McKinley MS - Washington HS).

We also have two small, two bedroom bungalows (one story houses) for rent near Daniels Park in NE Cedar Rapids.

Give Robin Tucker a call at Tommy Tucker Realty Co. at 319.365.6956 x 103.

A Beautiful End to September and a nice start to the month of October

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend, September 30Th through October 2Nd. We are currently advertising two-four bedroom homes for rent in Cedar Rapids, Iowa USA.

We have the 4 Bedroom Ranch, pictured on the left, at 150 Echo Drive NW for $1,400 per month.

We also have a 4 Bedroom Two-Story that we are marketing at 7410 Cattail Court NE in the Linn Mar Community Schools. This property rents for $1,600 per month.

We invite you to drive-by and contact us for more information on these homes for rent in Cedar Rapids.

ttrco

Two New Executive Rentals in the Cedar Rapids/Marion area in September

We are currently marketing the following property at the top this weekend in The Gazette. This beautiful ranch home has three bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a three stall garage. Rent is $1,630.00 per month. The property is located at 2140 Pike Court in Marion.

We are also advertising this property, pictured to the bottom left, this weekend in The Gazette.

The property is located at 150 Echo Lane NW in Cedar Rapids. Rent is $1,400 per month.

Please give Robin Tucker a call at Tommy Tucker Realty Co., in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for more information on these two executive rentals.

Summer has arrived; June has been a busy month and we look forward to increasing business

Should we sell our home right now? Is this a good time to list our property?

• It may be a better time to lease one's home in today's market?

When thinking about selling your property, you may want to determine all aspects before listing with a Realtor, since the housing market isn't what it used to be. Many people find themselves upside down, due to falling home values and the downturn in The Economy.

Many people need to sell a house elsewhere, so there is a need for both Executive Housing, as well as affordable rental housing in the Cedar Rapids/Marion marketplace. Your property may make a good rental property?

One may want to look at more than one marketing option.

• Cash sale


• Contract sale


• Rent with an option to purchase


• Renting the property and waiting for the market to rebound


• Dual marketing: for sale, for rent

We often find people enquiring about property management and leasing service, after they have had their property on the market for sale. How many are investigating all aspects, prior to listing? Not investigating all aspects could decrease your cash position and your market value.

We have had a busy month, as we mentioned.

• 226 31st Street NE is now Lease Pending - thank you for those who were interested!


• The Summer Sostice arrived on June 21st


• We celebrated another Father's Day


• We had a busy Association Broker's Meeting this month


• We had a good Realtor Luncheon in June


• We attended our Association's government affairs meeting - Local and Federal issues


• Three Rotary meetings are in the book for June and Monday should be a good one!


• My mother and retired Realtor LaVerne Tucker celebrated a June birthday


• We were happy to help a family on corporate relocation, locating a nice property in Marion for them to rent


• I.L. 'Tommy' celebrated another anniversary as a Rotarian in June, 47Th year

We want to thank you for visiting us. If you are needing to improve your cash position on your real estate, please feel free to contact us to discuss the following services:

• Property Management


• Leasing


• Rental Registration


• Rental Licensing


• City Inspection requirement


• Should I sell?


• Should I buy?


• Should I lease?


• Would my property make a good rental property?


• MLS services


• Like-kind exchange questions?


• Leasing my property to the U.S. Government


• General Real Estate Brokerage

Tommy Tucker Realty Co. has been licensed in Iowa, since 1958. We invite you to take a look at our property managment and brokerage services in the Cedar Rapids/Marion area. ttrco

You can friend us on Facebook or follow up on Twitter.

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.

• 2 Bedroom for Rent for $575.00


• 2 Bedroom for Rent for $650.00


• We anticipate a new listing of a 5 Bedroom later this month

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

Local Realtor Association supports extention of the Local Option Sales Tax for the City of Cedar Rapids

We attended an interesting broker's meeting today, as part of the Cedar Rapids Association of Realtors. Also previewed a possible new listing this afternoon. Nice visit with a contractor on a couple possible projects.

At the end of the day, we noticed the following e-mail from our local association of Realtors ...

At the February Board of Directors meeting the Local Option Sales Tax
extension was discussed. It was agreed that although the Corp of Engineers has
recommended a plan that only protects the East side of the river, both sides
need protection. Without flood protection on both sides another flood could
result in a significant loss of jobs and a corresponding impact on both
residential and commercial real estate sales. Property values in the downtown
commercial district and residential neighborhoods could decrease in value which
would affect the overall tax base of the City. The Board of Directors feel the
best way for the city to acquire matching funds for any state and/or federal
funding to create the flood protection plan needed is to support the extension
of the local option sales tax. The Board of Directors unanimously voted to
support the extension.

My father, I.L. 'Tommy' Tucker, has been a Realtor in Cedar Rapids, since 1955. He strongly believes flood protection is needed on both sides of the river. Ahead and during the Flood of 2008, we reflected on past floods that impacted our family and our local businesses in the past.

My grandfather and father were impacted by floods over the years at the business my grandfather began in 1945. Many of our former locations were impacted by the Flood of 2008. My father's neighborhood, when he first moved to Cedar Rapids was impacted. My grandfather and father first lived in the old Hayes School neighborhood of SW Cedar Rapids. We have had former business locations on both sides of the river that were impacted by the Flood of 2008.

ttrco

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Event at St. Paul's UMC on Monday, January 17, 2011 at 7 p.m.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - JANUARY 10, 2011

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church Hosts Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Service

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. King through a Humanitarian Award and the Voices, Talents, and Dreams of Children

Monday, January 17, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
1340 Third Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed that we would live in a world where his children would “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” At the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Service, we will Remember Dr. King’s words, Celebrate our dreams for the future, and Act to make these dreams a reality.

This year, a special message for children is included in this uplifting service as well as the formal recognition of members of the newly established “Civil Rights Youth Advisory Panel.”

Keynote Speaker, Karl Werner will share innovative approaches he uses in Cedar Rapids Schools to help students understand the importance of diversity in learning. His programs have garnered many accolades and awards around the country.

The Martin Luther King Planning Committee is proud to recognize this year’s Percy and Lileah Harris “Who Is My Neighbor” award recipient. This award is “In recognition of a lifelong faith commitment to living in harmony with others and to promoting equality and social justice in the community.”

Magnificent music has always been a component of this celebration service and this year is no different. Come enjoy the musical talents of The Chorale Midwest, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church Men’s Choir, and the Gospel Choir from Johnson Elementary School of the Arts.

We invite you to Remember, Celebrate, and Act on the words and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Contact:
Jerry Matchett matchett.jerry@gmail.com

or Stefanie Robinson S.Robinson@cedar-rapids.org
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
1340 Third Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
319-363-2058

http://stpaulsumc.org/

###

This is event is open to the entire community.

ttrco

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 ...

ttrco

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.

ttrco

Tommy Tucker Realty Co.: Back from a Thankgiving Holiday

We hope everyone had an enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving holiday last week. As we close out November and welcome the month of December, please let us know, if we can be of assistance for your real estate and property management needs.

• Buying


• Selling


• Leasing


• Property Management


• Like-kind exchange

Tommy Tucker Realty Co. is located in Downtown Cedar Rapids. We began business in 1958 and have enjoyed the opportunity over the years to work with a variety of clients and customers.

ttrco

2 Bedroom Ranch coming available in NE Cedar Rapids in November

We have a two bedroom house coming available for rent in NE Cedar Rapids for $575.00 per month. We are taking applications for this nice smaller one story house near Daniels Park on the NE side of Cedar Rapids. Call today for more information at 319.365.6956

ttrco

Beware of the costs of an Enviornmental II study for Business Buyouts in Cedar Rapids

The challenges from the recovery from the Flood of 2008 continue in Cedar Rapids for property owners, including small business. Senator Rob Hogg was on WMT AM-600 and a flood recovery question was asked.

Second district congressional candidates spar over flood recovery - Radio Iowa
The two major party candidates who hope to represent Iowa's second congressional district are squaring off over flood recovery plans for Cedar Rapids. ...

Cedar Rapids renters to get flood assistance - Chicago Tribune
The Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved creation of a disaster recovery assistance program for renters. The program is called the ...

We received the following e-mail today concerned about Business Buyouts in Cedar Rapids:

Please make sure to read the email sent this week from the Business Long Term Recovery Team at the Chamber!!

This message is for anyone who has or plans on participating in the “voluntary” commercial property buyout process.

Background

At the 11th hour participants in this program were informed that to complete the buyout process they might be responsible for the costs of an Environmental II study and any resulting costs of cleanup of their property if contamination was found. Some people have agreed to this requirement while others have objected and not signed their agreements.

Status of the Issue

Currently the City and State are trying to come up with a plan to either reimburse those who have already paid for the testing or pay for the testing if it has not been done yet. The issue of who will pay for the cleanup has not been resolved but is also being addressed.

Our Position

It is our position that the commercial property owner should not be responsible for either the testing or the cleanup. It will be nearly impossible to prove who is responsible for contamination on your property if it is found. The flood deposited lots of stuff from lots of different locations.

Our Recommendation

Our recommendation at this time is to NOT sign any buyout agreement that holds you responsible for Environmental II testing and any resulting cleanup if required. You can ask for an extension of your buyout agreement until this issue is resolved. Do NOT feel pressured to sign the agreement at this time! If you have already signed a buyout agreement rest assured that we will insist that any decisions made will be retroactive.

Gary Ficken
Doug Schumacher

It's important to slow down, when one is dealing with contacts, including buyout agreements. It continues to be a challenging period for many small businesses and property owners impacted by the Flood of 2008, let alone the recession and challenges over the past two plus years.

ttrco

We welcome new residents to three of our 2 Bedroom houses in Cedar Rapids

We have rented the following three NE side houses near Daniels Park this month:

• 828 14Th Street NE


• 866 14Th Street NE


• 886 14Th Street NE

Currently, we don't have any 2 Bedroom houses that are immediately available, but we may have a couple coming available around November, pending release of Tenant Rights.

We currently have the following Houses for Rent: Immediate possession may be possible:

• Three Bedroom Walkout Ranch at 1205 Parkview Drive in Marion for $830.00 per month


• Three Bedroom Ranch at 2140 Pike Court in Marion for $1,630.00 per month


• Five bedroom two story at 7806 Thorndale Road NE for $2,200.00 per month

We may have some other possibilities in the near future, feel free to visit our web site at http://www.ttrco.com/

Are you looking for an affordable house to purchase?

• New Listing: 1930 Park Avenue SE for $112,900 listed by Joel Lahey, CRS - GRI


• Search for more houses for sale in the greater Cedar Rapids area

As we head into the final weekend in the month of September, we invite you to contact us, if we can assist in your various real estate needs and questions:

• Buying or Purchasing


• Selling


• Like-kind exchanges


• Section 1031 exchanges


• Leasing


• Property Management services


• Chapter 29


• Chapter 22


• Chapter 69 and Section 8 housing


• Business Opportunities

Robin Tucker,

Realtor®, Property Manager

ttrco