Niche Education - Or Catching Up With The Times? K-12 Free Online School In AZ - 07/17/08 11:35 PM
Driving home the other day, I heard an ad on the radio that caught my attention.  A teenager and her father were discussing her high school education, and she was touting the benefits of Arizona Virtual Academy...a fully accredited online school.  Some of her reasoning seemed solid:  personalized instruction, regular phone and IM contact with instructors, daily homework, etc.  "It isn't an old correspondence school," was one of her lines.
                                      
Intrigued, I looked up the website at home to see more about it...lo and behold:  this is a full-on school for ages K-12!  The only requirement for enrollment … (8 comments)

Tucson 2008 Olympians: Athletes & Coaches - 07/16/08 01:51 PM
     The Olympics Are Soon To Begin!
I know that some folks are wondering when I will stop bragging about Tucson and the people who have ties to "The Old Pueblo."  The answer is:  NEVER!  This is an amazing city, and the people are what make it so!
Without further ado, I would like to honor those with local ties, whose efforts bring them to the pinnacle of sport--the Olympics.  Whether they win medals or not, the fact that they have earned a spot to represent their country is something to be noted.
Olympic Coach: Mike CandreaSoftball
Jennie Finch-Daigle  Softball                                                      
Caitlin LoweSoftball                                                               
… (5 comments)

1031 Or Not 1031? Have You Considered The 25% Depreciation Recovery? - 07/11/08 10:48 PM
I recently had a discussion with an amazing 1031 Exchange expert, Brigitte Echave (she talks terms even I can understand!) about the pros and cons of doing exchanges.  One factor that I had missed when attending classes on 1031s before is the fact that whether or not someone takes the tax deduction for depreciation on investment property...the IRS figures you did, and wants to recoup it...and it is charged before Capital Gains is applied!
So, in Arizona, home to a lot of investment and vacation homes, your Gain will be charged 25% depreciation recovery, then Uncle Sam wants 15% Capital Gains … (8 comments)

Fannie, Freddie, Media Panic & Poise On The Street - 07/11/08 05:41 PM
                                         
It has been interesting the past 2 days, reading what is going on with the drop in stock prices of both Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac.  I've had the luxury of a little time today to read several different articles about the whole shebang.
The most interesting thing is the disparity between the headlines and the quotes from analysts & investors within the same article!  While a banners consistently scream of impending doom, the body of the articles consistently quote financial industry insiders who say the same thing:  "Don't panic, cooler heads will prevail," and talk about … (12 comments)

Getting To Know Tucson & The Area Around It - 07/11/08 03:14 PM
In my everyday business, a great deal of the people I come in contact with only know Tucson from the recommendation of friends, by reputation or a vacation long ago.  Some people have never had the opportunity to come to "The Old Pueblo," and it is a challenge to give them a "feel" for the city and the lifestyle.
                                                    
Something I have had much success with is to collect a list of informational websites about the area and provide those links to prospective clients in order to help them feel more comfortable talking, asking questions about and getting around … (3 comments)

Walk A Mile In Someone Else's Shoes...And Don't Forget To Bring Your Heart With You - 07/09/08 11:37 PM
This story was sent to me by a dear friend today...I don't know if it was their personal experience, but it is likely to be true.  It made me stop in my busy day to take a moment and think of my own unknowing thoughts, and to remember to put a shine on my heart and humanity once in a while.
Enjoy!
'Some people!' snorted a man standing some distance behind me in the long line at the grocery store. 
'You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line, 'said a woman. 
I looked to the front of … (3 comments)

Judging A Town By A Book Store...Tucson Must Be Fantastic! - 07/05/08 05:38 PM
As I wandered around the country in my early adulthood (voracious reader that I am) one of the first places I sought out in any locale was a good used book store.
Many places have outstanding book stores, some of which one wonders how they stay in business unless they are selling on Amazon or someplace else.  Several are more community center than place of business while others are lonely, dusty outposts of culture, manned by recluses who give off an impression that the general public are ill-read cretins who are only fit to peruse the dog eared pulp novels in the … (4 comments)

Regulators Directing Banks To Order New Appraisals - 07/02/08 11:51 PM
In a June 5 Senate hearing about "The State of The Banking Industry," John Dugan, Comptroller of the Currency, announced that bank examiners will require management to obtain new appraisals due to market or project changes when needed, and take action when appraisals show that current value no longer supports a loan.  
In the hearing before the Senate  Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, Dugan allowed that in many cases an adjustment to reflect current market conditions, rather than a full appraisal could be sufficient, and that examiners should allow banks ample time to have appraisals completed and corrections made.
Reflecting upon the 1980s, Dugan reminded … (4 comments)

Tucson Area Native Finds Success In Rodeo - 07/02/08 03:36 PM
Wyatt Althoff, a junior at New Mexico State University (Go Aggies!), won the All-Around Championship at the College National Finals Rodeo last week.  Althoff, who graduated from Canyon del Oro High School in the Tucson area, is a strong roper, finishing in the top 5 in both team and tie-down roping.
Winning the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association title at the National Finals in Casper, Wyoming should give Wyatt a jump in his professional rodeo career, where he has already tasted success by earning roughly $10,000 last summer.
It brings me great pleasure to give a tip of my hat to a successful young … (3 comments)

On The Fence Whether To Buy Now? Ask This Simple Question - 07/01/08 05:55 PM
How much is your money going to cost you next year? 
Whether the price of the home you are looking to buy goes up or down a little bit, the biggest uncertain factor in today's economy is whether interest rates will continue to hold steady.  Interest rates are climbing up, but are still very good!
For example:  Lets say you are buying a home that costs $250,000.  You are going to pay for it with an FHA loan, with a 3% down payment--keeping your out-of-pocket expenses low.  Look at the difference between today's common 6.5% interest rate vs. an increase of … (10 comments)

 

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