Tim Rogers

If your garbage isn't picked up next week by the sanitation truck from the city as it has been for as long as you may remember, you may want to point the finger at Detroit. But do you point the finger at the high flying (literally) auto exec's or is the accusatory finger tweaking the blue collar worker and their union rep for the bloated contract they won from the blue-heeled exec's in the last negotiation? I suppose it really doesn't matter to you when the garbage piles up.

Maybe they will cut fire and ambulance services but one thing you can count on and that is more of the Governator's recent Caleee-fornia predication that taxes will need to increase and local services will need to be cut since a large portion of local and state taxes are deposited from the purchasers of automobiles when they buy a new or used car or truck. Since no one is buying and local services are based on consumers buying auto's, something has to give. Notice that the auto dealers didn't pay the tax. It was the consumer that paid the tax and since they aren't consuming dealers are going out of business and the tax dollars aren't going into the local governments accounts to pay for services that the general public demands of its local government.

Sales of new and used cars, as well as parts and service, are the single largest source of sales tax revenue for almost every state, county and local government, ahead of gasoline sales, restaurants and department stores. (Alaska, Delaware, New Hampshire, Oregon and Montana do not collect sales tax, source LA Times).

In the second quarter in California, auto sales tax receipts are down $30 million for the quarter creating chaos in budgets from local to state municipalities.

By the way this is not just a California problem but a nationwide problem.

I ask you--where is the bailout for the car dealers that are going bust and where is the taxpayer bailout? The Governator is calling for an immediate sales tax increase. I'm sure that will stimulate retail sales of cars and trucks.

I'm feeling the new green movement and would love to add solar electricity to my existing home. I could then tell both buyers and sellers about the wonderful electricity a self-sufficient Realtor is generating and I could brag about the amount of carbon I'm taking out of the atmosphere but I keep tripping on the way to the ladder to screw the solar panels on to my roof top.

I appear to keep tripping and stumbling on the mountain of "coin" that will be required to buy the system. I own a modest 4/2 2,300 sq. ft. single family home with an average monthly electric bill of about $190. When I spec out the system that will be required to generate enough kw's to power our abode the numbers don't look very enticing.

The good news is the IRS will fork over $5,600 to me in the form of a tax credit. The bad news is that the payback period on the $24,000 initial investment is 30.1 years. See the data below.

* Net system cost after incentives: $18,400.

* 23% saved by Incentives from Total System Cost

Total System Cost	$24,000
Rebate	$0
Tax Credit	$-5,600
Net System Cost	$18,400

ESTIMATE SUMMARY

So the question I have is pretty basic. Should I invest $24,000 for a system that will require a 30 year payback to generate my own electricity that will remove a bit of carbon from the atmosphere? Will my little gesture make a difference when many countries around the world spew crud into the atmosphere unchecked?

Are You Selling a $300,000 Bellefonte Home?

If you are thinking about selling your Bellefonte home and you think the price is in the $280 to $320K price range, following are numbers that you need to know.

5 houses sold in'08 in your price range in Bellefonte School District

Avg. List Price-$302,761

Avg. Sold Price-$287,480

List to sale % - 95.0%

AVG. DOM - 195

Visit-www.BuyBellefonte.com

For additional information about the Bellefonte real estate market or for a FREE market evaluation of your home give Tim Rogers a call at 814-280-0054.

This post was inspired by a post by Terry Rasner about whining. Read it here:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/778065/No-One-Likes-a-WhinerDo-They

It reminded me of one of my favorite songs by Chris LeDoux which led to a sign in my office and a NO WHINERS segment on my local radio show.

Listen to the the song and video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffr-G6abbxA

At this point in the real estate and election cycle, I think everyone should heed the advice of Chris Ledoux.

Tim

Have not been reported this morning during what appears to be a record voter turnout for an historic election. Do you ever wonder why the pundits tell us every four years that this is the most important election since.....? Aren't they all important with special importance assigned to off-year elections?

But what a great country we all live in when voters of every persuasion go to the local precinct and stand in a long line to testify to the world about their personal political beliefs and there isn't a single fight to break up. In my local precinct, I stood in line with republicans, democrats, and independents and there was a sense of pride among all the would-be voters anxiously awaiting their private moment of truth. There was amicable conversation and not a single incident of name calling. No fights, no threats, no coercion, and not a single soldier threatening the line with a machine gun.

This is what makes our country great. Well defined differences of opinion to be sure, but a coming together none the less. I trust that we will wake up tomorrow morning to a united American electorate and a single-minded purpose to continue to make this country the greatest country in the history of the planet Earth.

Tune in Saturday morning to Top Gun Tim's Ask the Realtor on News Talk 970 AM WBLF from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. as we talk about private property rights-a major factor that elevates our country above all others.