BNGIowa

Absolutely Magical!

The year was 1992.  I was a gangly 11 year old girl determined to become a marine mammal biologist and about to embark on quite an adventure.  See, at that age I wanted nothing more than to see a real, live whale or dolphin.  For a girl who grew up in the heart of the U.S., this is not an easy task.  So for Christmas of 1991 my parents broke the news to me that I would be joining them for a trip to Hawaii the following month.  I was ecstatic!  That month may have been the longest of my life, but I knew the experiences that were in store would be worth the wait. 

Hawaii was amazing, even for an 11 year old, but one experience sticks in my mind more than any other.  It was the day I got to see a real humpback whale.  We had been on a drive around the Big Island since early morning and were in the last leg of our journey.  We were headed to South Point; the southernmost tip in the United States.  When we reached the end of the path we got out of our rental car to watch the sun setting over the western horizon. It glimmered off of the water like thousands of tiny diamonds.  I can still see all of the magnificent colors, rich beyond belief.  The waves crashed on the sheer rock cliffs that lay below where we stood.  And then I saw it.  At first my head did not believe what my eyes were observing.  It was a beautiful humpback whale breaching not far of the coast.  The arch of its back as it jumped out of the water contrasted against a backdrop of dreamlike proportions.  It was just as I had gazed upon in innumerable paintings, my many picture books, and even in my own drawings of this magnificent animal.  The whole thing was surreal and absolutely magical.  Every detail came together to create an astonishing experience for those of us that were blessed enough to witness it. 

Details.  These are what separated this and every other experience from “ho-hum” to unforgettable.  Make this year’s Holiday Party unforgettable by holding it at the Holiday Inn Downtown Des Moines at Mercy Campus.  Every detail will be in place to ensure that your experience is absolutely magical.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.com

What Makes Michael Phelps So Special

I was talking with some friends the day after the commentators were talking about Michael Phelps being "built to swim".  He's 6'4" with a 6'7" wingspan.  His legs are suitable for a man who's 6'0" making them extremely powerful for pushing off while his torso is that of a 6'8" man which reduces his drag.  His feet are a size 14 and function as flippers.  He's double jointed in his knees and elbows.  For all of his genetic gifts, his coach credits more than anything his determination and ability to focus.

Someone then asked what all of that has to do with anything.  Considering the source, I took my shot.  "He would make a lousy gymnast."  Then, I got to thinking about it after reading Erin's post on choosing the right professionals .  At 6'4", he'd probably make a pretty good basketball player.  The challenge would be his short legs giving him the up and down court speed of a 6' man.  He's only an inch shorter than Usain Bolt, the sprinter from Jamaica, but again, he'd still have to take 46 strides to cover the 100m vs. Usain's 41.  On the track he's only "6' tall". Back to the gymnast thing, Shawn Johnson would mop the floor with him.

So what makes Michael, Shawn, or Usain special.  It is determining what they do better than anything else and then focusing only on that.  That is what networking is all about.  You decide what you do better than anything else and then build a team around you to make up for the skills you lack.  The value you bring to client relationships is in being able to say "I can't do that but, I know someone who does."

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What a nightmare!

Am I making the right decision?  Is it too small?  Did I pay too much?  Am I in the right neighborhood?  I asked myself these questions over and over again, as I recently purchased my very first home.  Many of you may know that the entire home buying experience puts some stress on even the sanest individuals.  A great deal of thought, time, and effort goes into finding and securing the perfect place.  Someone told me at the beginning of my house hunt that purchasing a home would be one of the most emotional decisions I would ever make.  I thought they were crazy until I got knee-deep into the process.  Let’s just say, I’m not a very emotional person, but I have cried on more than one occasion throughout this ordeal.  In order to keep me as sane as possible, I hired two separate so-called professionals to ensure home buying success.  I also came out of this experience with two separate satisfaction levels.  On one hand, my realtor was a first time home buyer’s dream.  She constantly communicated with me so I was always aware of where we were in the process.  I never had to be concerned with what-to-do-when because my realtor already had it done.  She made the process smooth and easy.  However, on the other end was my mortgage broker.  He was unorganized, unknowledgeable, and continued to make promises that he did not keep.  His lack of professionalism was truly nightmarish.  It made me realize how important hiring a true professional is worth.  The same concept applies to your meetings, events and parties.  Trying to plan one of these events can also quickly turn into a nightmare if you are working with the wrong people.  That is why I do what I do.  When you hold your event with me and my associates at the Holiday Inn Downtown Des Moines at Mercy Campus, you can be assured you will be working with true professionals.

Photo compliments of Flickr.com.

Home, Home on the Range

The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 signed by the President at the end of July gives first-time homebuyers a temporary refundable credit equal to 10 percent of the purchase price of a home, up to $7,500 ($3,750 for married individuals filing separately). The credit begins to phase out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $75,000 ($150,000 in the case of a joint return). The credit is effective for homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009.  Unlike other credits, however, the first-time homebuyer credit must be repaid in equal installments over 15 years, essentially making it an interest-free loan from the government for most qualifying  homeowners.

The new credit phases out for married couples filing jointly with modified AGI between $150,000 and $170,000 and for single taxpayers with modified AGI between $75,000 and $95,000.

A person is considered a “first-time homebuyer” if he or she (or spouse) had no ownership interest in a principal residence during the three-year period before the new home is purchased.

Unlike any other individual federal tax credit, taxpayers must repay the first-time homebuyer credit.  They will have 15 years to repay the credit, interest free.  Repayments start two years after the year in which the residence is purchased. Payments must be made in equal installments over those 15 years.

If a taxpayer sells or no longer uses the home as his or her principal residence before repaying the credit, the unpaid balance becomes due in the year in which the residence is sold or no longer used as the taxpayer’s principal residence. However, the amount of recaptured credit may not exceed the amount of gain from the sale of the residence to an unrelated person.

“Purchase” as used in the new law occurs when title closes.  In addition, homebuyers claiming the credit may not acquire the property from certain related persons and they must satisfy certain basis rules.

For more information about the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit and what steps you should implement to take advantage of the credit, contact Brent McClure at (515) 223-0159 or email at bmcclure@kiesling.com.