1. real estate

Vol.I, No.3
www.renewssource.com
April 1, 2015
Income Taxes - How Did We Get Here?
By: Pat Farrell
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
San Antonio, Texas
Paid Permit #1590
At the beginning of each year as I
think about about filing my income tax
return I cannot help but wonder how we
arrived at such a convoluted system of
preparation that essentially requires one to
either be an accountant or at least seek the
services of one to ensure that the process
is done correctly. Sure, there are guidelines to follow (pages and pages of them)
that are designed to help simplify (?) the
process, but for some reason most folks
seem to find this to be an extremely burdensome task. I also wonder how the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) got to be
such a powerful entity and why it seems to
instill fear in so many taxpayers.
After the Revolutionary War, when
our country was no longer under control
of Britain and was operating fully under
the Constitution of the United States of
America we seemed to be able to finan-
cially sustain all our operations with just
the monies collected in the form of tariffs
(taxes on imported goods) and excise
taxes (those levied on goods produced and
sold within the country). In other words
we taxed on consumption rather than on
income. That worked well until the advent
of the Civil War when it became evident
that additional monies would be needed to
fund the battle against the South. So, in
1861, as an emergency, war time measure,
President Abraham Lincoln imposed, as a
source of revenue, a flat 3% tax on all
income exceeding $800 per year. This was
replaced by the Revenue Act of 1862
which called for a graduated tax ranging
from 3% to 5% on income over $600 and
later added 10% on income exceeding
$10,000.
To cover all bases, the Revenue Act
broadly defined income as gain “derived
from any kind of property, or from any
professional trade, employment, or vocation carried on in the United States or
elsewhere or from any source whatever.”
In 1871 Congress eventually got around to
declaring the 1862 Revenue Act unconstitutional and determined that it must be
repealed. But, since collecting an income
tax was deemed to have been quite lucrative once before, it reared its ugly head
again in 1909 when the 16th Amendment
to the Constitution was first proposed and
passed the Congress but final approval
would require three fourths of the 48
States to ratify the Amendment for it to
become part of the Constitution.
Though most agreed that an income
tax was a necessary evil the debate centered around how it was to be imposed.
Before this time all income taxes were
considered “indirect” taxes which were
levied on all peoples regardless of the cen-
sus figures for any given area. Conversely,
“direct” taxes were required to be apportioned within any given State according to
its population. Not unlike today’s concerns, arguments against the enforced taxation included fears that one’s privacy
was being totally exposed and that it was
simply a way for government to control
the populace.
In any event, by 1913 it was determined that the required 36 states had
indeed ratified the 16th Amendment and
so it became part of the Constitution and
the first form 1040, consisting of four
pages including instructions was put into
use
(http://www.irs.gov/pub/irsutl/1913.pdf). As an interesting side note,
William Benson in his 1985 book titled
“The Law That Never Was” insisted that
probably fewer than 20 States had in fact
legally ratified the Amendment. He
claimed that in one case the State
Legislature acted without ever having
received the document, in another the
wording had been changed so it had the
exact opposite meaning and that some
states had acted when their State
Constitutions prohibited them from doing
so. The courts however repeatedly rejected his and other’s claims that the
Amendment was not a law. Benson had
refused to file taxes based on his theory
and was subsequently imprisoned for tax
evasion.
In 1861 when it was anticipated
that a great amount of taxes would be generated it was determined to be necessary
to utilize an entire agency to enforce and
collect all the monies, so the forerunner of
the IRS, the Bureau of Internal Revenue
(BIR), came into being. Even though the
income tax went away in 1871 by court
order, the BIR managed to hang around
and had fewer responsibilities until after
adoption of the 16th Amendment in 1913.
Though taxes started off low initially they
continued to increase significantly, as did
the complexity in the tax process just
before and during WWI and with the
increased workload the BIR was unable to
keep up. Though the Agency continued to
grow and reorganize they were soon
unable to enforce new tax rules and were
way behind in processing paperwork.
A congressional investigation in the
1920s into the practices of BIR found
poor administration of regulations and a
high turnover of the staff. There were
many instances of favoritism in the hiring
process where patronage rather than merit
decided the appointments. There was also
significant evidence of corruption and
questionable practices of the agents. To
counter the corruption, reforms were instituted but the BIR again became bogged
down with the advent of WWII and there
was again evidence of corruption which
this time had become well known to the
public.
However, it was the reforms implemented in the 1950s that were designed to
overcome all previous problems and to
present to the public the image of an
Agency ready to provide service to taxpayers rather than just enforce regulations
and collect taxes. In 1953 the Bureau
changed its name to the Internal Revenue
Service to enhance that image. But, even
with these reforms and several more that
followed over the years the new and
improved IRS was still unable to keep up
with the changes and workload and there
was still evidence of corruption. The
Agency had neither modernized nor
embraced new technology until the
Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998.
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
The IRS of today, headquartered in
Washington D.C. is considered to be the
largest federal bureaucracy employing in
excess of 110,000 people. Most of the day
to day work, collections and auditing, is
carried out in regional offices throughout
the country. In addition to handling the
four areas of concentration: Wage &
Investment,
Small
Business/Self
Employed, Large and Midsize Business
and Tax Exempt & Government Entities,
the IRS also has an Appeals Office, a
Taxpayer Advocacy Office and a Criminal
Investigation Unit. And despite the new
reforms in place there is still evidence of
inefficiency within the internal system
and taxpayers are still in fear of audits.
April 1, 2015
In closing, you may be interested to
know that in 1910 Richard E. Byrd,
Speaker of the Virginia House of
Delegates, who was opposed to the 16th
Amendment had the following to say:
“This amendment will do what
even the 14th and 15th Amendments did
not do — it will extend the Federal power
so as to reach the citizens in the ordinary
business of life. A hand from Washington
will be stretched out and placed upon
every man’s business; the eye of a Federal
inspector will be in every man’s counting
house.
“The law will of necessity have
inquisitorial features, it will provide
penalties. It will create a complicated
machinery.
“Under it, businessmen will be
hauled into courts distant from their
homes. Heavy fines, imposed by distant
and unfamiliar tribunals, will constantly
menace the taxpayer. An army of Federal
inspectors, spies and detectives will
descend upon the state. They will compel
men of business to show their books and
disclose the secrets of their affairs. They
will dictate forms of bookkeeping. They
will require statements and affidavits. On
the one hand the inspector can blackmail
the taxpayer and on the other, he can profit by selling his secret to his competitor.”
So, was Byrd an alarmist or a
prophet?
REAL ESTATE NEWSSOURCE
A PUBLICATION OF PUGS PUBLISHING LLC
Publisher/President.....Courtney Smith
Sales & Marketing .............Candi Meyer
Cell - 557-8722
Contributing Writers: ......Cathey Meyer
..................................................Pat Farrell
Columnists.....................Susie Sheffield
......................................Mary Ann Jeffers
(210) 508-0888
Real Estate NewsSource is not responsible for the opinions or facts
expressed by non-staff writers or for errors and any byproducts in
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10004 Wurzbach Road, #288
San Antonio, Texas 78230
Norma Evenski, Alamo Title said “I
just got my latest issue of
NewsSource.”
Paul Ugwokaebe, Abalite Realty
Group takes time before the IREP
meeting at SABOR to check out the
latest issue of NewsSource.
Rachael Clutter, Stewart Title with
her nephew Landon checking out
the latest NewsSource.
E-MAIL: editor@renewssource.com
Please include a self-addressed
stamped envelope if material is to be returned.
April 1, 2015
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From The
Chairman’s Desk
By Mary Ann Jeffers
Chairman, San Antonio Board of REALTORS®
SABOR’s Open House Weekend is May 2-3
SABOR is holding its annual
Citywide Open House Weekend on May
2 and 3. With SABOR’s newly
launched consumer site, open houses
are easier than ever to find. We anticipate a big turnout of REALTORS® participating!
How can you make the most of
Open House Weekend? For starters,
enter your open house in MLS so the
public can search for it during the Open
House Weekend. Consumers will be
directed to the site through an advertising campaign and be able to search
homes they wish to visit. The San
Antonio Express News is also offering
SABOR members a discounted rate to
advertise that weekend, and will
include placement in a special Friday
section of the paper.
The REALTORS® Store at
SABOR is running a special package
deal this month that includes a shape
sign, wire stand, open house red flag
and a black open house guest register.
There will also be blue REALTOR®
balloons available that you can put up
outside the open house to indicate it is
being hosted by a REALTOR®.
During the open house, consider
creating a property summary sheet.
This sheet gives prospective buyers an
overview of the home. Include dimensions for each room, copies of a property survey and summaries of utility costs
and property taxes. Also, develop a
method for follow up with prospective
buyers and follow up in a timely manner.
It is also important that you take
steps to ensure your safety during the
open house. Have your cell phone battery fully charged, open all the curtains
in the house and unlock all deadbolts to
guarantee a quick escape if needed. You
should also consider letting a friend or
colleague know you will be checking in
every hour and know how to get out of
the house by the front or back door as
well as the backyard.
With these tips in mind, you are
sure to make the most of this opportunity. To learn more about SABOR’s Open
House Weekend, visit SABOR.com.
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
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Mary Ann Jeffers,
Reliance
Residential Realty,
Jim McKissick,
SWBC and Lance
Bryce, Sente
Mortgage at
Sonterra for the
SATAMP meeting.
At the Hill Country WCR Installation are Randall Zamora , Keller Williams
Realty Lubbock, Sheila Moran, RE/MAX Access with Julie Fenton, Capital
Title.
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
Trinity Title Chili Cook-Off
Jesse Ramirez,
Rocio Romero,
Jeff Scott and
Adam Graham,
all imortgage.
Sawyer with John Cortizzos, Irene Morgan and Billy Klumpp, all
SWBC.
Susan Moore and Rich Rupp, both RE/MAX North, Gwen Derry, Trinity
Title and Roy Garza, RE/MAX North.
The Directions Equity Crew at their Chili booth.
Tony Chavez,
Trinity Title and
Jack Shull,
Guild
Mortgage.
Paul Rollins,
Legacy.
Keller
Williams
Melissa Elizondo, Kathy Olivarez and Trish Herzig, all
Trinity Title.
John Heard,
Directions Equity
and Irene
Morgan, SWBC.
Patrick Moore, Lise De Leon and Ron Robinson, all
Iberia Mortgage.
Mauricia Cacase and Louis Derrick,
both Iberia Mortgage.
www.renewssource.com
April 1, 2015
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
Fronterra At Westpointe Open House
Carrie Partridge and Debbie Luna, both Keller Williams Heritage.with Jason
Vallier of David Weekley Homes.
Virginia Nararjo, Keller Williams City View and Debbie Forshey,
Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper Realtors.
Linda Quantes, Keller Williams Heritage with Lisa Stanley and Rose
Arredondo, both Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper Realtors.
Anita Schneider
and Erin
Herrington, both
with David
Weekley Homes.
Jackie Sanders,
M/I Homes.
Ted Acuna and
Rebekah Angres,
both M/I Homes.
April 1, 2015
www.renewssource.com
The Way I See It
By Cathey Meyer
Follow the Rules?
As a life member of my high
school National Honor Society (No one
ever declared when my membership
expires.), I grew up a basic rule follower.
If school started at 8:30, I was there at 8
AM. I never served time in detention for
tardies (or anything else). My lunch card
was always pre-paid and current; my
homework was completed and turned in
on time (not necessarily correct). Given
the opportunity to cheat on assignments,
I would see Sister Mary Many Sins in my
conscious scowling down, shaking her
head, preventing me from adding to my
confessional list of ‘Forgive me father for
I have sinned . . .” If I recall correctly, sins
are not lies as you can be absolved of
your sins, but your lies lie with you forever.
Not that I am perfect: I do drive
over the speed limit; If the crosswalk is
too far down the intersection, I will cross
in the middle of the street; On occasion, I
have eaten red meat on a Friday during
Lent. Now that my true confessions are
out of the way, I am clear to share things
that never occur to me to attempt in my
rule following life. This pondering of life
rules began with a small article in the
newspaper (You know the one I pay for
front door delivery, but only receive
when the paper-person feels like delivering—a service rule I did not know was
OK to break.) The article began, “A
restroom at a (national box store that
imports heavily from China) in eastern
Indiana has been closed indefinitely after
an employee discovered a working meth
lab inside.”
That statement alone is exploding
with rule violations. My first question
would be was the merchandise used for
the meth purchased first or was it
shoplifted? I always find that sign entertaining that reads items brought into the
restroom must first be purchased. Rule
followers always ‘plan’ their in-store
restroom stops to accommodate their collection of items to be purchased. We
worry our carefully selected merchandise
will be taken from the cart and placed
back on the shelf before we can come out
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
to reclaim them. We also assume
employees are actually doing their jobs.
We typically leave our items with a coshopper or cranky significant other and
switch out turns in the toilet. No one
really wants to rush to the front of the
store, wait in line, purchase your items
and the rush to the back of the store to
rightfully enter the restroom and take
care of business.
Something tells me meth manufacturers do not read the entering restroom
signs and most likely have no intention
of honoring the store rules. My next
thought is how did the store employee
know what a meth lab looks like? I have
yet to see an episode of Breaking Bad, so
my meth vocabulary is weak, but I will
credit a minimum-wage-nearly-fulltime
employee with social knowledge to
know what goes into a decent meth lab
or maybe they have an employee training session on ‘When you see ‘this’ know
your drug manufacturing procedures.’
We all know all employees are
instructed to wash hands before returning to work. After all, there is a sign
explaining the law. I doubt the ‘customer’ washed their hands after setting
up the lab, but did the employee wash
their hands before dashing out to find
store security and properly ID indeed it
was a meth lab? Rules are rules.
The idea to use a public place to
conduct private business is ingenious.
No overhead, no specialized insurance,
no staff, no inventory--has everything
you ever need to make anything is located inside your local Chinese import retail
7
store. Talk about the ultimate rule breaking event . . .Why do rule followers not
think of these things? Go to a place that
already has everything you need to create a product not available at that place
and then take it out to the demanding
public for sale. I would guess this genius
was overlooked in their high school’s
“most likely to” category.
We understand rules are created
because rule breakers figured out ways
to scam obvious courtesies. We have
school zone speed limits because some
wacky little ones decide dodging speeding traffic is fun. We have adult beverage
age requirements, because other adults
cannot control the activities of their offspring without rules. We have smoking
rules because smokers assume we all
enjoy the inhale. Etcetera, etcetera. Now
we are about to have new public
restroom rules because entrepreneurs do
not want to risk explosions in their own
homes.
The times are arriving for us to
now not only walk through the x-ray
scan and remove our shoes before boarding an airline flight, but someone will
now stand guard and scan us as we
chose to use facilities outside our own
home for everyday business. Soon rule
followers will be punished by the limit of
toilet tissue provided as a courtesy
because non-rulers use or take it for other
purposes. We should note paper towels
have disintegrated into hot air
machines—but I digress here—only the
rule followers care—no one else is washing their hands.
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
Balcones Creek Highland Homes Open House
Sylvia Lopez,
Keller Williams
City View and
Debbie Germany,
Highland Homes.
David Lowe and Tish Lowe, both Keller Williams Legacy at the
Highland Mercedes.
Ryan Fay, Doug Dreiman and Susie Rice, all Highland Loan Source.
Sweet Cupcakes
Food Truck.
Storms Duthe, Jan Lares and Lishia Eslinger, all with Realty
Executives Select Properties.
Megan
Schauffele,
Highland Homes.
Carla Haley,
Elaine Ludwig
and Karen Olivier,
Highland Homes.
Megan Schauffele and Patti Spangler, both Highland Jim Momone, Keller Williams
Homes.
Heritage.
www.renewssource.com
April 1, 2015
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
Hill Country WCR - Four Rivers Association Joint Meeting
It was a good turnout
for meeting at
Embassy Suites, San
Marcos.
M’lissa Steel,
Reliance Residential
Realty and Fran
Valdez, Capital Title.
Isaac Mahone, Trinity Title, Sherrie James, Century 21 Randall Morris and
Melissa Elizondo, Trinity Title.
Lisa Leggit and
Karen Madden,
both Century 21
Randall Morris,
love to network
at WCR Hill
Country.
Aaron Wolf, Willow Bend Mortgage, Marti Chrisman, Limestone
Country Properties and Craig Pierson, Willow Bend Mortgage.
Janet Allen and
Jeff Robinson,
both Stewart
Title ready for
the Hill Country
WCR Luncheon.
Linda Pinson,
Reliance Residential
Realty, Mike Horner,
Gold Financial and
Becky Sailer,
Reliance Residential
Realty.
April 1, 2015
www.renewssource.com
Keith Fahey congratulates Lisa Johnson for highest sales for the quarter.
Jenny Jones, Fore Premier Properties, Bruce Bond, Century 21 The Hills with
Barbara McCoy and D’Ann Harper, both Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper
Realtors at the Blue Rewards Event.
Congratulations to
Caroline Kessler on
receipt of her
Certified Corporate
Housing Provider
designation from
the Corporate
Housing Provider
Association. Way to
go Caroline!
Shahab Mohseni, Burdick Custom Homes is all smiles at a Burdick Custom
Home.
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
Leisa Skinner, is
congratulated by
Jenny Bingham,
Broker of RE/MAX
Northeast, upon
Leisa’s receiving
“RE/MAX of Texas
Office Administrator
of the Year Award”
for the fourth time.
Congratulations!
Frankie McKee, Lucy Huertas, Kyra Smith and Dede Jackson, all Alamo
Title enjoying the Keller Williams Legacy Awards.
Rachael Castillo,
RE/MAX Unlimited,
Rachael Clutter,
Stewart Title and
Sara Gerrish,
RE/MAX Unlimited
enjoy NAHREP
happy hour at
Lüke.
Art Burdick, Damon Christofilis, and Steve Frank, all Burdick
Custom Homes, and at the Phyliss Broning Meeting Breakfast at
Burdick Custom Homes Model in Huntington.
We Give Back
To Our Veterans
Art Ramirez, Debbie Villareal
and Robert Alameda
210-545-9300
WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP NMLSR #2146
12500 San Pedro #100
San Antonio, Texas 78216
www.starkeymortgage.com
Branch NMLSR #291670
April 1, 2015
www.renewssource.com
GSABA Update
By Cheri Bass
Director of Sales & Marketing, Sitterle Homes
Rally Day 2015 —
Making Our Voices Heard
A busload of Greater San Antonio
Builders Association (GSABA) members joined thousands of other real
estate professionals at the state capitol
March 4 to discuss legislative issues
affecting the home building industry.
The day was filled with meetings with
lawmakers to review bills we believe
will support Texas’ thriving real estate
market, which currently adds $31.1 billion to the state’s economy and is
responsible for 702,500 jobs in Texas.
Among the topics we discussed
were clarifying the definition of certain
rural areas for financial assistance purposes, addressing potential shortfalls of
the Texas Windstorm Insurance
Association and protecting private
property rights.
As expected, tax reduction was a
hot button. Both GSABA and the Texas
Association of Builders support proposals that give tax relief to homeowners and reduce the business franchise
tax. If enacted, this tax reduction would
enable home builders to better serve the
state’s housing and employment needs
through increased investment in property development and construction projects. The state’s population is expected
to double during the next 15 years, so
maintaining a brisk home-building pace
is a necessity if we are to adequately
serve the huge number of expected
newcomers.
Housing also has to be affordable. While market conditions do affect
pricing, so do governmental regulations
and fees. According to the Real Estate
Center at Texas A&M University, for
every $1,000 increase, approximately
22,000 households are priced out of the
market.
It was an honor to take part in
such an impactful event and a huge
thanks to the many people who, despite
very busy schedules, dedicated a day to
making our voices heard and safeguarding one of the nation’s healthiest real
estate markets.
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
Donna Harrell,
Legacy Mutual
Mortgage, and
Melinda Hipp,
VanDyk Mortgage,
enjoy the TAMB
Lunch at Sonterra.
Texas State
Senator Jose
Menendez joins
Scott Caballero,
BHHS PenFed
Realty at recent
Ribbon Cutting.
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
Sam Jones,
Willow Bend
Corporate Office
and Steve
Giannone, BHHS
Don Johnson.
Ribbon Cutting.
Willow Bend Grand Opening
Daniel Haynes,
Financial Advisor
and Julian
Contreras,
Willow Bend
Mortgage.
Novie Allen, RBFCU and Susan Deitiker, North Chamber of
Commerce.
Want a Custom Design?
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April 1, 2015
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
15
Dana Taylor and
Amy Gibson, both
Independence
Title.
Julian Contreras, Justin Contreras, Shelley Sharp, Garrett Toste, Sam
Jones, Aaron Wolf and seated, Curtis Huizar, all Willow Bend Mortgage.
Of The San Antonio Office
Tara Masling,
Richard Masling
and Kathy
Masling, all
Masling
Properties.
Aaron Wolf, Willow Bend and Sophear Wilson, Capital Title
enjoy the Grand Opening.
Spring
Has Sprung!
(back row l-r) Jeff Cruz, Bobbie Greenman, Melissa Marquez,
Margaret Canfield and Jeff Cameron with (front row l-r)
Cynthia Gutierrez, Alex Deimel, Laura Medlin and Corvette Wiseley
(not pictured: Margot De La Paz, Ashley Herrera and Donna Jacobs)
210.812.5500
1354 N. Loop 1604 E. #103
San Antonio, TX 78232
Corp NMLS# 24055
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
March IREP Meeting At SABOR
James Butler, JB
Properties.
Paul Oroian, CPA,
prepares to give
a presentation to
IREP members
about taxes.
Laura Riley and
Norma Evenski,
both Alamo Title.
Mike Fulmer,
Fulmer Realty,
Introduces
himself as new
member.
IREP members attentive to presentation about taxes.
www.renewssource.com
April 1, 2015
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
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Bob Frasier and
Ray Anderson, both
Ashton Woods, at
the Highland Grove
Open House.
Tony Garza III, Virtual Realty Group, Laura Lizcana, Ralph F. Sanchez, and
Shirley Hernandez, Capital Title, at the TAMBA meeting.
Yvonne Huffman
and M’Liss Steel,
both Reliance
Residential Realty
and Candy
Williams, Bay
Equity, have a
great time at a
recent Hill Country
WCR meeting.
Lanise Bailey, Terri Saari, and Kristen Michaelson, the Pinnacle
Team at Kimberly Howell Properties.
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
Kima Light,
RE/MAX Corridor.
David Weekley Homes
Erin Harrington
and Deanna
Spencer, both
David Weekley
Homes.
Andrea Nauschutz, Keller Williams Alamo Heights and Terry
Carpenter, Keller Williams Legacy.
Spring Is Here!
Experiencing
Neck Or Back Pain?
Daniel Medina, Jr., NMLS# 513918
210.394.1617
40 N.E. Loop 410
San Antonio, TX 78216
Call Today! 210.764.8888
Or Visit Online At
www.DrGolabDC.com
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April 1, 2015
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
Deanna Spencer,
David Weekley
Homes and Frank
Zeno, Ruffo
Realty.
Victor Cazares, Housing Source, Laura Gordon, RE/MAX Corridor and
Maudel Hardie, Hardie & Associates.
Crossvine Grand Opening
Richard Cromer
and Raul
Trevino, both
Century 21 Scott
Myers.
Stephen Hunter, Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper Realtors.
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Apartment & Reloctaion Center, congratulate
(c) Elaine Sevier as the President of CRS 2015.
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REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
Barbara Finch,
Kuper Sotheby
International
Realty and
Sandra Meyer,
Coldwell Banker
D’Ann Harper
Realtors at the
Blue Rewards
Event.
Members of the 2015 Luxury League.
Board meeting for
the Texas
Associations of
Professionals
Federal Credit
Union (TAPFCU)
members.
Vi Arnold, Japhet Builders welcomes Marge Cid and Marti Cohn,
both Home Team of America to the Napa Oaks Realtor Lunch.
WELCOME To Spring From
The Staff At VanDyk Mortgage
Melinda Hipp, Branch Manager, NMLS# 219085
Office: 210-493-7332 • Fax 210-247-9413
17721 Rogers Ranch Pkwy., Ste. 215, San Antonio, TX. 78258
Branch NMLS# 866803
April 1, 2015
www.renewssource.com
To annually meet the April 15
tax deadline, it is a common practice
for many folks, including REALTORS® and other real estate professionals, to seek the services of a tax
preparation specialist or a CPA to put
the necessary paperwork together for
submission to the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS). Others, unless they are
total “do-it-yourselfers” might take
advantage of tax preparation software
or utilize online programs that,
through a series of questions and
answers, will handle the compilations
and computations necessary to get the
job done. In either case the taxpayer
will, before tax time, check their file
folders, shoeboxes, paper bags or
wherever else they have been collecting all the documents they feel appropriately represents the income,
expenses and unique requirements for
their previous year in business.
Usually CPAs can be found at
their offices most weekdays where if
you are their client you can call them
if you have tax questions and of
course you are free to bring them your
documents for tax preparation. When
your return is completed you go to the
office to pick up the finished product
and see that it is signed and filed with
the IRS and pray it is correct.
Fortunately for the REALTORS® in the San Antonio area at
least one CPA, Ed Guerrero, is willing to go above and beyond what most
would expect from an accountant.
There are major differences between
doing simple tax preparation and
learning how to utilize tax strategies,
and to get this message across Ed
takes advantage of all opportunities
made available to him. He believes
that being proactive about taxes is the
proper way to do business and he will
even show you how your vacations
can also lead to a tax advantage.
Rather than just prepare taxes
for them, Ed Guerrero encourages
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
REALTORS® to learn how to strategize in advance so they will be less
likely to overpay the IRS. They could
simply be missing some potential
deductions, just because their business entity is not set up properly.
Guerrero
CPA is a unique and
dynamic organization consisting not
only
of
CPAs,
Accountants,
Bookkeepers and Tax Consultants,
but also Software and Network
Consultants and Financial Advisors.
Since its inception more than 11 years
ago, Ed Guerrero's practice has grown
to now serve about 4000 clients and
he currently employs a large number
of full-time as well as part-time associates.
Once a REALTOR® learns to
treat what they do daily as a business,
they will find that there are multiple
things to be done that ensure they get
to keep more and pay less to the IRS.
Many folks have heard that they
should set up their business as an
LLC single member corporation
because it will help protect them as a
company. Operating as a sole proprietor means they will be reporting
their income on Schedule C which
then subjects them to paying selfemployment taxes. That could mean,
for example, that if they have a profit
of $105,000 for the year, they could
pay as much as $16,000 in selfemployment taxes. This example
points out that by having an understanding of the many tax strategies
available, one can save a considerable
21
amount of the monies they have
earned and avoid self-employment
taxes.
So how do you learn what tax
strategies might be beneficial to you
in your situation? Time is money-i.e.
if you wish to visit the Accountant
that currently prepares your taxes it
will most likely cost you for that
appointment and if your Accountant
is a CPA it may cost you more. As
REALTORS® in the San Antonio area
you are very fortunate that Ed
Guerrero of the Guerrero CPA company is willing to share his time and
talent with you to ensure you are
made aware of what options you have
to make sure your business is indeed
being run as a business.
Not only does he share his time
with you but he has an open invitation
to join him for lunch on most Fridays
of each month from 11:30 am to 1:00
pm at various restaurants around San
Antonio. If you have questions or just
want to RSVP for one of the Tax
Strategies luncheons call 210-4907100
or
email
him
at
Ed@GuerreroCPA.com. Due to a
major increase in the number of
clients and the resulting necessary
increase in staff, Guerrero
CPA
moved last year to a large, one story
facility located at 508 Rhapsody
Drive. So, do yourself and your pocketbook a favor and check to see how
Guerrero CPA can help you understand the ways you can help your tax
position. "Go See Ed."
Let’s Get That Loan Done!
Matthew Wolf, Mortgage Loan Officer, NMLS# 215696
Direct: 210-853-5929 Cell: 210-535-7100
• Few INVESTOR OVERLAYS on our serviced FHA & VA products
• In house underwriting and loan servicing
• Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae direct lender
210-348-8100
14100 San Pedro #210 • San Antonio, Texas 78232
For use by Real Estate Professionals only.
Not intended for public use or distribution.
Company NMLS# 3274
1
SABOR Keeping Posted
April 1, 2015
www.renewssource.com
April 1, 2015
SABOR Keeping Posted
2
3
SABOR Keeping Posted
April 1, 2015
www.renewssource.com
April 1, 2015
SABOR Keeping Posted
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26
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
Century 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Award
The office of Century 21 Scott
Myers, Realtors has received the
Century 21 Quality Service Pinnacle
award for the 12th consecutive year.
The award is based on the
results of the answers to surveys sent
to the firm's clients and customers
shortly after the closing of a transaction. To receive the award, the average quality service score as rated by
the clients and customers must be 95
for two consecutive years.
Century 21 Scott Myers,
Realtors has also received the prestigious Gold Medallion award for the
2nd year consecutively. It is one of the
highest awards for production that the
Century 21 system gives out. 17 RE/MAX Associates Agents Awarded Five Star
Award For Texas
Kessler Achieves CCHP Designation
KESSLER
Apartment
&
Relocation Center is
proud to announce the
success of Caroline
Kessler’s achievement
of the CCHP designation.
The Certified
Corporate
Housing
Professional (CCHP) certification is offered
by The Corporate Housing Providers
Association. It exemplifies competence and
professionalism in the corporate housing
industry. A successful candidate draws on
personal experience, industry resources,
webinar information and relevant articles to
prepare for and pass the exam. RE/MAX Associates in San
Antonio is extremely proud to announce
that 17 of its agents have been awarded
the Five Star Real Estate Agent Award
for Texas. Congratulations goes out to
Dayton Schrader, Patsy Oakley, Diane
Craig, Bob Leonard, Dawn Ainslie,
Anna Kay Lockridge, Mary Skye,
Nadine Berger, Phyllis Teer, Katie
Griffin-Ross, Pam Powell, Bob Jacobs,
Diana Plummer, Shelly Johnson, Chris
Cisneros, Priscilla Allen, and Janice
Doxtad.
This prestigious award is based
on 9 criteria: Customer service, integrity, market knowledge, communication,
closing preparation, negotiation, finding the right home, marketing of the
home, and overall satisfaction.
The process consisted of surveying recent homebuyers, title companies,
and mortgage companies in the Central
Texas Region and the award is given to
the top 3% of all licensed agents.
The recipients will be featured in
the June 2015 Texas Monthly.
“Realtor LLC vs. Sole Proprietor A Major Difference in Taxes”
New Event:
Tax Strategies for Realtors
KB Home meeting room
4800 Fredericksburg - 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Other Event:
508 W. Rhapsody
San Antonio, Texas 78216
April 1, 2015
www.renewssource.com
RE/MAX Access Welcomes
New Additions
WILSON
ESPARZA
After 22 years
owning a successful hair
salon as well as working
for a home developer in
Rockport, Jinjur Wilson
has begun a new career
in Real Estate in the San
Antonio
and
New
Braunfels areas. With
exceptional people skills
and a knack for listening,
Jinjur is ready to assist
her clients in maximizing
their real estate interests!
With a Bachelors
degree in accounting
from UTSA and owning
his own Taxidermy business for over 15 years,
RIVERA
Trevor Esparza jumped
right into navigating his
clients into the home
buying
&
selling
process!
Jesus Rivera has
22+ years in the hospitality industry including
managing hotels and
manager training has
recently joined RE/MAX
Access as an agent as
well! Jesus moved to San
Antonio as a child,
knows the areas well & is
fluent
in
Spanish.
RE/MAX Access is
pleased to welcome these
new agents!
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
27
Nix Realty Company Teams Up Real Estate NewsSource’s Top Ten Tips
for Press Release Submissions
WIth Leverage Global Partners • Remember
the classics: es.
F.
Ron
Smith,
President of Leverage Global
Partners, recently welcomed
Nix Realty Company as the
Network’s exclusive member
in San Antonio, Texas. A
unique alignment of the most
prestigious independent real
estate brokerage firms around
the world, Leverage Global
Partners offers its members
the opportunity to better
serve their clients’ relocation
and real estate portfolio
needs by establishing each
member firm as key players
in the international real estate
arena.
As a member of
Leverage,
Nix
Realty
Company will be promoted
as the Network’s exclusive
representative for the San
Antonio area, facilitating a
framework in which the company can expand and compete with larger franchise networks. Through Leverage’s
“Just Ask” referral program,
Nix Realty Company associates are offered personal
introductions and provided
access to top firms around the
world, ensuring them incomparable networking ability in
the worldwide luxury real
estate market.
In addition to offering
exceptional service and connectivity, Leverage differentiates itself from existing
international luxury real
estate
associations
by
increasing the online and
social media presence of its
members, and providing marketing tools designed to help
a member expand his or her
individual
business.
Leverage promotes the presidents of member firms and
extends media access for
their members’ properties
through a robust public relations outreach and digital
platform.
who, what, when, where,
how and why. If your
press release covers all
those bases, chances are
you’ll get it published.
• Verify all facts & figures. Names and titles
should be spelled correctly and double check
phone numbers and email addresses.
• Be concise. Editors look
for press releases that can
be published without too
much editing. Stick to the
basic facts and never submit more than 200 words.
• Do not include too many
different topics. Stay on
point. The shorter, the
better.
• Have someone review
the copy for typos, errors
or repetition before you
submit it.
• Remember, we do not
say where people use to
work in our press releas-
• Remember, the editor
reserves the right to edit
copy for style and space
available. If total control
of the content is required,
it’s best to purchase an
ad.
• Add your contact information (name & phone
number) at the top of the
page in case the editor
needs to call to clarify
any details.
• E-mail submissions are
preferred.
Send your
release to editor@renewssource.com
• Please remember, all
approved press releases
will be published on a
space-available basis. If
your press release is time
sensitive, be sure to send
it in on time so every
effort can be made to publish it. Please note time
sensitivity at the top of
any submission.
28
REAL ESTATE NEWS SOURCE
April 1, 2015
WCR March Luncheon at Sonterra
Debbie Forshey,
Coldwell Banker
D’Ann Harper
Realtors and Gwen
Derry, Trinity Title.
J.R. Troy, ERA Troy
Realtors.
Susie Sheffield,
RE/MAX Access and
Beth Oliver, Austin
Broker.
Bob Jacobs, Laura Estes and Katie Ross, all RE/MAX Associates.
Cindy Cox,
RE/MAX Access,
Craig Loeffler,
Phyllis Browning
Company and
Amy Kolb, Keller
Williams City View.
Paula Grigsby, TAPFCU and Hope Dufner, Guest.
Carolyn
Hegranes, Keller
Williams City View.
Sheila Moran,
RE/MAX Access, Pat
Farrell, Slater realtors
and Karen Shaffer,
Frontier Title.