Saturday, May 16, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Moving this Blog - Please come along
I am still not quite ready yet, but I wanted to move the blog before I leave for Washington next week. So here is the URL http://joespakeblog.com. I am moving to the Wordpress platform, and I think that, once I get it all tweaked like I want, you will enjoy it more that this platform.
I have already moved over the posts from this blog, so you can make a seamless transition to http://joespakeblog.com starting NOW.
If you subscribe via RSS feed, the new feed is http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ JoeSpakesWeblog.
Please change your subscription, so that you won't miss any posts
I have already moved over the posts from this blog, so you can make a seamless transition to http://joespakeblog.com starting NOW.
If you subscribe via RSS feed, the new feed is http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ JoeSpakesWeblog.
Please change your subscription, so that you won't miss any posts
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Twitter - Tweet Stats - Wordle
For you Twitter addicts, check out http://www.tweetstats.com to look at your stats, then navigate to your Tweet cloud. After being amazed by that for a bit, hit the Wordle link, and go wild!
My Twitter production, graphically presented in Wordle
click for larger view.
My Twitter production, graphically presented in Wordle
click for larger view.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Spring Cleaning - Been there, got the T-shirt
"I've been sifting through the layers, of dusty books and faded papers........" so go the lyrics of Kate Wolf's Across the Great Divide (great song, but you will have to look it up-I can't find a sharable copy online). Spring cleaning time, and I am going through stuff I haven't looked at in years. The other day it was books, and the Library was the beneficiary of such an eclectic collection of books that even the bookworms were scratching their heads.Today was T-shirt clean up day. Since I was in the radio business back in the 70s I had a great T-shirt coll
ection which was mostly liquidated 10 years ago. Its funny, though, how well a 35 year old t-shirt holds up.I didn't make it to the David Crosby Concert back in March of 1974, but I've got the t-shirt. Never monkey-wrenched a piece of heavy equipment or spiked a tree, but I've got the Earth First! t-shirt.
I did do some interviews with Memphis' most successful wrestler, Jerry, the King, Lawler, during his short-lived singing career with Barbarian Records.
These are going to interested friends, and the rest (about 30) are going to MIFA. Of course I have a few left that you will have to check Ebay for the pictures.
It's interesting what we choose to keep and what we choose to part with. I am not seeing much value these days in keeping things just to have them. I am looking forward to
continuing my deep cleaning. Next I am jumping to hundreds of vinyl albums.Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Seth Godin - Broken from 2006
Seth Godin speech on what is broken - ThisIsBroken.com. This is a good investement of about 20 minutes.
Seth Godin at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.
Seth Godin at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Facebook Manners And You
One of the best FaceBook "instructional" videos I have ever seen:
Be sure and visit me on facebook at http://www.spakebook.com
or my facebook business page at http://joespakepage.com
Friday, April 17, 2009
3 Unrelated Memphis Things
I just posted about the March Real Estate sales stats for the Memphis Area.
Anyone who ever saw Memphis Wrestling in the old days will appreciate http://Lancerussell.com
I would like to get Omari Fleming to show me how he ties his necktie.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
If you build it (and get a big enough tax freeze), they will come
I posted last month about the failed Horizon Condo project converting to luxury apartments and getting a $10 Million+ Pilot tax break.
Today's Commercial Appeal reports that another Downtown property, a 204 unit apartment complex on Mud Island, yet to be started, has been granted a 10 year tax freeze worth $2.47 Million.
"The Center City Revenue Finance Corp. waived a policy against property tax freezes for apartments on Mud Island after representatives of Grand Island LLC said the project wouldn't be feasible without one."
As a taxpayer, I would like to know who is accountable for the tax dollars that the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. gives away. Everyone I know has been hit with reappraisals that exceed previous appraisals by double digits. One way or another we will be squeezed for more property taxes to complement our nearly 10% sales tax.
What is the Center City Revenue Finance Corp.'s budget? Who approves the credits? Why has the Corp.'s "policy" been "waived" twice in a one month period?
Today's Commercial Appeal reports that another Downtown property, a 204 unit apartment complex on Mud Island, yet to be started, has been granted a 10 year tax freeze worth $2.47 Million.
"The Center City Revenue Finance Corp. waived a policy against property tax freezes for apartments on Mud Island after representatives of Grand Island LLC said the project wouldn't be feasible without one."
As a taxpayer, I would like to know who is accountable for the tax dollars that the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. gives away. Everyone I know has been hit with reappraisals that exceed previous appraisals by double digits. One way or another we will be squeezed for more property taxes to complement our nearly 10% sales tax.
What is the Center City Revenue Finance Corp.'s budget? Who approves the credits? Why has the Corp.'s "policy" been "waived" twice in a one month period?
Monday, April 06, 2009
Unhappy with your reappraisal? - Take Action or Live with it
Snooze and Lose
I just went online to request a review of my 2009 Tax appraisal from Cheyenne Johnson's Office. Mine jumped 23.5% from the last appraisal, and that figure seems like a low increase compared to those of my Midtown friends, some of whom reported 50%+ increases, and none reported less than a 2-digit increase. The Review process is relatively simple, and can be found on the Assessor Site. Supposedly you get an answer to your review request by May 1, in time to do a formal appeal if necessary. Remember there is a deadline, and you need to get on this quickly.
How did they come up with the values?
Can anyone really think that property values have increased across the board in the Memphis area, especially over the last 2 years? Do foreclosures (Memphis is considered to be a "foreclosure capitol") really not have an impact on values, as state guidelines claim? What drove the huge increases in Midtown and East Memphis, and how the Assessor's people came up with their comparables for their Neighborhood Sales Search is beyond me, at least in my personal case. I found my own, more reasonable, comparables for the review. There are a number of reasons to look more deeply into your property's value and at least do the review process if you have had a significant increase; the main reason, of course, being significant tax increases in both City and County property taxes. Remember the definition of an appraisal is fair market value: what a buyer is willing to pay and what a seller is willing to accept in an arms-length transaction. If you don't think your assessed value meets that test, request a review, and if necessary, appeal.
I have linked some of the news coverage in the Commercial Appeal of the unhappiness surrounding the appraisal:
Shelby County reappraisals bite blighted areas
Reappraisals up 6 percent or more in East MemphisI just went online to request a review of my 2009 Tax appraisal from Cheyenne Johnson's Office. Mine jumped 23.5% from the last appraisal, and that figure seems like a low increase compared to those of my Midtown friends, some of whom reported 50%+ increases, and none reported less than a 2-digit increase. The Review process is relatively simple, and can be found on the Assessor Site. Supposedly you get an answer to your review request by May 1, in time to do a formal appeal if necessary. Remember there is a deadline, and you need to get on this quickly.
How did they come up with the values?
Can anyone really think that property values have increased across the board in the Memphis area, especially over the last 2 years? Do foreclosures (Memphis is considered to be a "foreclosure capitol") really not have an impact on values, as state guidelines claim? What drove the huge increases in Midtown and East Memphis, and how the Assessor's people came up with their comparables for their Neighborhood Sales Search is beyond me, at least in my personal case. I found my own, more reasonable, comparables for the review. There are a number of reasons to look more deeply into your property's value and at least do the review process if you have had a significant increase; the main reason, of course, being significant tax increases in both City and County property taxes. Remember the definition of an appraisal is fair market value: what a buyer is willing to pay and what a seller is willing to accept in an arms-length transaction. If you don't think your assessed value meets that test, request a review, and if necessary, appeal.
I have linked some of the news coverage in the Commercial Appeal of the unhappiness surrounding the appraisal:
Shelby County reappraisals bite blighted areas
Property reappraisal protests simmer, don't boil
Double-digit increases shown for suburban reappraisals
Even public officials feeling stung by property appraisals
Shelby County property tax reappraisals shock some
Appraisals show some increases : Millington Tipton
Some appraisals show increases
In brief: Some appraisals show increase in property values : Germantown Collierville MemphisHome reappraisals have all on edge
Double-digit increases shown for suburban reappraisals
Even public officials feeling stung by property appraisals
Shelby County property tax reappraisals shock some
Appraisals show some increases : Millington Tipton
Some appraisals show increases
In brief: Some appraisals show increase in property values : Germantown Collierville MemphisHome reappraisals have all on edge
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