Just a reminder for all you parents in with children going to school.There is another sales tax holiday coming on August 3rd thru 5th.The sales tax holiday does not have mandatory participation, local jurisdictions and declare not to participate. Be sure to ask when going into a store if they are participants of the sales tax holiday. The Missouri Department of Revenue's site has a list of counties that have opted out. It can be found here: http://dor.mo.gov/tax/business/sales/taxholiday/counties.htmI do not see Clay County or Platte County listed!Here are the limitations for the exemptions:Clothes - any article having a tax value of $100 or lessComputer Software/Programs - tax value of $350.00 or lessPersonal Computers - cannot exceed $3,500School Supplies - cannot exceed $50 per purch... 07/16/2007

  Now it's rather funny, but at the time it was really scary!   Ken and I were sitting on the deck with the cat.  I'd just gotten up to put down the umbrella because we were seeing the storm coming in.  I commented as I looked to the left of the above picture...."Look at all that dust!"  Then it hit.   It had to have been a micro burst.  I threw open the door and yelled at the cat to get inside and then proceeded to hold on to the umbrella for all I was worth.  It blew some of my plants off the deck to the ground below and actually was blowing the b.b.q grill, moving it on the deck.   Now I know how Dorothy felt in the Wizard of Oz.  We're all safe and there was no major damage.  It went away as quick as it came.  Ken had just snapped these pictures before the wind began to blow and I ... 07/15/2007

It's been an amazing day.... there I was out watering the grass.  A car pulls up and they were looking at the house next to us.  I looked up, the driver waved and I said, "You should buy the house, it's really nice!"  She said..." Yes, it's really pretty."  Of course the next thing out of my mouth was, "Do you have a REALTOR®??"  She said, "No, not yet."  So I went and got her a card out of my purse. A couple hours later she called me....  "There are a couple of houses we'd like to see."Of course that wasn't a problem whatsoever.  We set a time and went and looked at the houses.  They liked them both but no decisions were made.As soon as I get home I immediately fill out the feedback forms.  I think that's only right.  In fact, I don't consider my showing process over until I do fill ou... 07/14/2007

I certainly have a new appreciation for what buyers and sellers go through when they are preparing to move.  It's said to be one of the most stressful things that you encounter in your life and I believe it to be true.Even with careful planning and mindful packing it's nearly impossible to know where everything is when you land.I know in the future I'll certainly have more compassion for my clients when it comes to moving in Kansas CityIt's important that if you are using a mover you get a good one.  We used a mover and I couldn't have been more pleased.  These gentlemen knew how to pack a truck and pack it well.But we had more "stuff" than their largest truck could haul so it was up to us and some dear friends to move the rest.So imagine if you are all stressed out about moving and add... 07/13/2007

Back in the day when I was a kid ... At the corner of N. Oak and Vivion Rd in the Northland was this beautiful pasture that contained these gorgeous horses.  The nice thing about having to stop at that stoplight is the horses were normally in the corner of the property watching traffic go by.  They looked so pretty and carefree standing there eating grass and swishing their tails against themselves to get rid of the pesky flies.Well.. watch out....there are plans underway to build a new shopping center on a portion of this land that was owned by the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary campus in the Northland.They are going to call it North Oak Village and will have more than 300,000 square feet of retail with one big box store, one smaller anchor and seven smaller freestanding opera... 07/08/2007