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8A – Daily News – Wednesday, January 27, 2010 $ Money $ 2 Lend Cash 4 Notes McKinley Mortgage Co. CA DRE # 01773837 Call 530-241-0977 800-909-1977 DW PLUMBING INC. Local Plumbers Serving all Your Plumbing Needs Since 1993 530 527-6403 Lic. No 679492 Major Credit Cards Accepted Commerce business&enterprise 649 Main Street Downtown Red Bluff GAYLE'S 1/2 off Jan 25 th - Jan. 30 th Winter Sleepwear & Robes Come in and see our new lower prices We are open and NOT CLOSING Everyday 7am-3pm 200 So. Main St. Red Bluff, Ca 529-9488 BUY TWO GET 3RD FREE! equal or lesser value Anything on the menu 623 Main St. 527-5180 Plan for it! END OF SEASON SALE 30% Off Jan. 26th thru 31st Only Clothing & Gear Drop Off Sites in Downtown Businesses Thank you from D.R.B.B.A. Collecting until February 14th Food From the Heart Canned Food Drive ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Relay For Life to host GMRB Good Morning, Red Bluff, the chamber's unique membership information-sharing series, takes place at 7:50 a.m. Thursday, hosted by the Relay For Life folks and American Cancer Society at the Red Bluff Presbyterian Church, 838 Jefferson St. Good Morning, Red Bluff Chairwoman Carol Woods reports that the "very successful morning get-togethers offer cham- ber members a great opportunity to network and do business with one another." The meeting will feature the 16th session of the chamber's Com- munity Leadership series, which strives to keep chamber members updated on important topical issues affecting the community. This ses- sion will feature Red Bluff Police Chief Paul Nanfito and Tehama County Sheriff Clay Parker report- ing on local law enforcement issues. Good Morning, Red Bluff is on the last Thursday of each month at different locations hosted by local businesses. Future meetings include February, Sears, and March, McG- lynn, McGlynn & Bottke *** The 69th Annual Bull Sale, the 48th Annual Gelding and Mule Sale and the 32nd Annual Dog Sale, are taking place this week at the Tehama District Fairground and everyone is invited. According to Chamber President Kristin Behrens, nearly 10,000 cat- tlemen, horsemen, consignors, buy- ers, owners and browsers attend this five-day sale, arriving from throughout the West. This year the event features 390 haltered and range-ready bulls, 150 geldings, 20 stock dogs, 5 mules and 1,500 replacement heifers — sold on in- house video. The schedule of events began Tuesday with the sifting and grading of all calving-ease bulls and range ready bulls. The sifting and grading of all halter bulls, all breeds, begins at 7:30 a.m.today at the Don Smith Pavillion, followed by work- ing stock dogs at 1 p.m. The event's Trade Show, featur- ing more than 100 booths, begins today at noon. Geldings and mules will show at halter in age order, youngest to old- est, starting at 7 a.m. Thursday at the Pauline Davis Pavillion. At 12:30 p.m., the replacement female sale takes place in the Don Smith Pavillion, while geldings and mules do dry work under saddle at 1 p.m. The Ted Robinson Cow Horse clinic will be presented at 6 p.m. Thursday by Purina Mills in the Pauline Davis Pavillion and is fol- lowed by the working of stock dogs at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, Jan. 29, The 22nd Annual Cowboy Pan- cake Breakfast will start at 6 a.m. Friday at the Pauline Davis Pavil- lion. Also on Friday, roping, cutting and hackamore snaffle bit competi- tion among geldings and mules will take place at 8 a.m. A special luncheon sponsored by the Tehama County CattleWomen will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the fair- grounds cafeteria. At noon, cow dogs will work outside followed by the sale of the working stock dogs at 2:30 p.m. The sale of all quarter horses, paint geldings and saddle mules takes place at 5 p.m. Friday at the Pauline Davis Pavillion. Cost is $10 per person. A special tri-tip barbe- cue, also $10 per person, will be served before and during the horse sale. On Saturday, the sale of bulls begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Don Smith Pavillion. Saturday evening will feature Red Bluff's Buckin' Best Bull Riding with "top cow- boys going head to head with the rankest bucking bulls and broncs in rodeo." A party and dance will fol- low the bullriding. Tickets are $20 pre-sale and $25 at the door for general admission. All aspects of the Bull Sale are open to the public with the only charge being the admission fees for the Gelding Sale on Friday and the Bull Riding event on Saturday. For additional event details, call the Red Bluff Bull Sale office at 527-2045 or visit www.redbluff- bullsale.com. ——— The We Mean Business column is prepared and submitted by the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce. Cancer Society is in the spotlight • Spotlight of the Week – Our member spotlight is on The American Cancer Society, 754 Mangrove Ave. in Chico, 342-4567. We would like to highlight one of its programs that is coming up soon. The American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days Program raises funds and hope for all people facing cancer. A representative of The American Cancer Society said, This long-standing fundraising campaign cele- brates the society's mission to eliminate cancer as a life-threatening disease by offering daffodils to donors in appreciation for their contribution. Everyone from school children to corporate CEOs has the power to make a difference for cancer patients and their families. By giving daffodils, we have the power to give hope. As the first flower of spring, the daffodil is the Ameri- can Cancer Society's symbol of hope. A 10-inch oatmeal-colored plush bear named Birth- days R. Hope has been created exclusively for Daffodil Days to help communicate that a world with less can- cer is a world with more birthdays. The bear can be ordered for a donation of $25 and sent along with a bouquet of 10 daffodils. In addition, you can purchaser a bunch for $10, a bunch in a Sunshine vase for $20 or two bunches in a Vision vase for $35. The last day to place an advanced order is Feb. 26 and items will be distributed March 24. Dollars raised through Daffodil Days campaign will help the American Cancer Society fund cancer research, provide up-to-date cancer information and education and provide services that improve the quali- ty of life for patients and their families. For more information about Daffodil Days call 342- 4567, prompt 3. • Installation Dinner – The chamber's annual instal- lation dinner was held Saturday, Jan. 23 at the Veterans Memorial Hall. Dinners were served to 114 business members, candidates and individuals. The theme this year was Decade of Hope and President Barbara Lan- davazo spoke of the need to have hope and how we must "move forward with purpose." The chamber would like to thank Lin Lima of Dream, Themes and Schemes for a wonderful dinner and Sonja Akers, a chamber director, who provided the lovely decorations. Congratulations to Don and Connie Massie of Corn- ing Medical Associates, who won Business of the Year 2009, and Bud Gott, winner of the chamber's Home- town Hero 2009 award. Both received plaques from the chamber and certificates from the offices of State Sen. Sam Aanestad, Rep. Wally Herger and Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, presented by Doug LaMalfa on Nielsen's behalf. • E-Waste Collection — Saturday, Jan. 30 there will be an opportunity for you to get rid of old TVs, com- puters, monitors, printer, microwave ovens, VCRs, DVD players and other small electronic waste free. You may bring your items to the Corning Transportation Center parking lot, corner of Third and Solano streets between 8 a.m. and noon. • Marriage Seminar – Feb. 12-14 New Life Assem- bly will be holding a marriage seminar, "Building an Emotionally Healthy Marriage." The seminar begins Friday, at 5:30 p.m. with a meal and teaching. Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., includes all three meals. There will be a giveaway weekend for one couple at a Tahoe resort. Tickets are $75 per couple. Call for tickets now at 824-3426. ——— This column is prepared and submitted by the Corning Chamber of Commerce. In today's environment, selling a house is a lot more difficult than in the recentpast. The housing crisis that has seen the sales of existing homes decline the past twoyears creates a dilemma for many home- owners who want or need to change addresses. What can you do if you have already purchased another home, need to relocate to a different city and are no longer able to occupy your existing home? If selling has- n't worked out, consider the option of renting your home instead. It can help you cope with the financial challenge of keeping up with the costs of multiple dwellings. But, you also need to be prepared to take on the role of landlord. Dealing with a harsh reality The bursting of the so-called "housing bubble," when average home prices shot up dramatically and then collapsed, has put many homeowners in a difficult position. In much of the country, home val- ues have taken a significant hit and there are fewer buyers on the mar- ket due to the struggling economy. According to the National Asso- ciation of Realtors, sales of existing homes fell by some 13 percent from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2007 to 2008. The average sales price of an existing home nationally declined from $221,900 in 2006 to a low of $166,600 in April 2009. Renting is a financial alternative If you choose to rent your home, study the market in your area to determine a fair asking price. If your home is in good shape and in a favorable location, it may be easier to find renters in today's market. Your pri- mary goal is to try and gen- erate enough in monthly rent to cover your expens- es, such as the mortgage payment, insurance and property tax that you must continue to pay as the owner of the property. You must consider, however, that you are constrained by what the current rental market will bear, so it may not necessarily match your ongoing costs. There are other factors to consid- er as well when you rent your home: • Maintenance - for tasks like mowing a lawn or shoveling side- walks, you may want to strike an agreement with the renter. If the home needs repairs (fixing a leaky roof, hiring a plumber to deal with a clogged drain, etc.) that cost is the responsibility of you, the property owner. • Tax considerations - income from rent is taxed as ordinary income, typically a higher rate for individuals than the capital gains tax rate. There are some ways depreciation methods can be used to reduce the current tax burden, but that also creates more complications when you sell the house. • Wear and tear on the property - will a renter care for your property as much as you do? The motivation to do so often isn't there, so renters can take a toll on a home that you hope will once again be attractive to buyers when the housing market recovers. On the other hand, a vacant house can be more difficult to sell than one that is occupied, even if the owner does not live there, so renting the home can also have advantages. However, the biggest factor in determining whether to choose the rental option is whether you can sell your home in a timely manner and for the price you want given the realities of today's market. ___ Alan Foley is a financial advisor and business financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial, 2150 Main St., Ste. 8, and can be reached at 528-1328. Alan Foley Can't sell your home? Consider renting it On Jan. 4, the IRS took steps to decrease the inci- dents of fraudulent and negligent tax preparers by requiring a system of regis- tration, education and test- ing of the people who pre- pare America's taxes. This regulation bears great similarity to the requests for return preparer regulation that the Califor- nia Society of Enrolled Agents (CSEA) and the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) have traditionally called for and supported. Enrolled agents are independent business peo- ple who are the only feder- ally licensed individuals to prepare taxes and to repre- sent the taxpayer before the IRS. "Although the regula- tion will not go into effect until 2011, this bold step helps to protect the 80 per- cent of the American tax- paying public who either pay someone to prepare their taxes or who use tax preparation software," said Rose Hablitzel, of Red Bluff, who represents CSEA. The report calls for: • Requiring all paid tax return preparers who must sign a federal tax return to register with the IRS and obtain a Preparer Tax Iden- tification Number. These preparers will be subject to a limited tax compliance check to ensure they have filed federal personal, employment and business tax returns, and that the tax due on those returns has been paid. • Requiring competency tests for all paid tax return preparers, except attorneys, CPAs and enrolled agents who are active and in good standing with their respec- tive licensing agencies. • Requiring ongoing continuing professional education for all paid tax return preparers, except attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents and others who are already subject to continu- ing education require- ments. Tax preparer registration, testing Shasta offers strategic planning workshop The Shasta College Economic and Workforce Development Division announces its next Leadership Excellence Community Collaborative Workshop entitled Strategic Planning, 8 a.m. to noon Wednes- day, Feb. 3, at the Shasta College Health Sciences & University Center, 1400 Market St., Room 8220. Strategic planning is essential for any organiza- tion and is a vital skill that managers must regular- ly practice and employ to be successful. Partici- pants in this workshop will explore: developing an understanding of the framework and terminology of strategic planning; learning the cycle of plan- ning and where strategy comes into play; what strategic planning is and what it is not; assessing an organization's readiness for strategic planning and reviewing practical methods, practical tools and practical examples of strategic planning. The fee to attend the workshop is $20 and reg- istration can be made online at: www.shastacol- lege.edu/ewd.