Porchman

You are correct. We spent way too much of this thread discussing IRC 2032a and other farm/ranch related issues. That's why I posted... ...to try to bring us to a landing.

Oh, Lexus service is very helpful. You're taken to a private booth, and some guy sits across a table from you with hands folded, and says "how can we help you?" And you just want new key fob, because if you lose the one you have, a revamp of the security lockout is $3500 (ccough). Get a Lexus and go to Clear Choice on the SW Freeway. They are Lexus certified. They seem to be cheaper than the dealers. Steve Ivey is a good guy.

...which is where I got the 1% statistic which responded to your connvenient ignorance of the 2009 freeze legislation pending as: a. you kept posting 2011 suppositions based on the 2001 law b. your posts that there is a wide degree of farms succombing to estate tax Context, boy! The other way to look at it, is that liberals are better at managing cooperative efforts. I look at the divisiveness exercised by the Bush admisnistration, by Perry and Craddick in Austin, by Jared Woodfill and the Harris County GOP who have gone so far to censure their own for making decisions independent from their platform. Oh, and to truly demonstrate the inability to get along with people... That sums up the question posed in this thread. Clearly, you agree.

Just a clarification: Step-up existed long before 2001. In fact, under the current law, it disappears next year, because without a taxable event at the death of a grantor, there is no step-up.

..in a freakin Subaru, no less?! What's this world coming to?

I would have gone with Paula Dean. She deep fries stuffing on a stick.

On a metro level, I would agree with you. On a City level, not. I would also say Harris County is about half-half now. Fort Bend is becoming more of a mix, too. Montgomery County is solidly conservative. Galveston County seems to be all over the place. MORE ON TOPIC: The Heights probably lags behind Montrose in progressivism (yes, "progressivism"...mind my semantics ). Montrose has to balance woo-hoo clubs/bars/restaurants with their residential solidity. I would say that they have a lot more ills (e.g. teenage runaways that are working the streets) right in the realm of their neighborhoods. The space is generally tighter and more multi-family than the Heights. As a result they have the more of enlightenment and challenges (quoting myelf here) that proffer progressivism. In the Heights, we have tremendous cultural diversity (whether we share it or not is another matter). However, it's becoming an increasing anglo place, clearly. What that means in terms of political leaning, I'm not sure. We are going to become an increasingly urbanized space as the metro grows around us. I would guess that the enlightenment and challenge that growth brings to us will maintain the Heights as a more progressive area.

You might remember this thread http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...rt=#entry308379 While I do not buy all of what Florida pitches, I do find how his social theories interesting in that they are intertwined with a great deal of what people who advocate sustainable development are saying. The economic aspect of his theories are, well, flaccid. As far as FW is concerned, I think they need to decide if they want to be truly urban or if they are more like a bedroom community/neighborhood or edge city. The answer to that question may depend on commuter rail. It also may depend how they perceive the use of their Downtown (or should I call it the Bass Family District - the BFD?). They could be a viable Uptown/Galleria or Buckhead of the Metroplex. However, if they want to be a distinct, urban environment, they may need to pay attention to Florida. Personally, I think they need to pay attention to their Metroplex role. There's the rub. Oh, BTW, we should probably just create a Richard Florida thread. The way Niche argues with him, he might as well be a member.

So the grip is an additional bathroom convenience! When I first saw your post, I thought it might be for keeping balance while using the stick.

I would suggest that the political differences are attributable to the diversity found in cities versus rural areas. In encountering the enlightenment and challenges of cultural and social differences - race, religion, nationality, sexuality, to name a few - a more progressive attitude and approach develops. That being said, there are some notable exceptions to the rural-metro voting on this map. There's blue in Northern MN, Northern WI, Northern MI, eastern IA, VT, NH, ME, that small, but consistent swath through the middle of AL, northern NM, northern AZ.

Leepy (Mayor Brown) pitched the idea of a mayoral residence when he was in office. His reasoning was that the Mayor receives and entertains people as part of the job. I recall the idea being received with shrugs or derision. The Whites live in a gated community off Memorial Drive, just outside the loop. They have lived there for over 10 years.

Paisley won't do. It's a gift meant to fit a theme and interest.

Anybody know where I could find a plaid basketball? I've looked on the net, but get a bunch of hits for apparel.

Also, this was the warehouse that serves both locations. It's the resource for his "buy it t-day, you'll get it t-day" promise.

This sounds very much like my conversation. He had a lot of insight regarding infrastructural issues. Actually, I give him credit for - ahem - taking care of Funky PBrown. Brown is not my choice for Mayor (even with his endorsement from George Clinton ). However, I separate that from this election.

Panama City?

OK...Megalomaniac track house, then. I don't disagree in the comparison of the appearance of the two. (After all, I like porches!). To clarify, I was referencing aesthetics in the "San Francisco wonder" and size in the "Megalomaniac dream house." My response was in context to economics around size and price point. Tricon has graduated to building more of the former, smaller units than the latter, larger units. (I use Tricon as an example simply because of the amount of building they are doing in the Heights.) One general thrust in this thread had insisted that the economics of this were built around the underlying value of the land. I don't disagree with that either. You can see that on a psf basis where well-cared-for bungalows sell for a lot more than most larger homes foot-for-foot. But affordability is another economic issue at play, particulary in the current, econonmic environment.

Link to the archived listing http://www.har.com/HomeValue/dispSoldDetai...02PINELAKETRAIL Pics with kitchen and all.

"Elitist?" I'll miss your wit. Be well. EDIT: Do you get a refund on the subscription?

OK. Some editing and a new PC later.... TheNiche's really cool building... 20thStDad's very good brew We all really dug the wood trusses...even before we started drinking A great place to hang out and have a good time. A good time was had by all Thanks again, Niche .

Oh, they had a whole article..I think in Houston House and Home "How to Party in the East End".

I guess we can be encouraged to hear that he acknowledges something that took place 550 million years ago(?)

Well, it's also tied to price point in the market. There are more people who can qualify/want-to-pay $300k for a house than people who can qualify/want-to-pay $600k for a house. In the Heights, look at Tricon. They appear to be building and selling lots of the "firehouse" models like the San Francisco wonder versus McVics like this Megalomaniac dream house . In fact, they have shifted almost all their building practice to the former.