Brigita's Blog: March 2009

Here it is!  Just what you've been waiting for!  Photos of the new addition to the McKelvie family.

Let me introduce you to the newest member of the McKelvie family, Ezra Paul.  Born March 8th, 2009, weighing in at 8 pounds 3 ounces and measuring 19 inches. 

Here are the proud mom and new son.

Proud new dad, big brother and new baby.

Can't wait to see him.

Last night I got some wonderful news.  We had a new addition to the family. 

My stepson and his wife had their second child yesterday.  It was a healthy baby boy!  He was born a week late, but both are doing well.  His name is Ezra Paul and weighed in over 8 pounds.

I haven't seen him, yet.  I'm sure mom, dad and baby need some time to recuperate and have some alone time.  My husband and I will probably go out in a couple of weeks to see them. 

Can't wait to see the new addition and the rest of the family!

 I thought I would share some funny horse quotes to start off the week.  Hope you like them.

The following are about horse racing and were quoted by Henny Youngman:

"I bet on a horse that was so slow, I bet it to live."

"The horse I bet on was so slow, the jockey kept a diary of the trip."

"My horse's jockey was hitting the horse.  The horse turns around and says:  "Why are you hitting me?  There is nobody behind us!"

"That was the first time I saw a horse from a kneeling position!"

A T-shirt worn by a horse show groom: 

"The Braiding Bunch."

A couple more sayings you might enjoy:

"In what other sport do you put o leather boots, stretch-fabric breeches, a shirt and tie, a wool jacket, a velvet-covered cap and leather gloves, and then go out and exercise?
-A London Wolf (on horse showing in ninety-plus-degree summer weather)

"A horse is dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle."
-Ian Fleming, quoted in the Sunday Times (London), October 9, 1966

"Horses do think.  Not very deeply, perhps, but enough to get you into a lot of trouble."
-Patricia Jacobson and Marcia Hayes, from "A Horse Around the House"

Attention all Lehigh Valley Equestrians!  The Horse Expo is coming to Allentown, PA!

February 26th - March 1st, Harrisburg held their annual Horse Expo in the Farm Show Complex.  For those of you that missed it, here is another opportunity for all of you to attend a Horse Expo.  And it's held in our own backyard.  (Even those that had the pleasure of attending the Harrisburg Horse Expo might not want to miss this.)

The Eastern Pennsylvania Spring Horse Expo will be held on Saturday, April 4th, 2009 (sorry it's for one day only), from 10 AM until 6PM at the Ag-Plex at the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown, PA. 

Admission is $5 per person for adults and children 13 and older.  Children 12 and under get in for FREE.  Parking is FREE and plentiful.

This event is sponsored by the "Bucks County Equestrian".

Plenty of vendors, speakers and demonstrators will be on hand at the Expo.

For more information, click here.

So, come on out and support your local horse expo.  Staying close to home will save you on gas and travel time.  Hope to see all of you there!

The Lehigh Valley Market Update for February, 2009, has some good news.

Sales during February, 2009 were up about 13.3% with 230 sales reported, as compared to January of 2009 at 203 sales.

The average sales price for February, 2009 was down approximately 3% at $196,000 from $202,000 in January, 2009.

The average time on the market for properties sold in February, 2009 was 87 days, which is an increase compared to January, 2009 at 81 days.

The average sales price of newly constucted homes with 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths is $449,000.  This is based on 4 new construction properties sold in the month of February.  During the month of January, 2009, the average sales price was recorded at $384,000. 

February Sales Distribution

Sale Price                                    Number of Sales

under $70,000                                     20
$70,001 - $100,000                             28
$100,001 - $150,000                           46
$150,001 - $200,000                           55
$200,001 - $250,000                           29
$250,001 - $300,000                           17
$300,001 - $350,000                           14
$350,001 - $400,000                            4
$400,001 - $450,000                            7
$450,001 - $500,000                            4
$500,001 - $600,000                            2
$600,001 - $700,000                            1
$700,001 - $800,000                            2
$800,001 and above                             1

As you can see, spring is bringing increased home sales for the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania.

Watch out everyone!  The Lehigh Valley is holding it's own version of 'American Idol'.

This event is in it's 5th year and will happen at 7PM on Friday, March 6th, at the Wind Gap Middle School Auditorium.

Twelve people from all over the Lehigh Valley will perform for the chance to win $500 and a recording session.  The audience will also have the opportunity to hear a performance by last year's winner, Veronica Anthony.

The event is actually called the "Slate Belt Idol" and is modeled after the famous show "American Idol".  People from all over the region are eligible.  This year's contestants come from places such as Allentown, Northampton and the Poconos.

The competition will be emceed by local DJ of WODE-FM (the Hawk), Rick Michaels, and hosted by Barbie Andretti.

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens.  Proceeds will benefit Families First, a non-profit organization that provides a variety of services for families in the Pen Argyl School District.

Listen up all horse owners!  Things are changing!

To find out about the changes that are occuring in the horse world, you should attend the Equine Stewardship Short Course offered by Penn State.

The course is being offered in April on 3 separate evenings.  The dates are April 16th, 23rd, and 30th, from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM at the Best Western Conference Center in Bethlehem, PA.

The equine industry continues to grow and expand across the nation.  Equine research is providing new information that is generating many changes in recommendations for practices that have been in place for many years.  All participants in this short course will be made aware of new and emerging information that will benefit their horses and the environment.

On Thursday April 16th, the topic will be "Foraging Around - Grazing Principles for a Healthier Horse".  It will cover the importance of forage to eqine diets, types of forages, new pasture speciaes, how to manage grazing, rotational grazing and how to improve pastures without high tech equipment.

The topic for Thursday, April 23rd, will be "Equine Parasite - They Are Smarter Than You Think".  Participants in this course will learn about parasite life cycles and learn which environmental conditions are necessary for thier development, developping a new and effectivede-worming program for horses, and the new protocol that dictates when and how to de-worm horses.

The last topic to be covered on Thursday, April 30th, will be "The Scoop on Poop!"  The session will address manure management, practical ways of dealing with manure, flies, and odors.  It will also look at ways that manure can actually become an asset.  Plus, it will focus on existing legislation as well as regulations that are being developed that will have an impact on horse farms.

As you can see, these sessions are packed with lots of new information for all horse owners.  The fee for all 3 sessions is $30.  I'd say that's a pretty good deal.

So, how about attending and learning the new changes that are happening in the horse world?

The Economic Stimulus Act has been signed into law by President Obama.  As you all know, the bill is intended to provide a jump start to the economy in the United States.

The new law contains 2 important tax incentives which will allow a bigger write-off for horse businesses for horses and depreciable property purchased and placed into service during 2009.  The provisions expired at the end of 2008, but were reinstated this year providing an additional incentive for people to purchase horses for racing, showing and breeding as part of their business activities.

The first incentive is a $250,000 expensing allowance that applies to not only towards horses purchased and placed into service in 2009, but also applies to farm equipment and most other property with a depreciable life of less than 20 years.  Once the total purchases of horses and other eligible property has reached $800,000, the expense allowance goes down $1 for each dollar spent on eligible property over $800,000.

Here's an example.  Let's say a horse business purchases $750,000 of depreciable property in 2009, including $650,000 for horses.  That business can write off $250,000 on its 2009 tax return and depreciate the balance.  If the purchases were $900,000, the expense allowance would go down by $100,000.

The second incentive allows a horse owner to take a first-year bonus depreciation equal to 50% of the cost of horses and most other depreciable property purchase and placed into service in 2009.  This does not apply to property that has a depreciation life of over 20 years.

In bonus depreciation, the property must be new.  This means that in order for the property to be eligible, the original use of the horse or other property must start with the purchaser.

Here's an example of the bonus depreciation.  Let's say that in 2009 a business pays $500,000 for a colt to be used for racing and $50,000 for other depreciable property, for a total of $550,000.  The young colt has never been raced or used for any other purpose before the purchase.  The business would be able to expense $250,000, then deduct another $150,000 of the bonus depreciation (this is 50% of the $300,000 remaining on the balance), and take regular depreciation on the $150,000 balance.

Other changes that may benefit horse owners are:

-  allowing taxpayers a deduction for state and local sales and excise taxes paid on the purchase of new cars, light trucks and recreational vehicles in 2009

-  a change in the net operating loss carryback period to 5 years for small businesses

-  a reduction for 2009 in the required estimated tax payments for some small businesses