Gerrard-Hoeschler REALTORS® has moved 
to our New Downtown La Crosse location!

La Crosse, WI – February 21, 2011 – Gerrard-Hoeschler REALTORS®, the area’s leading real estate Brokerage Company,  is pleased to announce they will be moving its downtown La Crosse office to:
 600 3rd Street, N., La Crosse, WI on June 14, 2011. 

Phone numbers will remain the same.

Gerrard-Hoeschler's Commitment to the Community

Following a lengthy study by a group of community leaders including Jay Hoeschler, Nancy Gerrard and Rick Staff, the City of La Crosse and La Crosse County have begun the process of creating a Joint Housing Task Force. The Task Force will be comprised of industry and community representatives, La Crosse County officials and staff as well as officials and staff from the City of La Crosse. The Task Force will be seeking ways to improve housing stock in the City of La Crosse with the ultimate purpose of economic development and lower real estate taxes. A study by Karl Green of the County Extension Office illustrates the nature of the problem: http://lacrosse.uwex.edu/files/2010/05/LaCrosseHousingStudy_Final9-13-10.pdf

The City and County’s resolution charges the task force to prepare a report to be presented within 180 days, identifying the most cost effective recommendations to reverse the current housing trends in the City, including but not limited to:

• Effective program examples from other communities that have met similar challenges to address deteriorating housing stock, aging housing stock, neighborhood deterioration, housing rehabilitation, new housing replacement.
• Zoning & regulatory options, such as student district zoning and occupancy limits
• Practices to stimulate private investment, such as the best uses for Tax Increment Financing
• Inspection code enforcement priorities to enhance the highest property values
• Capital priorities that best contribute to reinvestment and redevelopment 

Many more issues than these will need to be addressed and the process will take years, not months to complete. Gerrard Hoeschler is committed to allocating the resources necessary to ensure that the work of the Task Force results in a measurable improvement in the quality of La Crosse’s housing and a significant reduction in City of La Crosse property taxes.

Contact Rick Staff at Gerrard Hoeschler for updates on the progress of these efforts.

Gerrard-Hoeschler REALTORS® is moving
to a New Downtown La Crosse Location on June 14th!

La Crosse, WI – February 21, 2011 – Gerrard-Hoeschler REALTORS®, the area’s leading real estate Brokerage Company,  is pleased to announce they will be moving its downtown La Crosse office to:
 600 3rd Street, N., La Crosse, WI on June 14, 2011. 

Phone numbers will remain the same.

New Medicare Tax Imposed on Real Estate Sales of "High-Income Earners"

Many of you have heard about the new Medicare Tax on investment income, including income from real estate. However, based upon several calls we have received at the WRA, confusion still exists about when the new tax goes into effect, who it applies to, and what types of real estate will be impacted. Here are the facts:

Beginning in 2013, a new 3.8% tax will be imposed on investment income of "high-income earners" -- single households with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) over $200,000 and married households above $250,000. The tax applies to the smaller of the household's net investment income or the excess of AGI over the thresholds. Capital gains are treated as investment income.

If a household's AGI exceeds the thresholds, the household will be required to pay the 3.8% tax on the following types of real estate:

• The gain from the primary residence, if the gain on the home exceeds $250,000 for single family households or $500,000 for married households (Note: For primary residences, the tax applies only to the gain over these amounts.)
• The gain from the sale of second homes.
• The gain from the sale of investment and commercial real estate.
• Net rental income from investment properties.

For more information on the new Medicare Tax, click here.

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