NORTH CAROLINA WON the NCAA Basketball Championship! Needless to say, we are celebrating in the Sandhills! There is so much to enjoy in this area in addition to golf! 

This is a beautiful time of year -- with the exception of April 15th (Tax Day) and the pine pollen that has invaded our screened porch! Thanks to early April Showers (literally!), the golf courses are greening up beautifully and the Dogwoods are in bloom.

Each year at this time, my accountant sends me a publication entitled "Client Update" with the new tax changes for next year's filing. This newsletter is both informative and an interesting read.  The fourth page includes "Tax Numbers 2009" -- a chart showing the tax changes from 2008 to 2009. Please contact your accountant or tax adviser if you think any of the 2009 changes might impact your tax situation for next year.

Real Estate Update: First Quarter Comparison Statistics (2006 to present) are now available.  Check out the chart below:

	2006	2007	2008	2009	Change    2008 vs. 2009
# of Homes Sold	368	348	251	179	-72
Average Sold Price	$244,000	$254,000	$253,000	$233,000	- $20,000
Average "DOM"	130	147	149	168	+17

Here is a quick synopsis of 2008 vs. 2009:

(1) Number of Homes Sold is down 29%;

(2) Average "Sold Price" is down 8%
     (that's good news compared to the national average of 20%); and

(3) The Average "Days on Market" has increased 13%.

Could You Use a Laugh? Since it is tax time, I thought you could use a little lift. It's amazing what a typo can do. Check out these Church Bulletin Bloopers. Hope you get a chuckle . . . better yet, I hope you make it to Church on Sunday -- and thank your church secretary while you're there!

Wishing you a Blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter!

Sincerely,