There’s one topic that always seems to be hot in the minds of anyone looking to move to Oklahoma.  Maybe it starts when we’re kids, watching the classic ‘Wizard of Oz‘ or maybe it’s the images on the news, and the unknown that fosters the fear.  Whatever the cause, it seems that almost every buyer I’ve ever worked with, who’s relocating here from out of state, has had a very healthy fear of tornadoes.

It’s actually the second thing out of their mouths many times.  “How are the schools here” is often followed with “Does this house have a tornado shelter?”  I can’t say I blame them.  It’s probably the same apprehension I’d be feeling if I were moving to LA, after seeing earthquakes and riots on the news for all these years.

Truth is though, tornadoes aren’t nearly as frequent here in Oklahoma as it may seem from the outside looking in.  Sure, every spring is ‘Tornado Season’ and we get the buzzing watches and warnings on the screen about every day or two, but more times than not, we get false warnings, or alerts from out in the sticks.  Let me put it this way; I’ve lived in the metro area my entire life.  Of that 29 years (OK, I lied, it’s 36 years), I’ve been in the crouching position during a tornado twice.  One other time, I got in the car and headed South, far from the path of the impending twister.

See, that’s the beauty of the whole thing.  While Oklahoma is known for severe weather, which includes tornadoes of course, our warning systems are the most advanced in the world.  Did you know that the National Weather Service is actually headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma?  This state is actually the crème de la crème when it comes to meteorologist work.  The weather guy you watch on TV each night probably dreams each night about landing the BIG job in Oklahoma.  Anyway, because of that, we have the best meteorologists, and the best actual tornado detection systems in the world, so we have plenty of warning almost every time.  From what I’ve seen, the more fatal twisters are usually in areas that have poor detection systems, so nobody has time to prepare.

So, here’s the deal; I’m not saying you shouldn’t fear tornadoes, and I’m in no way a weather expert of any kind, but based on my experience, I can tell you that if you live out of state, you probably have it built up much worse in your mind than it is in reality.  A healthy fear is good, but don’t let it scare you too much.

So, on to the fun part.  I love wikiHows.  I learn a lot from keeping up with them, and I stumbled across one today about how to prepare for a tornado.  I thought this would be a valuable thing to share with you, my readers, just in case you’re ever caught in one.  I hope you find it useful, but never actually have to use it, and I hope I’ve helped calm at least a few of your fears of twisters.

It’s time for my monthly report on what’s selling, what’s not, and what’s new on the market in Coffee Creek.  

You’d be amazed at how often I get asked “What did that house around the corner sell for” or “How much is that house on X street listed for?”  Especially since I have several friends who live in Coffee Creek, who seem to be particularly interested in what’s going on in their neighborhood.  

This report is designed to keep you up-to-date on inventory levels, then quarterly I’ll break down overall neighborhood pricing and compare it to the previous year.  This combination gives us all a real pulse on the health of the Coffee Creek real estate market.  Hopefully, it will be a useful resource for all of the Coffee Creek home owners, and those thinking about moving here.

If you’re one of those who are thinking about buying a home in Coffee Creek, be sure to check out some of my other posts, which will give you more details about the community, the schools, and it’s surroundings.

Please bear with me as I work through the logistics of making this a great monthly resource for you, and if there’s something you’d like me to include in these posts that would make them more useful, please email me.

Here are the Coffee Creek homes that closed within the past 60 days:

And here are the home currently on the market in Coffee Creek (Active & Pending):

**Based on information provided to and compiled by MLSGateway.com, Inc. covering a period (12/30/07) through (2/28/08). MLSGateway.com, Inc. does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Listing information is deemed reliable at the time of this posting, but subject to change without notification, and should be verified through a licensed agent for accuracy.

Probably one of the largest local public-interest propositions put before us in quite some time comes before voters in just under a week, and I want to encourage everyone to get out and USE YOUR VOTE!  Make your opinion heard and make a difference.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not being actively involved in our political process, and it’s an absolute shame.  We have the freedom to be heard and make a difference in major decisions and, many times, simply don’t take the time to exercise that freedom.  I know, I know, you’re busy and that would take time out of your day.  You might miss a few minutes of your favorite TV show, or it might cause you to get to bed 20 minutes later than you’d like.Here’s a fact:  WE’RE ALL BUSY!  If everyone thought they were too busy to go vote, then who would make these decisions for us?  Do you really want to know?  My opinion; if you won’t take the time out to go vote, then you have absolutely no right to complain about the way the government runs things, PERIOD.OK, I’ll get off my soapbox about our American duty, freedom, liberty, etc.  Instead, let’s look at what this ‘BIG LEAGUE CITY’ thing is all about:

• This proposition will not raise taxes from where they are now.  It will simply extend the one penny sales tax that’s currently supporting the Maps For Kids projects around the city.  This tax will be extended for either 12 or 15 months, depending on the decision made by the NBA Board of Governors in April of 08.
• The planned Ford Center improvements include the addition of restaurants, clubs, concession areas, suites and sky boxes, rooftop gardens, a warm-up basketball court, team offices and a 12,000-square-foot family fun zone.
• The addition of an NBA team would make an enormous impact on Oklahoma City’s (and surrounding areas’) local economy.  While the Hornets were here in OKC, they created over 200 jobs, and brought in over $130 million to our economy.
• Having a world-class facility, such as what is being proposed, would boost our ability to attract larger events, which not only bring additional boost to our economy, but also give OKC a larger national stage from which to grow.

OK, so I’m sure you can tell by my outline above, that I am a supporter of this proposition.  There are facts stated, as well as predictions of what would come as a result of this legislation being passed.

I have no problem continuing to pay a one penny sales tax (that I’m already accustomed to paying) to continue with the positive impact that this tax has already made on our local scene.  The MAPS project and the Maps For Kids project have been a huge success, and I want to see our city grow even more.  Can anyone argue the amazing things that came of the Bricktown area as a result of us, as a city, deciding to pony up a big ole penny?!

Having seen that, how could you not want to see it taken a step further?  Having witnessed the support that our city showed for the Hornets, and the positive things that team did within our community, how could you be opposed to doing everything possible to put our city in a position to have such an organization call OKC their home?

If you want more information to help clarify things, check out these sites:

• http://newsok.com/article/3206478
• http://www.okcrealtors.com/News/NewsDetail.aspx?NID=MzA%3D-HFXTc3rj6cg%3D

Now, if you’re opposed to this proposition, please let me know why.  And whether your for or against, PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE NEXT TUESDAY!

I recently read about a new store coming to Spring Creek Plaza in Edmond, (1448 S Bryant).  While I’ve never experienced a ‘Pickles & Ice Cream’ myself, my wife tells me this is a well-known, high-end maternity boutique.

Personally, I don’t think I’ll have a need for such a store for a long time now (hoping my kids wait quite a while before making me a Gpa), but I’m always excited about new businesses coming to town…  I know the women who love the Spring Creek area just can’t wait for the grand opening!

It’s time for my monthly report on what’s selling, what’s not, and what’s new on the market in Cedar Pointe.  

You’d be amazed at how often I get asked “What did that house around the corner sell for” or “How much is that house on X street listed for?”  Especially here in Cedar Pointe, since I live here and sell a lot of the homes in the neighborhood.  This report is designed to keep you up-to-date on inventory levels, then quarterly I’ll break down overall neighborhood pricing and compare it to the previous year.  This combination gives us all a real pulse on the health of the Cedar Pointe real estate market.  Hopefully, it will be a useful resource for my Cedar Pointe neighbors, and those thinking about moving here.

If you’re one of those who are thinking about buying a home in Cedar Pointe, be sure to check out some of my other posts and my Cedar Pointe Information page, which will give you more details about the community, the schools, and it’s surroundings.

Please bear with me as I work through the logistics of making this a great monthly resource for you, and if there’s something you’d like me to include in these posts that would make them more useful, please email me.

Here are the Cedar Pointe homes that closed within the past 60 days:

And here are the homes that are currently listed in Cedar Pointe (Active & Pending):

Status Address SqFt Built List Price LP/SF   Active 2000 Cedar Meadow Lane 1579 1998 $159,900 $101.27   Active 1923 Fair Meadow Dr 1850 1997 $169,900 $91.84   Active 1920 Del Simmons 2143 1999 $186,000 $86.79   Active 1908 Del Simmons 2072 2000 $186,480 $90.00   Active 2005 Cedar Meadow Lane 2306 1998 $199,700 $86.60   Active 2112 Willow Bend 2098 2002 $199,900 $95.28   Active 2109 Del Simmons 2405 1997 $225,000 $93.56   Active 2017 Cedar Pointe Cir 2422 2002 $229,900 $94.92   Pending 2004 Branden Ln 1912 1999 $155,000 $81.07   Pending 2000 Skyline Dr 1889 1999 $167,500 $88.67   Pending 2113 Cedar Pointe Cir 2140 2002 $176,900 $82.66   Pending 2012 Fair Meadow Dr 1964 1998 $183,500 $93.43

**Based on information provided to and compiled by MLSGateway.com, Inc. covering a period (12/27/07) through (2/26/08). MLSGateway.com, Inc. does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Listing information is deemed reliable at the time of this posting, but subject to change without notification, and should be verified through a licensed agent for accuracy.

One of the keys to successfully selling your home is to have small, hard-to-explain advantages over your competition.  Many times, these advantages are one or two unique features, a bit more cleanliness, a slightly more attractive home-site, or just a tad more curb appeal.

Other times though, that advantage may be something mental, rather than physical.  It may be a psychological advantage.  Simply having more attractive photos of one property over another will drive more traffic to that home, thus giving it a much higher percentage of a successful sale.  The photos may not have been any higher quality than the other home, but just showcased a more attractive view of the home, which appeals to the psychological, emotional side of the potential buyer.

What we must keep in mind though, is that buyers (over 80% begin their search online) look at two things first; Photos, and PRICE (not necessarily in that order).  You’ll find that I write a lot about the art of pricing homes and how to get a pricing advantage:

• The home MUST be priced correctly (realistically).  Nothing will kill the possibility of a sale faster than being overpriced.
• It must be priced in the right competitive position.  Simply put, if your home is on the higher end of pricing for the neighborhood, it’s going to get shown less.  You want to be in the lower half of all homes listed.
• Last is a point that I’ve just recently become aware of.  It’s the psychology involved with the actual number of your sales price.  This is the point I want to get into with this post.

I just read a Cornell University study on precise number pricing that I found very interesting.  It hits on two things. 

• First, what 3 numbers should be at the end of your sales price?  Should you price your home at $479,000 or $479,525?
• Secondly, what are the best bracket prices to try to fit into?  Is there an advantage to being priced at $424,500 versus $425,000?

While I’ve always been a firm believer in pricing just under the top of  a price bracket, such as $424,500 to get the listing found in more searches, I’ve never come to a logical conclusion on the first point, but this study has me leaning toward it’s logic.

While it may seem kind of silly to get so caught up in something as trivial as the physical numbers, the fact is that our minds work in patterns, which this study works from.  No matter how trite, these small unexplainable advantages are exactly what may help you get a buyer before the guy down the street.

Consistently improving on your home is one of the best investments you can make.  Nothing makes your home more appealing to buyers than shiny new things.  Pretty surfaces, modern technology, and up-to-date decor will bring out the checkbooks every time.

Sometimes these improvements can really get expensive though, so when it’s an option, consider the DIY way.  Personally, I enjoy do-it-yourself projects.  They allow my creative side to come out and demolition is a great way to take out some frustration!  The real benefit in the DIY approach though, is the savings.  It’s estimated that about 70% of all home improvement expenses are the cost of labor, so if you have the time and the abilities, why not save that 70% and increase your ROI even more?!

Here’s an informative wikiHow on installing kitchen cabinets.  I hope this helps, and you’ll find that I post a lot of this kind of information, so subscribe to the blog or the newsletter and before you know it you’ll be remodelling your entire house…  What a great way to spend your weekends!

The Stats are in for January, and once again, we’ve got good news to report here in Central Oklahoma.  Hopefully this will help you decide for yourself what the market’s really doing, rather than buying into the false perception that’s so easy to follow these days.

Check this out:

As you can see, we saw about a 7% drop in the number of homes sold compared to this time last year.  For the negative nellies out there, that’s the stat you’ll want to hold on to, because every other category looks good:

• Average sales price is up 8%.  That’s good news for every home owner!
• Median price stayed level, showing that there’s been a slight shift to lower-priced homes, and fewer higher-priced homes sold.
• The average interest rate obtained was down considerably.  Lower interest rates typically equate to more buyers taking the leap, which is a good sign for the coming months.
• The percentage of sales price vs list price increased.  If we were seeing a drop in the market, you’d see a substantial decrease here.
• Days on the market increased so slightly it’s hardly even worth mentioning.

Really, the only number that concerns me at all is the absorption rate figure.  Inventory levels are a bit higher than I’d like to see, but with the buyer traffic we’re seeing right now, this number should drop next month.

By the way, I attribute the 7% drop to a couple of things.

• The weather we experienced this January played a big part, keeping would-be buyers off the roads.
• The negative media-fed perception is keeping a lot of buyers on the fence until they feel safe again.

Overall, these numbers are just another feather in the cap of central Oklahoma real estate.  While a few markets around the country are seeing decreasing values and slow markets, we’re still enoying an 8% annual appreciation rate.  Are you still sitting on the sidelines??

Glen Eagles is one of the premier communities in Southwest Edmond.  It’s well-known for it’s unique, stately homes, ranging from about 2700 to 7900 square feet, with varying styles and ammenities.  A beautiful neighborhood conveniently located at the southeast corner of NW 150th & Western, Glen Eagles is a great family community, which is surrounded by other premier Edmond communities, such as Fairview Farms to the Northwest, Northwestern Estates and Brasswood to the West, and Oakmond to the East.

Glen Eagles offers all the things that most families want in a neighborhood; a great location, convenient to lots of shopping and restaurants, great neighbors, space to roam, a huge pond, and great schools.

You’ll find nice entrances, and lots of lush landscaping throughout Glen Eagles, and the kids here get the benefit of the award-winning Edmond Public Schools system; specifically Charles Haskell Elementary, Summit Middle School, and Edmond Santa Fe High School.

Developers and several high-quality builders began construction in Glen Eagles in 1981, and I believe the last home was built in 2001.  You’ll find a wide variety of homes from 2700 square feet up to about 7900 square feet, ranging in value from $200,000 to near $900,000.

The following chart shows statistics of homes sold specifically in the Glen Eagles addition, from January 1st to December 31st, 2007 and compares these numbers with their respective numbers from 2006.

As you can see, the Glen Eagles comparison from 2006 to 2007 is pretty positive, with the overall home prices seeing respectable appreciation, and the number of days on the market dropping.

With an absorption rate of less than 3 months, the inventory in Glen Eagles is at a very healthy level, and I would predict that there will be an increasing number of homes coming on the market over the next few weeks, as we head into spring. Subscribe to our blog to keep up-to-date on homes in the neighborhood.

If you’re a home owner in Glen Eagles, you can see that there are a wide range of variables to consider when pricing your home to sell in Glen Eagles.  It can be tricky, so if you’re curious what your home would sell for or would like a chart more specific to your street, please contact me directly and I’ll be happy to provide one for you, with no obligation of any kind. You can also visit my website, where you’ll find Glen Eagles information, as well as details on many other great Edmond neighborhoods.

**Based on information provided to and compiled by MLSGateway.com, Inc. covering a period (1/1/06) through (12/31/07). MLSGateway.com, Inc. does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for its accuracy

While it’s in the infancy stage, please excuse the mess, as I find my bearings and play with ideas on how this new Edmond blog should look, what it should offer, and who will contribute.  Also, please feel free to give your feedback, because ultimately it should be what you, the readers, want.

Also, while I develop ‘the look,’ I’m interested in finding 1 or 2 contributors in several different categories, so if you have local expertise in these areas, please get in touch with me, and let’s get your face out there:

• Residential Lending
• Home Building
• Commercial Real Estate
• Investment Properties
• Home Inspections
• Title Insurance and related issues
• Homeowner’s Insurance
• Home Maintenance

The idea behind this particular blog is to offer our local and incoming residents both advice, and perspective from our daily lives in this business, to keep them informed and help make their real estate ventures more enjoyable.  The goal is to offer hyper-local information, as well as the basics that apply in all markets.

Edmond needs a resource like this.  It’s all about helping our community be more aware as it grows by leaps and bounds.