Maybe you’ve seen a few pop up in your neighborhood over the past few weeks, or maybe you haven’t, but get ready, because you’re about to see them everywhere!

Have I lost you?  Not if  you read about the merger between Paradigm Realty and AdvantEdge Real Estate back in November, forming Paradigm AdvantEdge, the largest independent brokerage in our area.

As of today, January 31st, we’ve pulled all the old signs and put up nice pretty new ones, so say goodbye to the image on the left, and say hello to the one on the right, as we now have more than twice as many signs around Edmond, Oklahoma City, and the rest of Central Oklahoma than we did before.

** Thanks to Eric & Amy Urbach for providing the beautiful backdrop to these pictures. Yes, their home is FOR SALE.

Listing and marketing homes is my forte, and I’ve found that my most commonly suggested improvements are the simple ones, with painting being at the top of that list.

A fresh coat of paint on your walls will do wonders for the types of reactions you’ll draw from would-be home buyers, and choosing the right color can take your home’s appeal over the top. I’ve never been one for suggesting bland, boring white walls.  Instead, I suggest mostly neutral (neutral doesn’t mean boring white) with a splash of color to add interest.  The key, though, is moderation and a well-laid plan.

With that in mind, I thought I’d share a blog post that Anne Rains, a colleague of mine, recently wrote featuring some great pointers for color selection.  Remember, presentation is everything when it comes to positioning your home ahead of the pack!

Upon Jeff Click’s return from the International Builders Show, he gave Richard Mize a breakdown on some of the highlights.  His best quote covers a topic near and dear to my heart:

Many builders are also finally beginning to recognize the increasing need for putting more focus on marketing beyond just a “For Sale” sign in the yard with a flyer box attached to it.

Of course, builders aren’t the only ones recognizing a necessary shift in marketing efforts.  JC also mentioned some cool ‘green’ countertops, but you’ve gotta see the picture to really ‘get it.’

In annual fashion, Edmond, Oklahoma City, and the majority of the rest of the state have been blanketed with ice over the past couple of days and, as Richard Mize pointed out in his column this morning, it’s affecting more than just the rush-hour commute.

Read the entire story to see quotes from Jeff Click, myself, and Brent Conway.

Since it was announced in late 2008, the $7,500 home-buyer tax credit has received mixed reviews, mostly because as it currently stands, it has to be fully repaid in 15 years.  So basically, it’s an interest-free loan (not such a bad thing in itself), rather than a true tax credit.

Good news though… apparently, the new economic stimulus proposal before Congress contains what could be some positive adjustments to this program, maybe removing the repayment rule.

It may or may not make it through House and Senate negotiations, but if it does, I’m pretty sure this would be an additional shot in the arm of the national real estate market, so stay tuned for updates.

In the midst of a national real estate meltdown, we’re no strangers to being praised… sounds strange, doesn’t it?

Well, here we are again, ranked highly for being a great place to live… you’ll find both Norman and Edmond, OK ranked in Money Magazine’s Top 100 Best Places to Live.

With the tendency for the locals to over-react to the weather here in Central OK, I tend to be a little skeptical about believing all the fear that’s out there about ‘Ice Storm 2009,’ but to be on the safe side, it can’t hurt to familiarize yourself with the emergency snow routes.  After a little ‘Googling,’ here’s what I found:

• The City of Oklahoma City Emergency Snow Routes 2007-2008 (a comprehensive map of the emergency snow routes within the Oklahoma City borders)
• Regional Snow Routes and Winter Driving (several links to various snow route maps and some tips on how to prep for winter driving)

Obviously, the plan is that these routes get priority when it comes to clearing snow and salting the roadways, so your chances of safe driving are increased on these routes.

I am hearing advisories to stay off the roads if you don’t have to be out, so just keep an ear open and use your own judgement… just please be cautious of those around you & have a great wintery day in central OK!

You may also want to check out LIVE video coverage from the NewsOK van, as they cover the weather.

With the Oklahoma City real estate market leveling out over the past couple of months, and the credit market being the way it has for a while, some folks are in a bad spot. They want to sell, for whatever reason, but they can’t. Maybe they haven’t been in their home long enough to realize any equity (leaving no room for Realtor commissions, closing costs & repair costs), or the tighter credit guidelines would keep them from qualifying for a new home loan.

So, if this is you, what now? Well, if you HAVE to move (i.e. job transfer, etc) you may want to consider renting your home out, and holding on until the market re-gains steam.  If you’re not in a ‘have to’ situation, staying where you are for a while is probably the best option.

But often-times not getting what you want, and being forced to stay somewhere you don’t want to be can put you in a negative mindset pretty quickly.  Don’t let that happen… after all, at least you’re still a property-owner, right?

It’s time to get to work!  Make yourself fall in love with your home all over again.

• Clean up and de-clutter… clean spaces will put your mind more at ease
• Work on that curb appeal; weed the flower beds and plant something pretty
• Put a fresh coat of paint on the walls that will brighten your surroundings

You’ll be amazed at what these simple, low-cost improvements can do for the love-hate relationship you have with your home.

As I pointed out yesterday, Brass Brick Homes filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this week.  Now it appears they’re playing the blame game, pointing the finger at their banks.

This situation is far from ideal, and there are more than a few people hurt by it, but is it any surprise that the banks aren’t willing to extend any further credit to an already failing, seemingly mismanaged company?

[where: Edmond, OK]

With average home prices in our area of the country being so affordable, it’s easy to lose sight of how good we really have it here in Edmond and Oklahoma City.  Since we haven’t experienced the extreme appreciation some parts of the country have, we’ve also been sheltered from the dramatic downhill slides in pricing. However, in those down markets, like New York, California, and Florida the decreasing home values are spurring a flurry of activity from new groups of consumers who couldn’t afford to own their own place before.  This flurry of buyer activity in those larger markets is good for all of us, as we hope to dig our way out of the national real estate turmoil.

Here in Oklahoma, we’re stilling chugging along pretty well.  We’ve recently been noted as having 2 of the Top 25 Strongest Housing Markets, by Forbes.com, even though foreclosures in 2008 were up 50% over 2007.  The outlook is still cautious optimism, as this softening of our real estate market – combined with historically low interest rates – has spurred a whirlwind of recent activity.

Keeping things in perspective, and recognizing the opportunities that are out there for home buyers is key to building real equity.