It’s amazing how many people I know who really look forward to the annual Parade of Homes, almost like they look forward to Christmas. Whether it’s to enjoy the homes or pick up some decor tips, they REALLY get into this time of year!

Having lived in Oklahoma my whole life, it’s easy to take it for granted and not really appreciate how good we have it here in Oklahoma, but I was recently reminded of that by a few facebook friends.

During ‘The Parade,’ our local builders really pull out all the stops and go above and beyond to show off their talents to us, so get out and enjoy it this week!

Looking for a ton of square footage, an open floorplan, a true mother-in-law suite, Moore public schools, a swimming pool, hot-tub and huge covered outdoor living area?

If any or all of those are a yes for you, this house is a must-see. Check it out:

It’s a simple factor in market economics… supply and demand dictate pricing.

• As demand increases, so will prices if supply doesn’t keep up.
• As demand decreases, so will prices if supply doesn’t follow suit.
• As supply increases, prices will drop if demand doesn’t keep up.
• As supply decreases, prices will skyrocket if demand doesn’t drop.

This concept, of course, applies to real estate and is something you, as a home buyer and/or seller, should be keenly aware of at all times. Over the past 2 years, home inventory levels (supply) have been at levels considered ‘unbalanced.’ They’ve been higher than ideal and have created what many call a ‘buyer’s market.’

However, over the past few months, these inventory levels have been steadily decreasing, due in part to the Home Buyer Tax Credit., as evidenced in this chart:

To sum it up, here’s the part you should be keenly aware of right now:

An inventory of 5.7 months means sellers are regaining some leverage for negotiating, although buyers still have some advantage.

Whether you’re a house-junkie like me, a casual looker, or a serious buyer in the market for a new home, the next couple of weeks are designed just for you!

Get out and enjoy the hard work our local builders have put into designing, building, and furnishing their showcase homes for this year’s Parade of Homes, September 26th through October 4th.  You also won’t want to miss the Bricktown Home and Garden Festival to be held at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark on October 2-4.

I’ll see you there!!

When folks are being transferred to Oklahoma, they’re looking for safe cities, great schools, and affordable living. These are three things that make Edmond so attractive, and the FBI just ranked Edmond as the safest city in the state of Oklahoma and among the top safest cities in the US.

Edmond ranked 12th among U.S. cities with a population more than 75,000. Five other Oklahoma towns also were ranked in the FBI report. Broken Arrow and Norman rank 48th and 49th respectively. Oklahoma City ranked 267th, Lawton ranked 314th and Tulsa was 345th.

Even with the Oklahoma City real estate market remaining strong, it’s easy to get nervous about the uncertainty of things, with the unpredictability of home sales on a national level, but according to recent data, the national scene could be showing signs of the beginnings of a recovery.

According to MSN.com, a quarterly increase has finally been recorded and, according to Yahoo.com, July home sales surged more than 7 percent.

Each and every local market is independent and very different from other markets, but a more stable market nationally will likely lead to more stable local markets everywhere. Let’s hope this trend continues into 2010.

It’s an age-old question that’s been debated time and again. So, what’s the right answer? I’d have to say, it depends on what’s important to you… the peace of mind and security provided by equity, or the idea of socking back more for retirement and hanging onto that monthly payment.

Here’s a video that might shed some light on some of the ins & outs of each side of the argument:

Home Builders, Realtors and Bankers continue to urge Congress to extend the home buyer tax credit, and from what I see day-to-day, there’s no shortage of would-be buyers who’d like to see it happen, but will it?

Isakson’s legislation would extend the program through the end of 2010, almost double the credit to $15,000 and remove restrictions that prohibit individuals who already own homes or earn $75,000 — $150,000 for couples — from getting the tax break.

While I see where our economy would benefit from such legislation, I can also see an immediate pitfall to the above proposal. What happens to all those buyers who already bought under the current plan and only got an $8K credit? Will they be allowed to file for an additional $7K credit, or will they be locked out of the party, like the buyers who took advantage of the first program, which was only $7,500 and had to be repaid?

Furthermore, where’s the money for this program going to come from?

Time to toot the horn of the Oklahoma City real estate market again!

MSN.com recently ranked us among the Top 10 strongest US housing markets. Here are the statistics they quoted in their summary:

Share of homes with increasing values: 40.20%
Median value: $119,600
Annual change: 4.94%
Quarterly change: 1.85%

Every home I stage has its own unique situation. Some people continue to reside in a home until it sells. Some move out before it has even been listed. Some homes have enough clutter and memories to fill up eight PODS in one week (true story). On the flip side are those dwellings that have very little remaining whatsoever. These are the jobs where furnishings are brought in temporarily and are ideal in my opinion because they offer up a blank canvas of sorts. Here’s a run-down of the ”Before” and “After” photos of a recent staging; a 2400 square foot home that had seen its share of clutter.

Before: Every bedroom was crammed with furniture, including the spacious master bedroom. This greatly limited potential buyers’ ability to appreciate

Continue Reading »