Last week’s video blog was in my office in Edmond, OK about keeping it in perspective when making an offer on a home. You can see the statistics I referenced here, and feel free to voice your opinion on this topic in the comments below. Have a great day!!

Yesterday, I did my video blog from the Manchester Green Homes furnished model home in the Barrington addition of Edmond, about keeping your emotions in check when negotiating the sale of your home. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments below, and you can find out more about this and other beautiful homes for sale at our website.

I was driving down the road the other day with a friend of mine when I had one of my sudden, spastic “Oh crap, I forgot to…” moments.  It’s usually a quasi-voluntary reaction that often comes without explanation to those around.  This generally contributes to the hypothesis that I’m crazy.  Anyway, enough about my eccentricities, that’s a blog entry for another day.

My friend asked me what my little knee jerk was all about.  When I explained that I had forgotten to go to the Nichols Hills Town Hall on the 4th to file my homestead exemption he seemed confused.  My friend has owned his home for a few years and had never heard of the homestead exemption.  If he didn’t know what it means, I wonder how many others don’t know.  So, here’s an explanation in my own words:

A homestead exemption is basically a coupon for $1,000 off the assessed value of your home.  This can save you around $100 off your annual tax bill depending on the valuation of your home.  A hundred bucks may not seem like much, but hey, it’s dinner for you and 3 friends.  If you own more than one property, homestead can only be filed on your primary residence.  You only have to file once, unless you change your deed, or change your primary residence.  So, if you purchased a house in 2009 you have until March 15th to file for a discount on this year’s tax bill.  If it’s received after that date, it will kick in next year.  Either way, it’s not a bad return for 10 minutes of filling out a form.  There are other discounts available for those with low incomes as well.  Check with the Assessor’s Page for more information.

Happy Homeowning!

Fallon Brooks is the keeper of one mortgage and two cats… an avid tweeter, who bought her first home October 2009 and enjoys sharing what she learns with other soon-to-be home owners.

Earlier this week, I did my video blog from a great new house for sale in the Brenton Hills addition of Southwest Edmond, about not acting quickly enough when buying a home. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments below, and you can find out more about this and other beautiful homes for sale at our website.

For the local Extreme Home Makeover fans, there’s a nice little surprise coming soon. The popular TV show is joining up with Ideal Homes to build a home for a family to be revealed early in February, so stay tuned!

Yesterday, I did my video blog from a very unique house for sale in the Fenwick addition of West Edmond, about whether or not you should hire a home inspector when buying a new home. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments below, and you can find out more about this and other beautiful homes for sale at our website.

Unless you live under a rock (a well decorated one since you read Back Talk’s blog religiously!), you are no doubt being inundated with calls to make New Year’s Resolutions. Personally, I’ve never been a fan. Why make positive changes in your life just one time a year? But the call to action does have its benefits for homeowners who will be using January to kick off long-awaited projects. For my household, that means installing new trim and crown moulding. For you, the job may be much smaller or much more grand; either way, there has never been a better time to start creating a new look for your home. Why? Motivation is at an all-time high in January for everything from weight loss to quitting smoking. Why not use this universal momentum to get the master bedroom repainted? Additionally, prices on the items you will need for your home’s new look will be deliciously discounted as retailers try to make up for decreased profits during the holiday season. This is also the time of year when many home furnishings stores clearance out their inventory to make room for shipments that will soon arrive from market.

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In Saturday’s video blog, I went a little more in-depth about how to help your house feel like a home during showings. Please feel free to agree or disagree in the comments below.

Green building and/or improvements is one of the biggest waves I see these days in real estate, so it’s fun to read about what’s out there and what’s coming in the future.

I remember growing up (70′s & 80′s), seeing a few select homes in our neighborhood with those huge solar panels attached to the roof. Even as a kid, I thought they were ugly, and wondered why anyone would want something like that on their home.

Obviously, as I grew older, I began to understand a little more, but there are still very few aesthetically-pleasing options out there.

How about this as an alternative? Solar Shingles are a reality. Could this be the next wave of home improvement?

Yesterday, I did my video blog from a beautifully-updated house for sale in the Oak Tree addition of North Edmond, about whether or not your listing Realtor should be present every time your home is shown. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments below, and you can find out more about this and other beautiful homes for sale at our website.