The title says it all… there’s really no other way to sum up what’s happening in the Oklahoma City real estate market lately.

For the past year, although certain aspects of the market have been unpredictable, we’ve seen fairly-steady growth, and respectable levels of home sales in the OKC metro, especially in comparison with the rest of the country. With that in mind, most of us headed into Summer anticipating that a time which is traditionally a busy few months would be just that, busy.

Yes, we knew that the largest stimulus in the the history of our country was coming to an end, but absorption rates were healthy and interest rates were at unprecedented lows (and still are), and the next few months are that time of year when the kids are out of school and many people are ready to make their move.

We were wrong.

Continue Reading »

While growing up around here, I often heard the talk of how none of the good jobs were in Oklahoma. Over time, I came to realize that was a stereotype strongly held by many.

Is it that things have changed that much, or that the stereotypes are just false? Forbes seems to think Oklahoma City can hold it’s own in business and career world, as evidenced by their ranking of our fair city in their list of ‘Best Places for Business and Careers.’

The big debate over the past couple of years has been ‘has the real estate market hit bottom and is it finally back on the rise?’

It’s not hard to find negative news out there if that’s what you’re looking for, but with so many positive numbers coming out of so many markets around the country, I’d have to say that things are most definitely back in a growth mode across the country.

Sure, some markets are doing better than others, and there are still a handful of markets really struggling, but as a whole, things have climbed month after month and this article on the growth of new home sales is just another many very positive indicators (Wow, a 27% surge)!

The rise in new-home sales was seen nationwide. Sales grew a whopping 44 percent in the South and 36 percent in the Northeast. They also rose about 6 percent in the West and 3 percent in the Midwest.

It’s a question that’s not usually asked as much as it’s assumed. You see, there’s this stigma that Oklahomans don’t earn much in comparison to the rest of the country, and if you’re one that makes that assumption, then the #2 and #4 rankings of a September 2009 report on Portfolio.com might surprise you.

Oklahoma City has been an oasis of stability during the recession. Its midyear unemployment rate of 6.0 percent was vastly better than the nation’s 9.5 percent. And its income growth rate has been solid. Oklahoma City is one of just 12 markets that have doubled their PCIs since 1993. Growth score: 51.7 points.

What else do you not know about Oklahoma’s economic strength?

While our great State of Oklahoma has done pretty well avoiding the foreclosure mess many other states are facing, there has still been a slow rise in foreclosures here.

The interesting thing mentioned in a NewsOK.com article published today is that while Tulsa’s foreclosure rate has risen dramatically, Oklahoma City’s has actually fallen.

Overall, our state’s real estate market is very strong, but we’re not without fault altogether. Any ideas on why there would be such a dramatic difference between Tulsa and the OKC metro foreclosures?

While economic statistics may not be perfect here in Oklahoma, there are still plenty great things to hang our hats on, such as the good ole’ housing market. Check out Richard Mize’s latest assessment/report of where we’ve been and where we are, and keep these things in mind as you decide whether or not buying a home or selling your home are the right moves for you right now.

As the sun sets on 2009, and we usher in 2010, now seems to be an appropriate time to reflect and project.

One of the comments I often hear from folks who move to Oklahoma from other parts of the country is how amazing the sunrises and sunsets are here. With that in mind, I thought I’d share a great video that a friend of mine, Brad Stone, created, which shows off those amazing sunsets that we Okies often take for granted.

2009 brought great growth for the Hukill Group, even in this (reported) “down market.” We experienced an increase in overall volume of more than 50% and brought on 3 amazing, cream-of-the-crop new partners during the year.

Looking ahead to 2010, we’ve set ourselves a pretty lofty goal of twice the volume we closed in 2009. Yep, that’s right, I said double. That should tell you something about our confidence level in the Oklahoma City real estate market and in the level of service we provide our clients. You’ll also notice a BIG change in our branding for 2010, as we’re changing the name of the Hukill Group and launching a more memorable branding presence (watch for the unveiling during the first quarter).

So, get ready Oklahoma City. 2010 is going to be a big year and we’re ready to take it on, and serve you, as our City continues to grow and outpace most other metro areas, in more ways than one!

So, it’s not just us local yokels singing the praises of the Oklahoma City metro real estate market. Even the Federal Housing Finance Agency has joined in on the party.

With both Tulsa and Oklahoma city ranked highly, I’ll continue to say there’s plenty to be confident about here, in Oklahoma.

In case you missed it last month, Forbes ranked Oklahoma City as one of the top cities for quick economic recovery, citing diversified industry and relatively stable housing fundamentals as the main factors.

In my latest video blog from the Fenwick addition park in Edmond, OK, I hit on the truth of what’s going on on the Central Oklahoma and national real estate scenes. You can see the actual statistics that I reference in the video and leave a comment here to voice your opinion on this topic.