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A Look into the Community of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
It was not that long ago when you would find land, farms and ranches all over Broken Arrow, but today you’ll find a thriving city that is one of Oklahoma’s fastest growing communities. Money Magazine even named it as one of real estate’s “Best Places to Live” in the United States.’ This 
beautiful city has been ranked as one of the safest cities in Oklahoma. Now it’s ranked number 16 in our Nation as the safest place to live and raise a family. Broken Arrow, OK is such a wonderful community because of the quality of life you can find here. Statically, no other city in the state come close Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Broken Arrow was once considered a bedroom community, which has grown to provide many employment opportunities for its residents. Broken Arrow’s real estate industry has more business than any other city in Oklahoma other than Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The community continues to grow because of the wise decisions made to development businesses. Broken Arrow currently has 200 manufacturing plants. This makes it the third largest manufacturing city in Oklahoma. The opening of Creek Turnpike Loop Extension has also created new residential and commercial growth opportunities.
There is a lot to do in the community of Broken Arrow. Golf is a mainstay with many Golf Course Neighborhoods. Broken Arrow is considered the “Youth Sports Capital” because of the community and city’s support of youth programs. Sports and tournaments are played at Broken Arrow’s Indian Spring Sports Complex and draws people from all over. At the Arrowhead Park Softball Complex you can play softball as well as baseball. Football is played at Nienhis Park Football Fields.
Broken Arrow, OK Real Estate is complete with both parks and recreation. The Central Park Community Center is on Broken Arrows list of greatest places. The center has so much to offer to children, youth, adults and seniors. They have three full size gyms for exercise, basketball, volleyball and pickle ball.
The Central Park facility also has an outdoor aquatic center, picnic shelters, and tennis courts with a full size softball field. They offer walking and exercise along with Cheer Classes and self defense classes.
Through its past, Broken Arrow real estate gives its citizens a real sense of community. You can even find many of the city’s historical sites with historical markers. Broken Arrow’s historic downtown area is a thriving part of the city.
The Closet – It Can Sell a Home
You may think that something as insignificant and unassuming as a closet would make a difference in the selling power in your home, but it has more power than you know. Homes need storage for 
anything from food, clothing, and cleaning supplies. The closet is one of the most important rooms in the home.
So, to get your closets in selling order, you should tackle cleaning out the clutter to determine what the real use of each particular closet. We all like to hold on to things that no longer have a need, but may be used in the future, so you may have a lot of stuff in your closets.
You should ask yourself, when was the last time I used this item and when will I use it next. If it’s been a year or more since you have last used it, you may not use it in the future. You can pass on items you are not using to someone else through a yard sale or a donation. Over packed closets can make a potential buyer keep looking for their ideal home.
Once you have the clutter out of the way you can get organized. Even if you use a cheap fix to do the organizing, it can make a huge difference. Begin organizing your closet by color blocking your clothes, grouping like items together, and putting smaller items into storage totes or labeled boxes. You can store out of season items in another location such as the attic or garage. You should be able to see the floor of your closet; therefore, a rack for shoes will make the floor look nice and neat.
You can organize the pantry by using the same principles as the bedroom closet. Remove unnecessary items, use totes for small and miscellaneous items, and group like items together. All closets need shelving and racks. There is lot of choices for every budget available. Simple and inexpensive shelving can be configured in a myriad of patterns and can be installed with a simple screwdriver. If you can afford it, custom built units will wow your potential buyers and put your home first on their list.
Walk in closets are a huge selling point, so be sure to maximize the potential in this space. Your local building supply store will have everything you’ll need for the specific ideas you have in mind and for your individual needs. Their customer service agents should be able to answer any questions you may have or help you to improve on your ideas.
For maximum selling power, allow buyers to see the true size and functionality of the space and be inspired by your organization.
Dunkin’ Donuts Coming to Tulsa
Recent news says the delicious Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant will be coming to Tulsa, OK very soon. Last week, company officials publicized the popular coffee shop and donut chain would be opening 
10 restaurants in Tulsa and surrounding areas.
This is good news for Tulsa as the company doubles their number of locations across the country in years to come. The biggest cities in the expansion plans include Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Now, the company is in the process of finding franchisees in the communities they are expanding to. So far, Oklahoma City and Del City are the only communities in Oklahoma that already have a Dunkin’ Donuts established.
After a recent evaluation of Tulsa and surrounding areas, the company has determined that the communities can support ten new locations. They also say there should be no problems with new growth in these communities as they open ten stores over the next five to six years. And, if all goes well, they may add more locations as the need arises.
If you’re looking for a franchise opportunity, this may be the right option for you. The company is looking for one group or several groups of investors to open all ten locations. This is an excellent opportunity with a fairly low-cost entry. These locations will also have drive thru windows which will increase sales volume.
This may be a indication that the local real estate market is off to a great start in the right direction this new year.
City Hall Coming to Tulsa’s Neighborhoods
Tulsa’s City Counselors and Mayor Dewey Bartlett are helping to bring City Hall to Tulsa neighborhoods. In January, city council members and the Mayor will host “City Hall in Your 
Neighborhood” from January 10, 2012 through May 14, 2012. Events will be held in each of the nine council districts in Tulsa, OK. This will be a great opportunity for residents of Tulsa to get up-close and personal with their City government representatives to help work on problem solving for their neighborhoods.
Each event will also address the many comments from the citizen survey that was given earlier in the year. The events will be a good way for local Tulsa residents to have their feedback and ideas hear loud and clear. At each meeting, Tulsan’s can talk personally with their district council representative, the mayor, city department heads of staff and other top government officials.
City Hall in Your Neighborhood event dates & locations:
District 1 – January 10 at Rudisill Regional Library, 1520 N. Hartford Ave.
District 5 – January 24 at Hale Junior High School, 2177 S. 67th Ave.
District 4 – February 6 at Central Library, 400 Civic Center.
District 2 – February 20 at ORU Mabee Center, 7777 S. Lewis Ave.
District 3 – March 5 at McClure Park Recreation Center, 7449 E. 7th St.
District 7 – March 26 at Hardesty Regional Library, 8316 E. 93rd St.
District 8 – April 24 at Peggy V. Helmerich Library, 5131 E. 91st St.
District 9 – April 30 at Whiteside Park Community Center, 4009 S. Pittsburg Ave.
District 6 – May 14 at Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Rd.
Each meeting will begin promptly at 5:30pm.
Trapper’s Camp in Tulsa Offering Youth Training
There was once a time when you would find a trap-line at every farm house across the nation in rural areas. They were setup for catching raccoon and other small animals that cause big damage to homes and livestock. However, times have changed and you won’t find that a common practice now. But, with the growth of the raccoon population, they are becoming troublesome once again. Therefore, the Oklahoma Furbearers Alliance Trapper’s are going to hold a camp in Tulsa, OK to teach youth how to set up trap-lines themselves.
Fur trapping started in the US many years ago to support making beaver pelt top hats. Eventually, the European market no longer had a need so it slowly dwindled down to nothing over the years. Then from the 1960’s to 1980’s fur trapping came back because furbearing animals were plentiful once again. However, bad things came out of this period when people acted unethically and began stealing or shooting fur-bearing animals. There is a wrong way and a right way to control an animal population and that’s where the youth camp steps in.
The Oklahoma Furbearers Alliance trapper’s camp will be scheduled for December 28th – 31st near Chickasha. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. The camp will cover all aspects of trapping in Oklahoma with instruction from experienced trappers. The cost is $25, which covers meals and a one year membership to the OFA with a subscription to Trapper and Predator Caller magazine. Adults can attend for $20 to cover their meals.
Anyone interested should contact Alliance secretary John Weygandt at 918-645-5667. For more information on the Oklahoma Fur Bearers Alliance you can visit their website at: www.oktrapper.com/youth.
Course Correct your Too Long House Hunt
It’s very typical today for buyers to house-hunt for a year before finally getting what they want. Multiple offers will have you pulling your hair out trying to work with the lenders these days, too. Therefore, if you’ve been looking for what seems to be a very long time, there are some strategies that will help course correct your too long house hunt.
◊ How long is too long – If you’ve been working on your credit score and saving like crazy for your dream house for maybe 5 years then looking at properties for three weeks, this may seem to be an incredible amount of time. When you’re pushing the three month mark, you may want to reevaluate your needs.
If you make an offer that gets rejected, it will be agony and defeat will be outweighed only by the pain of losing your dream home. In today’s market it is quite normal to view a dozen homes over several months. Ask your agent how long local buyers are typically taking in today’s market before finding the perfect home.
◊ Find the breakdown – Figure out where your process is dragging. If you’re looking and looking and not finding exactly what you want, your expectations may be too high. It could be the matter of a champagne taste on a beer budget, or it could be that you and your spouse can’t agree on what you want. Example: The husband wants a house to fix up and the wife wants to move right in. If your agent has told you that your expectations are out of sync, you may need to consider some compromises.
Sit down and make a list with a place to grade the homes you are seeing. On a scale of 1 to 10, does the house meet your requirements for price range? Room sizes? Modern or updated wants? Does it have the number of bedrooms you’re looking for? Make sure the list is complete on all of these areas. Both of you should make a complete list and keep score. After each home, sit down again and go through your scores for all your wants and needs. This will give you a picture of what is realistic and what’s not. This technique may bring you closer to or right to exactly what will work for both of you and your family.
◊ Remember the numbers – Remember there are a lot of houses out there but you don’t have to see them all. It’s not only time consuming but it’s unproductive. Don’t go into a house thinking, “If I don’t like something, I can always keep looking”. If you find one in the price range and area you want with a lot of things you’d like to have on your list, you can still make an offer and be comforted in knowing you don’t have to see them all. One home is not going to fit all your must have’s so don’t hold out waiting to find it.
◊ What’s the deal breakers? – Go back and re-think your deal breakers. If you’ve had a lot of absolute deal breakers you’ve told your agent about, the fewer prospective homes you’ll see. Be more flexible and you’ll have a higher chance at finding the right house. Try this exercise: Your agent understands how you feel and what you want, so ask them to remove all pricing filters and send you to homes that reflect what you want. Go to open houses and to homes in the area you want to live in even if they are not on the market and ask your agent to investigate the pricing. This exercise will give you and your agent a better idea of what you want and you will get a better idea of what is in your price range.
◊ Tune-out all others – Don’t listen to people who have not bought a home in the same time frame, price range and in the same area that you are. If they are not authorities on real estate, then you shouldn’t listen to them. They will only confuse the situation. Their lack of knowledge will not stop your friends and relatives from offering their own critiques, suggestions or “what I would do if I was you” analysis of your own home buying strategies. You’ll end up being a “would be” home owner because of someone that read a headline without reading the whole article to gain the knowledge that is required to make experienced decisions like your agent can.
Take this advice and you’ll be in that special place in no time. Check your own references, double and triple check and make sure the sources are expert and up to date like your experienced agent is. Don’t let your home buying get side tracked by well meaning relatives and friends by relying on inaccurate advice.
Good luck and productive house hunting.
Tips to Sell Your Home for Top Dollar
Every homeowner who places their home on the market wants top dollar for it. This is true in every housing economy; therefore, we have some tips that will help you sell your home for top dollar. And, keep-in-mind that despite the current housing market, many homeowners are successfully selling their homes for top dollar.
Price your home aggressively
The most important decision about selling your home is setting the right price for it when you decide to sell. Pricing too high will price yourself out of the market. Go too low and you leave money on the table. One powerful technique besides getting the assistance of a real estate professional is to spend the day looking at your competition’s homes. This will make it easier to see the world through a buyers’ eyes. You will have to be honest but tough with yourself. Compare your property to the competition and decide what would be the best value for buyers in your market.
Hire a Listing Agent
Not all agents are equal so you’ll need someone that is very aggressive and who has the resources and time to research the market. Talk to neighbors, friends and colleagues about who they would use or have used for home selling or home buying in the past. Interview a number of agents before making the decision as to who to hire. Also, you should agree on a specific documented marketing plan before signing a long term listing agreement.
Curb Appeal and Home Staging
Buyers need to be emotionally invested in your home. So, to do this you will need to build on the best first impression. Begin on the outside of your home to improve your home’s curb appeal first. Plant fresh flowers, remove weeds and clean up the exterior with paint, if needed. When it comes to the interior of your home, inside in each room create a focal point with a story. A set dining table, a book by the bed, a game in the kids’ room are all simple staging strategies.
Offer Pre-Paid Incentives
There are a number of incentives to reach the buyer that have narrowed down their choices to two or three. You can offer to buy the interest rate down on the purchase price, pay closing cost, pay for inspections or repairs, and provide allowances or credits for home upgrades after closing. Many sellers these days are offering to prepay for golf club membership fees, internet services for a year, taxes or homeowner association fees.
Pre-Inspection is a Must
Sellers do pre-inspections to provide the buyers with a clear whole home inspection. Other inspections include pest and dry rot inspections. Anything discovered in the inspection should be disclosed to the buyer even if you have it fixed. This will help prevent long negotiations with them later. It’s cheaper and better overall if you do this in advance of placing the home on the market.
Working on your behalf as single party brokers, we offer guidance that will help you make knowledgeable decisions in either buyer or seller situations. So, when you’re ready to become a homeowner or sell your property, contact Tulsa Realtors® Tom and Bev Herring. Or, visit their website at: TomAndBev.info.
Servicer Ratings for First Half of 2011 by Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae recently announced the results of their servicer ratings for the first half of 2011 in the Servicer Total Achievement and Rewards (STAR) Program. The STAR Program is designed to focus on areas of critical importance to Fannie Mae, this includes customer Service and foreclosure prevention for homeowners by rating servicers on their performance in these areas. The STAR Program provides clear expectations and specific measurements to ensure help for Fanny Mae servicers.
Fannie Mae wants to help prevent foreclosure, if possible, and they want to help stabilize the housing market. Through the STAR Program, Fannie Mae can evaluate and make servicers accountable for consistent results. Servicers that achieve the highest ratings are the providers that are leading in providing assistance to owners that are having problems making their mortgage payments.
Listed below are servicers in Peer Groups One and Two as of the end of the second quarter are on track to acquire a triple STAR rating for this year.
Group One has a total of 11 servicers – Some included are GMAC Mortgage (Ally Bank), Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., CitiMortgage, Inc., Everhome Mortgage.
Group Two has a total of 10 servicers – Some include Fifth Third Bank, The Huntington National Bank, HSBC Mortgage Corporation (USA), Aurora Bank, FSB, Regions Bank, Central Mortgage Company.
Servicers aspire to achieve an overall satisfactory rating of 3 STAR or higher. 3 STARs indicates the servicer has at least median performance. 4 STARs shows the servicer is on track to meet Fannie Mae standards in performance and is above median performance. 5 STARs is superior where the servicer is meeting or exceeding Fannie Mae’s target goals.
Servicers are arranged in three groups based on the number of loans they service. Each group is scored within the group using the Servicer Performance Scorecard which provides a monthly snapshot of ten key indicators that measure the servicer’s impact on helping homeowners by achieving sustainable solutions. Fannie Mae conducts an operational assessment under the STAR program to assure that key processes are performed by the providers. The operational assessment and results will help drive the overall annual ratings. Servicers that do not provide services at median level or don’t have satisfactory results do not receive STAR ratings.
Working on your behalf as single party brokers, we offer guidance that will help you make knowledgeable decision in either buyer or seller situations. So, when you’re ready to become a homeowner or sell your property, contact Tulsa Realtors® Tom and Bev Herring. Or, visit their website at: TomAndBev.info.
Make a Buyer Bite with These Home Features
When it comes to selling your home, you have to stand out from the rest of the crowd. It’s important to do a little extra to your home; however, you don’t have to go overboard either. These home features will have buyers biting at your home sale in no time.
Fantastic Fixtures
Replacing door knobs, cabinet handles and faucets, is the quickest way to make-over your kitchen and bathrooms. For around $60 to $70 dollars you can buy the most popular faucets that get a lot of attention from prospective buyers. Fixtures are like the crown jewels of your home and this is a quick and easy way to grab your buyer.
Striking Baths
If you don’t have the luxury items such a whirlpool bath, steam shower or marble countertops, it may be more practical to fix the unattractive aspects of your existing bath. Remove the sheet mirror and globe lights and replace them with an elegant framed mirror and sconce lighting. This definitely will be an eye catcher.
Gorgeous Countertops
Buyers do like the granite counter tops; but it’s not really about the granite. It’s really about the slab and not having grout lines on the counters. Slab counter tops that are non porous like granite and that are easy to care for is the way to go. This look can be attainable with concrete, limestone, soapstone and marble, with a very good sealant.
Stunning Hardwood Floors
Most buyers are looking for hardwood floors and most Realtors® will agree. And, best of all, you can bet that they will have longevity and will never go out of style. Synthetic wood floors like Pergo are also a good option, but you should know that laminate will not fool anyone. They make a hollow sound when you walk on them.
Awesome Entryway
First impressions go a long way. If you have a nice entry way, it makes your place feel more like home right away. If you don’t have one you can make one by adding a table or chest to create a welcoming area.
Originally posted on Active Rain: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2507742/make-a-buyer-bite-with-these-home-features.
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Contact Information
Tom & Bev Herring Bev, GRI, CRS
Tom, Broker Associate, ePro
Tulsa, OK 74133
Business: (918) 712-4405
Fax: (918) 712-4333
