Preparing a home in today's market has become very critical.  In a good market it was always important, however, now it's a must.  Even if you are not planning on selling, a yearly checkup on your home will prevent major problems and renovation later.  Realtors are great at giving advice, so I started looking at my own home this year.  It is now 10 years old, with some vinyl flooring, formica countertops, the exterior lights have corroded, door knobs looking a little shabby.  Knowing we needed to update our carpet, we purchased hardwood flooring back in March and stored it in a spare bedroom until we were able to install it ourselves.Throughout the year, we've slowing replaced some of the exterior items.  This week, we spent our evenings tearing out carpeting and installing hardwood flo... 11/10/2007

Are Springfield Homes Priced Right?With the help of Active Rain, showing a prospective client the market statistics today, I used the   Springfield MLS statistics to design the comparison of Solds to New Listings. Springfield Mo homes compared to last year: We were able to see the number of listings increased, the number of sales have decreased....... to be exact, sales for 2006 was 6583 compared to sales for 2007 of 5809. Listings for 2006 were 13820 compared to 14923 for 2007. What this means to the consumer: If you are in the market to purchase a home, now is the perfect time to buy. Springfield homes are now being marketed to reflect the competative market. If you insult the seller with a low offer, expect them to reject the offer. They have already adjusted their prices to reflect ... 10/18/2007

  Many of you remember when real estate was about listing and selling homes by using a Springfield MLS Book that came out once a month.  Then the first computer that was directly connected to the MLS and the books eventually disappeared.Today we research homes from the internet.  MLS is on the internet, our database is on the internet, and all our great personal websites are internet based.  Newspaper advertising is becoming less a necessity, with knowledge of how to drive traffic to your website more important.Last week we drove to Tulsa Oklahoma and Bentenville Arkansas (home of Walmart) to share how we are driving traffic to our websites.  We immediately let the groups know that I am not a public speaker, I'm a working Springfield Missouri agent just like them and I'm only getting st... 09/22/2007

We are quickly running thru the year , and the Springfield Mo real estate market still remains stable.  Fewer homes sold for the month of August, with an increase of new listings on the market.  The median sold price from August, 2006 is up an average of $10,000.  This figure is an average of all homes in Springfield and surrounding areas.Figures courtesy of Springfield Mo MLS  In the Springfield, Mo. Area Real EstateWe here at the Kay Van Kampen Team continuously monitor local real estate statistics for Springfield Mo Homes, to keep our clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends.  Here is a break down by MLS zone.    Want to know the value of your home?   If you would like a free list of homes for sale in this area/neighborhood, or would like more home information about the S... 09/18/2007

This is one of those days that driving on the motorcycle is fun and a lot of work all in one.  We started out from Ozark Missouri to drive to Joplin Missouri to assist other bikers bring all the Multiple Sclerosis bikers ride safely back to Willard Missouri.This is the second year we have been motorcycle escorts.  And every year, the MS run just keeps getting bigger.  It is such an amazing feat to see all the bicyclists ride so far.  This year it was approximately 180 miles.  Stopping in Mt Vernon Missouri, we quickly photographed the courthouse on the square.       A few bikers waiting for the train.  Perfect timing to take a short break.    On to the next rest stop.       Before we reached the last rest stop, we came across this farm of Buffalo.  After taking several photos of this wo... 09/16/2007

 This week, my assistant and I spent two days teaching other RE/MAX agents about meta tags and how to drive traffic to the top of the search engines.  Still being new at SEO, showing other agents how to optomize their sites was as difficult to teach as it is to learn.The sessions also included "Realty Blogging".  Without this great book and advice from Active Rain, we would never have learned how blogging has become such an important tool to selling Springfield Mo Homes.If you haven't had a chance to read this great book, you can also read about blogs in Active Rain.  Kay Van Kampen 09/15/2007

I do not know if it is just me noticing or if the area is getting hit with a large number of events again.  This weekend and next there are an overwhelming number of things to do.  I guess you just pick the ones that you think you would enjoy the most.  Here is a run down on some of the events I have noticed:Today, Friday, Sept 7, 07, is Springfield's downtown First Friday Art Walk and Live Music on First Friday Commercial Street; it has been a while since I have been to an art walk and I would like to attend (weather permitting), mostly just to hopefully run into old friends.  Time permitting I would like to check out Commercial St. too.  11th Annual Japanese Fall Festival, Sept 7-9, rain or shine, at the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden; click here for more info.  We went last year and... 09/07/2007

Welcome to Stone Meadow, a Ron Stenger Community. Stone Meadow is an exclusive residential community located at the edge of Springfield, Missouri in the pristine woodlands of the Ozarks. Residents of Stone Meadow enjoy homes of traditional elegance in a setting of rolling hills, forests and streams, all within minutes of shopping, schools, churches and medical centers. Stone Meadow features gated entrances, heavily wooded building sites and extensive outdoor recreational amenities and common areas. The development of Stone Meadow was carefully planned and environmentally engineered with state-of-the-art land planning designed to enhance the natural beauty of the area. Stone Meadow is one of Springfield's premier gated communities.  For information on listings in Stone Meadow or the res... 08/17/2007

 Among the listings we currently have, a new listing is a Springfield bank repo, located on a major street, complete with a house full of STUFF!  The normal bank repo is usually empty - this is actually the first home we've helped clean out.According to the bank, photos must be taken before and after the home is cleaned out.  For those of you that don't handle repo's, the bank's policy expects the home to be cleaned out,  The policy of  this particular bank, all property must be placed outside on the front lawn, photo's taken, then the property must stay outside for a period of at least 24 hours.  Any remaining property then must be hauled off.Yesterday my assistant, hubby and grandson had the privilege of cleaning house.  They spent hours setting personal belongings in  the front yard.... 08/05/2007

When the family moved to the Springfield Missouri area, our lives made a dramatic change.  We were used to a fast paced style of living and came back to a much better way of life.  Meeting with a Springfield Missouri realtor, we quickly found a home just outside of Springfield and settled down.Now, 30 years later, Springfield has become a booming area in Southwest Missouri.  To the north is Kansas City, Missouri, south is Branson, Mo., Northeast is St. Louis, Missouri and Southwest Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  Improved major highway enable traveling quick and easy.  Population within the city of Springfield is now over 400,000.Surrounding the Springfield area are additional towns that have expanded through the years to become the suburbs.  Nixa, Ozark, Rogersville, Willard, Republic, Straf... 06/30/2007

 Reading some of the new groups here in Active Rain, I've come across several new ones that I joined over the weekend - one is: Positive Attitude For The Weary Soul.Negative attitudes breed negative results.  My Dad said this over and over to me while I was growing up.  I love my job.  Selling real estate is not always the most fun thing I can do, especially when contracts are falling thru, inspection reports come back with bad repairs, financing contingencies aren't met on time - - the list goes on and on.  The most satisfying part of our job is sitting down at the closing table, everyone happily signing paperwork and talking afterwords trading information on the home information.I closed a home today, with the buyer relying on a life long friend to help her purchase a home while she w... 06/25/2007

 One of my first jobs was working at a bank.  The best position I held was working in the loan department.  There I gained a great background to start off my career in real estate.  Interest rates for conventional loans in the Springfield Mo area right now averages between 6% and 6.5%.  I remember interest rates as high as 18%.Refinancing a home was a common occurance.  Homeowners always questioned current interest rates and the best time to refinance their current home.Some of the best times to refinance was when interest rates fell more than 2 percent below their current interest rate.  Also the length of time you plan to stay in your home.  Staying in your home for more than four or more years, refinancing would be worthwhile.Also, eliminating the private mortgage insurance that is a... 06/15/2007

 We all seem to have the same problem - we have buyers that are waiting for the market to drop more before they buy their dream home.Read an article in Realty Times that the market has hit bottom.  I'm sure that home sellers are hoping this is true.  Pricing a home today has become more inportant than ever.  Many sellers are waiting to purchase a new home when their current home sells.For buyers, this could not be a better time to buy a home.  Lower prices, low interest rates, seller incentives are only a few of the benefits buyers are taking advantage of.If you are a money conscious consumer, hesitation may cost more than you know.  Read more.....Kay Van Kampen 06/15/2007

Tonight the James River is running out of its banks and taking valuable crop ground and vegetation with it.  I always get a little sad watching the ugly brown waters carrying all the trash and logs downstream to obstruct the next curve in ther river and block the way of recreational canoeists after the water recedes.  Vision 20/20 was a gift to the Greater Springfield area in uniting area leaders around the idea of green spaces and corridors of conservation for our community to respect and enjoy for generations to come.  We as realtors must help continue to promote that concept with good land usage planning and development.  Let us vow to work for the preservation of more green space in our beautiful county, and promote conservation districts, and conservation zoning wherever possible. ... 06/12/2007

Bob Nelson, with the City of Springfield, MO, heads up the campaign for getting Springfield, MO selected as the Springfield who gets to host the World Premiere of the new Simpson's Movie.  There will be a 10 day window of voting towards the end of this month, June, 07, at www.usatoday.com. This will not make Springfield, MO the official home of the Simpson's; that secret is said to be kept.  But that does not mean you cannot make Springfield, MO your home.  To find out what homes are available in the Springfield, MO area you can call 417-988-0726 or visit www.williamsclassichomes.com. 06/12/2007

Thinking back on the past 20 years, selling Springfield Mo real estate and Springfield Mo homes has made some major changes.  Researching homes in MLS books that were already obsolete when they finally arrived.  Touring homes to see what came on the market in the past week.  Disclosures were introduced, agents started working as buyer's agents, cell phones replaced the pagers.  Contracts were presented by both agents.Today's technology allows a home to be marketed, seen by thousands of realtors, even sold within hours after it is marketed.  The internet allows the consumer to be alerted the moment a new listing appears, along with photos and virtual tours.Consumers value the expertise realtors offer more today than ever before.  Realtors provide a broader range of services for the consu... 06/11/2007

Real estate in the Springfield Missouri and surrounding areas shows a steady market.  With a total of 701 Units Sold, days on the market statistics are:1-30 Days: 300    31-60 Days:  73    61-90 Days: 73   91=120 Days: 48   121=180 Days: 82   181+Days: 66Average time on the market:  71 Days              Average sold price:  $139,423 Included in the Springfield Multiple Listing system are a number of counties, including Greene, Christian, Taney, Webster, Cedar, Dade, Hickory, Dallas, LaClede, Polk, St Clair, Douglas, Barry, Lawrence and Wright.New listings for April 2006 was 1371.  New listings for April 2007 was 1766.       Reviewing the information for the past year, the month of April shows a small decrease in sales with the average sold price increasing, higher list prices and the me... 06/09/2007

Springfield Missouri Area Events SeasonOne of the things I love about living in the Ozarks is the area's richness of events.  This week alone has been action packed.  While I was busy at the Springfield Junior League's Horse Show Charity with our horses and riders, there was the Boyd Coddington's annual car auction on the same property.  Yesterday, along with the car auction and horse show, PFI Western wear was having a concert in their parking lot featuring Joe Nichols, and there was an indoor, APFL, football game at Jordan Valley Ice Park with the Springfield Wolf Pack.   To add to it, earlier this week I so fortunate to be able to take my girlfriend to see The Taffetas at the Springfield Little Theatre, thanks to my grandfather.  And just last weekend was the National Street Rod Asso... 06/03/2007

 In addition to having a real estate business (www.williamsclassichomes.com), we are in the horse business as well.  We currently board close to 60 horses, mostly Saddlebreds.  There will be close to 10 horses and 6 riders from our farm (Sassafras Equestrian Center, Rogersville, MO) at this year's Charity Horse Show.  I figured this would fall under area events, and it adds to the many reasons why living in the Springfield MO area is so great.  The information below was copied from http://www.jlspringfield.org/jls_horse_show.asp.  Visit www.williamsclassichomes.com or call 417-988-0726 to find out what else makes the Springfield, MO greater area a great place to live.  At www.williamsclassichomes.com along with a home's listing information you will find community information: demographi... 05/24/2007

 Downstown Springfield is once again very alive each evening.  Feeling like time had turned back about 30 years, my husband and I attended a concert with the Ozark Mountain Daredevils at the Gillioz Theatre in Springfield.This talented group of musicians started recording back in 1973.  They play a variety of country/rock music that sets everyone's toes to tapping and hands a clapping.  You can't help but join in with the crowd to keep from missing every beat.  For you that have never heard of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, you have missed a wonderful local band that has more talent than any group around. (My Opinion). One of my favorites: " If You Want To Get To Heaven, You Got To Raise A Little Hell" really brought the house down.       To enhance the evening, we were seated in the ne... 05/12/2007