The Congress finally approved the housing bill that has been floating between the Senate and the House for over a year.  One key measure in the Bill is a tax credit for first time home buyers. First-time homebuyers purchasing a home between April of this year and through June of next year would receive a tax credit for 10% of the value of their home, up to $7,500, while current homeowners who do not itemize their tax returns would be able to deduct up to $1,000 for property taxes. So if you're a first time buyer, on your mark, get set, GO!  Let's get out there and start looking for your first home.  Be sure to check with your CPA, for exact details. Contact Steve for all your real estate needs! www.OmahaRealtyPro.com 07/26/2008

Troy Trumm | Alliance Real Estate | troy@troytrumm.com | 402-676-6700 8722 S 100 St, Omaha, NE 8722 S 100 St in the Val Verde subdivision of Omaha 4BR/3BA Single Family House offered at $223,000 Year Built 2002 Sq Footage 2,599 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Stunning brick front walkout ranch. Convenient kitchen with pantry, roll-out cabinet shelves, ceramic tile backsplash, and breakfast bar. The living room features a programmable fireplace. In the master suite you will find a walk-in closet, whirlpool, and dual sinks. Finished lower lever offers a family room wired for surround sound, plenty of sunlight, and French doors leading to a 4th non-conforming bedroom or office. Enjoy the expansive... 07/24/2008

Alliance Real Estate is proud to announce our NEW mobile website!  www.AllianceSells.mobi is a tool designed for today's homebuyer on the move.  This site is intended to help buyers with smartphones and those with PDA web access in their search for homes in the Omaha area.  Now, home information from ALL the homes on the MLS is readily available with interior photos on your cell or PDA with web access.  We designed the site for simplicity and speed, and we are proud to be one of only two companies in Omaha that offers this exciting tool for Omaha buyers in their search for homes. Thanks, David Matney, CRS,GRI Alliance Real Estate 07/21/2008

I would like to thank Mindi Byrd of Prudential Ambassador and fellow Activerainer for helping me in selling my at 6222 N 79 Circle in the Brookfield subdivision.  Mindi was a pleasure to work with and the sale went off without a hitch.  6222 North 79 Circle was listed for $120,000 and it SOLD 38 days later for $117,000.  Again, I would like to thank Mindi for her professionalism and for a job well done. If you would like to see current homes for sale in the Brookfield subdivision I have included a DIRECT LINK to the MLS to give you an idea of some of the current bargains in the area.  If you would like to see any these homes or if you are selling your home please feel free to give me a call at (402) 490-6771.  I have listed several homes in the area and I am familiar with the market in ... 07/14/2008

If you are potential seller in the Omaha real estate market you have many choices when it comes to hiring an agent.  Not all agents are created equal and even agents within the same company has varying degrees of success and experience.  Any agent you speak with will TELL you all about their internet and technology expertise.  How can you really tell?  One way to test this is to send a potential agent a TEXT message.  Agents that are technology savvy understand the POWER of texting and the importance of communicating in today's marketplace.  The demographic for the average buyer in today's market is the low to mid 30's.  Times have changed and the buyers in today's marketplace DEMAND instant communication.  So, before you hire an agent send them a text message.  Sending a simple text ma... 07/12/2008

  The effect of increasing traffic and widening of a street and the impact on PRICE    This is just an example of why buyers want to be careful when buying a home that backs to a busy street.  The home pictured above with the "red dot" was a model home purchased on 3-23-2005 for $269,900.   At the time of construction in 2001 this street was a simple two lane road.  A few years later the street was widened and there was a significant increase inthe amount of traffic. How did this affect the price?  Many factors play a part in price and the increase in traffic is only ONE of the factors.  On 6-26-06 the sellers listed the home for $275,000 after 183 days the listing EXPIRED. On 12-20-06 the sellers changed agents and increased the price to $279,000 after 146 days the listing EXPIRED. On ... 07/11/2008

This is a client satisfaction survey from a past client.  This client was an expired listing who had been listed with two other companies before she became a client.  After proper pricing, professional home staging and a pre-inspection this home SOLD in 7 days! If you are considering selling your home in the Omaha area and you would like more information on my comprhensive marketing plan please give me a call at (402) 490-6771.   Thanks, David Matney, CRS,GRI Alliance Real Estate 07/11/2008

One of the more common concerns among buyers when moving to a new area is the amount of crime.  CrimeReports.com is a website that downloads police reports daily and makes that information easily available for members of the community.      In order to better serve our clients we have linked CrimeReports.com to our website in order to be a one-stop resource when purchasing a home.   Thanks, David Matney, CRS,GRI Alliance Real Estate       07/11/2008

Kim represented the buyer on the sale of my listing at 4867 S. 192 Ave in the Woodlands subdivision of Omaha. If it were not for good agents like Kim, then I wouldn't be able to sell over 50 homes a year. Kim was a pleasure to work with and I hope we can do more business together in the future Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Your Home Sold within 120 Days or I will Buy It! 07/10/2008

While some major cities are experiencing falling home prices, several hidden gems in the central part of the United States offer affordable and appreciating housing, strong local economies and a good quality of life, according to the 2008 MSN Real Estate Most-Livable Bargain Markets list. The largest 100 U.S. cities were evaluated based on several criteria: affordability, home price appreciation, unemployment, cost of living, commute times and whether there was sufficient entertainment and recreation to keep people busy throughout the year. The top cities were: 1. Wichita, Kan. 2. Omaha, Neb.-Council Bluffs, Iowa 3. Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa. 4. Madison, Wis. 5. San Antonio 6. Indianapolis 7. Pittsburgh 8. Dallas-Fort Worth 9. Tulsa, Okla.   Source:  Member Connect, CRS, July 2, 2008 07/10/2008

To encourage agents to complete my requests for feedback after showing a listing of mine I offer a $20 gift certificate to the agent that submits the closest guess on the sales price of the listing. Not only does this ensure valuable feedback for my clients, it is also a great way to maintain good relations with other agents.   Congratulations to Mischelle Nelson, Roland Wedige, and Cindy Andrew who each won a $20 gift certificate to Chili's for submitting the closest guesses on the sale prices of listings of mine that sold in June. This is my way of thanking agents for taking a minute to provide valuable feedback and at the same time provide my clients with outstanding service. Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Your Home Sold within 120 Days or I will Buy It! 07/08/2008

Below is a summary of the real estate market in Omaha for the month of June, 2008. Total Number For Sale  6158 Total Number of Accepted Offers 777 Total Number of Closed Sales 1017     % of sellers that accepted an offer 12.62% Absorption rate in months 7.93 These numbers encompass all residential listings in the Omaha Area Board of Realtors Great Plains Multiple Listing Service. Absorption rate is the amount of time it would take for all of the current properties for sale to be sold, or absorbed into the market, assuming that no additional properties are put on the market. At the moment there is a 7.93 month supply of homes available. This is the second consecutive month that the adsorption rate has gone up (Omaha Real Estate Market - May, 2008) which is unusual this early in the year.... 07/06/2008

The standard purchase agreement used by the Omaha Area Board of Realtors includes many paragraphs. Each of which is important to understand. Let's take a look at paragraph 4 - Conveyance. The paragraph states "The Seller has good, valid and marketable title, in fee simple, Seller agrees to convey title to Property to Purchaser or his nominee by warranty deed free and clear of all liens, encumbrances or special taxes levied or assessed, no exceptions subject to all building and use restrictions, utility easements abutting the boundary of the Property, and covenants now of record." There are two main points here. First is title. It states that the Seller has "good, valid and marketable title." What would be a situation in which a seller does not have "good, valid and marketable title?" If... 07/06/2008

It has been a treat for all of us in Omaha to be part of such an exciting event at the Qwest Center watching the swimming athletes compete (Olympic Swim Trials). 12,116 spectators watched Hoff finish first and Ziegler second in 400 IM free style. The Good Life... 07/01/2008

Thank you to the Nebraska Realtors Association for bringing Kevin Stahle to Omaha to teach GRI 104: Financing. The class was held at the Holiday Inn Convention Center on June 25th & 26th. Topics covered included conventional, FHA, and VA financing, as well as recent changes in financing requirements. With the sub-prime fallout of 2007 still being felt, knowledge of financing has become more important than ever.    Some tidbits of useful information included: Conventional lenders are no longer offering 100% financing. A minimum of 5% down payment is required. FHA however only requires 3% down. The limit on the size of an FHA loan in Nebraska is $271,000. The VA financing limit is $417,000 with no down payment and $700,000 with a down payment. VA financing is the only 100% financing avail... 06/30/2008

I went out to Omaha for My sister's wedding for 10 days. Quite possibly the oldest bridesmaid in the world: I got my baby fix: It stormed almost every day but one.  My daughter was just asking about tornadoes the day before I got these amazing pictures.  We were shopping and she was freaking out because the thunder and lightening was brutal.  I told her that tornadoes mostly pop out of wall clouds and we didn't need to worry. Well the next day (Friday July 27, 2008) I interrupted her shower to let her know the most amazing wall cloud was coming through.  She shot these photos by the way.  We were at my in-laws in Carter Lake Iowa approximately 1.7 miles north from downtown and the Quest Center where the olympic swimming trials are going on. Picture one, mom (me) letting daughter know I ... 06/29/2008

Everyone is well aware of how important cleanliness is when selling your home.  If everyone's home is clean what does a seller do to go beyond that?  One item that many sellers overlook is downstairs that will get looked at by almost all potential buyers.  Most buyers at least LOOK at the furnace and the hot water heater.  True, they might not know what they are looking for but almost all still look at the furnace and hot water heater. First, things first.  Be sure and have your furnace SERVICED before putting your home on the market.  Buyers LOVE to see a up-to-date service sticker on the furnace.  It also shows that you keep the property well maintained.  The next tip is to clean the dust off of the top of the hot water heater.  The top of the hot water heater is usually dusty and mos... 06/29/2008

The beginning of most basement water issues usually begin in the gutters and downspouts.  This summer the Omaha area has had more than it share of rain.  If your gutters are clogged this can lead to water accumulating near the foundation and this can lead to water seepage in the basement.  Keeping gutters clean and the downspouts in place helps keep the water away from the home and out of the basement.  If you are selling your home, don't forget to keep the gutters clean.  A sure-fire way to kill the curb appeal is to have a small forest growing out of the gutters.  This screams out: 1) deferred maintenance 2) basement water problems.  This is another reason most high octane FULL SERVICE Realtors periodically drive past their listings to ensure the home maintains marketability.   Thanks... 06/28/2008

I use Google Maps all the time to get directions around town, even though most guys think they have an internal GPS system in there brain.  Now Google has added most of western Omaha, parts of Sarpy County with a Street View option.  How did they do it?  Google used a car to drive around Omaha and take panoramic shots of all the streets in Omaha.  I was recently contacted by, Omaha World Herald reporter Bryan Redemske, about how an Omaha Real Estate Agent could use this technology. Omaha World Herald story about Google Street View.  I felt it is a great way to incorporate street scenes into my comprehensive web marketing program to promote my listings online.  Here is just one example of how it could be used.  Street view of 908 Port Royal Drive in Papillion. I truly believe that web ba... 06/27/2008

I would like to thank Jennifer Edwards with Prudential Ambassador Real Estate.  Jennifer brought the buyer to my listing at 15826 Seward St in the Windridge subdivision.  15826 Seward Street sold for $162,000 and was on the market for only 26 days.    If you are considering selling your home and would like more information on my comprehensive marketing program please feel free to call me directly at (402) 490-6771. Thanks, David Matney CRS,GRI Alliance Real Estate 06/22/2008