The Omaha Area Board of Realtors recently held their annual chilli cook-off and fund-raiser for the Omaha Food Bank.  In addition to the chilli cook-off, the Board sponsored a "hot dog" eating contest between Brokers and Managers from the local market.  I had the distinct honor of representing Alliance Real Estate.  The winner of the  competition was Mike Riedmann of NP Dodge!  Mike's superior "hot dog" eating abilities are the envy of to ALL Managers and Brokers from across the City of Omaha.  Mike downed SEVEN cold and gross hot dogs in three minutes!  To the cheering chat of "Go, Mike Go!" and the even under the intense pressure of local news media he downed his dogs with the ability of a seasoned veteran.  Perhaps he has even "locked up" the nomination for Realtor of the Year for th... 02/17/2008

When determining the value of your home you need to look at the sales of those homes in your area that are most like yours - most similar in terms of size, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and style of home. One factor that many people overlook is that in order to make a reasonable comparison to an existing home is that you need to compare it to other existing homes. Comparing it to new homes, even if they are identical, does not make sense. Here's why.First are the financial reasons why a brand new home is different than an existing one. New homes often come with builder concessions, such as paid closing costs, if the buyer uses their preferred lender. New homes also have substantially lower taxes for the first year. Instead of paying the full taxes, their taxes are based on the lot a... 02/16/2008

Homeowners insurance is often something that is overlooked until the last minute by the home buyer and all too often by their agent as well. Homeowners insurance is something that should be lined up prior to submitting an offer rather than after. There are many reasons why.First is affordability. If you get an offer accepted on a home and then check into insuring it you may find that the insurance is significantly more costly than you thought. The age, type, and location of the house can affect how much your insurance will be. The cost of your insurance can also be affected by your credit score, marital status, age, and other personal factors.Another reason for checking on insurance first is to see if the property will be covered without any exclusions. If the house is in need of repair... 02/15/2008

I want to thank Dawn Grimshaw of CBSHome. Today the sale of my listing at 9317 Spaulding St. in Palomino Hills closed. Providing comprehensive marketing and outstanding service are key in selling a home but so is a capable agent on the other side of the transaction. Dawn represented the buyer. She was on the ball and a pleasure to work with. I hope that her and I can do business again in the future.Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Your Home Sold within 120 Days or I will Buy It! 02/14/2008

A showing desk is the term used to describe a phone number for Realtors to call to schedule showings on homes that are for sale.There are two types of showing desks. The duty desk and a dedicated showing desk. A duty desk is staffed by agents and they receive calls both from agents that are scheduling showing and receiving calls from buyers. A dedicated showing desk is staffed by operators trained to schedule showings from agents and nothing else. Of the two the dedicated showing desk is far superior. To explain why let's look closely at the duty desk. The agents answering the phones on a duty desk are hoping for calls from buyers because this is how these agents hope to get business. Every call from an agent is time that is keeping them from answering buyer calls. As a result the servi... 02/12/2008

A HUD Statement is the final statement of all expenses and profits from the sale or purchase of a home.Outstanding service is what an excellent agent will provide his clients with.What do HUD statements and outstanding service have to do with each other? Let me tell you. An agent that provides outstanding service will at the end of the year call his clients that bought or sold a home that year and ask if they would like a copy of their HUD statement mailed to them for preparing their tax return - there are items on the statement that can be used as tax deductions.Do most agents do this? No, but I do. I like to ensure that my clients are taken care of even after the sale is complete.Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Your Home Sold within 120 Days or I will Buy It! 02/12/2008

The last time you were looking for a house did you do a little driving around looking for homes for sale? I thought so, everybody does. And when you found one that was for sale were you disappointed when there was no flyer box or the flyer box was empty? Of course you were, everyone is. Did you call the number on the sign to get information? I didn't think so, no one ever does.Buyers don't want to talk to an agent without first knowing that the house is of interest to them. A buyer needs to know how many bedrooms, bathrooms, how much square footage there is, and most importantly the price before they bother to call the number on the sign. Some agents will say that they don't put up flyer boxes because this forces buyers to call them for information. They are either mistaken because buye... 02/12/2008

The Omaha area real estate market saw small dip in price and total volume for 2007. However things are not near as bad as the public would think. Here is the end of year totals according to the Great Plains REALTORS Multiple Listing Service. 2007 vs 2006Total number of homes sold: 10728 vs 11432Average Selling Price: $172,365 vs $174,286That is less then a 1% decrease on average selling price. So, if you are a buyer and seller in the Omaha area market, things are not that bad. If you have questions about real estate, the current Omaha market, or just marketing advice let us know. Now that we are through the holidays and well into the new year we are seeing an increase in activity. While the activity has picked up, the buyers do not seem to have a sense of urgency and they are taking the... 02/11/2008

This is a follow up to If Your Home is not Staged to Sell, then it Won't Sell. Below is a report that my home stager sent me after staging a listing of mine at 1306 Bryan Ave. Unfortunately the house sold in one day so I do not have before and after photos. ** -- ** Hello, I worked with [the sellers] this morning; they were very agreeable andinvolved in the staging plan.  Below is a summary of the items we covered:Exterior- Will keep a diligent eye on snow and ice build up on the driveway andwalkways Entry - Will get a new, more neutral rug - Will look into a product at the hardware store to recolor the grout in thetile entry - Will use Mr. Clean erasers on scuffs on walls - Will clean cobwebs around corners on tall walls Living Room- Will repaint the main wall a neutral color (color se... 02/09/2008

Home staging is the arrangement of furniture and decorations to best highlights a home's good points while at the same time draw attention away from any negatives. At the same time it neutralizes a seller's personal taste in décor in order to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Home staging is not interior decorating; it is marketing! Buyers are going to look at many homes and it is the home that shows the best that is likely to be bought. Buyers equate a messy home with being a dirty home and a dirty home with being a poorly maintained home when in fact there is no correlation. Just because there is laundry on the floor does not mean that the sellers haven't serviced the furnace and taken care of the roof, but this is how buyers view it. Play into this view to your advantage. Ma... 02/08/2008

I want to thank Wayne Plowman of Charleston Homes of Omaha for taking the time to meet with myself, Rob Luhrs, the President of Alliance Real Estate, and David Matney, our broker, to discuss what Charleton Homes offers buyers and agents and how they are different than other builders.Charleston Homes offers many unique options such as a bonus room on a ranch floorplan and a one-time close on new construction while at the same time keeping prices reasonable.For more thanks to Wayne, check out Thank you Wayne Plowman of Charleston Homes in Omaha  Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE 02/07/2008

Good Start!Well, 2008 is off to a good start.  Showings and web traffic are both up for the month.  Buyers seem to be getting a head start to the busy March, April and May time frame.  Deeb Realty invited an appraiser to come in and give his take on the 2007 market and his outlook for 2008.  One thing that stood out to me was the fact that the number of home sales were actually up 5% for the first three quarters of 2007 and then in the fourth quarter sales were down slightly.  He also noted there were price pressures felt across all price ranges, but the $300,000 plus range had the most pressure.  He felt 2008 will be similar to 2007 with a slight increase in the number of sales for 2008 and there will be continued price pressures for homes until supply and demand come back to normal le... 02/07/2008

2007 market recap for Stony Brook South in Omaha, NE.  As of Febuary, 5, 2008 there are currently 6 homes listed on the Omaha MLS for sale and there were 15 homes sold in 2007.   StatusPriceAddressStyleBRBTHTSqFt$/Above Grade SQFTSP % LPACTIVE$141,943 13910  Margo StreetSplit Entry331866$100.53 0ACTIVE$190,000 14060  Gertrude Circle2 Story333137$76.40 0ACTIVE$149,900 7407  S 139th StreetSplit Entry432095$104.75 0ACTIVE$155,000 7211  S 142Split Entry331858$108.54 0NEW$158,0007206  S 139 AvenueSplit Entry331800$112.86 0NEW$192,000 7114  S 141 StRanch432511$114.97 0SOLD$144,000 13912  Josephine StSplit Entry331585$120.00 96.03SOLD$153,000 13909  Emiline CirMulti-Level331775$109.29 98.71SOLD$162,000 14018  Lillian CirTri-Level331906$84.99 101.25SOLD$154,000 7415 S 139 StSplit Entry331828$10... 02/06/2008

Omaha Real Estate Market - January, 2008Below is a summary of the real estate market in Omaha for the month of January, 2008.Total Number For Sale 5294Total Number of Accepted Offers575Total Number of Closed Sales554  % of sellers that accepted an offer10.86%Absorption rate in months9.21These numbers encompass all residential listings in the Great Plains Multiple Listing Service.As you can see less than 11% of sellers that had their home on the market accepted an offer in the month of January. At this rate of sales it would take over 9 months for all the homes for sale to be sold.Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Your Home Sold within 120 Days or I will Buy It! 02/05/2008

I would like to thank David Matney and Rob Luhrs of Alliance Real Estate for naming me Agent of the Year for the third straight year. In 2006 I sold a total of 52 homes, with 43 of them being homes that I listed. Homes listed by me sold in an average of 41 days. I attribute my success to hard work, perseverance, and to David Matney and Rob Luhrs for providing an atmosphere that rewards success and welcomes new ideas. I would also like to thank the humble For Sale signs. Many people take the yard sign for granted, but they do so much without a single complaint. To For Sale signs everywhere, thank you. Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Your Home Sold within 120 Days or I will Buy It! 02/05/2008

February 27th, Internet Crusade (http://internetcrusade.com/) is doing a free technology workshop for Realtors in Omaha. Topics covered include the four essential elements of a successful website, ways to differentiate yourself from the competition, and how to leverage the power of a permanent email address. Attendees will receive a free full-featured website and also will receive a $25 discount on receiving their e-Pro certification. Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Omaha Homes Currently Represented       02/05/2008

Justina Patricio with Coaching Institute will be holding a free technology seminar Wednesday, February 20, 2008 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm in Omaha. Complimentary lunch is included.Some topics covered include: How to track every lead, Never miss an appointment, Work both sides of the transaction, Harness a 7 year follow up plan, Enjoy a successful FSBO program that works, Use the Show Me marketing plan, Put web generated leads to work.To register send an email to email@coaching-institute.com. Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Omaha Homes Currently Represented   02/04/2008

One of the most important items to consider in selling a vacant home in winter is to have the home properly winterized.  Not winterizing a home could spell disaster for a home seller.  Even if you have insurance some insurance companies have clauses that will NOT cover a vacant home if it has been vacant for more than 30 days.  It is also important to have it winterized by a PROFESSIONAL plumber or qualified contractor.  Having the thermostat set at 60 degrees is not the solution.  What if the furnace goes out?  Believe me, that can happen even on a NEW home!  If you are a seller and the home is vacant, please have the home winterized.  It is well worth the peace of mind.  Thanks,David Matney, CRS,GRIAlliance Real Estate Considering selling your home?  CLICK HERE for a list of questions... 01/28/2008

In Omaha ice dams are a very common occurrence.  Basicly ice dams are caused be uneven heating on the roof's surface.  If left unchecked ice dams can cause significant water damage.  In a nutshell, an ice dam is formed when snow melts on the roof, the water runs down the roof until it hits a part of the roof where the temperture is below freezing.  The water backs up and seaps under the shingles and then enters the home.  Some indications of prior ice dams are water stains on the ceiling or peeling paint along the wall.  The best protection to prevent ice dams is to remove snow from the roof or to have adequate insulation in the addict to maintain a constant roof temperature.  If removing snow it is best not to get up on the roof because a broken neck if far worse than a ice dam.  Other... 01/28/2008

One of the most important factors, if not the key factor, for a quick home sale is proper pricing. Price your home too high and you'll generate very little to no interest. Price your home below what buyers are willing to pay and the final sale price might be much less than what you could have made if the home had been properly priced from the onset. When deciding upon a listing price, your Realtor® can advise you in making this very important decision. An experienced Realtor® will look at two primary factors when coming up with a range to price your home. These are sales in the area and market conditions. 1.      Sales in the Area Realtors® are able to research what homes have sold in your area along with their list prices and final sales prices. This research gives them an idea of what... 01/28/2008