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Oklahoma City, OK Real Estate News

By Steve Mangus
(not active)
Friday it started. I got an email from a lender informing us that their FHA rates had dropped to 6.00%, a drop of .50%. Yesterday more emails and phone calls as other lenders followed suit. That alone should get some buyers of the fence. Now add in the $7500 tax credit and if that doesn't get your buyer motivated then I would question whether you really have a buyer. Is the tax credit a good deal? At first I wasn't sure but the more I think about it more I think it is. It's not the best thing Congress could have done, but it's what we have so let's make the most of it.  Lets look at some of the features of this program. 1. You do get to take the $7500 credit when you file your 2008 taxes--That's a good thing. 2. It's for qualified first time home buyers--That's a good thing and you're a...
Comments 9
By Steve Mangus
(not active)
My mom turns 80 this week and it reminded me of the birthday cards that tell what happened and how much things cost in a persons birth year. Do you remember when candy bars were a nickel, and a bottle of pop was a dime? Soft serve ice cream cones were a nickel or a dime, bubble gum was a penny. My high school grocery store job paid $1.65 per hour and as a college student in 1970 I remember paying $.29 per gallon for gas. What's it going to be like for my kids? When they're my age (57) are they going to be saying they remember the good old days in Oklahoma City when gas was $3.50 per gallon? When it only cost $8.50 to get in the theatre to watch a movie? I guess it's all in a person's perspective, isn't it? So let me ask you this.......what's the most ridiculous? 1. Gas at $3.50 per gall...
Comments 21
By Steve Mangus
(not active)
Now it's official. Oklahoma City's NBA team is nicknamed the Thunder. I like it--for one thing it's unique among team nicknames. The only other team I know of that makes use of "thunder" in a nickname  happens to be connected to a school I attended, the Marshall University Thundering Herd" which I think is  one of the all-time great team names (except when your team stinks--when I was at Marshall we were known as the blundering herd and that was one of the nicer names we were called). I'm still trying to figure out what a  Thunder mascot looks like but there are lots of great possibilities with this name---the team will play Thunderball in the Thunderdome and the fans will all be wearing their Thunderwear. Don't laugh, I've already seen their apparel referred to as that. Now the only pr...
Comments 3
Acouple of days ago in one of my posts, I lamented the fact that some people don't like us very well. In response to that, here are 10 reasons sellers should show us some us some love. 10.  You don't buy the sign, we provide it. 9.   We take the phone calls. 8.   We work with pre-qualified clients--sometimes we may already know of a buyer for your home. 7.   We help your buyers get their loan. 6.   We help bring the buyer and seller to a meeting of the minds. 5.   You get to do something fun while we hold your "open house." 4.   We know how to get your house on youtube and zillow (and a whole bunch more). 3.   We do the paperwork. 2.   It's true. Your house typically sells for more $ when we sell it. 1.   YOU ONLY PAY US IF WE SELL IT! I'm sure there are a whole lot more--lets hear some...
Comments 5
By Seth Callen
(Layered Artwork XChange)
Layered Artwork XChange is building it's content resources, Artist by Artist, file by file.  The owners of the XChange have a strong Real Estate/Mortgage/Insurance industry background and intend to cater to that industry when the site launches with full functionality.   Stock Images and custom graphics for Real Estate/Mortgage websites will be a prominent focus of the XChange.  We will encourage Artists to submit content for these categories and will heavily promote it.  At the same time, the XChange will be able to do custom design and installation of vehicle wraps and vehicle graphics.   What better way to advertise than with a 24/7 rolling billboard that goes everywhere you do?  To top it off, the XChange will have an open projects section in which one can post the specific graphic/i...
Comments 2
By Seth Callen
(Layered Artwork XChange)
Stock Photos, Graphic Designs, Custom Artwork..............it will all be available in organized searchable categories when Layered Artwork XChange launches with full functionality this winter.   While the XChange will devote a huge amount of time and effort into gathering content and into promoting all registered Artists, we will also make sure to cater to a large segment of our audience---Realtors.   The XChange wants to become the primary source of graphics and stock photos for Realtors who are designing flyers, websites and email campaigns.  When the XChange launches, there will be an entire Real Estate category devoted to quality graphics and images all related to the Real Estate Industry.  At the same time, the XChange also offers custom vehicle wrap graphic design and installati...
Comments 2
By Seth Callen
(Layered Artwork XChange)
Layered Artwork XChange serves the dual purpose of being an online marketing platform for artists and photographers to promote and sell their creative talent and of being an unsurpassed source of quality content for buyers of graphic art, digital photography, web art, and stock photos.Buyers will be able to buy credits with which they can purchase art files available in a variety of formats. There are discounts available for buyers who wish to purchase larger amounts of credits. Unlike other online sources of layered psd files, the XChange will allow buyers to purchase 1 file at a time instead of having to purchase multiple files or packages of files. At the same time, the XChange will have a special projects section on which buyers or designers can post the requirements of special proj...
Comments 0
By Seth Callen
(Layered Artwork XChange)
Layered Artwork XChange and Thats-A-Wrap Graphics supply graphic content back and forth.  Here is an example of what Thats-A-Wrap can do with top quality graphics when wrapping a Tahoe for a Realtor. The XChange will have a library of graphics and designs specifically for vehicle wraps for Realtors.  A vehicle wrap is like a continuous, 24/7 mobile billboard advertisement for a Realtor.  In many ways, this is one of the most effective mediums of advertisement for the money.   
Comments 3
By Steve Mangus
(not active)
It's now official----I made it through another year. Today (Aug 16) and I am now 57 years young. By looking at my picture you can tell I don't look a day over.....well, 57! LOL I have to say I am truly blessed. I'm healthy, I'm doing what I love, I have the world's best wife, 3 awesome boys, and 2 crazy dogs that make me laugh a lot. I have learned to savor the good things in life and not dwell as much on the bad. I've also learned that worrying is a waste of time because most of what we worry about never happens anyway. Without a doubt though, the most important thing I've learned is how important FAITH is and much better life is when I TRUST GOD COMPLETELY. He will take care of us--He's taken care of me for 57 years--he's not going to stop now. I know I'm still learning to trust Him--...
Comments 10
By Steve Mangus
(not active)
All things considered, things are looking preety good for the Oklahoma City area. While the total number of transactions is down from last July and the number of listings is up, average and median prices are up from July, 2007. Here are the figures provided by the Oklahoma Metropolitan Association of Realtors......                                                            July-08               June-08                  July-07   TOTAL CLOSED                                                 1653                    1628                        1918   TOTAL $ VOLUME                              $265,200,302       $268,175,747        $296,046,237   AVERAGE PRICE                                      $160,573               $164,727                $154,351   MEDIAN PRICE                         ...
Comments 3
By Seth Callen
(Layered Artwork XChange)
Work from Home with Layered Artwork XChange and let your photography, artwork, or graphic designs supplement or even replace the income from your regular job.As gas prices continue to spiral out of control, almost everything we buy also continues to increase in price. For people who have any significant commute to and from work or for those who have to drive a lot in the course of their job, this has become a particular hardship. This has prompted more interest in working from home and in finding ways to make money online than ever before. Layered Artwork XChange will provide all types of visual artists--photographers, graphic artists, designers of body art, and web-page designers---a marketing platform from which they can harness their creative talents to earn an extra income.There are...
Comments 1
By Seth Callen
(Layered Artwork XChange)
Layered Artwork XChange is an Oklahoma company specializing in marketing Stock photos Graphic art Layered psd files Line Art Web-page templates and backgrounds Vehicle Wrap Designs and Installation. The Xchange will be a massive source of content for all types of marketing pieces, webpage designers and more.   On the other side of the coin, the XChange goes above and beyond to help Artists and Photographers sell their files online through focused blogging and social networking efforts.    The XChange is co-owned with Thats-A-Wrap Graphics, another Oklahoma company that specializes in designing and installing high quality vehicle wraps for Realtors.  The XChange is collecting content from all types of Artists and Photographers at present and will launch with full functionality in Novembe...
Comments 3
By Steve Mangus
(not active)
Just over 2 months ago I attended a seminar here in Oklahoma City by Michael Tritthart (thank you, Michael). As a result of that seminar I joined AR and now guess what? I'm a FEATURED MEMBER! I am truly honored. I have "met" some really great people on here and have picked up some great ideas, but I think the best thing is AR keeps me thinking about the business and how to do it better. I'm still pretty new in the business, so all of the experience and knowledge I get from fellow rainers just soaks in--ok, some of it just rolls off my back, and of course, as you know it's all free!! How can you beat a deal like that? I have learned about BPO's and SEO's, google analytics, backlinks, and hanging out at Starbucks to jumpstart the business. I've asked questions and got answers. AR has defi...
Comments 4
By Steve Mangus
(not active)
Can you believe it? The temp here in Oklahoma City reached 106 today and now, at 7:40pm it is still 103! This isn't like Phoenix or Las Vegas where the humidity is low, believe me it feels every bit as hot as the thermometer says. Makes you wonder how people survived the heat in the days before air conditioning. This also makes me appreciate even more what our soldiers have to endure--in Iraq it's "only" supposed to be 112. All of a sudden, as I sit here in air conditioned comfort, the 103 here in OKC doesn't seem so bad.
Comments 8
WOW! Here we are at the end of July and gas in Oklahoma City is averaging $3.48 per gallon! That's down $0.32 from the end of June, but it's $0.80 higher than 1 year ago. Nationally, the average price is $3.90 per gallon which is down $0.19 from the end of June, but $1.05 higher than this time last year.  What really gets me though, is most people say $3.48---that's cheap! Cheap compared to what? Yes, it is cheap compared to a month ago and I am thankful for that. But compared to a year ago we're paying out the nose. How quickly we adapt--it's no wonder prices keep going up, "THEY" know they can get by with it. I think we better enjoy these lower prices while we can because I'm pretty sure we'll see prices go back up rather quickly (Labor Day?). Do you want to see something scary? If yo...
Comments 15
By Gordon Wynn
(Keller Williams)
If you live in an Oklahoma City neighborhood with an association, you can clean up your neighborhood for free once a year through the Saturday Morning Sweep.  September is the deadline for this year.  So, if you haven't taken advantage of this great service, you'd better hurry.  The Solid Waste Management Division of Oklahoma City provides this free service for any neighborhood with an association within Oklahoma City limits.  A collection team will deliver a commercial size dumpster to your neighborhood between 7 am and 8 am.  All the neighborhood has to do is provide 15 volunteers and one monitor that will oversee the clean up and who can stay in contact with the management division.  Usually, the neighborhood will have until noon to use the dumpster. I just don't think there's a bett...
Comments 0
By Steve Mangus
(not active)
The Oklahoma City metropolitan housing stats for June are out and the results are a mixed bag. On the plus side, our average selling price was $164,727 up from May's avg of $157, 971 and June 07's average price of $155,367. That's really great news considering current market conditions. Median prices were also up--$135,000 for June, compared to $132,000 for May '08 and $130,000 for June of last year. On the down side we closed 1628 units in June compared to 1685 in May and 2031 that were closed in June of last year. That's a drop of 19.85% from last June. It should also be noted that we were right at 10,000 listings for June which is about 1,000 more than last June. I really don't know how to interpret these figures but I was quite surprised to see the median and average price increases...
Comments 3
It is a little known fact that there are still programs out there that enable a buyer to still get into homes with No Money Down!  Did you know that Oklahoma currently has a Bond issue available.  How it works is if you fit in certain income guidlines Oklahoma Housing Finanaince Athority will give you 3% toward the purchase of your home.  To check the income guidelines use the link below. http://www.ohfa.org/OHFAAdvantage/lenders/lendermap.html Their are also areas in Oklahoma that qualify for special grants.  These grants are income sensitive, but in some of the areas The Community Commitment will give you $3,500.00 and other areas they will give $6,000.00.  Click on the link below to check the areas.  Click on the link below to see if the area fits your criteria.  http://caaofokc.com/...
Comments 10
By Steve Mangus
(not active)
Good morning everyone. This has happened to me twice this past week. I was putting out open house signs in my neighborhood when a lady stopped to put our her signs for her open house. She told me she was selling it herself and in the course of our conversation she said, "If you bring me a buyer I'll pay you cash--$500! Like I should be excited about that, and here's the topper---she tell's me she's an inactive agent! I really wanted to laugh, but I replied "it would take a lot more than that." She looked at me and muttered, "that's what I told my husband." Then, last night I saw the owner of a very nice fsbo working in his yard. We had a nice conversation and I asked if it would be possible to preview the house. He said that would be fine but he informed me he wouldn't pay 3% because "y...
Comments 10
By Steve Mangus
(not active)
In one of my previous blogs we discussed closing gifts and there were some good ideas. I just finished a meeting with a rep from CUTCO who offered some really nice kitchen tools as gifts(knives, ice cream scoops, pizza cutters etc.) A little on the pricey side but I've been looking for something of value that wouldn't get thrown away. The quality is good and your name and logo is laser engraved into the tool. They also go back to the client once a year and do free knife sharpening too at which time the client fills out a satisfaction survey which hopefully nets referrals. My question is have you used CUTCO and how was/is your experience? Would you recommend them? Is there someone else doing the same thing for maybe a little less money? Thanks for your time--I look forward to your commen...
Comments 4