Oklahoma City and area Real Estate

From the Desk of Dreams Do Come True 

Cherokee Crossing is new addition to the Greater Oklahoma City Community located in Warr Acres City limits is a welcomed site to see.  This is going to be a great little neighborhood just off of Northwest Expressway and east of Meridian.  It is in the Putnam City Schools district.  Just minutes a way from some of your favorite restaurants and shopping malls.

The houses are just now getting started and there are still many lots to choose from.  

There will be a community pool and play ground with very low HOA dues.

Several builders are already building and selling homes and this area will not last long.  This a great area for a new neighborhood not far from the Wiley Post Airport, but far enough that the planes won't be noticed.  

  Also, just minutes away from Lake Hefner, there are lots of outdoor things to do without having to drive a long distance. 

  The Kilpatrick Turnpike is just few miles west, and the Hefner Parkway is just east a few miles.  The neighborhood is about 15 minutes from some of the best Medical facilities in the state, and Penn Square Mall is just a quick drive.

Contact us today to see these homes or find out more information about how you can have your home custom built.  We feel like will be a very peaceful addition with a great view at affordable pricing.  It should also hold up well as the Greater Oklahoma City Area Develops.  HOA dues are currently $100 annually until the pool is finished and they will be raised to just $200 per year.

Written by: Rick and Nancy Jackson

The Oklahoma City Housing Market is great, especially for buyers. Recently I became concerned about the amount of communication between our clients via email. A few days ago, when Nancy and I misinterpreted a conversation among ourselves, it suddenly became clear that email can be misleading and misunderstood, even if both parties are being very accurate.  For one thing, you can be distracted by a matter at hand while writing or reading an email.  People also sense a certain tone of an email that may not be accurate.  Email, even though it can a lot of times be convenient, can take a lot longer to work through a question or a situation, than just picking up a phone and calling.

I am a licensed amateur radio operator.  I have spent many hours with people all over the world talking.  Getting pertinent facts in a short time is part of the hobby.  Amateur radio is also used for emergencies and has to be carried out in a certain fashion to insure the best results.  I have participated in some of the worst tornadoes in the Oklahoma using Amateur (Ham) radio.  The tasks achieved could not have been performed using email.

If I can't have a face to go along with a conversation, I would much more prefer a voice.  I'm thinking that lot of our clients are just afraid to pick up the phone and call.  Maybe they don't want to bother us because they think we don't have time for them, or maybe they just fear talking to a Realtor. 

I use email for my personal use quiet often, but it's usually just to stay in touch with someone.  When I really want to obtain information quickly, or buy something, I will pick up the phone and call.  A couple of minutes later, I will have a lot more clarity of my situation.  Sometimes I get voice mail, but if I leave a good message with a reliable person or company, I will get a call back and that person will provide information just as fresh as when I left the message.

Much more ground can be covered by voice communication than email.  It can be covered quickly with more accuracy.  If your working with a Realtor via email and have never talked to them, pick up the phone, call them, and just say hello.  Confirm you appreciate the information you have been receiving and do a quick recap of your situation.  You will feel better about yourself and get to know your agent better.

We love our clients and want to the best job we can for them.  We want to use the best tools available.  I hope you can relate to what I've just written.

Best wishes,

Rick Jackson

Dreams Do Come True

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Paradigm AdvantEdge Realty, according to one of Oklahoma City's largest news reporting sources, is the largest single office Real Estate Company in the Edmond and Oklahoma City area. Paradigm Realty merged with the Advantedge Realty Group about 14 months ago. This merging of the 2nd and 3rd largest independent brokers in Oklahoma was just the beginning of new way of helping clients with their real estate needs.  By combining the marketing power, Paradigm AdvantEdge Realty quickly grew into one of Greater Oklahoma City's largest single office real estate companies.  Paradigm AdvantEdge is locally owned and operated, giving you and your family close support in all your real estate needs. 

One of the owners is a Real Estate Commissioner.  Two members of our owner-management team have been presidents of the Oklahoma City Metro Association of Realtors.  Out of 3,000 realtors in the Association,  3 of our agents have received the Most Cooperative Realtor of The Year award.

Paradigm AdvantEdge has 141 plus agents available to assist you.  With 2 full time graphic artists, and the latest in technology, we not only have the ability to put an attractive sign up in your yard, but dazzle you with marketing techniques that many Brokers do  not do.  Our easily accessible office has plenty of room for private meetings, as well as a class room for real estate affiliated companies to help keep our agents educated on the latest in their area of expertise. 

Many people don't know, and a lot of Realtors forget, how important it is to have a good broker involved in the business of Real Estate. Paradigm AdvantEdge is our real estate backbone.  You, the clients are our life blood and we strive to provide you with the kind of service that we would desire were we to seek out help in selling or buying a home.  So many of our clients have become good friends through the process of serving them in real estate.  We seek to find their desires in a home that will best fit their lifestyle and financial goals. We take advantage of the resources which our broker provides, the years of service and wealth of knowledge, the training and technology.  Combine those assets with our desire to truly help people make their home dreams come true and you have a winning team.  Let us show you that Dreams Do Come True.

Sincerely,

Rick and Nancy 

American Dreams Do Come True

The House has voted 416 - 0 to extend through 2010 the benefits of the first-time homebuyer tax credit to military, intelligence and diplomatic personnel. To be eligible, purchasers in these categories must have been outside the US on active duty for at least 90 days in 2009. The measure (H.R. 3590) now goes to the Senate. Timing and process for its consideration are unknown.

We hope this goes through rather quickly.  It is the right thing to do.  Our soldiers that have been out of the states are ready to move anywhere for our country.  Our country should be just as ready to help them.  Our soldiers are not just people looking for a free ride.  They have been serving our country and ready to give their life for us to have the freedom to live where ever we want to. Most of this time that the average American has had to buy their first home and take advantage of the first time buyer tax credit, our troops have been following orders and taking care of business for the U.S.A. This extension would give more of them a chance to use the VA benefits along with the tax credit to get their start at being a home owner.  It would help those with families to acquire a home and investment.  Not only will it help them, but it will also keep the momentum of the housing industry going forward.

If you have friends or family that have served over 90 days outside of the US in 2009, Please let them know about the possibility of the extension. If you want to help, please write congress Representative in your district and asked them to help push this though.  We can not do enough for those who are willing to lay down their lives for our country. Be a part of their future.  They are being a part of yours.  Our soldiers of the United States have been protecting the greatest real estate in the world for a long time and I pray they continue to do so.  Let's help make it worth their battles.

written by:  Rick and Nancy Jackson

  Dreams Do Come True tells it like it is about Real Estate in Oklahoma

 If you are thinking about becoming a Realtor in Oklahoma, let me share some things with you that might help.

Before you spend any money going though Real Estate Education, talk to some of local Brokers in the Oklahoma City area.  Most of them including our Broker, Paradigm AdvantEdge will be more than willing to share information about the mechanics of Real Estate.

Then talk to some Realtors that have been around for a while.  If they are a good Realtor, they will also be happy to help you get started.

It will help if you have a passion to help people and are not just getting into the Real Estate Business for the money.  You can't just sit in an office and wait for people to call you.  You will need to be a social person who likes to get out and meet people.  You will meet people from all walks of life.  Some will want to buy a home, but have a fear of owning.  Some want to sell their home, but don't have a realistic understanding of what their home is worth.  Some people will go through the motions of buying a home, but deep down know it's not the time for them to do so.

After doing the above, be sure you have set yourself up financially with a budget to go for a couple of years without a lot of transactions.  Economy swings, interest rates do too, and many other things can change the market.  In other words, don't quit your day job.  When you do make the leap to becoming a full time Realtor, be sure to live by your budget.  You will get a lot of information about how to budget your marketing expenses and common sense advice in Real Estate Education classes.  By the way, you will continue to receive and pay for education as long as you are a Realtor. 

There are several schools for Real Estate in the Greater Oklahoma City area. The continuing education can be found at many places and some doesn't cost anything.  Also, you get to meet Realtors from different areas, such as Mustang, Yukon, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Norman, Moore, Piedmont, and I could go on and on.

After getting your provisional Real Estate license, interview different brokers before making any decisions.  They are all different and offer a variety of pros and cons.  Paradigm AdvantEdge is our broker.  They are excellent and have been very helpful.  They offer continuing education and personal support.  We have graphic artists that can be very helpful with marketing.  Paradigm AdvantEdge is an independent company with local owners who have been in the business for up to 40 years.  There are a lot of well know brokers who are not independently owned.  Again it's your decision.  Becoming a Realtor makes you an independent contractor and you can work for any broker you choose.   

 Thanks for visiting our web site.

Rick and Nancy Jackson

Oklahoma Realtors

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The Oklahoma Parade of homes starts this Saturday September the 26th.  This a nine day event and is sponsored by the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association.  Homes will be open from 1:00 p. m. until 7:00 p.m.  Certain neighborhoods will have several homes open to the public so that yo can see the latest designs from some of the best builders in the Oklahoma area.  One of my favorite neighborhoods is Canyon lakes.

Even if your not thinking about buying a home at this time, don't miss this opportunity to check out the latest fashions in housing and explorer new ideas that will inspire you to remodel your current home.  Each home should have a experienced real estate professional to answer your questions.

You can pick up a Parade of Homes guide at your nearest Lowes.

We hope you enjoy the Parade of Homes this year as it is a new beginning in the real estate market.  If you find something you need more information on, or would like our assistance in making an offer, we are just a phone call away.  Rick and Nancy along with Paradigm AdanvtEdge Realty will guide you every step of the way.

Best wishes from:

Rick and Nancy Jackson

Many buyers are procrastinators.  They see a sale ad for a local store and notice that the sale expires at 6:00 on Saturday.  So they rush in the door at 5:30.  They don't want to miss out, but put off going until the last minute.

If you are one of those buyers and think that you have until November 31st, 2009 to buy a home, you are wrong!  The November 31st deadline is the deadline to 'close' on a home.  If you start the buying process before then, but do not close until after that date, you WILL NOT receive the money.

The process to buying a home is a lengthy one.  It has become even lengthier with the many changes in lending policies and the shortages of personnel in the underwriting departments and appraisers.  It used to be that you could put an offer in on a home and close it easily within 3 weeks.  That is NOT the case any longer.

If you hope to take advantage of the FREE $8000, then you should not be putting an offer in on a home after October 15th, 2009, unless you are a professional gambler and the risk of loss gives you an adrenaline rush!  There are many steps to buying a home and with underwriters being extra meticulous in their review of a buyer and their qualifications, this process can take extra long.  The new changes in the TIL which require that the HUD forms be reviewed 4 days prior to closing has also lengthened the process. To learn what the home buying process is, click here to read about that process.

There will be many people who do wait until the last minute.  Because of that, I anticipate a shortage of staff at the mortgage companies will cause a backlog of files, making it even harder to get the file processed on time.

·         Did you know that if you are concerned about your credit, I know many lenders who can possibly help you qualify for a loan in time? 

·         Did you know that if you have not bought or owned a home in THE LAST 3 years you are considered a first time home buyer and qualify for this money? 

·         Did you also know that you DO NOT have to pay back this money like the tax incentive given out last year?

·         Did you know that you CAN get your money THIS year? 

All my qualifying buyers have already received their checks this year or have them processed and the checks are on the way.  Some will receive them just in time for Christmas shopping!!  Click here to read more about the $8,000 tax incentive.

Don’t wait any longer and possibly miss out on this great deal!  We NEVER charge buyers a fee and can help you find just the home you can afford.  We can find you a home that is equal to or less than the rent you are currently paying.  So why not buy?  Give me a call today to help you get started.  405-921-8449.

WWW.DreamsDoComeTrue.us

  Rick and Nancy's Home page

Leasing a home in Oklahoma.  Should I buy or rent?  I think most people have asked themselves this question.  Being an Oklahoma Realtor, of course I love for people to buy a home.  But if you move often, or have some unfortunate credit issues it might be better to lease.  If you’re a single parent, or don’t like to worry with maintenance, renting may also be the way to go.  You don’t have to make any repairs on the equipment that comes with the property such as the air-conditioning, washer, and dryer.
The negative side to renting is you can’t control the rent amount.  You never get the money that is spent for rent back.  You can’t update or remodel your home unless the property owner wants to.  Often the owners of the property change.  Some owners take better care of their tenants than others.   Some apartments don’t allow satellite dishes.  Others don’t allow anything on the front step.  I can remember that one winter, having to wait for four days to get our heater fixed. 

There are many positive things about buying a home.  Probably the foremost is that ability to invest your money as opposed to spending it on rent.   The standard increase in equity for Oklahoma is 4.5 percent.  This means that if you purchase a $50,000 home that in 4 or 5 years it should be worth about $60,000.  This sounds very profitable, but there are taxes, insurance, maintenance, and other costs that dig into the equity of a home.  In most cases, the longer you own it, the more the value will increase if it is taken care of.

Dreams Do Come True

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Oklahoma foreclosures and disclosures.

I have had a lot of prospects in the past few months that were only interested in foreclosures.  I have the utmost respect for a buyer who is interested in this type of purchase, but I think the general public has a lot to learn about the definition of foreclosure and what the word often means in home buying.

The word foreclosure is basically a legal term that dates back to at least 1713.  It has nothing to do with being a happy home owner and in fact, is simply an unfortunate action evicting a home owner.  The mind set of potential home buyers is that foreclosure is an abbreviation for a really good deal.

If you are looking for a foreclosure as your next home or an investment, you might be interested knowing some of the things that we have encountered in buying a foreclosed property.

First of all, financial establishments that have foreclosed property don't have to provide a disclosure in the state of Oklahoma.  This means that if there is anything wrong with the property, it does not have to be documented on paper.  It's like you taking possession of  a car that you have never driven and putting it on the market to be sold as is.

The next obstacle is getting a mortgage company or bank to loan you the money to buy a home that has been repossessed.    Your lending company probably will want their investment to be worth more than what you are borrowing so that if you can't make payments, they will at least get their money back.  It's simply security.  Usually a large down payment is required to get the loan off the ground.

Another drawback is repairs and insurance.  Insurance companies won't insure a dwelling that has potential to deteriorate due to poor maintenance.  Mortgaged homes must be insured.  Many foreclosed homes have sat empty for several months or even years.  The previous owners probably didn't put a lot of effort into leaving the home in great condition.  A buyer will have to repair all structural, roofing, plumbing, and mechanical problems to make the home habitable.  This can be expensive and time consuming, even if you are going to do some of the work yourself.

These are just a few things that come to mind.  We look at many homes each month that are not foreclosures.  Our clients generally want a home that is move-in ready.  Clients know they don't want to spend their time and money making a home a nice place to live. They want a nice home that can hold its value.

There are some really nice homes on the market.  A lot of sellers have taken very good care of their homes and kept them maintained and up to date.  It has paid off and these are the homes that are selling quickly.  They have been a growing investment and a great place to live.  Buying a foreclosure can be a good investment, but you might want to consider buying a pickup and some tools before making your purchase.

www.DreamsDoComeTrue.Us

Rick and Nancy

www.DreamsDoComeTrue.Us 

There are still some really nice new and used homes in the Meadows At Surrey Hills located at Hefner and Mustang Road in Yukon. Also there are several lots left to custom build a home to fit your needs.

This little neighborhood has it's own Elementary School with sports fields, and the Surrey Hills Golf Club is close enough to drive your golf cart to. The swimming pool should be open next summer along with the community club house. Great for booking birthday parties and other group functions. All of this with very low HOA dues.

The Northwest Expressway and Kilpatrick Turnpike are only five minutes away to provide you with businesses and stores for all your shopping needs.

Please contact Rick or Nancy today for more information about living in the Meadows at Surrey Hills.

Merry Christmas

From 

Rick and Nancy Jackson

   Dreams Do Come True

Dreams Do Come True 

Canyon Lakes is up on my top five areas that I would enjoying living at.  There are several quality builders to choose from.  Most builders if not all are using the latest technology and energy-efficient products known to new homes today.  The landscaping is terrific, as well as the rolling hill view.  The lake view is spectacular and has nice walking path around the lake area.

Only a couple of minutes from the Kilpatrick Turnpike, the area’s location will provide easy access to all parts of the Greater Oklahoma City and Edmond area.  Also the Wiley Post Airport is only about a fifteen minute drive and Lake Hefner is only about eleven minutes.  Downtown Edmond is only seventeen minutes away. 

It’s the best of both worlds.  Living on a hillside, overlooking a wonderful lake, with a club house and swimming pool.  Take a drive and check it out.  Canyon Lakes is just east of North Council and South of the Kilpatrick Turnpike.

As of 5/17/2010 there are 7 active listing in Canyon Lakes.

Visit us at our web site or contact us at www.DreamsDoComeTrue.US