Crist & Sharon Fanning's Lake of the Ozarks Blog

Realtors® Sharon & Crist Fanning - Lake of the Ozarks Real Estate

Celebrate Your Easter in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:17:15 -0500

Whether you're a resident or a visitor, at the Lake of the Ozarks, there is always something happening. Therefore, we thought it would be the perfect time to blog about the Easter celebrations that will be going on around Lake of the Ozarks this wonderful spring season.

· Easter Brunch - April 12^th at the Country Club Hotel & Spa, Lake Ozark. For more information, call (573) 964-2222.

· Easter Brunch - April 12^th at the Resort at Port Arrowhead, Lake Ozark. For more information, call (573) 365-2334.

· Easter Brunch at HK's and Easter Egg Hunt - April 12^th at the Lodge of Four Seasons, Lake Ozark. For more information, call (573) 365-3000.

· Easter Egg Hunt and Pictures with the Easter Bunny - April 12^th at the Lake Ozark Christian Church, Lake Ozark. To highlight the day's activities, the Easter Garden will open with an Easter Egg hunt. For more information, call (573) 374-6594

Each activity sounds like it will be a lot of fun for the whole family. We hope everyone gets out and enjoys as many activities as they can.

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Choosing a Real Estate Professional to Handle all Your Real Estate Needs

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:12:19 -0500

Buyers and sellers alike who do their research when it comes to finding a real estate professional can experience a smooth mental and financial transaction and save thousands of dollars. Therefore, never waste what time and resources you have. Use your time and all your resources wisely.

Decide what is important to you when looking for a real estate professional. You want to look for someone who specializes in your area. Are you buying, selling, relocating or investing? Whatever your choice, if you choose the right real estate agent, they will be able to help you.

A great place to start your search is by asking family and friends if they can refer a Realtor® to you. If not, then begin your search in the community where you are planning to buy or sell. Take a drive through the community and neighborhoods. If you begin to see the same name pop up over and over again, that is a good indicator that the agent specializes in that community.

Find out if that real estate professional has a website. If so, they should have an abundance of information on their site. For starters, there should be an "about me" or "about us" page giving details about who they are and their history in the real estate business. Some real estate professionals have helpful community information on their websites, giving you a complete break-down of the communities they serve. Does their website offer buyer/seller tips, local school information, property searches, links to their other website(s) or other useful links? If you're looking to relocate, does this real estate professional offer a relocation package? Another thing to look for is a real estate blog link on their website. If they have a real estate blog, this means they are working extra hard to keep consumers up-to-date on the communities they serve, current market conditions and real estate trends along with giving real estate tips and advice to buyers, sellers and homeowners.

Always keep in mind that, when looking for a real estate professional to handle all your real estate needs, you want someone who specializes in the area you live or are interested in moving to. We can't stress enough how much easier this will make the buying or selling process go.

We wish all buyers and sellers luck on their real estate professional search.

Realtors® Sharon & Crist Fanning - Lake of the Ozarks Real Estate

Lake of the Ozarks 2009 Shoreline Spring Cleanup

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:51:57 -0500

Spring is getting ready to spring upon us already. We really can't believe how fast it has come. But, nevertheless, it's here and it's time to do some Spring cleaning around the lake. Therefore, the Lake of the Ozarks is calling upon its brave souls to help clean up the lake's shoreline.

This year, the annual Shoreline Beautification Cleanup is scheduled from March 15 through April 15. Adopt-the-Shoreline organization is seeking volunteers to help spruce up the lake in time for the summer swimming and boating season. So far, there are over 600 volunteers expected to turn out, but there is always a need for more help.

Clean up will consist of cleaning the shoreline, transporting floating material from the lake and stacking debris for later pickup. Adopt-the-Shoreline provides all supplies, administrative work and disposal of trash. Volunteers will only handle the clean up.

Since the annual Shoreline Beautification Cleanup began, there has been between 120 to 240 tons of dock foam and other junk removed each year from the lake's shoreline. In the past, around 90% of the debris removed from the shoreline was old foam. We have blogged about the removal of non-encapsulated foam docks in the past. There is now a ban on non-encapsulated foam docks so, hopefully, we won't have to be cleaning up so much loose foam in years to come.

If you would like to volunteer, you can call the Adopt-the-Shoreline office at 573-365-9252. There are several volunteer zones around the lake, so be sure to mention which mile marker you are closest to and the volunteer office will direct you to the closest zone to you.

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Building Green Saves Money and Energy and Creates Jobs

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:20:28 -0600

In today's world, we are beginning to hear the term "going green" more and more. We read about it, see news reports about it and watch television programs geared toward it. Now we have a President and an administration that seems to understand the importance of that term and how it effects our economy. Therefore, we are seeing experts from both sides of the playing fields demanding a recovery plan that will focus on green jobs and infrastructure, especially now that consumers are striving to cut their living costs and live in more economically sustainable homes and businesses are looking to cut operating costs.

Plain and simple, the key to a prosperous future is sustainability. That is extremely important as we move forward. In order to coexist with our environment, we must develop systems that encourage cleaner indoor air, reduce water and recycle almost everything we use.

Here's some good news we found in recent studies: 75% of commercial real estate builders, rental building owners, engineers, developers, engineers and architects say they will not let the credit crunch discourage them from building green. Most of them plan to seek LEED certification for buildings and plan to build within the next few years. Almost 70% of homebuyers are also interested in buying a green home over the conventional home. In fact, many homebuyers that bought a green home had an annual income of less than $50.000. So, it's not as expensive to buy a green home as many buyers may think.

The opportunities for going green today are nearly endless. And the more homeowners and home builders that go green, the more jobs that will be created.

Realtors® Sharon & Crist Fanning - Lake of the Ozarks Real Estate

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Tax Help for Seniors in Lake of the Ozarks

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:45:43 -0600

Tax season is here again and the AARP Tax/Aide will have several volunteers in the Lake of the Ozarks area to help prepare hundreds of federal and state tax returns for lake area seniors. Lake area residents that make up to $50,000 can receive this free quality income tax assistance and tax form preparation.

There are still 64 days left before the deadline date of April 15^th. However, people are already getting in line to get this free help from the AARP Tax/Aide. There were over 1,300 federal returns and over 500 state tax returns filed by lake area residents last year alone who qualified for this free assistance.

Taxes can get complicated for many of us, especially for those over the age of 60. The tax laws, forms and qualifications change each year and can be very confusing. AARP volunteers have had the necessary training and are prepared to handle all your tax preparation needs.

Some changes you need to be aware of this year are that low income residents may be eligible for a property tax credit. The government has also raised some income limits. Be sure to check with your tax preparer to make sure you received the correct amount on your stimulus payment. They will be able to tell you any possible mistakes and let you know what credit you will qualify for to get the best refund possible.

There will be five locations set up around the lake area.

· Westside Senior Center - Wednesdays, 9 am-4 pm, 875-5722 (Opens February 18^th).

· Camdenton Library - Thursdays, 9 am-4 pm, 346-5954.

· Osage Beach Library - Tuesdays, 12:30 am-6 pm, 348-3282.

· Golden Age Retirement Center - Wednesdays, 9 am-4 pm (appt. only), 365-7365.

· Eldon Senior Center on Hwy. 87 - Tuesdays, 9 am-noon, 374-0138.

What to bring:

· W-2 forms from each employer

· Copy of last year's tax return

· Proof of what stimulus payment was from '08 (bring letter)

· Amount of estate tax paid in 2008

· If low-income, may qualify for property tax credit

· If received Social Security benefits, copy of SSA-1099

Lake of the Ozarks Realtors® Sharon & Crist Fanning

The Lake of the Ozarks Master Plan

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:45:36 -0600

Lake of the Ozarks residents have been waiting to hear about the new Camden County master plan. On February 23 and 24, the county will host two "Community Visioning Workshops."

The County began a series of public meetings last summer as part of the whole revising process. The first meetings were held back in August of 2008. This second round of public meetings will begin this month with visioning workshops.

Anyone attending the visioning workshops will get to take part in a series of exercises that are intended to prioritize many major issues that impact the whole lake area. They will get to provide feedback to the draft committee and discuss what will define the future of planning and zoning in the county district.

The workshops will be facilitated by MACTEC Consulting Company Planners. They will oversee small group discussions about the unique characteristics of the Lake of the Ozarks. They will also discuss the area's corridors, rural communities, neighborhoods and natural resources. The workshops will be held to incorporate the findings of the earlier meetings from August and the information from the surveys that have been collected by the planning department.

Having a good comprehensive plan will promote rational and orderly development so that the Lake of the Ozarks will remain physically attractive while its natural and historic resources are preserved. Planning will help the lake area make wise decisions about which infrastructures to invest its money into, such as schools, roads, green space, parks, water & sewers and other facilities needed for a great quality of life.

Meetings will be Monday, February 23th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Camden County Courthouse on the 3^rd floor and Tuesday, February 24th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church at 1700 Bagnell Dam Blvd.

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New Lake Access Opens in Lake of the Ozarks

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:51:09 -0600

A new access point to the lake will open at the end of January in Lake of the Ozarks . The new 78-acre Wigwam School Access will be located at mile marker 66.5 just across from Duncan 's Point. The new access point is named after an early 20^th century school that sat on the property before the area was dammed in 1931 to create the Lake of the Ozarks .

The $1 million Wigwam Access will feature a two lane boat ramp, a lakefront weigh-in station, eighty-nine vehicle & trailer parking slots, handicapped parking, and public restrooms. It's a big price tag for the lake community. However, over 75% of the construction costs are reimbursable from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's program for increasing water access for lakes and rivers.

The biggest problem the project has faced is the addition of the 50 feet long and 30 feet wide boat ramps. The water level in the lake would have to be dropped 15 feet below full pool. Since this is not an option, the ramps will be framed and poured on dry land then slid into place with a large dozer.

The Wigwam Access point will add more convenience for getting on and off the lake. Fishing is a popular sport in Lake of the Ozarks . Fish that can be found in the lake are Crappie, White & Hybrid Bass, Walleye, Catfish, and Bluegill.

Find fishing reports and best times to fish at Lake of the Ozarks fishing reports.

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Lake of the Ozarks Passover Bridge Gets New Design to Save Money

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:24:48 -0600

The Lake of the Ozarks will soon see the new Passover Bridge project begin construction. The original bridge plans have had to undergo some redesign to help the community save money, but the redesign will not compromise the structural integrity or traffic flow of the roadway. The city is expected to save almost $100,000 with the bridge redesign.

Original plans called for a four-lane boulevard style road that would lead from the expressway to the expected John Q. Hammons' resort on Wilson Drive , which will start construction soon also. Costs before the change were estimated to be almost $2 million.

The plans now call for a two lane parkway-style road that will be separated by a median. The savings on the redesign of the Passover Bridge project will come from property acquisition and grading.

The Lake of the Ozarks area, mostly Osage Beach , will see a lot of changes with the city's master transportation plan, which will on going through 2025. If, by chance, a large development moves to the area, the costs for more road improvement will then pass on to the developer. Any large developments that come to the area will have to have a traffic impact analysis done before permit approval.

The Passover Bridge project along with the city's master transportation plan will really improve the community and everyone's transportation time.

Lake of the Ozarks Realtors® Crist & Sharon Fanning

Lake of the Ozarks Police Chief Keeping the Community Safe

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:53:02 -0600

There is no better feeling than to feel safe. And feeling safe in the community in which you live is a great feeling. Over the past few years, Chief Mark Maples has revamped the police department in the Lake of the Ozarks .

During Chief Mark's first year he changed a lot of policies. He began moving the department in a completely different direction than it had been going. By changing things, Chief Mark made a lot of enemies in the department and lost several officers in the process. Many officers went on to other departments and turnover was high for a short time.

Before Chief Mark came on board, the Lake Ozark Police Department was acting as an island to surrounding agencies, where they depended on other agencies too much. And Chief Mark wanted to fix that immediately. He now meets regularly with surrounding police chiefs and local sheriffs to discuss what's happening in each department. Since having these regular meetings, the lines of communication are now better than ever.

During Chief Mark's second year, he began fine-tuning the department's policies and improving the ones he could. By then, turnover was nearly zero. He also began building relationships with residents and local businesses to establish positive communications. The department began to be more proactive rather than reactive.

Now, Chief Mark continues to hire and maintain quality officers. Although the department is small, the chief makes sure his officers are well-rounded. They are capable of responding to all types of calls. The officers working for the police department today are great. Chief Mark knows this because of the number of tickets his officers are writing and by the lack of complaint calls he receives. Chief Mark also encourages his officers to live inside city limits as he does. He believes that working where you live will help you have a personal interest in the community.

Today, under the direction of Chief Mark Maples, the department is very professional and courteous. The department is also focused on working to become a positive influence in the community. Lake of the Ozarks is a great and safe place to live.

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Small Home Entertaining this Holiday Season

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:41:26 -0600

The holiday season is the time of year many of us will entertain guests. And, because of this past years housing industry, many people have downsized their home and will have a smaller home to entertain in. If you're in that category, you are probably wondering how you will be able to pull off such a task. Entertaining in small spaces can be challenging, but it can be done. And everyone will have a pleasant time. So we have some ideas we'd like to share.

Begin by clearing as much space as possible in the room or rooms you will be using. Remove all the clutter from your living room, dining room and kitchen areas. In the kitchen, put away all your appliances to make more space. You can always put clutter and appliances in your bedroom, until the party is over.

Think about how you can use the space in your home more efficiently. Push your furniture towards walls to increase your floor space. You can expand your seating by adding large throw pillows on the floor and extra dining chairs to the living room. Use barstools in the kitchen for those guests who like to hang around that area. Adding card tables in your living room can increase seating for dinner. And don't get stressed out about who will be sitting where. Not everyone will need to sit with someone they know to have a good time. You can place small groups in the living room, dining room and kitchen area.

A good tip to help prevent overcrowding, when you serve dinner, is to place trays of food in the corners of your rooms. This way your guests will not be crowding in one area. When the food is spread out, the guests will also spread out.

To keep the mess down, use foods that are less messy. Foods like sauces are very messy and can turn into a big problem in a small space.

If the weather is permitting, do yourself a favor and take the party outside. You can use your deck or other outdoor areas.

Here's to a very Merry Christmas and to entertaining in small spaces.

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Tips for Homeowners to Stay Debt-Free This Holiday Season

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:29:31 -0600

This holiday season, many homeowners are trying to keep their heads above the rough waters of the housing market and our nation's economy. So, there's no better time than now to share some tips that can help you have a debt free holiday.

Begin by making a list of who you will buy for. This will help you keep track of those you are buying for when shopping. As you buy for someone on your list, mark them off. There's nothing worse than buying five gifts for one family member and only two for another. Also, set your spending limits for each person before you shop. This will help you stay in your financial spending range without over-spending. Sometimes you will find the perfect gift for someone and it's over your spending limit, but you can always lower the limit of someone else on your list. If needed, you can always adjust your spending limit as you go. And be sure to always write down how much you spent per gift by each person's name on your list to make it easier to keep up with your spending.

Take heed of how you pay. If you absolutely have to pay by credit card, take only one with you. Otherwise, try your best to use cash, checks or your debit card. Using the cash method is the best way to help keep you in check of your budget. Avoiding credit cards will make those large January credit card bills disappear.

When low on your finances, consider some alternatives. From time-to-time, we all come to a point when we just don't have it in our budget to buy gifts for our loved ones. However, there are different ways to show someone you love them other than gift giving. One of the best gifts to give someone is your time. Ask your loved one to have lunch or dinner with you one day. Another idea for very inexpensive gifts is baking. You can always bake little treats and give them out. It shows your loved ones you actually spent the time to make them.

Make sure you are taking care of yourself. Many people get depressed during the holidays and go on spending sprees because they think it will make them feel better. So, if you find yourself feeling blue, stop and take note of your emotional or physical state. Are you getting enough sleep, exercise or personal time? Taking a nap during the day will help with sleep, and taking a long walk always helps boost the emotions. And remember that over-spending will only make you feel worse, later.

Many of us don't know the certainty of our financial state for the next holiday season. So it's a good idea to plan ahead for next year. Every time you go shopping, pick up something you think a loved one will enjoy receiving next year. Or, set aside a savings stash and add to it whenever you have a little extra money on hand. You can set a goal of how much you want to save and add to it weekly or monthly. You will definitely enter the next holiday season more than ready.

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Christmas in Lake of the Ozarks

Crist and Sharon Fanning (Reece & Nichols Golden Key Realty) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:05:06 -0600

Christmas and New Year's celebrations really bring out the best in people, especially in the Lake of the Ozarks residents. To show just how much the community looks forward to these two celebrations, there will be several events taking place this month. When we found out about these great events, we decided to compile a list and share them.

Lake of the Ozarks is a tight knit community with wonderful residents, a good economy, awesome schools, and plenty of recreation. So, if you are looking to relocate in the near future, come to Lake of the Ozarks during the Holiday season and you will see just how great it really is.

Christmas Celebrations:

· December 3 - Christmas Craft Party & Cookie Swap at the Camden County Museum .

· December 4-6 - Christmas Play at the Sunrise Beach Community Theater.

· December 5 - Supper with Santa at the Camden County Museum . Free event.

· December 5 - Eldon Old Fashioned Christmas in downtown Eldon. Free event.

· December 5-6 - Royal Theatre Christmas Parade at the Royal Theater. Free event.

· December 6 - Christmas Parade on the Square on the Camdenton Square . Free event.

· December 6 - Christmas Dance at the Camden County Museum , with music by the Lake Jazz band.

· December 13 - Children's Play at the Camden County Museum .

· December 13 & 20 - Breakfast with Santa at the Lodge of Four Seasons. Join Santa and his little helpers for cookie decorating, holiday crafts, storytelling, face painting, pictures with Santa, and a breakfast buffet. Free event.

· December 13 - Lake of the Ozarks Christmas Parade at Bagnell Dam Strip. Free event.

· December 16 - Dogwood animal shelter pajamas and pancakes at On the Rise Bakery.

· December 17 - Distribution of Trees and Wreaths at the Camden County Museum . Free event.

· December 25 - Christmas Day Buffet at Tan Tar A.

New Year's Celebrations:

· December 31 - New Year's Eve Celebration and Fireworks at Horny Toad Complex. Free event.

· December 31 - New Year's Eve Celebration at Tan Tar A. Free event.

· December 31 - New Year's Eve on the Lake Celebration at Kirkwood Lodge. Celebrate your New Year's Eve on the Celebration Cruise Ship. Free event.

· December 31 - Lake of the Ozarks New Year's Party at the Lodge of Four Seasons. 10:00 pm. Free event.

· December 31 - Captain Ron's 3^rd Annual New Year's Eve Gala at Captain Ron's Bar and Grill at 6:00 pm. Make your dinner reservations now. Dinner menu will be complete with party favors and champagne at midnight.

We are sure many of you will be so busy you won't be able to attend every celebration, but hopefully you will get to make it to many of them. There are several that will be great for the whole family.