They Left the Windows Unlocked - 12/31/09 06:33 AM
The foreclosed house wasn't in too bad shape.  I've seen worse.  Lot's worse.  The pool was still blue although uncovered and with leaves in the bottom.  There was only minimal marker scrawling on the wall and door of one of the kids rooms and on some of the carpet in the office.  Upstairs we found the pool table that had been left behind.  The felt had rips in it.  What was most surprising was the upstairs bedroom where we stumbled into a goldmine of computer stuff and CD's.  There had to have been possibly thousands of dollars of stuff in that room.  You … (15 comments)

Six Real Estate Predictions for 2010 - 12/30/09 07:50 AM
It is reported that the famous French prophet Nostradamus predicted his own passing.  He told his assistant, "Tomorrow, at sunrise, I shall no longer be here."  Sure enough, the next morning, he was found dead of a dropsy attack, lying on his bench at the foot of his bed.  Predicting the future is no easy task and my name isn't Nostradamus, but there are six developments in the world of real estate that I think are going to impact us this year.  Are you ready?  Here we go!
1.  The new rules governing GFE's.  Good, bad or otherwise, this will change the loan and … (12 comments)

100 - 12/29/09 08:21 AM

100.  What's the significance of that little number?
Simple.  They are the easiest points you can earn here at Active Rain!  All you have to do is to log in once a day and those nice folks in Washington will automatically reward you with 100 free points!

You don't even have to do anything else!  Don't have to read blogs.  Don't have to comment.  Don't have to look at the featured blogs.  Nothing.  Just log in to Active Rain and that's it!  You win the magical free 100 points!  And you can do this one time each and every day.
If … (11 comments)

The Builder Wins Again! - 12/28/09 12:54 PM
It's a funny thing selling houses.  Take the case of the young, first time home buying couple I am currently working with.  They're nice folks.  They've got good credit.  They want to buy a house to take advantage of the first time home buyer's tax credit and to have a place of their own.  So we've been out looking at houses.  Three times I thought they were going to put an offer on a house.  And three times they didn't do it.  Then yesterday they finally did.  They signed the papers to build a brand new house.
Why?  Why would they … (4 comments)

Speechless Sunday - Let's Just Skip January! - 12/27/09 10:41 AM

Kohls in Owasso, Oklahoma...the day after Christmas, 2009.  Let's just skip January, shall we???
Bob Haywood sells real estate in the greater Tulsa, Oklahoma area.  For help buying or selling your home in the Tulsa area, contact Bob at 918-272-7272 or visit www.BobHaywood.com. 
Two blogs you might enjoy before purchasing your next home:
Do Your Homework before you buy that next home 
The 10 Commandments Buyers Must Follow when Buying a Home
… (16 comments)

Google Docs or Microsoft Word - 12/25/09 08:00 PM

Santa Claus smiled on me this year.  I got a new laptop for Christmas!
Now I have a dilemma.  I'm going to take my old laptop to my office and use it there as my main computer.  The new one will become my traveling, open house and home companion.  Obviously, I'm going to be working on the two computers at different times.  I'll need to be able to access docs, email, etc on both.
Up to this point, I have been a hard core Office man.  Been with the program for years.  Love Word and especially Outlook.  In fact, I just … (14 comments)

Merry Christmas from the Winter Heartland! - 12/25/09 12:22 PM

Merry White Christmas from Oklahoma!
To all my Active Rain friends, may your celebration be warm and filled with family memories.  I have enjoyed getting to know so many wonderful people here in the rain this year.  Thank you for all you have taught me and for the incredible discussions we have had about so many things! 
I look forward to learning and growing with you all in 2010 and to an interesting year!
Blessings!
Bob
… (7 comments)

Oklahoma Blizzard 09 - 12/24/09 04:20 PM
Parts of Oklahoma are under a blizzard warning! 
This is only our third blizzard warning here in the last 25 years! 
Interstate highways are now being closed.  Oklahoma City is reporting that they have 6 inches of snow already.  Apparently there is a 50 car pile up out around Midwest City.
Here's a photo of our driveway.  Doesn't look too bad does it?  What you can't see, feel or experience is the temperature which is below freezing and the 30 mile per hour wind that is blowing.  How about a video of it?  Scroll down!

 

That weird sound … (9 comments)

Why Do They Always Trash the House? - 12/24/09 08:31 AM
It never fails.  I go to show a short sale or a foreclosure to my buyer, only to find that the previous owner trashed the place before leaving. 
Why is that?  Why do they always trash the house?
I've thought about that for a long time.  And, at first, I thought it was because that's just the kind of people they are.  You know the types.  They buy lottery tickets with money they don't have.  Drink too much.  Smoke too much.  Probably do a lot of other "too much" stuff in their life.  But then I thought, "Wait a minute.  That's a … (147 comments)

A White Christmas in Oklahoma? Say it Ain't So! - 12/23/09 08:49 AM
A White Christmas in Oklahoma?  Say it Ain't So!
Hang onto your hats (and gloves and mittens and scarves and coats!) everyone.  It looks like parts of Oklahoma may have a white Christmas this year.  If you're not from Oklahoma, this may not be a big deal to you, but to us flatlanders, this is huge!  We don't get white Christmas' here very often ever.  I can remember being a kid in Tulsa and going outside to play on my new rollerskates or with my new toys on so many Christmas days because it was sunny and warm outside.  This one … (5 comments)

"How Come I Can't Sell my Land?" - 12/22/09 09:07 AM
"How come I can't sell my land?"
As weird as it sounds, we real estate agents still get this question quite often here in Owasso.  And we get it because there is a lot of property that people are trying to sell for commercial development in Owasso.  And most of it isn't selling.  A search of our MLS (in regards to residential lots) shows that we have 38 lots for sale right now priced between $21,500 and $75,000.  We have 109 lots for sale right now priced between $76,000 and $2,000,000.  That gives us a total of 147 lots for sale right now.  That doesn't even include … (2 comments)

"Home Inspectors Are Just Placebos" - 12/21/09 07:35 AM
Readers, I came across this blog on Active Rain concerning home inspections.  Should you do one if you build a brand new house?  Should you not?  Is a home inspection really worth it?  Read below and draw your own conclusions.  For me, I ALWAYS recommend a home inspection...new home or not.
Bob

Via Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC):
It was a phone call from a concerned, potential, client.  He is building a new townhouse.  A friend told him to hire a roofer to make sure that rubber was put between his roof and the houses next to his.
… (7 comments)

Speechless Sunday - Cows on the Driving Range - 12/20/09 07:39 AM

Time to MOOve!
This property is located at the corner of Garnett and 106th Street North in Owasso, Oklahoma.  Although hard to see, it is a driving range that went out of business.  Today the cows enjoy the pasture instead of the golfers.  As you can see, the property is for sale.  There is another prime corner across the street that is for sale also.  Go up or down Garnett and you'll find lots of other prime property for sale.  The problem is that the properties are all commercial and commercial development is pretty much at a stand still in Owasso … (13 comments)

Looking up! - 12/18/09 09:46 AM
To My Readers,
I picked up this blog today from Active Rain.  Mr. Davis is reporting on the market conditions in his area of Memphis, TN.  As you will read, the market it beginning to gain solid ground again.  What this means is that we may be headed back to a seller's market in the not too distant future.  If you're thinking of buying, DO IT NOW while you still have the negotiation power on your side.

Via Dana Couch-Davis (Crye-Leike, Inc. REALTORS):
I was doing some research yesterday for 4 new lisitngs and was wowed to find how much the … (2 comments)

An Open Letter to our Kids - 12/18/09 09:14 AM
An Open Letter to our Kids
Dear Young Adult,
Now that you're out of high school, can I tell you something important?  Yeah, yeah I know.  Another adult lecture.  Blah, blah, blah.  Who's got time for that right?  I hope you do. 
I'll keep this short.  I promise.
First, let me tell you this.  I hope I did an okay job raising you.  It was pretty easy when you were younger.  High school was interesting and tough for both of us, but now you're out and on your own.  I hope I taught you well and that you will continue to grow and become … (7 comments)

Wordless Wednesday - Hi How are You? - 12/16/09 01:29 PM

Bob Haywood helps buyers and sellers in the Greater Tulsa, Oklahoma real estate market.  He has been working in the field of real estate since 2007 and is an active blogger in regards to the real estate market in Tulsa, Owasso and other suburbs.  When you are ready to buy or sell, you want a savvy real estate professional who understands the market and knows how to utilize the power of social media and the internet.  Call Bob at 918-272-7272 or visit www.BobHaywood.com for an appointment to find your next home or to sell your home fast!
… (7 comments)

Buy a House Today so You can Save Some Serious Bucks! - 12/16/09 08:42 AM
Dear Mr. and/or Mrs. New Homebuyer,
I'm going to push you to get out there and buy a house today.  Yes, I know it's the Christmas holiday.  Yes I know that we have 10% unemployment.  And yes, I know that money is tight.
But will you please listen to me?  NOW is the time to buy if you're even just possibly thinking about it!  Don't believe me?  Not convinced? 
Okay...how about a reality check.
Right now you can get a loan (assuming you qualify), at around a 5% interest rate.  It is being predicted that rates are going to rise in … (1 comments)

Please Don't Skip the Most Important Step in Buying Your Home - 12/15/09 07:57 AM
Dear Mr. and/or Mrs. New Homebuyer,
Let's face it.  Times are tough.  With almost 11% unemployment in our country and coming off of the recession, many of us just do not have the cash we enjoyed a few short years ago.  And yet, it is still a great time to buy your next home.  So that's what you're doing.  For some reason or other, you chose to buy another house at this time of historic low interest rates and excellent home prices.
Please don't make the same mistake I see so many make.  Please don't skip the inspection on that home … (5 comments)

Presenting a Better Way to Find Houses Online - 12/14/09 12:04 PM
Dear Mr. and/or Mrs. New Homebuyer,
Let's face it.  There's lots of ways to find houses online these days.  You can go to the big web guys like Realtor.com, Zillow or Trulia.  Or you can go to individual Realtor websites in your area that may or may not have an IDX feed.  (An IDX feed means the website has houses to view.)  It can be confusing.  You might get lucky.  You might not.
Did you know that I can give you a better way to find houses online?  In fact, most Realtors can offer this service to you.  It's free and we're happy to … (5 comments)

Speechless Sunday - A Piece of the Past in Oklahoma - 12/13/09 08:14 AM

You just never know what you're going to see when you're out showing houses.  The surprises you find can be one of the fun parts of being a Realtor.  This Silo sits in Collinsville, Oklahoma just off 176th Street North.  Today it has trash in the bottom and no top.  The construction is made up of individual blocks held together with steel bands.
For complete market reports of the Owasso, Collinsville and greater Tulsa, Oklahoma area or when you're ready to buy or sell your next home, contact Bob Haywood. 
www.BobHaywood.com918-272-7272
… (7 comments)

Owasso Oklahoma Housing Statistics Update - 12/11/09 08:25 AM
Owasso Oklahoma Housing Statistics Update
2009 is almost over and we've wrapped up November, so it's time to take a look at what the housing market looked like for another month here in the Owasso, Oklahoma area.
Let's begin with our chart that shows the number of houses sold and how many days they are taking to sell in Owasso.

You can see from our chart that there were 62 houses sold and closed in November in Owasso.  Compare this to 82 in October and 97 in September and you can see pretty quickly that we're on our typical winter … (14 comments)

Damage Points: Common Mistakes That Affect Your Credit Score - 12/10/09 12:01 PM
Readers,
I came across this blog concerning credit scores and thought you might find it helpful.  If you're going to be buying a house, your credit score is very important.    Miss a payment on your credit card and you could actually jeopardize your chances of getting that loan you need to buy the house you want.  So read this information and take it to heart if you're going to be in the market anytime soon!
Bob

Via Denise Hamlin, Iowa City Real Estate & Relocation Specialist (Vermace Realty - Locally Owned Real Estate Company):
Last week FICO released information on … (1 comments)

How to Use Your Blackberry as a Modem for Your Laptop - 12/08/09 08:43 AM
I blogged over the weekend about how I needed to jump on the Internet while I was out of town in Branson.  The hotel we were staying in had a free Internet connection, but my laptop wasn't finding the connection and connecting right when I needed it to.  So I tethered my Blackberry Curve 8900 to my computer and voila...I was on the Internet. 
I had several folks ask me how to do this, so here's the basics and some very helpful information.  Let's start with the helpful information.
First, I do not know if the Iphone can do this yet.  … (6 comments)

Speechless Sunday - The View Outside our Hotel Window - 12/06/09 07:51 AM

The wife and I have been in Branson, Missouri this weekend for a little R and R.  This was the view outside our window yesterday morning when we woke up.  Glorious morning!  The clouds eventually burned off and you could see the whole lake.  If you're heading to Branson anytime soon, check out the Chateau on the Lake.  That's where we stayed!
For complete market reports or for information on the Greater Tulsa and/or Owasso housing market, be sure to contact Bob Haywood!
www.BobHaywood.com918-272-7272
… (6 comments)

How Not to Make Your Next Real Estate Video! - 12/03/09 08:15 AM
Home video tours are becoming more and more popular these days.  They're a great way to take people through your home and show them the various rooms and highlights.  You can narrate the video and describe features that can't be picked up through still pictures.
But what do you do when you want to make a video, but you don't have all the footage you need and you don't have time to shoot extra footage?  You CGI it!  You just hop on your computer and make rooms or people or cars or whatever.  Then you animate them and have the people do … (4 comments)

 

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