As promised, here are pictures of the 45th Annual Christmas Parade in Ozark Missouri! The parade was a great success as always. This year the weather cooperated with cool temperatures and no rain.
There were thousands on hand to watch the floats, cars, marching bands, and much more. Kids of all ages enjoyed catching candy thrown out to the crowd. I managed to catch a few pieces too! This time we didn't bring our rat terrier or Jack russel terrier. We felt guilty when it seemed like everywhere we looked someone else brought their dog!
Each year our Keller Williams Springfield Missouri Market Center has the privilege of finding creative and fun ways to help raise funds to support KW Cares! This organization helps support people in local communities that are undergoing difficulties or are faced with a natural disaster. This week we had our annual chili cook off/silent auction to benefit KW Cares and it was a great success!
With the chili pots heated and desserts all lined up it was time for the competition to begin! We had eight pots of chili and one pot of hot fudge chilly to choose from. Each taste was supposed to cost a dollar and give you a vote. However as in many elections, I think there was some voter funny business going on! In the end we raised $1421.76 for KW Cares! This year we also included a silent auction and at the last second I made my final bid and got the item I wanted!
This Saturday is the 45th Annual Ozark Christmas Parade! The parade starts at 6:00 pm and begins at the old Fasco building at West Jackson St. The parade continues East on Jackson, South on 3rd street to the square. We'll take pictures to share next week!
This year's theme is "Christmas Through the Years". Come early to get a good spot! There are always thousands of people here to enjoy the parade!
Its that time of year again! Its the 17th annualFestival of Lights at the Finley River Park in Ozark Missouri! This year there are over 200 displays to enjoy in the drive-thru exhibit. Hours are 5pm to 10pm.
There are three new exhibits this year. Penguins playing on an ice berg, two reindeer skating, and a train with waving entineer. Its free to drive through but donations are accepted to help pay the expenses and improve the displays for next year.
However, you can take home a piece of Riverside Inn memorabilia at a public auction on Dec 19th. They will be auctioning off paintings, furniture, decorations, kitchen items, silverware, and miscellaneous items. Who knows, maybe you can put one of those famous paintings by founder Howard Garrison in your home!
1. Check your credit report for accuracy. You can get one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus- TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. After you received your report, check it for accuracy. Make sure your name and social security number are correct. Incorrect information happens all too often. Make sure your account hasn't been merged with someone with a similar name or social security number. You can get your free copy at www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
2. If you find errors, get them corrected. If you do find something on your credit report that is incorrect, you need dispute the mistake by contacting the credit bureaus directly. The credit bureaus will have their dispute procedures on their website and they are also required by law to investigate any disputed items. These investigations should be finished within 30 days of your filing of the dispute.
3. Keep your credit card balances low. It's a good policy to keep the balances below 25% of your available credit. Even if you pay off your credit cards every month, a high average balance will affect your score. This accounts for about 30% of your credit score.
4. Keep accounts open. This accounts for about 15% of your score. Don't cancel your old credit card or get a lot of new ones in a short period of time because this can hurt your score.
5. Make sure you pay your bills on time. Payment history accounts for about 35% of your credit score so paying your bills on time is the most important thing you can do. If you are having difficulty paying your bills, contact your creditors to work out a payment plan. Communication with your creditors is crucial.
6. Be careful about new credit requests. Every time someone runs your credit, an inquiry is recorded. If you are trying to get a loan, don't apply for other new credit first. This accounts for 10% of your score.
7. Pay off debt. The best way to boost your credit score is by paying down your credit cards.
8. Paying off a past due collection account will not remove it from your credit report. These will stay on your report for seven years.
9. Be cautious of credit-repair companies. Don't pay someone to clear away the negative items in your file. This can actually hurt your credit rating.
10. Ask your mortgage lender. For more information on how your credit score will impact your loan and interest rate, please contact your mortgage lender.
2010 are the mid-term elections. Are you happy with the job congress is doing? Do you want someone in office who represents you and actually reads the bills before voting on them? Its time to vote them all out of office, both sides of the aisle. Our country needs to return to smaller government and actually follow the constitution.
Welcome to Keller Williams Realty in Springfield Missouri!
Our beautiful offices are located on Battlefield Road, just East of Lone Pine in Springfield. We look forward to helping you buy or sell a home in Springfield, Ozark, Nixa, or surrounding communities of the Ozarks!
Keller Williams was voted "Highest Satisfaction For Home Buyers Among National Full Service Real Estate Firms, Two Years in a Row!" by J.D. Power and Associates 2008-2009 Home Buyer/Seller Study℠.
You Think Your House is Worth WHAT? Pricing Your Home to Sell
O.k., so you've looked on the Internet, you've checked the Real Estate Weekly - and you've talked to your Neighbors. You're pretty sure you know what you WANT your home to be worth. Next step? You call the Realtors in.
Everyone says you should interview 3 Realtors - so that's what you do! And sceptically you await their Verdicts! Does the highest Bid (because that's what it often is) win your Vote? Well it shouldn't and let me tell you why.
BUT Your neighbor's house just sold for XXXXX!
First of all, Realtors have access to the same information Online. By doing a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) they should be able to come very close to the Range of Your Home's Value. They will see which homes are currently Listed, those that will be in direct competition with Your Home; they will see which comparable homes have Sold recently; and they will ALSO see which homes have 'Expired'....(Listed But Not Sold). That's the Starting Point!
If you use a Local Realtor - which is what I Recommend- they'll also be able to take into consideration different factors about your neighborhood - like development, schools, safety, proximity to transport etc.
BUT Your House has been upgraded!
Now where no 2 homes are exactly alike - chances are we've seen most of the homes for sale in your area and have an inside view that you may not have seen. Even online photos won't give you a complete view of how these homes compare.
In many ways - it's the Buyer that ultimately determines the value of your home. A house is worth what somebody will pay for it. It's important to try and anticipate what MOST buyers will pay for it. If the price is too high - you may just end remaining THAT Buyer! If your home should be some chance sell for more then the estimated value, remember the home still needs to be Appraised for the Buyer's Loan, and if it's overpriced it just may not!
BUT That's What INEEEEEEEED to Get for My Home!
There is the odd time that a home is unusual and there are not direct comparables, sometimes this requires a trial and error strategy where we have to gage potential buyer responses in order to fine tune the price.
Another factor is the current 'Real Estate market'. Is it a Buyer's market or a Seller's market - or is it balanced? What kind of standing inventory is in the market in your price range. These well all factor in to your pricing.
The value of a home can also be estimated in part using the price per square foot. But you do have to use a sliding scale of adjustment. The 'core' of the home is worth more then the peripheral square footage. ie. the price per sq. foot for a 1000 sq. foot rancher will be higher then that of a 3000sq. ft. basement home.
Should you start higher - after all you can always come down??? No! If you do that you should be charging your competitor a fee for helping them sell THEIR home!
Remember the most critical time for selling your home is in the first 30 days. Longer then that you can bet your bottom dollar, (and unfortunately that's probably what it will end up being) that the Buyer will be paying attention to your 'days on market' when making both their buying decision and price point!
How do you know if your house is priced right? Feedback! Your Realtor will be calling to get feedback on showings from both the Buyer and their Realtor. If you've had over 6 showings and have been on the market for 3 or so weeks that should give you some idea of what the market thinks. Unusual or high end homes could be the exception here though.
Sometimes the most important factor is YOUR motivation. How motivated are you to sell? I know a lot of Seller's like to tell us that 'they don't HAVE to sell'.......and in most cases that's true - you don't! But if you do want to sell your homecall a Realtor that knows your market and will be honest with you - because that's what a professional does - they Help you Price Your Home to Sell!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
We'll take pictures to share next week!
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