Susie's Blog

Tulsa, OK Rises in Best Performing Cities Index

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:22:57 -0600

Tulsa Rises in Best Performing Cities Index

Tulsa's economic strength continues to be recognized in the rankings. The Miliken Institute released its Best Performing Cities 2009 index and Tulsa rose from #72 in 2008 to #19 for 2009. As reported in the Tulsa World, Tulsa's rise is due to lower foreclosure rates, lower unemployment rates, the strength of the energy sector and the steadiness of the housing market.

Home Sales in Tulsa Improve in September

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:54:10 -0600

Homes Sales In Tulsa Improve in September

Home sales for Tulsa improved in September 2009 almost matching sales for September of last year. As reported in the Tulsa World, 1057 properties were sold in September this year as compared to 1059 last year. This was an increase of 9% from August. Year to date sales continue to lag behind 2008 and are currently running over 8% lower.

First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension: Getting Closer!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:13:19 -0600

The first time home buyer tax credit extension has taken another step forward towards being passed. A vote by the senate of 85-2 will move the bill toward a final vote. President Obama has expressed that he will sign the bill. In addition to giving a credit to first time home buyers, the extension provides an extra incentive for buyers who have been in their homes for 5 consecutive years out of the past 8. Those who qualify will be offered a new credit up to $6500.

Tulsa OK Home Sales for July: #1 for the Year

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:58:03 -0500

Tulsa OK Home Sales for July: #1 for the Year

July was the best month for homes sales for 2009 in the Tulsa area. An article in the Tulsa World shows that 1140 homes were sold in July, an increase over June of 2009 but still short of July 2008. The $8000 first time home buyer tax credit has helped keep the market strong. The tax credit will end November 30, 2009 so many first time home buyers have been entering the market over the summer. Median home prices fell slightly, 3.7% from a year ago, to $131,000. This is probably a reflection of the number of first time home buyers purchasing smaller homes

Tulsa onTop Again!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:33:35 -0500

Tulsa on Top Again!

Tulsa has reached the top again! The Tulsa World recently released that Tulsa has been named #1 for the best cost of living. Business Facilities magazine lists Tulsa as #2 for its quality of life and #1 for the cost of living in metropolitan areas over 500,000. Real estate prices which have remained low and stable are one of the factors taken into consideration. Tulsa has been at or near the top on several lists this year, including Relocate America that ranked Tulsa #1 in 2009 among the top 100 places to live in America.

Tulsa Real Estate - Homes Sales Rise!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:37:21 -0500

Tulsa homes sales for June 2009 rose above the same month in 2008 for the first time this year! Numbers released by the Tulsa World today shows that 1110 homes were sold in June of 2009 which is nine more than were sold in June 2008. Low interest rates and the $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers have been motivators for the upswing in the market.

Tulsa's BOK Center in the Top 10!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:44:24 -0500

As announced in the Tulsa World today, the BOK Center continues to be one of the top venues in the US. Pollstar listed the BOK Center as #9 in the US and #23 in the US for the number of tickets sold at arenas from January through June. Shows such as Elton John&Billy; Joel's "Face to Face" concert and "Walking with the Dinosaurs" have been instrumental in the high ticket sale numbers. Many exciting shows are scheduled for the the BOK Center in Tulsa including Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, and Britney Spears. The BOK Center has also been home to the Tulsa Oilers hockey games and Tulsa Talons arena football games.

Tulsa, OK Housing Sales Rise in May

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:04:33 -0500

Tulsa Housing Sales Rise in May

As reported in the Tulsa World, homes sales rose again in May... although they are still behind last years numbers. 973 homes were reported sold in May which is up 6.7% from April. The median homes price has continued to hold steady this year but is also down from last year.

Tulsa Real Estate Market: Home Prices Rise!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:29:48 -0600

Recent data released in the Tulsa World shows that the Tulsa, OK real estate market continues to hold strong despite the national economy. Although sales of homes in January were down with closings dropping from 676 in January 2008 to 536 in January of 2009, the median sales price was up 4%. The average sales price also increased to $155,074 which was over 10% higher than the month and year before. Nationally, the median homes price was down almost 15% from the previous year. The $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers that was included in the stimulus plan is being credited for recent increased activity in the market.

Tulsa Housing Market Outlook Among The Top

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:07:14 -0600

As reported in the Tulsa World, the Tulsa housing market continues to be among the top markets in the nation! Economy.com recently released a report showing Tulsa tied for number 6 among the best performing home markets. Because Tulsa's home values have shown a slow but steady growth, the market has not been impacted by the boom and bust of other major markets. Tulsa is predicted to lose 1.1% of its value in the housing market before it starts to recover. Only 2 cities in the report are expected to show no loss, McAllen TX and Syracuse NY and there are no cities expected to see appreciation.

Still good to be in Tulsa...

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:43:16 -0600

Jobs gained in October

According to the Tulsa Metro Chamber Tulsa gained jobs in the month of October. The unemployment rate of 4.2% is still considered full employment and continues to be better than most of the rest of the country.

Tulsa ranks in Milken's Best Performing Cites report

Energy related industries and less subprime mortgage market exposure helped boost Tulsa's ranging in the Milken Institute's Best Performing Cities 2008 report. This year, the Tulsa area jumped to No. 72, up from 98 last year.

2008 MSN Real Estate Report of the 66 Cities Where Buying Makes Sense

Tulsa has been ranked as #14 of the best places to buy a home.

Relocate America Top 100 in 2008

Tulsa Oklahoma is ranked #5 out of the top ten cities in the country to live!

Home prices holding steady

The Tulsa World recently reported that while nationwide home prices have dropped over 9%, home prices in Tulsa have held steady over the past year.

Short Sales... some good news!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:15:53 -0600

I have been listing short sales in and around Tulsa, OK for the past 2 years and have worked with a number of different lenders, large and small! Over the past six months I have sensed a shift in attitude with the banks that I have contacted. They have been easier to reach and seem to have more streamlined processes in place to handle short sales. Am I just getting lucky or has anyone else noticed this!

Looking for help... a new short sale listing!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:21:05 -0500

To all short sale specialists, I have listed a new short sale and their second mortgage is held by Popular Mortgage. Has anyone worked with this company and have you had any success? I have worked with many other lenders, but I am not familiar with Popular.

I would appreciate any feedback you might have.

One of the best places to live---Tulsa, OK!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Sat, 24 May 2008 08:47:05 -0500

Relocate America, which offers relocation resources for those on the move, recently selected Tulsa as number 5 on the list of best places to live! Some of the factors used to make the selection were economic growth, education, employment prospects, air and water quality, crime rate and housing options.

Tulsa is the second largest city in Oklahoma and maintains a low unemployment rate. Housing in Tulsa has remained affordable and home prices have continued to appreciate each year in contrast to the national market.

Tulsa is also the home to several universities including branches of OU and OSU, the University of Tulsa, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa Techonology Center and Tulsa Community College. Tulsa has several museums including the Tulsa Air & Space Museum, the Gilcrease Museum, the Philbrook Museum and the Tulsa Zoo & Living Museum.

I moved to Tulsa 5 years ago after having lived in many different states and have found it to be a delightful city. The rolling hills and heavily treed landscape were not what I expected when I thought of Oklahoma. Tulsa is very easy to navigate and offers the ammenities of a larger city without the traffic hassles.

A Short Sale Success Story!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:31:34 -0500

A short sale that was 45 days from list date to close! Yes, it did happen and everyone walked away from the table with smiles on their faces! From initial contact to close, the lender involved in this short sale was delightful to work with and willing to go the extra mile to get this done. We have a happy seller who avoided foreclosure, a happy buyer who got a good price for a home, and, of course, happy realtors who walked into this expecting the worst and found a clear and easy path from beginning to end. The lender saved themselves the expense and hassle of foreclosure proceedings, definitely a win-win for all involved.

A Short Sale Success Story!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:29:51 -0500

An Easy Short Sale? Could it be?

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:22:59 -0500

An Easy Short Sale? Could it be?

For all of you (and I include myself in this) who have listed a short sale and struggled, argued and jumped through hoops with everchanging customer services reps in the Loss Mitigation Department trying to get them to respond to an offer, there is hope! I listed a short sale property just about one month ago. I promptly contacted the lender (a regional bank) to inform them that I had listed the property and spoke with a very nice lady in their loss mitigation department. She gave me her direct extension and fax line right away(!) Within three days, an appraiser from the bank was at the house. Three days after that the nice lady called me (imagine that, she called me!) to let me know that the house had appraised at what I had listed it at and to leave the price as I had it. At ten days on the market, I received a low offer for the house which I forwarded to the bank. Within five days (I know this is unbelievable) the nice lady called me again with a counteroffer that was only $5,000 above the original offer. The buyers agreed to the new price and by the next day I had all documents in hand to proceed! We are now two weeks from closing and the house was listed just 30 days ago.

I have been thoroughly impressed with how responsive this bank has been. Their staff has been professional and courteous every step of the way. I will definitely send my mortgage business their way!

An Easy Short Sale? Could it Be?

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:24:24 -0600

An Easy Short Sale? Could it be?

I have been thoroughly impressed with how responsive this bank has been. Their staff has been professional and courteous every step of the way. I will definitely send my mortgage business their way!

Happy President's Day! The sun is shining!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:32:52 -0600

The sun is shining, it's President's Day and people are out looking at houses! I was out showing today and every house that I went to either had someone else already looking at it or somebody waiting to show it! It seems like foreverer since I have seen so many people looking at houses. Every agent in our office seems to be out showing today. The housing market in Oklahoma has not suffered the major ups and downs of some of the other markets, but it has definitely been a long slow winter!

Tomorrow it is supposed to be cloudy and everyone goes back to work, but we had a good day today and it gives me hope!

Everyone needs a cheerleader!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:24:51 -0600

Everyone needs a cheerleader!

After 15 years of teaching pre-school, one day I decided that I needed to grow up and work amongst adults! So, having always wanted to be in real estate, this seemed like the perfect opportunity for a career change. I had no idea what I was getting into! The highs and the lows of the sales business was totally foreign to me and I spent much of my first year in tears over buyer "betrayals" and broken contracts. My skin has hardened a bit now that I am halfway through my second year, but there are still those occasions when my confidence gets shaken and the tears start to well.

My saving grace during the past year and a half has been an agent who started shortly before I did. On the surface, we have absolutely nothing in common. He is a newly married 29 year old computer geek and I am a, well let's just say, much older soccer mom from the burbs. In spite of these differences, we are each other's cheerleaders! When things aren't going well, I know that he is the one person that I can call who will always have something positive to say, will tell me how great I am doing and will encourage me to keep on going--and I will return the favor for him. If you are like me, new to the game and trying to make a go of it, find a cheerleader. It will be the best thing you've ever done for yourself! (I would share mine but I keep him way too busy!

Tulsa, OK Housing Market: Sales drop slightly in 2007

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:43:49 -0600

The housing market in Tulsa, OK, has managed to remain relatively stable over the past year in spite of the downturns seen in other parts of the country. There was a decline in sales in 2007 of 5.1 percent from the year before, but 2006 was a record setting year with 13,722 home sales. Nationally home sales fell 13 percent.

Good News in Tulsa

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:41:53 -0600

The Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors recently released data showing that the median home price for houses sold in Tulsa increased by more than 7% in 2007 in the metropolitan Tulsa area! The median price, which is the level at which half of all homes sold for more and half for less. is now $102,432. Earlier in the year, a 3-4% increase was predicted based on the trend over the past three decades of a 3-5% annual increase. National data shows a decrease of 1.9%. Glenpool, located southwest of Tulsa, showed the largest increase with a 12.28% increase. The city of Tulsa showed slower growth but still increased by 4.19%.

And then there was light!!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:29:27 -0600

I have discovered this week, just how dependent I am on electricity! After four days of no heat and no lights, I was tired, grumpy, and very jealous of those who had power at their houses. The beautiful Christmas light displays that I used to enjoy so much began to look like an exorbitant display of power by those who had it to those of us who did not.

Tulsa, OK, like so many other midwesstern states was devastated by an awful ice storm Sunday night. Our trees splintered and our electric lines toppled leaving most of Tulsa in the dark. Monday morning we awoke to a very different landscape. Ice covered tree limbs covered the yards. The constant cracking sounds let us know that those that were still hanging on probably weren't going to stay!

The first night in our dark house, we huddled around the fireplace enjoying the candelight and some family time. Daybreak brought more rain and cold and did little to brighten or warm up the surroundings. By the second night, the house was colder and we had to add another layer of clothing to stay warm. Children found friends who had power to stay with so the huddle had gotten smaller. Day Three brought more rain and cold temperatures. At work, people were bonding in the misery of being "have nots". Those who had their power restored tried hard to be considerate and often opened their homes to others still "powerless." Resentment was definitely building.

Day four we awoke to the coldest outdoor temperatures yet and interior temperature below 45 degrees. The fun was over. I was done. If my power did not come back on I was abandoning the house and staying with friends. I left the house because I couldn't stand the cold any longer. The hours ticked by and still.... no electricity. Then when I was ready to give it up, my phone rang and my daughter joyously exclaimed "THE LIGHTS ARE ON!" Thank you, thank you, thank you, AEP-PSO and all the people who have come from many states and worked so hard to help repair our power lines!

A great way to celebrate the holidays: Tulsa Christmas Parade of Lights

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:04:25 -0600

Don't miss the PSO sponsored Tulsa Christmas Parade of Lights Saturday, December 8 at 6:00. This award winning parade winds through downtown Tulsa (skipping the parts that are currently under construction!) The parade will begin at E 10th Street & Cincinnati, a change from previous parades.

The parade will feature horses, balloons, floats and dance teams. The grand marshal of the parade this year is Miss America, Lauren Nelson. Lauren is from Lawton, Oklahoma.

This is a great downtown event for Tulsa. The downtown area has been undergoing a lot of construction with the coming of the new arena. This is a great opportunity for evreyone to come check out the progress that is being made!

Tulsa, OK Market--The News is Good!

Susie Genet (Chinowth & Cohen Realtors) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:00:16 -0600

We have had some slight mood swings, but the market in Tulsa, OK is still strong! The latest numbers released by the Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors show that 2007 to date is only 3.4 percent behind 2006 which was a record-setting year. Home prices have continued to rise and are expected to show an increase over 2006.

For anyone considering buying or selling a home in the Tulsa area, don't be dismayed by the National real estate news. Just remember, It's a Good Thing You're in Tulsa!