homes in springfield missouri: One lunch and learn I'm really looking forward to.
- 04/06/11 06:08 PM
Tomorrow my home office is having a lunch and learn to introduce our new web site that each agent can customize to fit our particular needs. Keep in mind that while Murney Associates is the biggest real estate agency in Springfield, Missouri it's not a nationally known agency like.....well you know who I'm talking about and quite frankly our company web site was a little lacking (I'm being nice here). But hopefully that is quickly going to change. So tomorrow I plan to swing through Chipotle Mexican Grill and grab a chicken burrito before leaving my old web site behind and … (8 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: Glad I'm in the 417 and not the 313.
- 03/18/11 07:13 PM
My college age son is home for a few days. He had to have surgery to repair his rotator cuff, a baseball injury. Tonight I sat down and watched the movie 8 Mile starring the rapper Eminem with him. Now I have to say this isn't what I'd usually watch on a Friday night but tonight I let my son choose.
I took 3 things away from this movie. 1. Kim Basinger, who played his alcoholic, trailer-living mother is still beautiful even though I don't think she was supposed to be. 2. My ears may never be the same. The dialog for movies like this … (3 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: What's in a name? Southwest Missouri towns.
- 03/14/11 07:19 PM
Charity just north of Springfield, Missouri was first referred to as Hog Eye in remembrance of a long ago feud between two locals. The first postmaster decided to change the name to honor his wife. Now that was a smart man.
… (4 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: The many hats we wear.
- 03/07/11 05:20 PM
Selling real estate can cause an agent to wear a different hat with each client she has which can sometimes mean several hat changes in one day. With some younger clients who may not have parents in the area, I wear the hat of surrogate mother, giving direction and guidance when asked. With these clients I always treat them like I would want my own children treated. Over the weekend, I showed property to a lady that is used to being in charge. As we drove to different houses she wanted to lead the way which is fine with me. When we … (14 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: As Good as Unexpected Chocolate.
- 03/05/11 09:53 AM
I'm not sure how he knows when I could use a fix, but sometimes my office partner will surprise me with a little bars of chocolate usually from Chocolatiers that I've never heard of. One of my favorites is from the company CHUAO called Coffee & Anise which is a 60% CACAO infused with finely ground Espresso and Star Anise. Honestly, I really don't know what any of that means, but I know it is heavenly and when I'm having a particularly stressful day, just a little pinch can brighten my mood. Well, today my mood was quickly brightened and neither chocolate or … (7 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: Hip Hip Hoorah! Missouri is no longer #1 (plus a horrific slide show)
- 03/02/11 01:59 AM
Being Number one isn't always the best thing to be. Since 2003, Missouri has ranked number one in most meth busts in the nation. But as of yesterday we relinquish that title to ........ Tennessee. With the success of the Academy Award winning movie Winter's Bone,most of the nation hears the name Missouri and images of poor, rural, drug-making hillbillies fill their heads. And while I've personally never met meth making people, the statistics say they must be here. Fortunately with only 1,960 meth-related drug busts to Tennessee's 2082, we can no longer be considered top dog. Oh and by the way, if you want … (4 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: Feel lucky to have weathered the storm.
- 02/15/11 03:01 AM
Yesterday I spent some time looking at some year-end numbers released by the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors. And just like the previous year, the number of active members on our local mls has dropped again. In December of 2009 there were 1997 active agents in the Springfield area. It had dropped to 1830 in December of 2010. What does this mean? The obvious is that with a tighter market, agents have left the profession three years running. But it also means that with the same number of houses being sold, it gives me an opportunity to expand my client base. So … (9 comments)
Numbers Don't Lie After a couple of weeks of a bad weather, my bathroom scales have become my worst enemy. This morning was no exception when I caught myself shouting, "You liar" before remembering the chocolate turtle that I consumed from Andy's Frozen Custard yesterday afternoon. Let's be honest, numbers don't lie. Another place that numbers don't lie is the data provided by our local MLS. In comparing years 2000 to 2010 I found that the numbers of homes sold through the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors was almost identical, but if you looked a little closer … (2 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: The best advice I've gotten from Active Rain blogs.
- 02/09/11 07:19 AM
I wish I could give credit to where the credit is due, but I can't. But think about all the Active Rain blogs that you have read and well..... just too many to keep track of. Anyway, I'm a relative late-comer to the AR having only discovered it about a year ago. A banker that I used back then suggested it and it happened to be when I was at a crossroads in my real estate career. At the time I had no idea how reading one little blog would change my life soooo much. Before real estate I was a … (5 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: Technology isn't always perfect.
- 02/07/11 04:43 PM
As real estate professionals we can all relate to how important the cell phone has become in our daily life. An understatement I know, but really can you imagine a day, no half a day without your cell phone? Exactly. Anyway, we also sometimes forget that to some people, a cell phone is right out of The Jetsons. Tonight at the grocery store I was reminded of that. My twelve year old had reminded me that we were short of a few staples at home so I stopped by our local Price Cutter to grab milk, bread, Cheerios, shaved turkey...the … (10 comments)
If you're looking for a family oriented neighborhood near Springfield, Missouri, you owe it to yourself to make the short drive south to Ozark and check out this 4 bedroom, 2855 sq. ft. home sitting on the water in beautiful Waterford. It's a one-owner with two living areas that both have spectacular views of the lake. Catch and release fishing, walking trails, and a community pool make it a great place to raise a family.
And did I mention the schools? Ozark has one of the more respected school systems in the … (5 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: Super cute in Ozark Missouri !
- 02/04/11 10:25 AM
Check out this 4 Br, 3.5 bath cottage-style home that looks like Norman Rockwell could step out on the back deck and paint all day long. With a master on the main level 2 bedrooms and an office space up and another bedroom plus a second living area in the walkout basement, this home has plenty of room for a growing family.
Near the park in Ozark Missouri, this home sits in one of the prettier subdivisions in Ozark, all with similiar cottage style houses. At $149,900 it's less than $57 a square foot. Email me at Bevans@murney.com … (2 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: Find an agent like Frank Sinatra and not Sir Mix-a-Lot.
- 02/04/11 07:23 AM
As I was driving over the snow covered roads of Southwest Missouri to my real estate office in Springfield, I flipped on the radio to be greeted by the iconic song by Sir Mix-a-lot, Baby Got BacK. Now I have to admit that as I joined in with his lyrics, my first thought was that with three days of being snow bound with no-bake cookies, this just might be my theme song. But then my thoughts turned to blogging and I realized that when clients are looking for an agent they need to go with an agent with staying power … (4 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: Please. Keep it to yourself.
- 02/01/11 02:01 PM
The "Blizzard of 2011" has kept me and others in the Ozarks at home tonight. The Million Dollar Money Drop has weak players and my kitchen keeps calling me. Right in the middle of deciding between leaving my snuggie to make no-bake cookies or staying warm and just switching to The Biggest Loser, a local commercial comes on TV and it answers the question about changing channels. Now before I go on, I want to say that I understand the value of charitable contributions whether it be a monetary contribution or giving of one's time or talent. I also believe in … (4 comments)
Think back to your own days in high school. Every high school has that one school that they have to beat. The school, that if you go 0-9 in football but beat that one school the season is saved! Unfortunately over the last few years many high school rivalries have turned ugly and it has almost become more like gang wars instead basketball and baseball games. In my home town of Ozark, Missouri, the team to beat is Nixa, our neighbors 6 miles to the west and let's face it they are jealous. Ozark is the county seat and Nixa, unfortunately is.....Nixa (tongue … (3 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: There are builders and then.....
- 01/28/11 03:16 AM
I've worked with lots of builders who do just that; build homes. They try to turn a litlle profit and move on. Of course ther's nothing wrong with that, luckily for me I'm currently working with a builder who has put both his inspiration and perspiration into one of my current listings. For years Evan Davis worked for other builders as an electrician, seeing what worked and what didn't. At 3255 W Bluffview sitting high above the River Cut Golf Course in Springfield, Missouri is an example of his years of accumulating ideas before sitting out as a builder on his own. Still, … (3 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: They don't make them like that any more.
- 01/27/11 05:24 PM
I just finished the novel Half Broke Horses, the follow up true-life novel by Jeannette Walls, the author of the wonderful Glass Castles. If you haven't read them, you owe it to yourself to do so. Without retelling her grandmother's Lily Casey Smith life's story, I came away inspired by what a strong-willed, self motivated woman can do when her back is against the wall. But what really made this story special to me is that it reminded me in many ways of my own mother, the hardest working woman I personally know. To this day, my mother works at her full … (5 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: I don't want to be a "Black Swan".
- 01/26/11 04:00 PM
If you haven't seen the movie (and I haven't found many who have) you won't understand. But I don't want to become a "Black Swan" of real estate. Don't get me wrong. I like being successful. I like helping people find the right house. I like living a prosperous life and I like sleeping at night with a clear conscious. But lately I've encountered too many agents who seem to be adopting the mantras of "A sale at any cost" or "They are adults. They should make better decisions" or "It's not my fault if they bought too much house" or, well … (11 comments)
homes in springfield missouri: Wouldn't it be nice?
- 01/25/11 05:11 PM
I remember an old song by the Beach Boys that asked the question, "Wouldn't it be nice?" I have a few of my own: Wouldn't it be nice if my 12 year old son would always think his mom was cool? It was just about this age that his older brother stopped thinking so. Wouldn't be nice if other agents and bankers returned phone calls in a timely manner? Wouldn't it be nice if stores that advertise sales would have adequate inventory in stock? Wouldn't it be nice if the assessors office would bring tax bills down as fast as the market … (9 comments)
As licensed agents, we all understand the importance of buyers being organized when starting the ever direction-changing journey of buying a house. "Where to start?" buyers often ask themselves. Should I spend time on the local MLS looking at properties? Should I interview real estate agents to find one that is right for me? How about financing? Should I find a loan officer before looking at houses with agents? And how about parents? Should I listen to their advice, especially if this is my first home purchase? These are all valid questions and there have been many blogs written concerning … (2 comments)
;)
;)
