bob haywood: Be the School Color Hero - 07/27/16 02:44 AM
It was a typical day when I found myself at the Big Blue Home Improvement store looking for paint of a specific color.  This particular paint color wasn't for my home or for a client, but rather for a project we wanted to do in the youth building at our church.
We were going to paint an accent wall and we needed the specific red school color of our local high school.  Easy deal, right?  WRONG.  They didn't have it.  And not only did they not have it.  They didn't have a clue what it might even be.  "Anybody ever order it … (3 comments)

bob haywood: My Biggest Social Media Success Story - 07/11/16 02:23 AM
It all begin when I learned how to blog here at Active Rain. That was in 2007. I was new to Real Estate and I had no idea how big or how far blogging could take a person.
In 2009, a new restaurant had come to Owasso called El Fogon, which means “The Fire.” Now, I love Mexican food and I loved that this particular restaurant was family owned with everything being made fresh in the kitchen daily. And I loved their story. They moved to Owasso from California after a client had told them about our amazing town.
So I went and … (3 comments)

bob haywood: The Lesson I Did Learn Earlier in My Career - 06/29/16 11:12 PM
There's a contest going on at Active Rain right now.
You can earn an extra 1,000 bonus points for writing a blog about a Lesson you wished you had learned earlier in your career.  This contest was brought to us by the wonderful Debbie Reynolds.  You can find the original blog post here in case you want to jump in and play along.  But you'd better hurry because this contest ends tonight!
My entry for this contest is going to be a little different.
I want to tell you about a lesson I learned early in my career that was one of the best things … (15 comments)

bob haywood: The Oklahoma UFO - 06/17/16 12:29 AM
When I say the word OKLAHOMA, what do you think of?
Indians?
Buffalo?
TeePees?
OU Sooner Football?
OKC Thunder maybe?
I'm pretty sure you don't think about UFO's right?  I mean, that's area 51, Rosell New Mexico stuff right?  Not Oklahoma stuff.
And yet it is!
The other day I went touring around the northern part of Greater Tulsa up around Oologah lake and Talala Oklahoma to see what Oklahoma looks like in the summertime.  And not only did I find the Oklahoma UFO, but I found a couple of other things out about Oklahoma too.
So come along as we discover that there's more to Oklahoma than what you … (0 comments)

bob haywood: Teaching a Class - A Day in the Life of a REALTOR® - 06/13/16 02:35 AM
Last week I shared with you our first attempt at jumping into the world of video.  
This week, I'm posting our second video for you to take a look at.  
This one taught me a couple of things:
1)You can have a plan for what you're going to feature in your video, but it might not work out the way you thought it would.  For example, this one started out with a focus on the class I was going to teach and then morphed into the facility because it was so cool and then, in editing, morphed into a backwards Seinfield look … (0 comments)

bob haywood: A Fun Look at Home Buyer Inspections in Oklahoma - 06/09/16 10:35 PM
If you've been in Real Estate very long, you know that there is a huge push to jump into video.
Everyone says, "You gotta do video."
"Video is the way marketing is going."
"Get a drone and do cool video fly around stuff!"
But the problem is that video is tricky.
I mean, we've all seen those videos we've tried to do where we walk around and talk about the house right?  How interesting can you be when you're holding a camera in front of you and talking about a bathtub that is from the 70's?
The other problem is that being in front of the camera … (17 comments)

bob haywood: TRID is Here - 10/12/15 10:15 PM
Unless you've been under a rock, you know that we passed a huge milestone on October 3, 2015.  Yep, the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rules have arrived.  And it's changing life in Real Estate as we know it.
TRID stands for:
T - TILA:  Truth in Lending Act
(Designed to protect borrowers by ensuring that they are aware of the terms and costs of credit so they can act knowledgeably when it comes to a mortgage loan.)
R - RESPA: Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
(Requires mortgage lenders to provide simple yet complete amounts of info to help aspiring home owners make smart financial decisions.)
I - INTEGRATED
D - DISCLOSURE
But what … (6 comments)

bob haywood: Are You a Phubber? - 10/07/15 11:05 PM
Phubber.  Phubbing.  Phub.  
Odds are, you may not have heard this word yet.  That's because it's a relatively new word.  But even if you haven't heard the term, there's a pretty good chance you've been "Phubbed."
Phubbing is the act of choosing to engage your phone
rather than the person whom you are with.
The word Phubbing comes from taking the words "Phone" and "Snobbing" and joining them together to form the word, "Phubbing."
And it makes sense because if you're with someone and you're not engaged in your phone while they are in their phone, you find yourself feeling snobbed.  Especially if you want … (7 comments)

bob haywood: I Am Your Pilot - 09/17/15 10:44 PM
It's one of those movie scenes you don't forget.  It's from the movie Flight and it's after the airplane has gone out of control.  The pilot, played by Denzel Washington, is struggling to do everything he can to keep the plane in the air.  Finally, he realizes he's got to do something desperate.  Something unconventional.  Perhaps even unthinkable.  He's got to turn the airplane upside down and fly it that way.  It's the only way he can regain control of an out of control situation.
If you've seen the movie, you know that the flight ends in a field after clipping a … (8 comments)

bob haywood: Why You Need a Cell Phone Charger Outlet in Your Home - 08/31/15 10:23 PM
Let me ask you a question.  Ever had a guest or family member in your house ask to borrow your cell phone charger?
 
You know how it goes.  They say, "Hey uh, do you have a phone charger I can borrow?"  Then you go scrambling around to find the one you have behind your bed.  Or in your office.  Or wherever it was you left it last.  And when you find it, they're all like, "Oh my gosh!  Thank you SO much.  My phone was at 1% and about to die!"  Then they spend the rest of the evening standing by wherever … (76 comments)

bob haywood: Why You Should Be Using Short URL Links in Your Blogs - 08/30/15 11:08 PM
Ever noticed that short URL Clicks  column over to the right side of your Blog stats page here at AR?  
Of course you have!  
Ever wondered what they're all about?  If you're new to Active Rain and don't know, let me fill you in on this very important part of blogging.  
Ready?
Short URL Links give you the ability to post your blog on other social media sites on the Internet and then know how many people are reading your blog outside of Active Rain.
 
You caught that last part right?
 
You can know how many people are reading your blog outside of Active … (27 comments)

bob haywood: Oklahoma Osage Orange - 08/29/15 10:07 PM
 
Here in the Owasso Oklahoma area we live on the edge of the awesome prairie as well as the edge of the Ozark mountains which stretch into Missouri and Arkasas.  That means we have a very unique landscape that offers fun surprises at times, such as this Oklahoma Osage Orange.
I came across this softball sized oddity one day while I was out showing property in the Oologah, Oklahoma area.  It's called an Oklahoma Osage Orange but is also known as a Monkey Ball, Hedge Ball, Horse Apple, Green Brains or even a Mock Orange.  In Texas, I'm told they're called Horse … (12 comments)

bob haywood: There's a Snake in the Toilet - 08/27/15 01:59 AM
Back when I was still fairly new to the world of Real Estate and the fine art of selling houses in Owasso Oklahoma, I got a call one summer day to go show one of my listings.  I set up the appointment and when the day arrived, headed out a bit early so I could be there when the potential buyers arrived.
This particular Owasso property is in the country, but only minutes from the city.  It sits up on a hill.  You can see the downtown skyline area of Tulsa to our south from the front-door.  It's an amazing view.
Soon the buyers arrived … (28 comments)

bob haywood: Run Away! - 08/26/15 10:56 PM
It was a typical morning at the dentist office.  The lobby was crowded, people were signing in, kids were playing in the kids area and I was there for my scheduled 6 month teeth cleaning.
Hearing a crying child in a dentist office is pretty unusual, so when the little girl came out from one of the patient rooms and stood at the front check out desk crying, we all noticed.
She stood there while her mom talked to one of the nice ladies who worked behind the desk.  We couldn't hear the conversation, but we could hear the girl crying because it … (4 comments)

bob haywood: Apartments in Owasso Oklahoma - 08/24/15 10:51 AM
If you're moving to Owasso Oklahoma and looking for an apartment, you're going to need to be able to find answers to questions such as...
How big are the apartments?  
How much is the rent?  
Will they allow me to bring my beloved puppy dog?
Is there a pool?
What about the deposit?
Fear not!  We've got an easy and informative chart to get you started on your apartment search in Owasso.  The information provided below is taken from website information and is correct to the best of our knowledge.  As always, make sure contact the apartment management to verify all information and to check … (2 comments)

bob haywood: 11906 E 83rd Place North Owasso, OK 74055 Three Lakes - 08/24/15 12:27 AM
Welcome to 11906 E 83rd Place North in the Three Lakes Neighborhood of Owasso, Oklahoma!
Search for all homes for sale in Owasso Oklahoma
Listing DetailsBeautiful, Updated Home in Three Lakes, Owasso Oklahoma 11906 E 83rd Place North Owasso OK 74055
Price: $127,000
MLS number: 1536112
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Square Footage: 1481 (M/L)
Year Built:  1978
Call Bob Haywood at the awesome Haywood Home Team 918-272-7272 to see if this property is still available and arrange a showing.
Beautiful RemodelWhat you're going to love about this home is that is shows like new construction, but is priced at only $85 per square foot as compared to new construction pricing, which is usually around … (3 comments)

bob haywood: This is Owasso, Oklahoma - 08/23/15 05:15 AM
The plant that you see in this picture is called a Crepe Myrtle.  They're a part of the Oklahoma landscape.  Often you find them in gardens, around homes and as decorative shrubbery along streets or neighborhood entrances.
I don't know if Crepe Myrtles are native to Oklahoma or not, but they've been here as long as I have.  Today, we have a variety of colors from white to light purple to pink and my favorite, firecracker red.
I've seen some Owasso Oklahoma Crepe Myrtles growing as tall as 15-20 feet.  And everyone really loves about these hearty shrubs is that you can literally cut … (4 comments)

bob haywood: On Being a REALTOR® Parent of a Millennial REALTOR® - 08/22/15 12:12 AM
Does the title of this blog confuse you?  
If so, welcome to my world!  I'm a REALTOR® parent of a twenty something year old who is also a REALTOR®.  That makes him a Millennial REALTOR® and that means he's different than me.  
Way different.
Now I'm not saying that's bad because it isn't.  It's just different.  And that's okay because every generation is different in lots of ways than the ones before them.  And what's always interesting is when two generations attempt to work together in a business that the person from the previous generation had begun.
In Real Estate, this plays out in some … (10 comments)

bob haywood: Winning the Google Search Results - 08/20/15 07:24 AM
The following is a true story.  
 
Your phone rings.  It's a buyer who is new to your town.  They're moving from out of state.  They need a REALTOR® so they Googled REALTORS® in (insert name of town here) and your name came up in the top of the search results.
 
Or did it?
 
That scenario plays out everyday in America.  Think about it.  How many times a day or a week do you Google the information you're looking for?  Lots, right?  Since that's how so many people find the information they're searching for, it is imperative that you know how to win the … (6 comments)

bob haywood: Owasso Oklahoma Housing Market Report August 2015 - 08/20/15 03:01 AM
It's been quite a year so far in the world of Real Estate here in Oklahoma.  The housing market continues to recover and strengthen, although not as quickly in Owasso as in other parts of the world.  This is largely because our housing values rise slow and steady.  That means when the wheels fell off the housing market, our values didn't fall off the cliff nearly as much as many other areas, such as the coasts.
Here's a quick tour of the Owasso, Oklahoma housing market on August 20, 2015.
First, a chart for those who like numbers and organization of facts.
 
 
Now, for … (3 comments)