For many of you who are in the market to buy a home, THIS WEEKEND is a great weekend to get out there and see what’s available. This weekend is National Open House Weekend. Many agents across the country will hold their homes open for the public to see. Rather than being limited to a list of few homes you might normally be able to see, you can view a large number of homes in every neighborhood in your city. Here are a few tips that will help you with your home search this weekend:

1) Take a notepad with you. – Give each home a “name,” such as “the pool house” meaning the house that had the pool. Naming each house makes it easier to remember them and keep track of the ones you like best.

2) Take a camera with you. – A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Taking pictures and notes to match will make your home search a lot easier as the more homes you see, the more confusing you are likely to get!

Best of luck with your home search and if you have any questions about buying your new home, feel free to contact us at 918-274-HOME.

He is the author of Browsers to Buyers: Proven Strategies for Selling New Homes Online, the home building industry’s authoritative guide on internet marketing, lead generation and lead management and the newly released Social Media Guide for Real Estate. We talked about what sellers should ask and do to insure that the agent they choose is social media savvy and will be able to properly market their home.

Mario: Hey Mike, thanks for taking the time to talk today.

Mike: No Problem.

Mario: Let’s get started. Most people start their search for a home online, so what should people do to make sure that the agent they choose to sell their home is using all of the latest online tools to market their home?

Mike: Make sure they have a website where your home can be featured. Also make sure they will list your home on Realtor.com, Zillow.com, Trulia.com and any other real estate website that has searchable listings.

Mario: What would be the one thing most people would be surprised to know when buying or selling a house?

Mike: The lack of follow up has reached epidemic proportions. Survey after survey shows that almost half of the agents don’t call back at all, and the ones that do, will follow up way too late. An agent’s follow up skills needs to match their skills to get the business.

Mario: That’s a scary thought for someone thinking about selling their home. What can someone do to make sure they hire an agent who WILL follow up with people who may be calling about the home they have for sale?

Mike: Put them through the ringer. Shop them online. Fill out a contact form on their website and see how long it takes for them to follow up with you. I would also ask them what their follow up process is for short term and long term prospects, and how they guarantee fast responses to customers. Every good agent should have a process in place on how to follow up with potential buyers for your home.

Mario: That’s a great tip. What can sellers do to make sure they’re getting the most social media exposure possible?

Mike: Share the fact that you’re home for sale with everyone. Share it on Facebook, Twitter and all the other social media sites. Have people comment and talk about it. Also, make sure and pay for professional photos of your home. Help your Realtor look better and make your presentation look better. Sellers need to take responsibility for selling their home, whether they have a Realtor or not.

Mario: Thanks Mike, those are some great ideas. If people want to get in touch with you to ask you more questions or to invite you to speak, what are some ways they can do that?

Mike: They can visit me online at: www.doyouconvert.com. Thanks Mario!

People keep hearing that it’s cheaper to buy now than it was several years ago. We were asked if we could explain how this was possible. If you bought a $200,000 home in September of 2006 the interest rate then was a whopping 6.75%. That would have made your house payment around $1,297.00 per month. Today, the interest rate of 4.125% is near historic lows. If you buy a $200,000 home today, your house payment is only around $969.00 per month. That is a savings of $328.00 per month! In addition, the values of homes have dropped as low as they are going to go, so by buying a home now, not only are you paying less for it, but you should start to see a greater increase in appreciation as the values of homes begin to rise again.

Warren Buffett was recently asked on CNBC his thoughts on the current real estate market. His response? “If I had a way of buying a couple hundred thousand single-family homes I would load up on them,” said Buffett.

Feel free to call us at 918-274-HOME or visit us online at www.BedlamRealty.com

I’ve spoken to many friends who either work directly for American Airlines or have an immediate family member who works at American, and while many question exactly how many people in the Owasso and Collinsville area will be effected, no one can deny the sense of fear.

Owasso and Collinsville are home to over 1000 American Airlines employees. I have had the privilege of selling many of them their homes. I was set to list a home for someone who works at American Airlines recently, and got the phone call that they wanted to hold off on moving to a bigger newer home.

While there is a legitimate sense of fear and caution, we shouldn’t be quick to panic. Oklahomans have proven time and time again that we can and will overcome adversity. Whether it be a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, we have grown stronger as a community.

If people panic and try to rapidly sell their homes out of fear, it will saturate the market with homes for sale and thus create a drop in the price of homes. The more supply of homes available, the lower the demand for those homes is and the price decreases.

Luckily, the Tulsa area has seen very little of the effects of the national foreclosure “bubble” because we had steady increases in home values. A saturation of homes for sale could negatively impact our communities. In our humble opinion, it would be wise, if the family can afford, to stay in their homes and let the market recover. They will be able to make more money on their home in the long run if they don’t sell their home in a saturated market after home values decrease.

So in conclusion, while it might be a wise decision to hold off on upgrading to a larger home, selling in a panic could be more costly.

One more important thing. People at American Airlines don’t know any more than the public does. Every person I’ve spoken with has said they hear about everything on the news just like us. Rather than bombard them with questions, just let them know you’re thinking about them and offer your support if they need it.

Today, I got to spend some long overdue time with my friend Dan Threlkeld. Many of you know him as the Chief Meteorologist for KJRH Channel 2.

I sat down with Dan at his office at KJRH on Brookside and we talked about many things, including what his family does to keep their home cool in the summertime and what he loves most about Oklahoma weather.

Mario: Hey Dan, thanks for meeting me today, it’s been way too long! So, let’s get started. What do you like most about the weather in Oklahoma?

Dan: I love the seasons. I love the fact that you can shovel snow to make a walking path, and then a few months later you’re mowing the grass. The variety of our weather makes it very appealing.

Mario: Dan, what are some things you do to keep your home cooler during the summer?

Dan:  We try our best not to use our oven. We eat differently. We eat a lot of salads. When we do cook with our oven, we cook in bulk. I have a son in college, and we don’t cook just for ourselves. For example, when we make lasagna, we make double the amount. We eat one and save the other in individual servings to eat later. Also, when we do cook, we prepare our meals in the earlier part of the day when it’s cooler. That helps to keep the house cool in the summer.

Mario: What are some other things people can do to keep their home cool in the summer?

Dan: Most people have ceiling fans, but a lot of people may not be using them properly. During the summer, people should reverse the direction of their fans. Warm air rises and your ceiling could be as much as 5-10 degrees warmer than the rest of the room. By reversing the direction of your ceiling fan, you help suck up the cooler air and blow down the warmer air.

Mario: Thanks Dan, that’s great advice. Now what about people that are new to Oklahoma. I’m sure they’ve heard of tornadoes. What should they do to prepare and stay safe?

Dan: Well first, they shouldn’t be scared. There are many people who have lived in Oklahoma all their lives and they’ve never been affected by a tornado. I would encourage people to stay informed. You should have a weather radio to keep informed and you can also get apps now for smart phones. The main thing people can do is have a plan. Know where to go in an emergency.

Mario: We’re almost finished Dan, but I still get asked all the time about your health. There were a lot of people in Tulsa thinking about you when you were going through your ordeal.

Dan: I’m getting better. It’s still a process, but I’m expected to make a full recovery. Tell everyone I said thanks for asking.

Mario: Thanks again Dan, I really appreciate your time. For anyone reading this, you can watch Dan Threlkeld weeknights at 5, 6 and 10pm on KJRH Channel 2. You can also download the KJRH and KJRH Weather apps for your iPhone.

With home prices and interest rates dropping to historical lows,  we are seeing more and more people trying to decide whether to buy a new home or remodel their current home. Homeowners come to us needing more space for a growing family or desiring home features that their current home just doesn’t have.

This question is more pertinent than ever this year. Home prices are dropping, meaning that although you will not get top dollar for your home, you are almost guaranteed a good deal on the new house.

Mortgage companies are reporting interest rates that are below 4 percent, after the Federal Reserve said it will back mortgage-related bonds. On the remodeling side, those same low interest rates apply to refinancing your mortgage for a remodel.

In addition, many contractors are feeling the pinch and are ready to make better deals for people.

Hiring an architect can also help you make your decision. An architect can draw a plan for you, and you can use that plan to then help you determine the actual cost of remodeling an existing home.

A good plan will also help you on how to set the parameters of your project so you can control the cost of remodeling before construction begins.

We recommend homeowners faced with the moving or remodeling question also consult with real estate agents. A Bedlam Realty Team real estate agent can help determine the value of your current home and the value cap for the area in which your home is located. You don’t want to put a lot of money into a home, and make your home the biggest most expensive home in the neighborhood. The smaller homes around you will bring your value down, making it harder to recoup your cost of construction.

We can show you what is available to buy and estimate the cost of another home with your wish list of features. There may be good enough deals available that may cost you less than the cost of a remodel.

It is also important to remember the “hidden” costs of remodeling. Beyond the basic cost of construction, additional remodeling costs to be considered include architectural design fees, structural engineering fees, demolition costs, permit fees, the possibility of unforeseen conditions (such as needing to replace old wiring or plumbing), and the cost of additional furniture and window coverings for the new space.

Also, home remodeling can be messy and noisy and force you to live without a certain part of your house during the remodeling process.

Finally, weigh the emotional costs. Are you willing to give up your current location, neighbors, schools and local congregation in order to move? Or would you rather deal with the inconvenience of remodeling?

Whatever you decide, remember to be wise in the decision process. Consult as many professionals as you can. Visit with an architect, a real estate agent and loan officer. Now is definitely a great time for low interest rates and competitive contractor bids if you decide to remodel.

If you’d like more information on what your home is currently worth, and a free market value report,

contact us at 918-274-HOME.

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There are many reasons why you should price your home correctly.

As illustrated in the diagram above, the higher your home is priced above market value (the average sales price for your neighborhood), the smaller the percentage of people who will make time to view your home.

Some sellers make the mistake of starting high with their sales price, so they can “have room to negotiate.”

The problem with that is by pricing your home too high to begin with, you are preventing some people from ever seeing your home. If they are searching for a certain price range, and your home is listed above their range, they may not ever consider your home.

A better strategy would be to list your home at a price that is at or just below market value. Rather than starting high and leaving yourself room to negotiate, start lower and be firm on your price. You will get more people to look at your home and ideally create a bidding war with multiple offers on your home.

We have seen many times where a home priced correctly will get multiple offers and can sometimes even sell for more than the original asking price, because a buyer doesn’t want to lose the house to a regular full price offer.

Keep this chart in mind when selling your home. It can help you determine how many people you can miss out on if you don’t price your home correctly. If you would like to know the current value of your home, or have any other questions please feel free to contact us at 918-274-Home.

The real secret to real estate is no secret at all. You make money when you BUY a home, not when you sell it.

You’re shopping for a new home, and want the very best deal possible, right?

The best way to insure your great deal is to get as much equity in your home when you BUY it.

At The Bedlam Team at Chinowth & Cohen Realtors, we are happy to help you get a great deal by sending you an updated list of homes that have been reduced by 30% or more.

We can customize your list based on the areas you are looking for. We can send you a list of homes in Tulsa, Owasso, Jenks, Broken Arrow or any other area you are most interested in.

With that much equity in your new home, you can bet that when you decide to sell your home, you are more likely to make a good profit.

Whether you’re planning on living in your new home for two years or twenty years, we want to help you get the very best deal you can. Call us today at 918-274-HOME or email us at info@bedlamrealty.com.

Gone are the days of driving by a home, opening the flyer box, only to realize that the flyers are gone, or have been so badly damaged by the weather that they are illegible.  There is a new way to get home information without having to leave your car.

Chinowth & Cohen has a great texting program that helps both sellers and buyers alike. For sellers, they don’t have to worry about constantly running out of flyers. Color copies can be very expensive and replacing them due to a bad rain storm can be costly.

For buyers, the program works great. They can text CCHOMES to 59559 and receive information about the home they are parked in front of. The system works because it recognizes your location via GPS and will send you lots of details about the home. In addition, you will also receive information about the nearest five homes that are listed for sale.

Now you are able to get the property information you need wherever you are, whenever you want. You’re able to connect with agents to schedule a showing if you’re interested in seeing the home. The texting program gives you real-time listing updates as you move!

It includes ALL of the listings in the MLS and is updated daily. If you haven’t tried it yet, I urge you to use this new tool that will make your home search easier.

And remember, if you’re looking to buy or sell a home please consider using The Bedlam Team.

918-274-HOME

New Listing in Owasso Schools!

412 South Birch Street  Owasso, OK 74055

Cash Only Investment Propoerty

3 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, 1 Car Garage Home

1,227 Square Feet

$47,500

Great ARV (After Repair Value) for Section 8 rental investment

Call Mario to schedule a showing at 918-261-0622

mario@bedlamrealty.com