Moore, OK

I had one of the toughest deals in my 11 years in the real estate biz. My listing was actually in foreclosure when I received the full price offer. Holy cow, this was indeed a miracle. That was in February. The seller's out of state and the clock is ticking on the foreclosure.

Closing is set for April, then May, then June. The seller was going to be about 15K short. No time to try and work a short sale without losing the buyers. The seller manages to get an advance from his company (a major home improvement store) and he sends in two wires. Only one problem. One wire never shows up.

We're two days away from closing, the lock is about to expire, the buyer's are chomping at the bit, especially since they have taken occupancy (they were from out of state and had no place to stay). To me the answer is obvious. I emailed the title company and without blinking an eye I said, take it from the listing side and get this closed, end of discussion.

It closed, finally last week. It's done, it's over and I am so ready to move on to the next challenge. Did I do the right thing? I think so. It took $2800.00 away from my check and of course the company but what would have happened should it not have closed, in my opinion would have been far more costly and damaging. Asking the selling agent to help to me was never an option. She did her job and in fact was the glue that held this deal together and her Broker received a nice letter about how she handled everything. She deserved the letter and every penny she got paid.

So now there's no foreclosure, no REO selling for way under market value and a very happy buyer. Will I ever get the $2800.00 from the seller? Who knows. That what Broker's are for, to deal with things like that. I'm happy and content about how things ended and I truly believe that something good & positive will come from all this but the bottom line is that someone was helped and at the end of the day, isn't that really what is most important?

Have a great week everybody!

Interest rates are increasing. You have heard about it and you are now starting to see the fluttering signs of inflation. Ok, that is a little dramatic but with the treasury issuance of the large amount of US debt the interest rates are starting to climb. Why does this matter to me? Well, let's think about it this way. As a rule of thumb if interest rates climb 1% you will need the homes to decline 10% to pay the same amount monthly. Wow! Pretty shocking huh? I can promise you in our market if you think that we are going to get a decline of 10% in home values anytime soon you are crazy. It will not happen. If anything, if the fed does not handle inflation properly, we will see home values surge. Think about all of the stimulants that have been sent by the fed. This is your time to buy or move up. For a more detailed consultation of your paticular situation please feel free to give me a call at 405-922-2968 or visit my website at www.JasonSellsOklahoma.com

They die. Whether you get the phone call or read it in the paper, the customer that you had a lasting relationship with has passed away. You will probably attend the funeral or at the very least send flowers.

I remember the first customer of mine that passed away. I actually read about it in the paper and attended the funeral. That was probably 8 or 9 years ago and there have been many since then. I started keeping a file with obituaries and mark their file in my Palm Centro with the appropriate information.

I think the toughest one to date was Craig A. I met Craig and Toni as they drove through my neighborhood looking for a home for their handicapped daughter. We met & I showed them some homes and found the perfect one and the rest is history. Craig was a CPA as was Toni and after that they became my CPA. They were very good at what they did and as a result I referred them several clients. I always looked forward to the annual visits but there were the times running to each other at the store or other places. Craig lost his bout with Cancer and of course I attended the funeral and in fact I will never forget it. It was truly one of those "celebrations of life" rather than a sad funeral. Now Toni does my taxes and I still look forward to my annual visit as well as the "bump ins" at the store, etc.

I read the paper/obituary section with a certain amount of anxiety now. I have actually found out about many of their deaths this way but I am grateful so I can send flowers or attend the funeral but it never gets easier. These are my clients but more importantly they are my friends. I am witness to their ups and downs, births of children and grandchildren and of course their deaths. If someone had told me years ago when I first got into the business that this would happen, I would more than likely have blown them off but it's true, this is very much a part of the business as it is our own lives. That doesn't make it any easier but I realize now that it is a part of being a successful agent/Realtor® and it's one that I take very seriously so if this has not yet happened to you, just wait, it will but I hope you will take the time to attend the funeral or send flowers and remember to talk to or visit the spouse or other family member after they have had time to grieve. I know they will appreciate you for it. Remember they consider you a friend as well.

Although you wouldn't be able to tell by the local or national media the market is gaining strength. Take some time an go by Trulia. You will notice pending sales are up for our market. What this means as that buyers are starting to come out in groves and the lagging market has pinned up demand. Although we are not seeing increases in sales prices yet, we will. Once there is more demand from buyers than the current inventory allows prices will adjust. Let me ask you this if you don't believe me. Have you seen any new construction lately? Ofcourse you have maybe not to the lengths of 06, 07, and 08 but you are still seeing homes built. What has happened is there has been a house cleaning of sorts in real estate. The old "only the strong survive". This is a better real estate market for both sellers and buyers. Why? Because you get the best people with the availability to serve you properly. Think about it, why would you trust your largest asset purchase or sale to anyone but a professional. If you have any questions please visit www.JasonSellsOklahoma.com or email me at jason.nedrow@century21.com.

What is this? Well the state decides where the best development for the state would be and therfore makes incentives for people to live there. How does it help me? Well, if you are interested in an area that qualifies for rural development you can get assistance with your down payment. Therefore, if you are a new buyer and want a home we can basically get you in a home with no money down and with the tax credit of $8,000 you get money back when you file your taxes. Seems pretty good to me. I don't know why any buyer that has this education wouldn't buy now. There is also a bond issuance available to assist with down payment. All you have to do is have the seller pay your closing costs and you can get out from under your rent for a sound real estate investment. NO BRAINER? For more information visit www.JasonSellsOklahoma.com or call 405-922-2968.