Tulsa, OK

Okay folks, this one is just for fun! I found this "personality test" years ago and tried it out on the girls in my youth group. And it was amazingly accurate!

All you have to do is to take a look at the lipstick a woman uses. You'll notice that it has a particular shape. That shape has been analyzed by some super smart person somewhere and can now tell you all about the woman's personality.

Does she abide by the rules?
Is she easy going?
Does she have high morals?
Is she spirited?

Learn all this and more just by looking at a lipstick!

Here's a screen shot of the website where the information is located.

The website address for this fun test is here.

Now we Realtors can know what kind of people we are working with! And you can know what kind of Realtor or banker or waitress or "whomever" you're working with! Well...at least if they're ladies.

All you have to do is to ask if you can look at their lipstick!

Good luck with that one.

Did you know that Christopher Columbus suffered from heart disease and his legs and belly grew swollen in his later years? Did you know he died dejected on May 1, 1506?

How about this one?

Al Capone, the murderous gangster's death only made page 7 of the newspaper when he died of a brain hemorrhage in 1947.

One more...Real Estate Tycoon Harry Black.

Harry Black was a real estate man in New York City from the late 1800's through 1930. He built the famous flat iron building in New York City in 1902, which brought him instant fame and controversy. Many thought the building would fall over in strong winds. It never did.

He would go on to build the New York Time building, thus creating the namesake for Times Square. He also built Macy's and other countless landmarks as well.

This guy was a savvy businessman. During the height of his glory, he merged his construction company with other real estate companies to make the United States Realty Company. This real estate group became the dominant developer in New York and other eastern cities during that time period. And they did very well. At one point, he was worth an estimated 15 million dollars. That would probably be billions today!

But then the stock market crashed and everything came to a screeching halt. Mr. Black was found with a bullet wound in his head and a pistol in his hand 9 months later. Everyone thought he had been killed by the market crash. After all, so many lost so much in that tragic event. Whether he knew it or not, due to his business skills and liquidity, his real estate company had survived the stock market crash in good shape.

These stories and more are found in this great read called "They Went That-A-Way" by Malcolm Forbes. I love the subtitle of the book, "How the famous, the infamous, and the great died." The book was originally published in 1988 and can be purchased at Amazon.com.

I don't normally recommend books to read, but this is one that is perfect if you're a business person. There are so many stories of people who hit it big and then burned out or died tragically. It will teach you mistakes not to make while giving you a good laugh or making you shake your head. In short, it's a great business primer and an easy and fun book to read.

Some of the other people included are: Buddy Holly, Diamond Jim Brady, Babe Ruth, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. You'll love reading about the people of history and learning from their lives.

So, if you've been feeling squashed by the recession, grab this book. If you've survived the recession just fine, it's a great read for how people have succeeded and failed in all kinds of businesses and endeavors throughout the years.

I just got off the phone with our property manager, Vicki Berg, she manages about two hundred properties in Jenks and Tulsa. www.VickiBerg.com

It seems reasonable to assume that a lot of renters that can buy a home these days would do so between the first time homebuyer tax credit and the record low interest rates. So I called Vicki to get a first hand look at the rental market.

My question was this: Has the proliferation of first time buyers hurt the rental market?

Her answer was that although some buyers have used the tax credits to move out of the rental market that there were two main reasons why the rental market at the moment is staying strong. 1) The economic uncertainty and uncertain job outlook was causing a lot of potential homebuyers to stay put and renew leases. 2) The bank standards for mortgages has gone up so that many just don't have clean enough credit and cash flow to qualify for a home.

Jenks has always been a strong rental market due to the desirable school district and general growth of the suburbs in Tulsa. Jenks has stayed very stable during the economic malaise, the price per square foot of sold homes in the neighborhood I live in, Churchill Park has stayed steady at $91 a square foot for the last three years. (MLS data). Of course one of the reasons why it hasn't gone down is that it didn't participate in the appreciation in the way, CA, NV, AZ & FL and a few others did. However, there are many things going on in Jenks and the surrounding area that leave it poised for outstanding potential appreciation.

It's a great time to invest in Jenks, OK. For more information, call us or look for future blogs!

Via Mike Jones (SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC):

$8,000 / $6,500 Tax Credit Legislation Extended and Modified for Home Buyers

Until the new legislation was signed into law, first time homebuyers could apply for and receive a tax credit in the amount of $8,000. when they purchased a home before the sunset date of November 30, 2009.

The new legislation, signed into law by President Obama on Friday, November 6, 2009

• extends that date until April 30, 2010 for civilians, and to April 30, 2011 for certain military buyers.
• increases the income limits so that millions more can qualify for the tax credit, and
• enacts a reduced tax credit of $6,500 for move-up buyers who are not first time homebuyers.

Extended Timeframe

The existing sunset date established by the Housing & Economic Recovery Act of 2008 has been extended to April 30, 2010 for most buyers. Qualifying members of the military who served outside the borders of the United States at any time during the period from 1/1/2009 to 4/30/2010 will have an extra year to apply for the tax credit.

Increased Income Limits

The earlier legislation put caps on income for single buyers at $95,000. Married buyers filing jointly capped out at $170,000. The new legislation allows single wage earners to make up to $145,000, and married couples can earn up to $245,000.

NEW: $6,500 Tax Credit for Move-up Buyers

The new legislation provides a tax credit incentive for people who are not first time homebuyers. (A first time homebuyer is defined as one who has not owned a home in the last 36 months.) You may qualify for this $6,500 tax credit if you owned and lived in your home for five consecutive years out of the past eight. Who does that help? Let’s say you sold your home in 2008. You’re not a first time homebuyer, but if you meet the “five of eight” criteria, you can buy a move-up home and still qualify for the $6,500 tax credit. Check with your tax professional for advice on your particular situation.

NOTE: Additional Requirements

There are other rules of eligibility in the legislation. (This list is not exhaustive, so you’ll want to check with your tax professional.)

• You can’t buy the home from a relative.
• You must be 18 or older
• You cannot be claimed by any other taxpayer as a dependent
• If you’ve sold a home, and that sale affects your eligibility, you must included the settlement statement (HUD-1) with your tax return.
• Most buyers (check with your tax professional) must live in the home for a minimum of three years or face a government demand for repayment.

Above originally published on InvestmentRealEstateCorner.com by Mike in Tucson

Helpful links regarding the tax credits:

Basic explanation of the extension/expansion for 2009/2010

Quick chart of features (pdf file format)

Form to amend taxes if you close in 2009 (pdf file format)

Helpful article if buying & selling a home at the same time: if you are leaving your starter home for a larger home, read this to find out how to sell and buy at the same time!

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, including midtown Tulsa, downtown Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Bixby, Sand Spring and Jenks, Oklahoma. Please visit Lori's web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Ever have an attitude? This is Cherry Blossom, also known as "Boo Boo." She has an attitude towards most things in life. We like to call it a "Puppytude." In this case, she didn't want to sit on the table, but obliged us long enough to snap the picture. She's a lap dog, under the covers heating pad and the biggest little watch dog in the house!

For market reports of the greater Tulsa and/or Owasso area, contact Bob Haywood, "The Name You Think When You Think Real Estate."

www.BobHaywood.com
918-272-7272