Ok, it's like this. Last week I stayed at the Holiday Inn on Financial Plaza in Shreveport, Louisiana. I took a white terry cloth wrap with me for going back and forth to the pool.

On Saturday afternoon, after housekeeping had finished with my room, my wrap was missing even though I had hung it on the shower curtain bar and had put the towels in the floor so that they could see the difference.

I called the front desk that evening and some very nice gentleman said that he would go find it. I did not hear back from him.

On Sunday as we prepared to check out, I called the front desk again to ask about my missing apparel. The wrap or sun-dress like cover up had not been turned in and they didn't know anything about it. They connected me to housekeeping when I got voice mail.

When we checked out, I asked again at the front desk. They sent me to housekeeping. I left a description of the missing clothing, my phone number, etc.

I called back on Tuesday and asked the front desk again. They didn't have a clue even though I talked to the same lady that I had talked to when we checked out. She transferred me to housekeeping again and I got voice mail again. I left a message.

This is Thursday and I still have not heard from them. Have you ever tried to find a phone number for customer service on the Holiday Inn Website??? Not to be had.

I want my wrap back, it was my favorite!

Holiday Inn, are you listening???

I have been buying sheets and bedding for some time now at Smart Bargains. If you enjoy quality sheets in the higher thread counts and like a good price on them, you've got to check out their site.

I've ordered from them several times. They ship promptly and it's always right. They also sell other things but I haven't ordered anything from them other than bedding at this point.

Integrity Real Estate Services

The Blessings of Grandchildren

That old saying, “If I had known how much fun grandchildren were going to be, I would have skipping having children and just had grandchildren,” has some truth in it.

I don’t think that it’s the difference in children...whether your own children...or your children’s children (grandchildren).

I really believe that it’s the difference in our perspectives as we grow a little bit older.

As I begin to enjoy the “twilight of my youth”, it becomes really clear that life is short and it goes by so quickly. I know that it will not be long before my grandchildren will be grown, because I watched it happen with their parents.

It was only yesterday when their parents, my children, were their ages. I want to keep them small but I know that’s not going to happen…life goes by quickly and they grow up whether we want it to or not.

Those first few years of life are so important in many ways. Our children are learning from us in ways that we do not even think about. That makes it extremely important that we handle the things that life brings us in ways that will be a good example to them.

It is important enough that we should stop and think about the example that we are setting because when it gets absorbed by the little ones around us, they are learning to handle those situations when they grow up.

Some things to think about: • Am I setting the correct example for my children in my attitudes and actions toward others, especially toward them, but also toward clients, customers, neighbors, check-out people at stores, other drivers on the road... , everyone?

• Am I setting the correct example in my attitude toward things? Remember these words, “Use things and love people NOT use people and love things.”

• Do I properly care for the things that I own? Not only are they learning from us about dealing with people, but they also pick up on how to take care of things that we own. The children of today will grow up to be the clients of tomorrow.  Teaching them to care for their rooms and belongings may equate into them taking good care of their home some day.

I am a Christian, so as I deal with my children, grandchildren, clients, customers, etc it is important that I think about that. We are supposed to be showing the world Christ in us.

Also as we take care of the things that God provides for us, we are being good stewards and setting that example. I am always feeling like I need to be a better example and handle things better than I do and I pray that each day I am a better person than the day before.

Ponderings for June 20, 2008

June 17, 2008

"The Depot" is one place in Fort Towson, Oklahoma where everyone knows it's location. That makes it my favorite spot to meet clients. Yesterday, I made use of it twice. Met a client there to cancel a contract and later in the day met clients there to show them vacant waterfront lots around Lake Raymond Gary.

The Oklahoma Uniform Contracts are great because they provide buyers a time frame to do their inspections and if a property is not going to work for them, they can cancel the contract and get their earnest money back. Such was the case yesterday. This helps give buyers the confidence to make an offer on a property, knowing that they will have an inspection period.

Met a really nice lady yesterday that became a client before the meeting was over - Listing appointment for lake property at Lake Raymond Gary. This is going to be a property that will be looked at much, one of those that matches what I've been asked for over and over by buyers.

Lunch from The Corner Store. If you haven't read my blog on THE place to eat in Fort Towson, "The Corner Store". It is here. We did carry out and took it to our lake house to enjoy our lunch and the view. Then it started raining....just in time for my showing of vacant lots. But we donned our rain coats and looked anyway. Great folks. I believe that they will really enjoy living at Lake Raymond Gary.

One of our clients that bought a lot is having a new fence built and asked for some help in relocating some giant concrete blocks, so we took care of that and then headed home. The day is never over if there are websites to be updated, so computer time came next along with phone calls to clients, giving them updates on listings and pendings.

One last chore, on the riding lawn mower and finally Finished for the day.

Ended it with the Celtics beating the Lakers!

How was your day?

Call Judi Barrett for your real estate needs in McCurtain County and Choctaw County Oklahoma. We know the area! 580-212-5946 or email judi@integrity-realestate.net Office is located in Idabel, Oklahoma but we travel from Haworth to Hugo for our clients.

If you are considering selling or buying real estate in Oklahoma, you may encounter the Oklahoma uniform Contract for Purchase of Real Estate published by the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission.

If you've missed the first two posts on this, you may want to read.

First one - How do we go about placing a property "under contract"

Second one - covering the first three paragraphs of the Oklahoma Uniform Contract

Today we're going to look at paragraph 4 of that contract. Paragraph 4 contains a list of equipment, if existing on the Property, unless otherwise excluded, shall remain with the Property at no additional cost to Buyer:

Those things are:

• Attic and ceiling fan(s)
• Bathroom mirror(s)
• Other mirrors, if attached
• Central vacuum & attachments
• Floor coverings, if attached
• Key(s) to the property
• Built-in and under cabinet/counter appliance(s)
• Free standing slide-in/drop-in kitchen stove
• Built-in sound system(s)/speaker(s)
• Lighting & light fixtures
• Fire, smoke and security system(s), if owned
• Shelving, if attached
• Fireplace inserts, logs, grates, doors and screens
• Free standing heating unit(s)
• Humidifier(s), if attached
• Water conditioning systems, if owned
• Window treatments & coverings, interior & exterior
• Storm windows, screens & storm doors
• Garage door opener(s) & remote transmitting unit(s)
• Fences (includes sub-surface electric &
components)
• Mailboxes/Flag poles
• Outside cooking unit(s), if attached
• Propane tank(s) if owned
• TV antennas/satellite dish system(s) and control(s), if owned
• Sprinkler systems & control(s)
• Swimming Pool/Spa equipment/accessories• Attached recreational equipment
• Exterior landscaping and lighting
• Entry gate control(s)
• Water meter, sewer/trash membership, if owned
• All remote controls, if applicable
• Transferable Service Agreements and Product Warranties

At the end of the list, there are two very important areas. The first is where you can include things that are not on the above list and the second is where you can exclude things that are on the list.

If any of these things do exist on the property and you as a seller or as a buyer do not want them included in the sale, make sure that they are written on the exclusion line 4(B). If there is something that you want included in the sale and it's NOT on the list, make sure that your agent gets it on the inclusion line 4(A).

Next post in this series will go over time frames and inspection periods.

Contact Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Idabel, Oklahoma for your real estate needs in Southeast Oklahoma - from Haworth to Hugo - specializing in rural homes and farms AND LAKE RAYMOND GARY.

580-212-5946

http://integrity-realestate.net

http://integrityrealty1.com

http://choctaw-county.com/

http://waterfront-lots.net/

http://seokmls.com

http://commercialpropertylist.net

http://broken-bow-lake.com/

http://www.okhuntingland.com/

http://mccurtaincounty.net/

AND OTHERS......

If you want to sell property in McCurtain or Choctaw County, we do the most to get your property in front of the world!

The five-year statute of limitations for reformation of deed does not necessary run from the date the deed was recorded, but from the date the mistake was discovered.

A group of 19 people claimed that they had only intended to convey rights to the surface land and not the mineral rights, when they sold the land in 1997.

The case was heard by the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals and that court decided that the ruling by the District Court of Logan County was wrong when it decided the statute of limitations of 5 years applied to this case.

When the property was sold in 1997, the contract clearly stated that no mineral rights were to go with the property. The Closing Acknowledgement and Release stated “land only,’ and the abstract certification and Commitment for Titel Insurance indicate sale was for surface rights. The warranty deed though did not include a reservatio nof minerals.

According to an article on CNET Networks, the buyer was willing to re-convey the mineral rights back to the previous owners when they discovered the mistake in 2004 until someone approached him to lease the minerals and convinced him that they were his.

Read the whole article here.

Oklahoma Uniform Contract for Purchase of Real Estate - #2

This past week I posted on “How Do We Go About Getting Property Under Contract” because that question is often asked. If you’ve never purchased property through an Oklahoma Real Estate Brokerage Office , such as Integrity Real Estate Services, then you may not know what the steps are or what to expect.

Today I’m going to go over the first three paragraphs contained in the Oklahoma Uniform Contract for Purchase of Real Estate.

• Paragraph 1 - Legal Description
• Paragraph 2 - Purchase Price, Earnest Money and Source of Funds
• Paragraph 3 - Closing Funding and Possession.

The Oklahoma Standard Contract made available through the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission is only 4 pages long until you add in any related addendums and/or attachments. Those become part of the contract and can end up being several pages long. As we go through the contract over the next few days, we will also go over possible addendums and attachments.

The Real Estate Purchase Contract is valid and binding once it has been correctly signed by both the buyer and seller. Those signatures can be on the same document or on separate identical Contract Counterparts (fax copies, photocopies, or carbon copies).

1 – Legal Description – This area of the contract should have both the legal description as it is on the title held by the seller and it should also contain the physical property address of the property.

The Standard Contract states that the sale includes “all sub-surface/mineral/water rights owned by the Seller unless specifically reserved by the Seller and noted in the Contract and excluding mineral rights previously reserved or conveyed of record.” So if you purchase using this contract, all mineral rights that the seller owns are passed to you UNLESS the Seller reserves them in the contract.

For some interesting reading on Mineral Rights and the Conflicts that get into the court system in Oklahoma:

Surface, mineral rights issuesin Oklahoma murky territory

2 - Purchase Price, Earnest Money and Source of Funds. Unless a Financing Supplemental Agreement is attached to the contract and checked at the top of the first page of the contract, the contract is designed for a cash purchase. We will talk about the Financing Supplemental Agreement and mortgages in a later post. This section has your purchase price which includes the amount of earnest money indicated on the blank for that. It also tells you that the balance is due at closing. The earnest money will be held by the Listing Broker in a trust account unless buyer and seller agree and instruct it to be held otherwise. If the trust account is an interest bearing account, the interest is paid to “Oklahoma Affordable Housing Foundation”.

3 - Closing, Funding and Possession. At closing, the buyer brings the balance of the purchase price plus closing costs, paid by either cash, cashier’s check, certified check, wire transfer, or other certified funds. Many closing companies will not accept cash. The closing company should contact you prior to closing about payment: acceptable form and amount. They should supply you or your broker with a copy of the settlement statement prior to closing. The Buyer will need a photo identification (i.e. driver’s license,etc.) at Closing.

This section also contains the date that the transaction will close by, unless extended prior to closing. The closing can take place ON or BEFORE that date. In another section, we will discuss some automatic extensions that are built into the contract, such as if there is a title problem. This section has a place for a time when actual physical possession will transfer from seller to buyer.

This area lists the standard closing costs paid by each side unless the contract is altered by agreement between the buyer and seller.

Next time we’ll pick up with what accessories, equipment, and systems are usually included in a purchase.

Property is selling in Southeast Oklahoma. Call me for your real estate needs, whether buying or selling. Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, Idabel, Oklahoma. Serving both McCurtain and Choctaw Counties. Specializing in Lake Raymond Gary waterfront properties. For your Lakefront desires, call me 580-212-5946 and let me tell you about Lake Raymond Gary at Fort Towson, Oklahoma. The “little gem” of Choctaw County and Southeast Oklahoma.

Graphic courtesy of Image Chef.

D V Fennell has been busy as he travels around the states doing what he does best!  And that is riding bareback bronc horses in rodeos and doing promo ads for those companies that use him to advertise fo rthem.

D V has some room for new advertisers via patches, appliques, etc.  This is a great way to get your logo or business name in front of tv cameras, on youtube, in the newspapers, etc., when they talk to D V, they'll be looking at your logo. This can be an excellent way to reach your target audience, especially if you work with rural properties or farms/ranches,

Here's a Youtube video of a ride made last night at a PRCA rodeo, in Hugo, Oklahoma where D V scored 83 on a horse named Justus. D V is our son. He currently lives in Neosho, MO.

As a way of helping those that are relocating to our area, I have decided to introduce different professional and business people in our area that provide needed services.

This blog is to introduce you to Bob Terry. My husband and I got acquainted with Bob Terry when we opened a State Farm Health Saving Account. Bob is the local agent for State Farm. I didn't have a picture of Bob to use here, but you can visit his website here.

For those of you that don't know this, State Farm has banking services. In fact, I check with my local bank and several places, trying to find a local place to open the health savings account. State Farm was the only place that I found that we could do that locally.

As we visited with Bob and we asked him about other services that he can offer, we discovered that he is a Certified Financial Planning Practitioner under the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards, Inc. He holds various professional designations and has almost 18 years experience in insurance and financial services.

The State Farm office does home mortgages and commercial lending too! Our office appreciates our clients having another good source for loans.

My family has found Bob to be very client oriented. He seeks out the services that his company can offer that will benefit his client. I've only heard good things about him and believe him to hold to the highest standards.

So, if you're moving to our area Idabel, Oklahoma or anywhere in McCurtain County, OR if you already live here - Bob Terry can offer you many financial services that you may need - insurance, banking, mortgages, retirement accounts, financial planning, etc. His office is located at 902 NE Lincoln Rd,Idabel, Oklahoma 74745 and their phone number is: 580-286-5627.

And for all of your real estate needs as you relocate to our great area, contact me, Judi Barrett, broker, at integrity Real Estate Services 580-212-5946.