Branson, MO

Recently, the Taney County Commission approved a program that could save county residents thousands of dollars on prescription drugs each month.

This drug plan is through the National Association of Counties pharmaceutical program. As a member of the association, the county can take advantage of the program, at no cost. The commission voted to adopt the program and make the cards available to county residents free of charge.

The cards will be available to anyone who is a resident of the county. Cardholders can expect to save between 10 and 22 percent off the cash price of prescription drugs.

Just one more reason that Taney County is a great place to live!

According to the Branson Tri-Lake MLS statistics, Branson single family homes sales last month total was 14 homes with the highest priced one selling for $450,000 and the lowest priced one selling for $62,000. There were also 10 condos that closed escrow last month and they ranged from $40,000 to $275,000 in price.

That is a huge improvement over the last several months and shows a major change in both the weather and buyer's desires to take advantage of the lower market prices. Land, farm and home sales and more information is available by request.

Real estate is always local and we have had no problem getting financing for good buyers and a fair price for good property. Naturally, whether you should buy or sell depends upon your particular circumstances more than any other factor. If you would like to go over your situation and get an honest evaluation of whether you are in the right "timing" or not, I will be glad to help. You can call me direct (417) 350-9743 or if you just want to see what is going on in the market today Search Listings Here

Steve Mattison - Your Ozarksagent

Souvenir Realty, Inc. 417-357-8326

emailto:steve@ozarksagent.com

How much should you offer when writing a contract to purchase a home?

This is an area where it pays to listen a professional. Your Realtor can show you data on comparable properties that have recently sold and the price per square foot.

Also, a Realtor has access to statistics such as the sale to list price difference. This is the percentage that homes have sold for as compared to the asking price.

Many prospective buyers have convinced themselves that sellers are willing to accept 25%-30% off their asking price. In the majority of cases, this just isn't true, at least not in the Branson/Tri-Lakes area.

While it is a fact that some homes are overpriced, this is usually due to an owner's unwillingness to listen to the Realtor's price suggestion. It's more common to see overpriced homes sit on the market until the listing expires and then see the home back on the market at a more realistic price; than it is to see the sellers accept an extremely low offer.

To illustrate this point, listed below are the Average Sale to List Percentages from the Tri-Lakes Board of Realtors:

2005: 96.3%

2006: 96.8%

2007: 96.3%

2008: 94.1%

2009: 94.5% (January and February)

These statistics show that, even though the number of sales are lower than they were three or four years ago, you probably won't make any progress offering less than 90% of asking price on your initial offer.

Remember that the seller's price is usually the result of a market analysis made by the Realtor, showing the owner prices of comparative homes that have sold. Also, unless the seller paid cash when purchasing the home or has since paid off their loan, the price has to be high enough to pay off the lender and as well as the fees incurred to sell the home.

With this being said, there are still some great deals to be had. You just have to realize that the price is probably already at or near its fair market value.

All agents at Gerken & Associates are now Realtors for Green Living (RGL). RGL is comprised of members of the Tri-Lakes Board of Realtors who have a passion for living green. Each RGL member has taken a "Green Living" class and the oath to "Live Today to Help Save Tomorrow." RGL is a community minded group looking to do its part in preserving and restoring the Tri-Lakes area and educating its citizens.

Gerken & Associates was a corporate sponsor of the NAIA Basketball Tournament held on the campus of College of the Ozarks over the last two weeks. Over 30 teams participated from around the country. The tournament was deemed a huge success by NAIA officials and has been held at the College of the Ozarks in Branson since 2000.