Lori Cain - Tulsa Realty

Outgrown your starter home? NOW is the time to upgrade & here are three reasons why.

Okay, it’s time to sell your house.

You've outgrown that cute little starter home with two bedrooms and 1 bath that you bought after you got married and before you had two children. It’s time to pass that along to another young couple and find a larger home in a school district of your choice with a separate bathroom for the kiddos.

You may have heard that the Senate & House extended the 1st-time home buyer $8,000 tax credit. They ALSO added a $6,500 credit for home buyers who have lived in their current home at least five years – this is an effort to get the $200K-$300K inventory of homes moving.

Both have to have written contracts by April 30th and must close by June 30th.

I know that you’re nervous about trying to buy a home while selling yours at the same time. The thought of double mortgage payments scares me, so I know it scares you. Here is a post I’ve written about how best to buy and sell at the same time – it can be done!

Your home is likely to be purchased by a 1st-time buyer, so you really need to take advantage of this opportunity now that they’ve extended the deadline. Honestly, towards the end of the original deadline, the inventory of homes in 1st-time Buyers’ price range was getting scarce – in fact, prices were getting somewhat inflated, because buyers were panicking that they would not close in time. Now that the deadline is extended, I expect the frenzy to start up again.

The legislature added the $6,500 credit to existing home-owners needing to upgrade in an effort to stimulate the inventory of homes in the $200K-$300K range – something the 1st-time buyers couldn’t afford. There are a plethora of homes in that price range that have been on the market a while, so good deals are available.

So, you want to get your home ready to market to first-time buyers AND you can cash in on the $6,500 credit on your purchase. Rates are still low, and we have no clue how long that will last.

It’s time to make the move up NOW, because:

1. Your home will likely be purchased by a 1st-time buyer taking advantage of the stimulus extension;
2. You can cash in on the $6,500 credit since you’ve owned your current home for five+ years, and finally,
3. Rates are great.

So, what are you waiting for? The stars may not align like this again for several years.

Let’s get your home ready to put on the market and set up a search for your larger dream home.

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Bringing the Dream of Homeownership Within Reach (Source: National Association of Realtors)

As part of its plan to stimulate the U.S. housing market and address the economic challenges facing our nation, Congress has passed new legislation that:

• Extends the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of up to $8,000 to first-time home buyers until April 30, 2010.

• Expands the credit to grant a $6,500 credit to current home owners purchasing a new or existing home between the date the bill is signed by President Obama and April 30, 2010.

Helpful links regarding the tax credits:

Basic explanation of the extension/expansion

Quick chart of features (pdf file format)

Form to amend taxes if you close in 2009

About the author: Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors, serving the greater Tulsa area. Please visit Lori's web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036!

Creek Stickball Park of the midtown Tulsa Riverview Neighborhood Association

My neighborhood, the Riverview Neighborhood Association, is home to a recent Oklahoma Centennial project, a sculpture in Creek Stickball Park. Located at 18th & Cheyenne in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the sculpture features three Native American youths playing stickball – a traditional game with ceremonial significance in the Native American Culture.

The statue in Creek Stickball Park was made possible through a $250,000 donation from the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration Commission. Besides the sculpture, this provided park amenities including wrought iron fencing, new sidewalks, landscaping, irrigation and benches.

Dedicated in December 2008, the park is located directly across the street from the Creek Council Oak Park. The sculpture in the Stickball Park was created by Talala-based sculptor Sandra Van Zandt. Her work is detailed and magnificent – please drop by to enjoy our new beautiful park.

Creek Stickball Park of the midtown Tulsa Riverview Neighborhood Association

A-ne-jo-di, or Stickball, is a Creek game played around a
single 5-10 meter pole, topped with a
brightly painted animal skull, and a blue painted ring 60 cm toward the top. Points are scored by hitting the pole
above the blue ring, or better yet, hitting the skull atop the pole with a small ball. The players use sticks
that resemble a smaller version of ones used in LaCrosse. Games are played to four points.

Visit Lori's blog for more information about the Riverview Neighborhood and its many parks, mansion & hidden treasures.

About the author: Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors, serving the greater Tulsa area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Jenks, Sand Springs and Broken Arrow. Please visit Lori’s web site, www.LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Visit Lori's blog to learn more about Tulsa's neighborhoods, community, events and real estate!

Our Alley Herb Garden in the Riverview Association, midtown Tulsa

Our home is in the Riverview Neighborhood association, right next to the beautiful Arkansas River in Tulsa and just slightly south of downtown. My 55 year-old husband has lived in this home his entire life, and we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else!

Our beautiful Spanish-style home at 19th & Cheyenne was built in 1915, and is within half a block of Riverside Drive and less than a block from Veteran’s Park. We are within walking distance of many restaurants, our organic grocer, Grindstaff Cleaners and Mrs. DeHaven’s flower shop – all much older than my husband.

We proudly display a bronze plaque on our front porch pillars stating that we are in the Historic Beuna Vista Park district of Riverview and have been place on the national register of historic places by the United States Department of the Interior – platted 1908.

There is always much hustle and bustle around our home. Veteran’s Park is a wonderful spot for concerts and community events. Many 5K runs begin literally in our front or back yard, winding down Riverside Drive and ending at Veteran’s Park. Sometimes, we just need to open the windows to enjoy concert music, and we often see friends walking their dogs or riding their bikes down the river trails.

Rich in history and architecture, our neighborhood is very tight knit. Thankfully, our neighborhood association is active and vibrant. It’s not quiet here. We are at the cross-roads of the 21st Street Bridge and Riverside Drive, so during 5:00 traffic, there may be fire engines blaring, going both directions.

We have many historical parks and mansions within our neighborhood, but our best kept secret is our alley herb garden.

Our Alley Herb Garden in the Riverview Association, midtown Tulsa

Behind our house are several office buildings . . . the Mental Health Association, an apartment building, and a building that houses attorneys and architects. And by one of those buildings in our alley is the most amazing herb garden – filled with rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme and lavender.

I took these photos today (November), so all you can really see are the impressive rosemary bushes. One of the building tenants started the herb garden years ago, and he’s particular about sharing his basil in the summer months. But everything else is free to anyone who makes the discovery and wants to clip some herbs.

I love urban living and I love that we HAVE an alley. Who would have thought to garden in the alley?

Read more about our amazing neighborhood and do bring your clippers to get your own rosemary, should you come to visit!

About the author: Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors, serving the greater Tulsa area and specializing in historic neighborhoods in midtown Tulsa.

Visit Lori’s web site or call 918-852-5036.

Was there life b4 Google? Google's 411 Service

Here's a number worth putting in your cell phone or your home phone speed dial:

1-800-goog411

aka 1-800-466-4411

This is an awesome service from Google, and it's free -- great when you are driving on the road with no pen, pencil or paper handy. Don't waste your money on information calls and don't waste your time manually dialing the number.

I am driving along in my car and I need to call the golf course and I don't know the number. I hit the speed dial for information that I have programmed. 1-800-goog411 (aka 1-800-466-4411)

The voice at the other end says, "City & State."

I say, "Garland, Texas."

He says, "Business, Name or Type of Service."

I say, "Firewheel Golf Course."

He says, "Connecting" and Firewheel answers the phone.

How great is that?

This is nationwide and it is absolutely free!

Watch the cool video below.

Free text options and mapping also available.

About the author: Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors, serving the greater Tulsa area, including midtown Tulsa, downtown Tulsa, Owasso, Jenks, Broken Arrow and Sand Springs. Visit her web site, www.LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Tulsa’s Garden Deva reminds us, “Home is where the Heart is” - I don’t know if every town has a “Garden Deva,” but we have one in Tulsa. And we’re darn proud of her. Tulsa’s Garden Deva is local artist, Lisa Regan.

Lisa began cutting metal twenty years ago and after becoming somewhat successful touring art shows, she finally quit her “real job” and plunged into her art business full-time. She now owns a large studio east of downtown, which doubles as a venue for other local artists to show their wares from time to time.

Photo right: Garden Deva at KingsPointe shopping center in Tulsa

We have Devas all around Tulsa, as our community has embraced her spunky, cheerful, whimsical creatures, almost as a symbol of who we are in Tulsa. Her work can be seen all over Tulsa; in schools, libraries, parks, shopping centers, schools, restaurants, youth centers, and private collections. Lisa designed trash can covers used in our city parks and attention-getting Devas used in shopping centers. Libraries and educational centers proudly display her work. Devas can be seen all around my Goddaughter’s school, Montessori.

Lisa is as much a part of Tulsa as Tulsa is a part of her. We appreciate her creative spirit and the blood, sweat, and tears that go into hand-crafting Garden Deva’s wide range of iron sculptures, from her whimsical $20 cat statues to $3,000 landmarks.

Photo right: Garden Deva trash can cover used in Tulsa parks

Lisa donates a lot of work, which is how I became familiar with her Devas. It didn’t matter if it was a Silent Auction for a domestic violence group, the Resonance Center for woman or any other charity I support, a Deva donation was included. My husband quickly learned to just sign on the auction sheet for the price required to obtain the donation – we always took the Deva home.

President Obama (then U.S. Senator Obama) visited Tulsa’s Educare Center to discuss issues surrounding early childhood education and was impressed by the Deva artwork encompassing the facility. I wouldn’t be surprised if our Tulsa Deva winds up making a splash in the White House rose garden!!

Our Tulsa Garden Deva has been featured in Tulsa People, the Oklahoma Magazine, Urban Tulsa, and Southern Living magazine. We are proud of her!

I buy many of my real estate closing gifts from Lisa, because I love to share her whimsical sculptures and the smiles they bring to my clients in their new homes – but also because Lisa gives back so much to our community. She really does pay it forward.

2009 Hanukkah Stamp

Garden Deva Sculpture Company was commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service to design and fabricate the menorah used on the 2009 Hanukkah stamp. After the reveal ceremony in New York City on October 9th, the stamp will be available nationwide at all post offices. The 2009 Hanukkah design features a photograph of a menorah with nine lit candles.

The menorah was designed by Lisa Regan of the Garden Deva Sculpture Company in Tulsa, OK, and photographed by Ira Wexler of Braddock Heights, MD. Spanning eight days and nights, Hanukkah is a joyous yearly festival celebrated by Jews around the world.

Garden Deva housewarming gift Tulsa’s Garden Deva reminds us, “Home is where the Heart is”

The most amazing closing gift she made for me was a 3-1/2 foot sculpture of a boy and girl holding hands with a banner above connected by the two reaching hands. The inscription on the banner was “Welcome” in both Choctaw and Creek. This amazing engaged couple (dear friends also, now married) sent me a note while we were house-shopping and signed the note, “Yakoke – Wado,” which is “thank-you” in Choctaw, followed by Creek. So, when ordering their closing gift, I knew it had to represent the culture and heritage of which they’re so entrenched and proud. It’s hard to see in the shrubbery now (and I’m not a great photographer), but it’s absolutely magnificent.

I e-mailed my custom order in as usual, then ran into Lisa two days later at a fundraiser, and we had a minute to discuss the project. She wound up researching and finding a symbol of friendship in Creek which she put on the banner between the two “welcome” translations.

If you're close to Tulsa, join us at Garden Deva November 6th & 7th, 2009 for the 10th Annual Open Studio Party. Come see over 35 local artists who work in everything from painting, pewter, ceramics, clothes, concrete, jewelry and more. While we shop and visit, we will enjoy local food, local artists and local music.

Most of my friends have Deva artwork in their homes, offices or gardens. In fact, if I meet someone without a Deva, I give them one – I think it’s bad karma not to have one!

If you don’t have a Deva in your town, we’ll share ours – you can shop online!