Russell Benson

Well, it must be May in Oklahoma because the tornado's are here and with a vengeance. I am sorry to report that two Oklahoma's thus far have lost their lives and probably over 100 homes either damaged or destroyed. It was the May 3rd, 1999 tornado that we will always remember even though we've had a couple of doosey's since then but the one in 1999 was the bad one.

The photo above was one of my favorites that I had shot that day. To me it really showed the Oklahoma spirit and determination that we will not lose faith in the face of adversity.

This one you just have to shake your head at and hope there wasn't anyone driving it at that time! We did rebuild and came back better than ever and we will do it again and again as the need arises. As you look around at the debris fields it makes you really wonder how things can get back to normal but they do. I suppose the same could be said for you folks in your California earthquakes or the hurricanes in Florida. You simply pick up the pieces and out them back together, again and again.

Please pray for everyone here in Oklahoma along with prayers for those suffering from the oil spill. I think we just need lots of prayers everywhere right now.

Well, I cannot say I was not warned about the difficulties being experienced on a short sale. This one will be different I said to myself as I listed the property. My seller tried to give the home back via a deed in lieu of foreclosure and they (First Horizon) contacted him and asked him to list the home for 90 days in an effort to sell it and not go through the expense, time and additional loss of a foreclosure.

You can see why I was enthusiastic about this particular listing. It's a beautiful home about a year old and in excellent condition in a premier neighborhood and priced to sell. Every agents dream listing.

OK, the enthusiasm has worn off and thankfully my two offers are hanging in there but a 3rd offer just arrived and I am worried that I am wasting everyones time though I have been completely up front and honest about the situation.

My question is; does anyone here have a suggestion of the next step? Does anyone have a contact within the First Horizon family that might actually give a rats behind that they are going to save themselves a lot of time and money if we can negotiate one of these offers. Do you think that anyone at First Horizon actually cares? I sure hope so. I look forward to hearing from my fellow AR associates and appreciate everyone's time!

Cascata Lakes, A great South Oklahoma City neighborhood is located just off SW 134th & May Avenue in South Oklahoma. With fine custom homes ranging from the upper 200's to well over 500K. Cascata Lakes started just a few years ago and has slowly become the place to be. Just driving through Cascata Lakes can leave you wanting to know more about this great neighborhood.

This sidewalk friendly community was thoughtfully carved out of vacant land in was is still thought of a quiet kind of area. Traffic is not too bad and the access to highways plus Norman and Moore make most commutes a piece of cake. The ever growing area of Moore at SW 19th & I-35 is less than 10 minutes away and from there Norman should only take another 10 minutes and then you are in the middle of just about anything you need. Kohl's, Gordman's, Best Buy, J.C. Penney's, Bed, Bath & Beyond plus a brand new Hobby Lobby is in the process of being built. And let's not forget the dining; Applebees, Ricky's Cafe, Buffalo Wild Wings, Furr's Cafeteria & McCalisters is just a sampling of the restaurants available to dine at and if you're willing to drive a few more minutes to Norman, then the choices and numerous.

Cascata Lakes is just across the street from Moore's newest and very desirable elementary school, Wayland Bonds. The secrets out and parents want their children in this school. The other schools are Brink for Jr. High and WestMoore for the high school. Moore Schools are dedicated to the education of their kids and you just have to talk to the parent of a Moore School child to find out. Ask me and I will tell you how great I think the education my children are getting is. They also have a great website which can be found at: www.mooreschools.com

If you're looking for a great home in a great neighborhood, I hope you will consider Cascata Lakes in South Oklahoma City. In fact you can check out the home at 2804 SW 136th Street in Cascata Lakes which is a 3 bedroom home with 2 1/2 bathrooms, an office, bonus room and 3 car garage on a nice .24 acre lot and priced to sell at only $329,900 which is about $107.00 per square foot and well below the average price. Go to my personal website at www.RealEstateOKC.com to get more information about this or any other home in Oklahoma! I'm Russell Benson and I would love to become your Realtor®!

Russell Benson
Prudential Alliance Realty

Mayfield Neighborhood in Moore Schools Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is a great place to be! Are you looking to settle down in a neighborhood where yards are tidy and the people are friendly and the homes are not too expensive? Then hold on because the Mayfield Neighborhoodin Southwest Oklahoma City may be just what you're looking for. Started in the mid 1980's, Mayfield has homes from 1400 square feet to over 2000 square feet which is good for most budgets. And since I have lived in Mayfield since 1999, I can give you a first hand account of how great Mayfield is.

These are very traditional style homes with most being a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with a 2 car garage on average to above average sized lots. The three schools are Kingsgate Elementary, Moore West Junior High and West Moore High School. My children have been to all three and our personal experiences have been very positive. We've been active in the P.T.A. and otherwise very involved in the schools. The teachers are very caring and want to see your child succeed. The Moore School system is focused on our kids and have established a great website to assist parents with their children's activities and to help answer questions. That website is www.mooreschools.com.

I have seen homes for sale ranging from $115,000 to a little over $160,000. If you are looking for a great place to live and watch your kids grow, I believe that you will appreciate Mayfield for everything it has to offer. You will also appreciate the fact we are close to Moore, Norman, Tinker AFB and easy access to I-35, I-240 & I-44. If you would like to know what homes are for sale or what the average home sales have been, do not hesitate to contact me at 405-378-4442 or visit my website at www.RealEstateOKC.com.

I look forward to serving your real estate needs for the Mayfield Neighborhood in Oklahoma City or any other fine neighborhood you are interested in.

Regards,

Prudential Alliance Realty, Oklahoma City, OK.

OK my AR brethren; this is a subject that has been a thorn in my side for the past 11 years. You set up the appointment; you meet with your clients and show them numerous homes. You make notes on your copy of the MLS sheet as do your buyers. I don't hound you or call 5 minutes after you show it (although maybe I should start) and I give you time to get some R&R in before asking the all important question; what do you and/or your clients think about my listing and what can we do to improve it?

I have even made it very simple for you. I have a basic 4 question form that I email or fax or both to you and even have a 24 hour toll free fax to send it back to me at. I have taken extraordinary steps to make this as easy as possible yet I still only get maybe half of my requests back and only half of those have useful information.

Am I expecting too much for you to provide honest feedback on my listing? I know when I give feedback, and I do, I give as much info & detail as possible because I know this will assist the Listing Agent in communicating with the seller about things that should be changed or even price adjustments if the price is too high. Telling a seller the home stinks or is messy or is outdated or is next door to Sanford & Son is a lot easier when it comes from someone else. Am I right? I would rather say; Agent Bob & his clients really liked the home but the shower has tile falling down and the garage door is bent and the back yard is littered with trash so they're going to find something that doesn't need as much work. I actually like blaming someone else and for whatever reason, sellers seem to really listen to what others have to say rather than their own agent who really knows best and has told them all of the above but they just did not take it to heart, until Agent Bob said it.

Well, am I beating a dead horse or is there a better way to build a mouse trap? Inquiring minds want to know.