About Choctaw County, OK

I need to say "just a tad" about this photo (and video if you click on the photo) that I shot at Lake Raymond Gary, Fort Towson, Oklahoma. It looks like someone broke a water line, but that's not the case.

We've had so much rainfall in Southeast Oklahoma. The area around the lake has quite a bit of the Swink type of soil which includes is limestone based.

This water is shooting up out of the ground due to a small hole in a limestone rock! The rock is on a slope, so water drainage inside the hill found it's way out through this hole in the rock.

Formed it's own fountain! If you want to see the video and sound, just click on the photo. Just another example of the wonder of it all!

You can tell just by looking at these folks that they were a joy to work with!

When I emailed them and asked them if I could use this photo in my blog, they came back and said it was OK, even with the husband's obvious "cutting up" in the photo.

The Anderson's purchased a waterfront cabin on Lake Raymond Gary. They are pleased with it and thoroughly enjoying it and of course the sellers are happy because they were ready to sell.

These kinds of deals are win-win situations!

I think that I get more than my FAIR share of the win-win situations in real estate.

Great clients, great properties, people that work together... .what more can a broker ask for??

Oklahoma is an abstracting state. Since many of our buyers come from out-of-state, states where they do not own an actual "hard copy" abstract of title to the property that they own, they have a blank look on their face when I mention an abstract of title.

When I ask them if they know what an abstract is, 99% of the time, the answer is "no".

Every state has some form of "abstracting" or "title search". It may be called a "title report" "title search" , "title exam", or "evidence of title", and some states do actually call it "abstractng". In Oklahoma, there usually is a hard copy "abstract' that passes to the buyers of the property from the sellers.

THE ABSTRACT is a "book" made up of bound photocopies of all documents that have been filed on a particular legal description, these documents can affect the chain of title or ownership of that piece of property.The abstract is a complete histoy of a legal description's chain of title. This abstract has monetary value. Up until recently the cost was based upon the number of pages and the price of an abstract could run into the thousands of dollars. McCurtain and Choctaw Counties have both changed to a price structure based upon length of time since the abstract's last certification, this has reduced the price of the abstracting process for many land owners. Abstracts must be prepared by Licensed Abstract Offices. Those permits and liceses are obtained from the State Of Oklahoma. Abstracts are prepared in McCurtain County by Southern Abstract in Idabel. Abstracts are prepared in Choctaw County by Choctaw County Abstracting and Title in Hugo Oklahoma.

Currently, from what I've read, Oklahoma and Iowa are the only two states that deal with abstracts that are hard copies of the actual documents, bound together into booklet form and quite valuable to the owner of the property because the Oklahoma "ABSTRACT" must be read by an attorney to determine marketability of a title before title insurance can be issued on that property.

Many history buffs greatly value their "abstracts" for the historical reading.. it can be quite interesting to read through an abstract.. Base abstracts in Southeast Oklahoma usually go back to the "Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek".

They contain such interesting and "juicy" documents as divorces, judgments, liens, probates, mortgages, and deeds (sometimes the older documents were much more interesting than our current ones because they might actually spell out why a piece of property was deeded back and forth between the same two people 5 times).

Another interesting thing is the sale price of properties and the mortgage amounts from 100 years ago! They seems so very small in comparison to the amounts of today. Of course we know that in true dollars that's not the case.

I have had some buyers exhibit more excitement over owning their abstract than their new home as they sat there and read through some of the documents.. I'm sure that they were really more excited about their new home but the exuberance came forth from reading the abstract!

Abstract of Titles have a certification page as the last page of the abstract, where the abstractor signs off on the abstract, certifying it. It contains the signature and date of the abstractor.

The Oklahoma Abstractors Board's website has a lot of information on it about the abstracting process in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Abstractors act is contained here and details the time period that abstracting plant must operate within to prepare your abstract. There is also information on filing a complaint if that becomes necessary.

Abstract Law Reform of 2007 dealt with these things and also made a major change in the issuance of title insurance. The reform of 2007 allows a title insurance policy to be based upon a supplemental abstract if that supplemental abstract goes back to the prior owner's issuance of title insurance. Prior to this time the complete base abstract had to be read each time that a title policy was issued.

After the Abstract is brought up to date, it goes to an attorney for his opinion of marketability of the title. This is necesssary to determine marketability of title and for the issuance of title insurance.. That's next in this series.

If you're thinking of selling or buying a home, land, or commercial real estate in Southeast Oklahoma (McCurtain County and Choctaw County), you owe it to yourself to hire a professional, someone knowedgeable and honorable... Call me, Judi Barrett and let's talk about your needs. We care.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user bionicteaching made avaialble through creative commons licensing.

Some of the stimulus funding through the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act 2009 will be used in Fort Towson, Oklahoma to build a medical service facility.

Grant funds of $300,000 will be leveraged with $300,200 to accomplish this according to USDA website.

The facility is to be built on land owned by the Fort Towson Industrial Park on the west side of Fort Towson on the newly widened highway 70.

Fort Towson with an approximate population of 600 people, many of whom are retirees, is about 11 miles from Hugo, Oklahoma, currently the nearest place where medical services can be obtained.

Antlers, Oklahoma, another small Southeastern Oklahoma town is receiving $99,750 to expand space in an existing business incubator for their current tenant, Mays Home Health Care.

If you missed Part 1 of this series, you may want to read it before reading part 2.

Note: This discussion assumes that your property is in Oklahoma. If you live in a different state, some of this may not be applicable to you (abstracts of title, Oklahoma Transaction Broker Law, to name a couple).

I am writing to “home selling newbies” but even if you’re not a newbie and you’ve sold a house before, hopefully you’ll find some helpful information in this series.

You’ve decided it’s time to sell, you’ve called me (or another real estate agent) and set up an appointment for them to come and view your property and visit with you about listing it.

That appointment time has come.

During this initial visit to your house (not thinking in terms of your “home” now because we are going to be objective and now you should be thinking “I have a house for sale” instead of “I own a home”):

Talk to me:

· Tell me what you are trying to accomplish with this sale.

· Tell me the time frame that you are operating in to get the property sold.

· Do you need me to help you find a new home in our area or help you find an agent in a different town that you are moving to?

· Do you have a mortgage(s) on the property? Who with and how much is owed? I will need the name of the lender(s) and the account number(s) when/if we list the property. Are you current on the mortgage(s)? If not, what is the situation with it? Are there any other encumbrances on the property?

· Is the property subject to probate proceedings, foreclosure, divorce proceedings or the jurisdiction of any court? If so, there are other people who have a say as to whether the property can be sold or not.

· Are you current on the property taxes?

· Do you have an abstract for the property? Is it a complete or supplemental? If there is one and you do not have it in your possession, where is it stored? Has it ever had an attorney’s opinion done on it?

· Has the property been surveyed? If so, do you have a copy of the survey? If not, who does? Having this may save you some money.

·What type of utilities services the property? If it is a well, where is it located, does it supply plenty of water, and has it been tested? If it is a septic system, what size of tank is it, how many feet of lateral line are in the system. If it is a different type of system, we will need the info on it.

I will provide to you information about how we take care of our clients and listings:

· Marketing strategies – internet, flyers, mail-outs, local newspapers, etc. When/if we list your property, we will go over a marketing plan specific for YOUR property.

· Staying in touch with our clients via phone, email, text, etc.

· How the current market is for your type of property and what that indicates in terms of time on the market etc.

During this visit, I WILL NOT:

· Provide a list price range. I will do a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) after this visit and will get back with you on it, as to what the market indicates for pricing.

Other information that I will provide to you:

· I will bring a Transaction Broker Disclosure Form with me, go over it with you and ask you to sign it. It explains the Oklahoma Transaction Broker Law and what you can expect from a Transaction Broker. By signing it, you are indicating that we did go over it and that you have been provided a copy of the disclosure.

This does not obligate you to list your property with us. It is to make sure that you understand the way most Oklahoma real estate licensees operate. They can also operate as a Single Party Broker and I will explain the difference between the two. If you and I decide that we want the Single Party Broker Relationship, then we will deal with that when/if our office lists your property.

· I will bring with me the current information sheet from the county tax assessor to compare that with your information, such as legal description, size of property, size of house, date the house was built and any additions added on, names that are on the title, and amount of yearly taxes. I will leave a copy of this with you. Having correct information helps me be more accurate when I do a Comparative Market Analysis.

· I will go over a Property Condition Disclosure Form, explain it and leave it with you to be filled out. Whether you list with us or with someone else, you will need this form.

· If your house was built before 1978, I will ask you about lead based paint and will provide you with a Pamphlet about Lead Based Paint.

· I will provide to you a Pamphlet published by the State of Oklahoma covering various things involved in selling or buying property in Oklahoma. I will ask you to initial one copy of the pamphlet for my file so I know that I provided you with a copy.

· I will provide to you a Pamphlet about Equal Housing Laws.

· I will provide you a generic list of things to do to get your house ready to sell (de-clutter, clean, weed the flower beds, etc), but also as we walk through the property, I will be making a list of suggestions specific to your property about sale preparation and staging. I will leave you a copy of this list.

· I want to see the property, all of it, or as much as is reasonable. Sometimes on a very large acreage that is not possible but I would like to see as much as is possible. I will be making notes and making a list (see above). My husband and I work together. He will be taking photos, LOTS of photos..

· I want to know about it. I want to know what you believe are the best parts and points of the property.

· I want to know about the immediate area, why you’ve enjoyed living here and what you did not like about it, if anything.

· I want you to tell me anything that you think I need to know that I did not ask about.

I will then go away… and do my thing. I will be working on the CMA for you.. which is next in this series.

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, give me a call: Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Or visit one of our websites:

Integrity Realty

Integrity Real Estate

Lake Raymond Gary Homes

Fort Towson Homes

Valliant Homes

McCurtain County

Choctaw County

Broken Bow Lake

Lake Raymond Gary

Raymond Gary Lake

Commercial Property List

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Judi Barrett

Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946