Real Estate Information Archive

“WOW! This is really cool!”

This was the typical comment I heard last Friday.  It was the grand opening of the Shoppes and Townhomes at Standing Bear.  I’m the Listing Agent for the Townhomes and they are truly unique.  At street level is the garage and storage, the first level houses the bedrooms and the top floor is the living area.  The Architect was determined to capture the beauty of Standing Bear Lake in the view from the balconies.  Standing there on a truly top ten day in Omaha (weather-wise) with the warm sunshine and soft breezes, I could see that the Architect had realized his dream.

The Grand Opening Ceremony was presided over by Joel McNeil of the Lund Company.  Joel is the Brokerage Associate for the retail properties at Standing Bear. Guests at the opening enjoyed a lunch of sandwiches, chips, fruit and, best of all, the Architect played the keyboard and sang. He is an artist in the truest sense of the word.

This new development is nestled into one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Omaha. The address of the model is 14277 Ellison Avenue.  Entrance to the townhomes is on Ellison, one block North of 144^th and Fort Streets. The combination of retail space with the adjoining townhomes is a interesting concept.  The idea of creating a “community” is fairly new for Omaha but its time has certainly come.

The townhome model will be open every Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 PM.  Please come out and take a look.  You won’t be disappointed.  For information on the retail space, please call Joel McNeil at 402-616-0331.  If you have questions about the townhomes, please give me a call at 402-697-4251 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.

Mankind has been setting side a time to celebrate Mothers since ancient times.  However, then the festivals were usually to celebrate the Mother Goddess.  Later for Christians, it was a celebration of Mary, the mother of Christ.  It was held on the 4^th Sunday of Lent. It’s only in since around 1600 that such festivals were expanded to include all mothers.  In England the day was called Mothering Sunday and allowed workers a day off to travel to their towns of origin to spend it feasting with cakes and flowers with their families and of course, mothers.

In the U.S. we didn’t set aside a special day to pay tribute to mothers until Julia Ward Howe declared a Mothers Day to protest war and the loss of human life.  In 1908 a U.S. Senator from Nebraska, Elmer Burkett, proposed a national Mother’s Day.  His measure was defeated but one year later 46 States were holding Mother’s Day services.  In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the Legislation making the second Sunday in May Mother’s Day.

A study done for the National Retail Foundation predicts that Americans will spend $14 Billion to celebrate the day.  Florists declare May their highest sales month.  Long Distance calls also peak on the day for the year.  Restaurants state it is the busiest day of the year.  According to the card maker, Hallmark, 96% of American consumers take part in shopping for Mother’s Day.  The retail industry says it is “the second biggest gift giving day of the year behind Christmas.”

In Omaha real estate Mother’s Day is a day to see the Omaha Symphony's Show House or the Spring Parade of Homes.  Call your Mom and invite her out to celebrate.  It’s the least we can do.  When you’re done celebrating and you wish to visit about buying or selling a home give me a call at 402-697-4251 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.

It’s spring and for us that means softball practice.  With 6 and 8 year olds both on teams my husband and I are at practices and games nearly every evening.  We all know spring is the time for ball games.  Here in Omaha we have the Omaha Royals, an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.  The Royals begin their season games in April and continue through September at Rosenblatt Stadium.  The Stadium is located at I-80 and 13^th Street and is easy to locate.  There’s plenty of parking and it’s an inexpensive way to entertain kids, family and friends.  Best of all are the spectacular fireworks on Friday nights.

In June Omaha is fortunate to host the NCAA College World Series. This is a great time for Omaha.  We get to see the nation’s best college teams compete in the exciting tournament.  This will be our 58^th year of hosting this prestigious annual event and Omaha just signed an agreement this week that will keep the series in Omaha until 2030!  Hurray for all of us.  We Omahans start getting College World Series fever about now, clearing our calendars for the games and making plans with buddies for watching our favorite teams compete. 

Can you tell me a more exciting sound than the solid crack of the bat hitting a home run?  I hope I see you at the next game.  To buy or sell a home please give me a call at 402-697-4251 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.  Let my Team make it a home run for you!!

“Oh Pleeeease…my family has lived in Nebraska for 5 generations and we haven’t gotten lung cancer.  What’s all this about high radon levels in Eastern Nebraska?” 

I hear comments like this all the time and I beg you – don’t take my word for it.  This is what the Surgeon General of the United States has warned: radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in individuals who don’t smoke. In addition, every major medical organization agrees with the Surgeon General.

Here’s something else to ponder – Nearly 60% or 6 out of every 10 homes in Nebraska have elevated radon levels which exceed four picoCurries per liter (pCi/L).  According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services the average level of radon in Nebraska homes is 5.8 pCi/L. 

It a smart idea to have your home tested by a credentialed radon specialist so you can make an informed decision about your home.  I have a list of State certified radon testing and mitigation companies that I would be happy to share with you.  You work hard to protect your family’s health and this is an environmental hazard you can do something about.  Please email me at marie.otis@cbshome.com or call at 402-697-4251 and I’ll get you in touch with the right people.

It all started here in Nebraska.  Although Arbor Day is now a national event, it began in 1872 in Nebraska City.  J. Sterling Morton, a Nebraska journalist and politician, took a look around his adopted State and realized planting trees could only help Nebraska’s economy and enhance the landscape.  He planted all kinds of trees on his personal property urging his neighbors to do the same.  The tree planting day was officially adopted by the State in 1885.  In 1970 it was declared a national holiday.  It is now celebrated by many countries worldwide.

About an hour from Omaha, Arbor Lodge in Nebraska City is a great place to take the entire family.  The grounds boast of orchards, gardens, and beautiful places to walk, congregate or take a carriage ride.  The Lodge has craft demonstration, lectures and is a museum of early Nebraska life. Every year I make the trip with my family to buy apples, cider, apple butter and all kinds of wonderful homemade food stuffs.

This is a good time of year for you to go outside and look around at your trees.  Do they look healthy, are they well pruned and disease free?  Perhaps once you have those ideas addressed you should take another look.  Would planting another tree improve the look of your property or protect you from wind or heat?  A trip to your local nursery and talking with an expert will help make certain you make the right choice for your area. 

Being kind to our environment is becoming more important every day.  Planting a tree will make a big difference.  If I can help you with information on local nurseries please give me a call at 402-697-4251 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.

Remodeling Magazine every year conducts a study on the cost of remodeling vs. what percentage the homeowner gets in return when selling. The results of the 2007 Midwest report is startling in that three of the four of the projects that earned cost-recovery rates of more than 80% were for the homes’ exterior.  In fact, the only indoor remodeling project that had more than an 80% return was a minor kitchen remodel.

Here are the top 6 remodeling projects with the highest rate of return in the Midwest:

1.      Upscale siding replacement with fiber cement materials  -  88.1%

2.      Wood Deck Addition  -   85.4%

3.      Minor Kitchen Remodel  -  83%

4.      Midrange Wood Window Replacement  -  81.2%

5.      Upscale Vinyl Window Replacement  -  81%

6.      Bathroom Remodel (Mid-Range)  -  78.3%

Consider carefully before you remodel.  Know what your return on investment will be before you begin.  The best remodeling projects are undertaken by people who want to improve their own living environment.  The enjoyment that comes after the projects are completed may be immeasurable to your family.  But if you are considering a remodeling project because it’s time to put your home on the market then, take care to consider your monetary return.

How are your remodeling projects going out there?  Take a few minutes and drop me a note in the Comments section below or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.

I was fortunate this week to hear a presentation by Rob Bates, General Manager of NETV. Rob gave one of the best, most succinct explanations of how the switch from analog to digital will affect every Nebraskan with a television set. I though I would share it with you. But first a little background.

A couple years ago it was announced that on February 17, 2009 broadcast television would change from its current analog format to a new digital format.  (The digital format is also referred to as DTV.)  At first, many people were told they would have to ditch their TVs when the switchover was made.  There was lots of noise about just who was Congress anyway enacting a law that would rob people of their current televisions and be forced to buy one of big expensive digital sets most couldn’t afford or give up watching altogether.  Well, it’s not so.  Don’t toss that old analog TV because there are alternatives.

According to NETV:

“If you receive your TV signal via cable or satellite, you will not be affected and can continue to use the televisions you have now, no matter how old they are.

If you receive a TV signal through an antenna (for example, on your roof or ‘rabbit ears’ on your TV you have 3 options:

1. Purchase a set-top converter box* (from an electronics retailer) that plugs into your TV. Each household is eligible for two $40 coupons from the federal government toward the purchase of converter boxes.  Call 888-DTV-2009 or visit dtv2009.gov to request your coupons.
2. Subscribe to a cable or satellite provider, if one is available in your area.
3. Purchase a new TV set with a built-in digital tuner.

*A converter box is a one-time purchase that will allow you to use your analog TV after February 17, 2009.”

So relax.  Although you must take some action, throwing out your old TV set isn’t your only alternative.  By the way, you are always welcome to write me comments on this blogs or any of my earlier ones (see below).  For more information on the conversion from analog to digital give me a call at 402-697-4251 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.

The Westside Community School District is in the heart of Omaha and has an outstanding reputation. I promise to tell more about the District in another blog entry but this time I’m writing about one program, the High School Show Choirs.  Westside High School can boast of 3 fantastic show choirs: Warrior Express, Simply Irresistible (all women), and ATSC – The Amazing Technicolor Show Choir (the Varsity Team).

We were lucky enough to travel recently to Chicago’s Wheaton/Warrenville Show Choir Competition and watched ATSC perform.  If you have never attended a show choir competition you must plan to do so.  The students demonstrate their skills before judges. Then the 6 best choirs are selected for an evening competition.  Believe me it’s the best show in town.  These students are incredibly talented and watching them sing, dance and play their instruments is as close to Broadway as some of us will ever get.  Yes, they are that good.

It makes me thrilled to know this is a national phenomenon.  My niece is in the program and I’m so impressed with her dedication and commitment to her school and ATSC.  The physical demands of the dancing and rehearsals are impressive and the emotional charge each young man and woman gets will stay with them for a lifetime.  For every talented student there are parents who give of their time, money and energy to provide the opportunities for their children.  I must praise the exceptional staff of the Westside Music Department without whom any of this would be possible.  The whole enterprise is a truly synergistic masterpiece.  Congratulations Westside and ATSC!!

Although I realize that for most people it’s the robin that signals the first sign of Spring, it hasn’t worked for me.  However, this morning as I readied for work I heard a song bird outside my window.  It was the first one I’ve heard this year.  It lifted my heart and made me smile as I listened to him sing.

Then as I drove to the office, I crested a hill and the clear blue sky was filled with strings of Canadian geese flying north.  The lovely morning and the two beautiful Springtime happenings convinced me that Spring will soon be here.

I have to admit there are other signs of Spring as well. We’ve had a sharp increase in the number of people who are moving and need their homes listed.  We also have a number of clients who are ready to purchase a home.  With the rise in interest rates this week there is a new urgency about getting into a home before they go higher.

I’m so ready for Spring and the warmer weather.  I’m also pleased with the increase in listings and buyers.  If you want to know the market value of your home or if you wish to buy a home of your own just give me a call at (402) 697-4251 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.

This weekend most states switch over to daylight savings Time.  That means setting your clock one hour ahead after 2:00 am on Sunday.  Don’t forget.

Happily, with the longer days, Mother Nature is blessing us with warmer temperatures. It’s supposed to hit 50 on Monday and reach 58 degrees on Tuesday.  I’m so ready for warmer weather.  In fact, I’m ready for Spring.  I find myself checking the garden for the tips of snowdrops and tulips peeking out of the ground.  I’ve noticed my iris leaves are beginning to green up.  I’m tired of brown and gray landscapes.  I want the entire Midwest to think GREEN!

Spring is also the best time to put your house on the market.  If you want to take advantage of the years hottest selling time, give me a call at 402-697-4251 or just drop me an email at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.