Real Estate Information Archive

  It is nearly the end of October, daylight savings Time is ending next Saturday, November 6, autumn is edging into winter and the year is almost over.  Nevertheless, did you know that the manufacture of 100 watt incandescent lightbulbs ends January 2012?

That’s right. January 2012 marks the beginning of the end for the incandescent lightbulb. We have depended on these for 130 years. It’s startling to learn that it took so long for mankind to improve on the design of Thomas Alva Edison. On October 19, 1879 he tried a carbonized cotton sewing machine thread for the filament. After more than 40 hours it was still glowing and he knew his filament design was going to work. Yes, we improved the material the filaments were made of but the design of Edison’s has remained roughly the same.

Luckily, we have invented lighting that is more energy efficient and which emit very little heat. CFLs continue to improve in variety of size, shape and composition. LEDs are quickly becoming less expensive and readily available.

According to the Omaha Public Power District the average home has around 40 to 60 light sockets. The new CFLs and LEDs offer superior options for most of the sockets. However, there are still “specialty” areas where only incandescent bulbs will work. These include oven lights, refrigerator lights and other appliance lights. That’s because LEDs do not work well in high temperatures.

The people of OPPD assure consumers that there is a lighting option for every need. Keep your eye on the development of LEDs. Although the newest lighting alternative they promise to propel lighting forward. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or Solid State Lighting has many great characteristics. It has a long life (25,000 to 50,000 hours), safe low voltage and they are cool, no mercury and they are energy star labeled with a 3 year warranty. They also have the potential for even greater energy savings, they have a long service life and they even have color control.

So even though the lighting industry has been very slow to develop new form of lighting they are now in gear and offering new and exciting options.  For your information I have a little chart to let you know that the manufacture of 100 watt bulbs is ending but other wattages as well.

                January 2012 – 100 watt general purpose incandescent bulbs are retired.

                January 2013 – 75 watt incandescent bulbs are retired.

                January 2014 – 60 watt and 40 watt varieties are retired.

So say good-bye and be prepared. There are more exciting options ahead to explore.

If you are ready to say good-bye to your home and are looking for something new please give me a call at 402-670-8775 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.  I’d love to explore new options with you.

 The American Planning Association presented the award to the Dundee-Memorial Park community for its “strong sense of place” and its “interesting and unique characteristics.” The neighborhood has plenty of unique characteristics including globe streetlights, hanging pots of flowers and charming homes dating back to the turn of the last century.

The Dundee business district is graced by a distinctive, tall, four-sided clock tower at 50^th and Underwood.  Dundee has a thriving and lively little city with all kinds of businesses including some of Omaha’s best restaurants.  Dundee is close to two of Omaha’s premier universities and two of its best parks, Elmwood and Memorial.

In the 1970s, Dundee successfully fought off a proposed interstate highway that would have cut right through the neighborhood. It was a protracted battle but it united and strengthened the neighbors into a cohesive group. That sense of place is still alive and well in the area. An interesting real estate item was noted by Mike Kelly, Omaha World Herald Columnist, who wrote, “The area has remained stable. The World-Heralds’ online Curbwise.com feature shows that the average price of homes in the area rose from $95,261 in 1990 to $217,368 in 2010.”

Happily, the Dundee-Memorial Park neighborhood will continue to make improvements to the area and the city plans to make “Streetscape” improvements with better landscaping and curb design.

If you like tree-lined, quiet streets and period homes such as Colonial, Georgian and Tudor or Italian Renaissance, Prairie School and Spanish Colonial, then the Dundee-Memorial Park area may be just the place for you.  This is a neighborhood that holds spring clean-up, a holiday lights contest, tends a community garden and numerous other activities.

Congratulations to the residents of Dundee-Memorial Park. This is a vibrant, gorgeous part of town and Omaha is proud of this latest award. 

 The November issue of Woman’s Day has a feature about Omaha attractions from my point of view. I was contacted about participating in the article early last spring. It was such fun telling the editors about my family’s favorite haunts. It was also fun seeing which places the editors picked to share with Woman’s Day readers.

When I asked Woman’s Day how they found me they answered it was my website and especially my blog that attracted their attention. WOW! Those comments made me feel great. Many of you who regularly visit my website have eventually become real estate clients. Thus, I wanted to share this honor with you.  So if you’re near a newsstand stop and read the article. It begins on page 44 of the November issue.

I’d love to hear from you about which attractions you love about Omaha. Please share by using the comments section below.  My family and I are always looking for fun things to do.  I’ve written about several of them here in my blog. We’re ready for new adventures so please feel free to share your favorites.

And remember, if you are ready to buy or sell a home please give me a call at 402-670-8775 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com. Let me hear from you.

 It’s that time again. Time to get your home winterized. Even though the weather here in Omaha has been absolutely gorgeous, Old Man Winter is just around the corner. Believe me there are lots of things to check according to Rismedia a service of Lowe’s. The Lowe’s advice was borrowed from a great article by Paige Tepping from True Value. Here are some of the highlights.

First, check for and seal foundation cracks. If you find them be certain to seal with an exterior caulk or foam insulation. The article recommends you clear leaves and mulch away from the foundation so that you can be certain you don’t miss anything that should be sealed.

After everything is safely dried then build up dirt around the foundation. The objective is to make certain that the land slopes away from the house to keep moisture from causing more damage. Please be careful not to let any dirt touch the wood or siding parts of the house.  You don’t want to encourage rot either.  Keep the dirt on the foundation only.

The usual recommendations of cleaning gutters and downspouts are stressed here as well. While you are up on the roof it’s important to check for broken shingles (or tiles). These can cause bigger problems when the ice and snow appear. If you know how, this is the time to replace broken or missing shingles/tiles. If not, hire a professional to get the job done before the snow flies.

Have your furnace checked and serviced. It’s important to hire a professional to do this task. If you are a do-it-yourselfer then make certain you are using the correct tools and you know what you’re doing. I don’t recommend experimenting on the furnace.

Make certain to have your fireplace checked as well. If you have open mortar joints anywhere in your fireplace it is a dangerous fire hazard. Fire can spread through open joints into the wall and destroy your home and property.

If you have storm windows take the time to install them now. If you have combination windows make sure you have pulled down both the top and bottom glass panels to prevent heat from escaping. Also, caulk around outside windows and doors to keep out drafts.

If you have an automatic sprinkler system it’s time to get that winterized as well. I do recommend you contact a professional who knows what they’re doing; especially if this is your first winter with a system.

Either pull on your handyman suit or flex your fingers and call the necessary professionals to winterize your property. Do it while the weather is still warm and friendly. It’s certain that if you live in Omaha it will be winter temperatures before long.

If you’re planning on buying or selling a home please give me a call at 402-670-8775 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com. I’m here to help and can recommend some excellent professionals to winterized and protect your home.

  Omaha received the Bicycle-Friendly Community designation in September. Our fair city has been trying for this designation since 2004 and it’s a real feather in our cap. Omaha was one of 11 communities to be awarded the BFC for the first time.

According to the League of American Bicyclists “the BFC award recognizes a community’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies.”

It has taken a lot of people working very hard for many years to get here. Although Omaha was cited for our recreational trails in 2004, the trails were not enough to earn the BFC. According to the Omaha World Herald, this year we won for the following reasons:

1. The Bike Omaha Commuter Challenge
2. A bike and pedestrian transportation map and guide
3. New dedicated bike lanes and shared bike markings
4. Organized rides for cyclists
5. Bike racks on Metro transit buses

There is still more work to do. Omaha received the Bronze BFC and with work we can rise through the other three higher designations of Silver, Gold and Platinum. The great thing about the League of American Bicyclists is that they give communities, such as Omaha, a blueprint to rise through the ranks.

Omaha is a great place to live with wonderful trails spanning the entire city as well as bike-friendly policies. We are very proud of our Bronze designation. I want to thank all the citizens who have worked so hard to get us here. Congratulations, Omaha!

If you are looking to move closer to your favorite trail or if you have a great home to sell please give me a call at 402-670-8775 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.  I’d love the opportunity to help you into the home of your dreams.

  Here’s the harsh reality: Homebuyers do not want a house that stinks.

In today’s market, if you want to sell your home it must look better, it must be better priced and it must SMELL better than the competition. Once you are living with a smell it becomes difficult for the homeowner (you) to detect. The best thing to do is have a friend or neighbor do a “sniff” test for you. 

I have to admit that I would rather stand on my lips than tell a client their home has an odor.  It is not in my nature to jeopardize my relationship with my Seller. In circumstances like this I have my fellow Realtors tour the home and ask them to sniff. My colleagues seem to have no trouble offering the brutal truth on their comment sheets.

The two main culprits of smells are pets and cigarettes.  Pets can smell and frankly, many people don’t like that great dog aroma or cat box fragrance.  The sad truth is that your animals may have to be boarded during the selling process.  If not, then the Seller must go to great lengths to keep the odors at bay.

If cigarettes or cigars are the issue the house must first be cleaned down to the “bone.”  Professional painters have products that are effective at getting out the cigarette residue.  It is a smart idea to ask for expert advice on this matter.  Then, if you must smoke it will be necessary to light up outside the house. Don’t throw the butts on the ground as that is a turn off for Homebuyers as well.

Many people believe they can mask smells with plug-ins or bowls of potpourri but let me tell you – they can’t compete with animal and cigarette smells.  Take this advice seriously and make your home smell clean and fresh.

When you’re ready to put your home on the market please give me a call at 402-670-8775 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.  I want to hear from you.

It’s never been a better time to buy a home. I know you’ve heard that before but with interest rates at below 4%, and lot of houses on the market, the words have never had a truer ring.  I’m certain you’ve heard it’s harder to get a mortgage loan these days so please take note of the following and don’t sabotage yourself during the process.

1. Check your credit months before you apply. Get all errors corrected. Get your credit scores up. The public can see their credit scores for free once per year at AnnualCreditReport.com. Check it out.
2. Don’t apply for new credit cards just before and during the mortgage application process. Don’t apply for an auto loan or furniture loan during this time.  Concentrate on paying your bills on time to build up your credit score.
3. Before you apply for a mortgage consider what your total housing cost will be.  So many people just figure their monthly payment on the cost of the house. Here is what you must figure: the Principle (cost of the house), Interest on the loan, annual Taxes and home Insurance. Remember the formula as Principle/Interest/Taxes/Insurance or PITI. My in-house mortgage loan officer, Brad Dombrosky (402-964-4624), told me to tell you to pay attention to your Debt-to-Income ratio as well. It should not be more than 36-40% of your gross. To figure your Debt-to-Income ratio take the proposed cost of your PITI plus all other monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income.
4. Mortgage underwriters are looking for borrowers with steady employment and a steady income. Don’t change careers during the process. Wait until you close on your home and mortgage before accepting that new career change.
5. Omaha market experts require that you “season” your assets. Make certain the funds for the transaction have been in your account for at least 2 or more months. Too many borrows believe they can transfer monies from a relative’s account just days before applying for a mortgage. Underwriters will track down all paper trails with regard to your financial situation. They will not be happy with a recent transfer of funds.
6. Get a Pre-Approved Letter. You may have heard that you need to be “pre-qualified” before you begin a house search. I strongly urge you to get a pre-approval instead. This is much stronger because the bank pulls your credit, looks at your income, assets, employment and your debt-to-income ratio. Then your lender gives you a written per-approval (if you pass their guidelines).  This letter shows your potential Seller that you are serious buyers and that will go a long way in the negotiation process.
7. Please comparison shop for a mortgage.  This does not mean you must approach 10 lenders or even 5. It is a smart idea to get at least one second opinion or perhaps two. Be certain to ask each to provide you with all closing costs so you know the fees, costs, etc. You don’t want any surprises at the closing table.
8. Don’t go chasing some exotic loan program.  Get a fixed rate mortgage or make certain you’ve read and understood everything the alternative program is offering and the consequences to you. So many people got caught in the last recession with balloon payments, late fees, interest, etc. Many eventually lost their homes.
9. Don’t forget to lock in your rate once you decide. Rates have been changing several times a day in this volatile financial market so get your lock in writing.

10.  Let me emphasize this again: PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL YOUR MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS. Take the time to ask questions and get answers that make sense to you. If you feel you need some help with this then ASK for help. In fact, ASK, ASK, ASK!

Okay, this is a big responsibility. This process is nothing to take lightly. When you’re ready to proceed give me a call at 402-670-8775 or email me at Mare.Otis@cbshome.com. You need a strong Agent to help guide you through this process. I’m that Agent.

 The tenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy is being commemorated in Omaha with a free world-class concert in Midtown Crossing’s Turner Park.  The Omaha Symphony is pairing up with the Heartland of America Band’s Brass in Blue from Offutt Air Force Base. Added to this powerful instrumental performance will be the voice of Ronan Tynan, former member of the Irish Tenors and a “world-renowned” singer. 

The performance is entitled Remembrance, Musical Celebration of American Spirit.  The conductor of the military band, Captain Michael Hoerber, was in Washington D.C. the day of the attack and James Johnson, President and CEO of the Omaha Symphony, was living in New York City.  When planning the concert both men “agreed that what brought us together in the days after 9/11/01 unites us today: a desire to connect with loved ones and to prove to the perpetrators of those horrible deeds that the American spirit remains unbowed.”

The concert is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and will last approximately 90 minutes. The weatherman promises it will be perfect weather but in case of rain the concert will be held at the Holland Performing Arts Center.

Please join my family and me at this outstanding tribute concert. I will end with these words from the concert organizers, “Our hope is to come together to offer tribute to those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom that day and in the years that have followed.”

Come, enjoy and walk the 2011 Street of Dreams!  You and your family can take a walk through 8 one-of-a-kind homes that have been designed and built specially for the event.  Each home showcases one of Omaha's finest builders and their expertise in the latest trends in upscale living.  

This year's builders include:    Ideal Designs Custom Homes

                                                Todd Menard

                                                Birchwood Homes

                                                Belt Custom Homes

                                                Royal

                                                Nathan Homes

                                                Prestige Homes, Inc.

                                                John Caniglia Homes

According to the official website, “The 2011 Street of Dreams will showcase the latest trends and the most innovative ideas for home building, architecture, interior design and landscaping--all in one location.  Whether it is the design, building materials, layouts, decor, landscaping, or electronics, the Street of Dreams is Omaha’s #1 inspiration for a high-end, high-quality lifestyle.”

Located in one of Omaha's newest and most desirable neighborhoods, Tuscan Ridge is just south of 202nd and Pacific.  Residents will love the close proximity to the new high school, Elkhorn South, and the new middle school opening in 2011. Most of the lots in this neighborhood are walkout lots and many of them have mature trees.

Tickets are available online for $9 (you will pay $10 at the door).  If you wish you may purchase a Super Pass for $25. Then you show a photo I.D. at the gate and you will be issued a pass card. The Super Pass will allow you unlimited access throughout the event. Remember, the street of Dreams will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so plan accordingly.

The organizers urge to bring friends and stop by the Bistro Tent provided by No Frills Fresh where you can sit, grab a bite and chat about the ideas you've seen.  An award-winning chef from No Frills Fresh will even share several cooking demonstrations on site in a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen. During the 3-week celebration, unique events and attractions are on the schedule each week.  Be on the lookout for special interest tours, demonstrations and food that you won't want to miss!  

The Street of Dreams is possible thanks to its premium sponsors for their support. A few of the sponsors are: First National Bank of Omaha, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Metropolitan Utilities District, Omaha Public Power District, Baxter Ford, Baxter Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, Omaha State Bank, Kinetico, Northwest Bank, Classic Marble and the Make-A-Wish.

We all need dreams. If you are ready to fulfill your dream of buying or selling a home please give me a call at 402-670-8775 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com. Together we will find that special home on your own Street of Dreams.

The Omaha area has wonderful festivals throughout the year.  Just this past weekend we had Millard and Dundee days. Each held wonderful events with rides, games, great food, parades and even a beer garden or two.  Offutt Air Force Base put on a spectacular air show that took your breath away. But one of my favorite festivals is still to come.

The 43-year old apple harvest festival in historic Nebraska City will be held the third weekend in September. The official celebration begins on Friday, September 16, and runs through Sunday.  The festival was ranked in 2006 as one of the Top 10 Fall Festivals in North America by the Society of American Travel Writers.

Of course there’s a parade. This one boasts over 30 marching bands. Automobile buffs can attend the classic car show; quilters the fabulous quilt show. In fact, there are all kinds of crafts shows and Nebraska City and its environs are filled will antique shops.  Yes, there are rides, face painting, live music and wonderful food vendors.

 It’s so much fun to take the family to Arbor Lodge the former home of J. Sterling Morton, one of Nebraska’s brightest stars.  Among other accomplishments, Morton established the national Arbor Day and the abundance of trees in the area are attributed to his efforts.  Out-of-towners can arrange to stay at the beautiful Lied Lodge. Its rustic architecture is a site to behold and the amenities are a delight.

Best of all, my  family loves to visit the Orchards to learn more about the apple harvest and to pick our own apples or stock up on all of the tasty apple treats!  It’s amazing how many varieties of apples there are for sale.  You can watch how apple cider is made and watch a man make kettle corn in a huge kettle. We always come home with plenty of goodies.  

This is a great one, folks. Please grab the entire family for a trip down to the festival.  It’s a gorgeous ride.  I can smell the apple pie now. Yum. Don’t miss it.

When you’re ready to buy or sell a home don’t hesitate to call me at 402-670-8775 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.