Real Estate Information

Wacky Socks Day, Wacky Hats Day, Wacky Hair Day and many more wacky events was how my children’s school raised money for the United Way of the Midlands last week.  The wacky apparel made for lots of fun and hilarity but it drove home an important lesson for the children and their parents.  Contributing to the United Way of the Midlands is a time-honored tradition of supporting caring service here in our community that’s been going on for the past 84 years. 

The United Way has made a lasting impact on our community and its citizens.  Services include shelter, food, medical support and disaster relief for so many who find themselves in dire circumstances.  My friend, Dawn, whose house was hit by lightning two weeks ago, told us all how the Red Cross was there to provide temporary shelter and rescue her family from a most frightful night.

Recently, the United Way services have been expanded to aid people in becoming healthy and self-reliant.  This year’s Goal is to raise $21 million dollars. The fund drive ends November 2, 2007. 

Now is the time to give if you haven’t already.  Charity begins at home and the Omaha Metro Area is our home.   Please give and thank you.

You are always encouraged to comment below on any of my blogs.  I’d love to hear from you.

It’s been a challenging week for my family and me.  Our house was struck by lightning this weekend during an incredible storm.  Not only was my home struck but a friend in my office had her house struck by lightning and it then proceeded to burn.  Fortunately, they got out in time but they are without home, clothes, furniture, appliances – all the things so many of us take for granted.  My home didn’t burn thankfully but every appliance that was plugged in is now toasted. 

We’ve spent thousands replacing new appliances, computers, TVs, DVD players, etc.  I’ve spent hours on the phone with phone companies, utilities, repairmen, computer and software techies all with the hope of getting my household back up and running.  The local utility, OPPD, offers whole house surge protection but that doesn’t protect you from a direct hit. 

A century ago in this area most houses had at least one lightning rod.  Maybe that’s the way to go.  So far I haven’t been able to find a place to purchase them locally but a quick trip to Google turned up several possibilities.  It appears that the equipment and fixtures run around $50.  The trick is figuring out how many your house would need and how to install them.  My husband and I don’t even attempt such feats so we’d have to hire an electrician to do the job for us.  So it doesn’t appear to be a cheap and quick fix.  But it’s something to certainly ponder.

Have any of your homes been struck?  Have you installed lightning rods or some other device?  I’d love to hear from you.  Please feel free to offer a comment below.  Thanks for reading.

Like most people around here my favorite season is autumn. The weather is crisp, clear and the sky so blue my family refers to the color as October Blue. The leaves are slowly changing this year because we have yet to have a hard frost. When it gets like this my kids clamor for a trip to Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. Vala’s has been around for 23 years so people who took their children there for fall fun are now taking their grandchildren. 

Vala’s is a 152 acre operation with nearly 55 acres of pumpkins planted every year. The farm is located just north of the Gretna Exit on I-80.  It’s a terrific place to get pumpkins, gourds and squashes, of course, but that’s only the beginning. My son, Nick, screamed himself hoarse cheering for his favorite in the Pigtucky Derby Pig races. Both Grace and Nick loved the Jumpin’ Jack Jumping Pillows (a huge favorite) but the Haunted Farmhouse and Spook Shed scared them silly. 

We all enjoyed the shows, shops and campfires.  Vala’s has hayrack rides, pony rides, a train ride and gemstone mining.  We had dinner at Pork Chop Annie’s but had to stop at the Legs and Cakes Smokehouse to buy a smoked turkey leg for Nick and get hand-dipped caramel apples for the ride home.

Vala’s is a great place to spend an afternoon or evening. It’s only open from September 29 to October 31.  If you want more information please contact me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com give me a call at 402-697-4251.  Also feel free to leave me a comment below. It would be great to hear from you.

The largest (by far) school district in the Omaha Metro Area is the Omaha Public School District. There are over 46,000 students of various ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds and so there is a strong emphasis on the appreciation of diversity. OPS has over 7,000 employees and 43% of the teachers have advanced degrees. Teachers also average 11.7 years of experience.

OPS has a goal of offering “high quality instruction needed to prepare for life in tomorrow’s high tech world.” OPS boasts that most of its graduates go on to college or technical schools. OPS also has Nebraska’s largest special ed program. The District is part of the North American Central Association and “is one of the country’s few major urban school districts to maintain state AA accreditation.”

The District has a system of “magnet” schools which specialize in math, performing arts, languages, communication, economics, technology, university partnerships, science, engineering and international studies. The magnet schools have become so popular that according to the District, “selection is a coveted honor.”

As for gifted and talented students and athletes, OPS has a lot to offer. Opportunities for advanced studies are available for gifted students and OPS claims to have produced professional athletics and Olympic Gold Medalists. The District has always promoted a “fitness for life” philosophy.

The District has strong support of the business community that’s reflective of its motto of High Expectations – High Achievement – For All Students!

For more information, contact Marie Otis at (402) 697-4251 or at MarieOtis@cbshome.com.

If you’ve had your house on the market and it didn’t sell I’m certain you’ve asked yourself this question.  There are 3 reasons a house doesn’t sell: Condition, Price and Marketing.  They are all things you can control.

The condition of your house is a touchy subject with many sellers. It’s time to put ego aside and look at your house with new eyes.  Your house must stop being your home and become a product you’re trying to sell.  That means all the clutter and family photos must GO!  It means everything has to have a fresh new look.  New paint in neutral colors, clean carpets and restored hardwood floors are imperative.  Consider hiring a Stager. This is a person who “stages” the major rooms in your home to improve the flow and emphasize the best features of those rooms.

The second reason is Price.  This is a tough one because sellers usually believe their homes are worth more than the market will currently bear.  There is an art (backed by hard research) in pricing your home competitively without leaving your beloved equity on the closing table.  This is where a qualified real estate agent can help.  Ask for a Comparative Market Analysis from more than one Realtor.  These analyses are NOT created equal.  Now once you’ve done this, listen to the Realtor you trust and act on their advice.

Finally, Marketing is another reason a home doesn’t sell.  Find out what your Realtor’s marketing plan consists of and make certain they are not just placing your home in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and putting a sign in your yard.  Find out where your Realtor will advertise your home and to whom.  Some realtors do very little – don’t hire them.  You want someone who has an effective plan to get your house in front of a lot of potential buyers.

Now it’s up to you!  Can your house sell in this market?  Absolutely.  Consider the three reasons above and act on them today.

Even though the temperature is in the 80s today the cold weather earlier this week in Omaha reminded me that Fall begins this Sunday. If you are like me you are thinking about winterizing your home and I have details on a hot new tip.

An item in the September 16, 2007, Omaha World Herald’s Parade Magazine stated that you could simply “mix a non-toxic ceramic powder into your paint to reduce the amount of heat passing through your walls to the outside.”  Well, I began calling various local paint and hardware stores asking about the ceramic additive. No one I talked to had seen the article nor heard of the additive.  So I went on-line.

Sure enough, there are a few companies that make insulating additives.  Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions touts itself as a global leader in insulating ceramic technology and a NASA Technology Partner.  It makes a product called Hy-Tech Insulating Additive for Paint that can be stirred into any paint making that paint an insulating coating. It can be added to any brand of oil base or latex paint; whether it’s interior, exterior house paint, roof paint, wall paint, ceiling paint or industrial paint.

The thermal insulating coatings are based on tiny ceramic “microspheres.” The additive looks like talcum powder.  Here is the scientific explanation given by the company: “The hollow interior is a vacuum and physics law states that nothing can move by conduction through a vacuum, since it represents an absence of matter. In effect it is a miniature thermos bottle…a microscopic hollow vacuum sphere that resists thermal conductivity and suppresses sound.”

Sounds logical to me.  Here are some of the other claims the company makes for its additive: The additive when applied creates a tightly packed film of the microspheres. This ceramic layer provides “improved fire resistance, protection from harmful UV rays, repulsion of insects such as termites and protection from the destructive forces of weather.” The paint also lasts longer and is resistant to staining.  Using the paint on the outside of your home has primarily summer benefits and using it on the inside provides you with winter benefits.  It is also recommended you apply two coats.

Other companies involved in making such an additive are Mascoat and DuPont.  You can find these companies on-line at www.hytechceramics.com, www.mascoat.com or www.DuPont.com.

Thinking Green in the housing industry is an increasingly popular concept. Today’s Builders know that consumers are attracted to homes with high performance windows, heating & cooling systems and insulation. Today’s Buyers want energy efficient construction. Reducing the costs of heating in the cold Nebraska winters and air conditioning in the hot, hot summers are excellent reasons. What you may not know is that there are several other ways to reduce energy costs and preserve our environment.

A major consideration is reducing water consumption. Although Nebraska has one of the highest water tables in the U.S., conserving water in drought years is foremost in many people’s minds. Adding inexpensive aerators to faucets and showerheads is an effective way to start. Low-flow faucets maintain good water pressure but reduce water usage.  In Europe, the use of dual-flush toilet technology has taken hold. This technology uses two flush methods: a 0.8 gallon flush for liquid waste and a 1.6 gallon flush for solid waste.

Additional technology has devised a way to collect greywater. This is water from baths and showers as well as rainwater. The greywater is collected, treated and then reused for toilet flushing and landscaping. We can keep our flowers blooming and vegetables growing without wasting fresh water.

Another way to Think Green is in the construction materials used. If you are considering building a home find a company that uses locally sourced recycled and earth-friendly products. It’s best if products are produced locally because it provides huge savings in transportation costs. Also select a builder who has a system in place for minimizing construction waste. This will save you money and help the environment at the same time. Make certain the interior finishes you choose are non-toxic. Air quality is a vital component of Thinking Green.

There are a couple of other ideas you should consider. The first is about reducing finished square feet.  A big house may not be as important as a well-designed, energy efficient home. Finally, you may seriously consider moving closer to work. With higher and higher gas prices on the horizon, it may be the best choice to choose homes that are more affordable and cheaper to maintain. Think about it.

What a glorious weekend!  It was the Labor Day Holiday, of course, and Omaha was full of activity.  We cashed in on some great opportunities.  We headed down to the Old Market early for the wonderful farmers market.  Have you noticed how fabulous it smells with all the fresh fruits and vegetables?  We put all our purchases in the truck and when we opened it to unload the aroma of peaches, melons, and veggies was heavenly.  We all had to stand around getting a sniff or two in spite of the fact that we may have looked fairly comical to our neighbors.

But that was much later in the day. We continued on our trip from the Old Market to the Riverfront to take in the boats, fountain and parks. It was a bright, sunny day and the soft breeze cooled things down. We had lunch at Rick’s Boatyard. We sat on the deck overlooking the Missouri River, watching the people while we ‘chowed’ down on salads, pasta and sandwiches. Further North, Septemberfest was in full swing near the beautiful Qwest Center. People were enjoying the rides and the midway full of games. To the South were parks, fountains and beautiful plantings just begging to be admired. 

We decided to spend the afternoon at the Henry Doorly Zoo. It was right decision.  It took us over 5 hours but we managed to see the big apes in Gorilla Canyon who had found shady spots to take an afternoon siesta. The bears, who sweltering in the heat, sought refuge in the deep pools. We ducked down into the denizens of the night exhibit and shivered at slithering reptiles and flying bats. The beavers put on quite a show for us and their playfulness was at odds with most night creatures.

Next we headed for the Lied Jungle; one of our favorite haunts. We had guests with us from Chicago and Virginia and it was fun watching their reaction to our zoo and its inhabitants. A couple of our friends had never seen tapirs and were fascinated by them.  The otters were as cute and funny as always. This time however they were quite vocal, screaming at the crowd and at each other. Finally, we entered the Aquarium where we watched in rapt amazement while teeth-baring sharks glided over our heads. 

Later that evening we danced the night away at the Fiesta Italiana. It was a terrific day.  We had planned more sight-seeing the next day but our guests were tired and in the mood for activities that required concentrated lounging. We indulgently obliged them. It was a great weekend.

It been a long day and as Liz gathers her things her thoughts naturally turn to home.  As she picks her car keys out of her purse she smiles as she remembers she doesn’t have to face the long commute any longer.  Her new condo is only 3 blocks away and she just has a pleasant walk home.  Liz admires the shops as she walks ducking into the small grocery to pick up a loaf of bread and picks up the dry-cleaning at another stop.  The common areas of her condo are well kept and she feels a great sense of security as she steps into her elevator.  Kristen, her new neighbor is just coming home as well.  The women share a tidbit or two of their day then Liz remembers she wanted to invite Kristen and her husband for dinner some night this week.  Before the part, they settle on a date and time and Liz breezes into her beautiful new condo.

Liz is just one of many in the Omaha market who have discovered the particular convenience of condo living.  Location, security, low-maintenance, affordability, and amenities are a few other reasons to consider a change in lifestyle.  Condos may offer everything from game rooms, party rooms, theatres, restaurants, underground parking (including car washes), weight rooms, ATMS,  pools, tennis courts, 24-hour security, pharmacies, dry cleaners, gardens and in some parts of the country – golf courses.  Most don’t supply those amenities themselves but are located close to many.

Condo living also offers a real sense of community.  Like-minded residents are attracted to such places understand they are not just buying a condo they are buying into a community.  People have opportunities to form friendships and pursue common interests.  The availability of common rooms and areas allow people to gather to experiment with Thai cooking, watercolor techniques or improving your golf stroke. 

Demographically, several groups are finding condo living appealing.  Young professionals, small families and older people seeking a simpler way of life seem to be in the forefront.  In Omaha, the market offers condos for those with moderate incomes to condos which are spectacularly luxurious.  There are also several exciting new condo projects on the horizon.  So, if you looking for downtown, mid-town or suburban, highrise or townhouse style or even a single family home style (villa), you’ll be able to find it here.