1. The bread twist tie was invented in Maysville.

2. The shopping cart was invented in Ardmore in 1936.

3. The nation’s first parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City in 1935.

4. The first Girl Scout Cookie was sold in Muskogee in 1917.

5. Cimarron County, located in the Oklahoma Panhandle, is the only county in the U.S. bordered   by 4 separate states…Texas,New Mexico, Colorado & Kansas .

6. The Oklahoma State Capital is the only capital in the U.S. with working oil wells on its grounds.

7. Boise City, Oklahoma was the only city in the United States to be bombed during World War II. On Monday night, July 5,1943, at 12:30 a.m., a B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base, Texas, dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town, mistaking the city lights as target lights. COLEMAN – - THE BOMBS WERE PLAY LIKE BOMBS IN FACT, SACKS OF FLOUR – TO REMIND THEM OKIES IN THE OUTBACK THE DRILL WAS FOR THEM TOO. THE ONLY HARM —- WHITE ROOFS.

8.. WKY Radio in Oklahoma City was the first radio station transmitting west of the Mississippi River .

9. The nation’s first ‘Tornado Warning’ was issued on March 25, 1948 in Oklahoma City minutes before a devastating tornado. Because of the warning, no lives were lost.

10. Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state in the U.S. It also has 234 different Indian Tribes……

11. The name ‘Oklahoma’ comes from two Choctaw words…Okla meaning ‘people’ and humma meaning ‘red’. So the name means, ‘Red People.’The name was approved in 1890.

12. Oklahoma produced more astronauts than any other state.

13. Oklahoma has more man made lakes than any other state.

14. During the ‘Land Rush’, Oklahoma City went from a vast, open prairie to a city of over 10,000 in a single day.

15. The nation’s first traffic ‘Yield’ sign was erected in Tulsa on a trial basis.

16. Pensacola Dam is the longest multi-arched dam in the world at 6,565 feet.

17. The ‘ Port of Catoosa ‘ (just north of Tulsa ) is the largest inland port in America .

18. The aerosol can was invented in Bartlesville .

19. Per square mile, Oklahoma has more tornadoes than any other place in the world.

20. The highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was in Moore, Oklahoma on May 3rd. 1999 during the Oklahoma City F-5 tornado. Wind speed was clocked at 318 mph.

21. The ‘Will Rogers World Airport’ and the ‘Wiley Post Airport’ are both named after two famous Okies….both killed in an airplane crash!!!

22. Cushing, Oklahoma is the “Pipeline Crossroads of the World.” And has the largest storage of oil in the world.

(MORE NEAT STUFF BELOW)

Why Travel To Other Cities? Oklahoma Has Them All!

Cleveland, Oklahoma

Orlando, Oklahoma

Miami, Oklahoma

Pittsburgh, Oklahoma

Santa Fe, Oklahoma

St. Louis, Oklahoma

Chattanooga, Oklahoma

Peoria, Oklahoma

Burbank, Oklahoma

Fargo, Oklahoma

Don’t Forget The Wildlife!

Wolfe, Oklahoma Eagle, Oklahoma Buffalo, Oklahoma Fox, Oklahoma Bison, Oklahoma Deer Creek, Oklahoma Elk City, Oklahoma

We Have A Town Named After A Number… Forty-One, Oklahoma And A Town Who’s Letter’s Don’t Spell Anything… IXL, Oklahoma We Even Have A City Named After Earth’s Only Satellite! Moon, Oklahoma And A City Named After Our State! Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Like To Read About The Presidents?

Adams, Oklahoma Taylor, Oklahoma Fillmore, Oklahoma Grant, Oklahoma Taft, Oklahoma Johnson, Oklahoma Lincoln, Oklahoma Jefferson, Oklahoma Reagan, Oklahoma Wilson, Oklahoma Roosevelt, Oklahoma Carter, Oklahoma Clinton, Oklahoma Washington, Oklahoma

Other City Names In Oklahoma To Make You Smile…..

Frogville, Oklahoma Loco, Oklahoma Bushyhead, Oklahoma Bugtussle, Oklahoma Hooker, Oklahoma Slaughterville, Oklahoma Bowlegs, Oklahoma Slapout, Oklahoma

And Regardless What Side Of The Fence You’re On…

Gay, Oklahoma Straight, Oklahoma

*Not on the list is:

Oklahoma is the only State to have its Capital stolen and moved in the middle of the night from Guthrie to Oklahoma City. Also Guthrie has an original Carnegie Library and the Largest Masonic Temple in the World. Watonga has more rattle snakes than people.)

On Thursday March 21, Freddie Mac stated that the average rate for a 30-year loan dropped to 3.54% from 3.63% seen last week. This is close to the 3.31% it reaches in November of 2012, which is the lowest on record dating back to 1971.

For a 30-year loan, the average rate dropped below 4% for a full year.

The average rate for a 15 year fixed mortgage dropped last week on 2.72% from 2.79% from the previous week with the record low at 2.63%.

The mortgage rates being the lowest seen in years is being brought on due to more home purchases as well as those that have chosen to refinance their homes. This activity has helped the economy on a broader level. With more home sales, prices of homes are now going up again.

Spring is the time that most home shoppers start looking for their new home. These low mortgage rates may entice even more home buyers into the market or some homeowners looking into refinancing. Refinancing will often lower mortgage payments so homeowners can have money to spend on other things.

“More and more of our sellers are getting multiple offers on our homes,” he stated. “Buyers are getting more aggressive and are acting faster.”   According to the Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors, things are comminuting to improve for home sellers in February.

Close to 792 residential properties changed hands in the month of February. This figure is 10.2% better than the figure seen in January and 12% ahead of the February in 2012.

The total figure is the highest selling February since the number seen in 2008 with 930 homes sold.

For January and February, the total home sold was 1,512, which is 8.9% better than the same months in 2012 and is the highest for these months since 2008.

Susan Beach, president of Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors, stated the continuing improvement is due to a stronger economy, low interest rates, improved consumer confidence and new pressure on buyers.   “Buyers are figuring they don’t know what will happen in the near future, and they should go on with their lives,” she stated.   In addition, Beach explained a side effect of the better economy is more people moving into the Tulsa area as well as moving out of Tulsa.    “We’re starting to see movement in and out of Tulsa again with businesses locating here and relocating away from here,” she said.   Pending listings, which can be an early signs of sales for the next month, is at 1,229, which is up 30.3% for the year.   The inventory of homes on the market is tense, as the estimated 7.4 months supply is down 30.5% from February 2012.   Beach stated that an inventory of six to seven months is a sign of a truly balanced market, which means buyers still have a bit of an advantage.   Still, she cautioned that sellers should not go overboard with their renewed strength.

“Even with all this great news, we should encourage sellers to price well and for buyers to make good offers,” she stated.   Galbraith said he is a little astounded at the rapidly shrinking inventory.

“Our biggest impediment to a continued recovery is a shortage of homes for sale,” he stated.   Home prices continued their uphill climb, as the average of $167,390 is up 12.9% for the year and the median of $135,000 is up 12% from last year.   Beach stated the increase in prices is mainly due to supply and demand; however, homes in the highest price ranges are starting to sell better as well.   Galbraith said he and others feel the recovery is likely to continue throughout the year.

“In the absence of a national crisis, consumer confidence will continue to rise, jobs will continue to be created and the economy will continue to grow,” he stated.

The project costs $52 million that also included a new 2 story non smoking gaming and hospitality area offering 500 electronic games, a poker room, 15 more table games, a food courts, and a media bar. The new expansion will provide 1,500 new jobs to their employment roster of 3,500 that live in northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas.

Bill John Baker, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation stated, “The addition of this tower puts us years ahead of the competition and continues our draw as the premier gaming destination in northeast Oklahoma,” and went on to say, “This addition will also help increase revenue, which means more money generated for Cherokee Nation services that improve the lives of our citizens.”   The new building was constructed to replace an area that lost in February 2011 to the record-breaking blizzard.

The officials at the hotel and casino stated they are going to being more renovations to the property with a budget of $2.5 million. The renovation will begin on the 7-story hotel tower that offers 148 rooms and should be completed by the end of 2013.   Jon Davidson, senior director of hospitality for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa stated, “The original tower has provided our guests lodging since 2004, so it’s time for a facelift,” and went on to say,  “The current plan is to renovate the rooms floor by floor. We will update the theme, blending a little Hard Rock, but maintaining the strong Cherokee culture and art that currently exists in this tower, while the other two towers have more of a Hard Rock feel to them.”  

During the month, around 792 properties changed owners which is 10.2% beyond the figures seen in January and 12% beyond the numbers seen in February of 2012.

This figure is the highest selling February seen since 2008 with 930 homes sold.

The total of homes sold in January and February of 2012 is also the highest seen since 2008 with the total being 1,512 homes sold which is a 8.9% increase over 2012.

Listing on the pending list can be an indicator of the sales expected for March which is at 1,220 which is an increase of 30.3% over 2012.

The inventory of homes on the market is very tight right with an estimated 7.4 months supply which decreased 30.5% from the same time last year.

Home prices are still growing with the average at $167,390 which is up 12.9% for the year with the median of $135,000 which is up 12% from the same time last year.

The company will not only offer management services and brokering but also has ties to construction via their affiliate, Rupe Building Company.

NAI Petrous is an affiliate of NAI Global Network.

In February, according to RealtyTrac there were 646 foreclosures filed.

The foreclosure rate of one in every 630 homes is 31.6% higher than the figure seen in January and 0.6% higher than the figure seen in February of 2012.

The foreclosure rate for the state is one in every 1,404 households, which increased 10.6% for February and decreased 27.3% from the previous year.

The United States as a whole has a foreclosure rate of one in every 849 households, which is up 2.3% for the month of February but down 25.43% from the previous year.

The vice president of RealtyTrac, Daren Blomquist, stated, “At a high level the U.S. foreclosure inferno has been effectively contained and should be reduced to a slow burn in the next two years,” he said. “But dangerous foreclosure flare-ups are still popping up in states where foreclosures have been delayed by a lengthy court process or by new legislation making it more difficult to foreclose outside of the court system. Foreclosure starts have been steadily building in those states over the last several months and likely will end up as bank repossessions or short sales later this year.”

The highest rate of foreclosures was seen in Florida for the fourth year in a row with 1 in every 282 household facing foreclosures in February. The top five included Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Washington.

Within the designation there could be quite a few different usages including residential, continuing care, warehouse, mini-storage, office, retail and commercial.

The development engineer for the owner, Ricky Jones explained that independent and assisted living facilities were planned which are already planned may attract a business like a pharmacy.

Other parts of the development might include warehouse, retail spaces, hotel and even residential single family apartments and duplexes.

On the other hand, neighborhood residents living in Seven Lakes and Fox Hollow voiced their concerns regarding multi-family developments along with the screening for residents and the heights of the buildings. Residents expressed they would prefer more retail developments instead of multi family buildings.

There have been quite a few infrastructure projects in the area, which has made the intersection a busy corridor and with the widening of 121st Street between Memorial Drive and Sheridan Road has opened up the opportunity to extend development.

Jay Mauldin, Fox Hollow resident to the north of the development stated that since this property is one of the last that is very large and undeveloped in south Tulsa County north of the Arkansas River he would prefer to see more upscale businesses that would help to attract sales tax revenues. “Unfortunately, only 11 of the 92 acres included in PUD 76 would be designated (commercial shopping),” he said.

He went on to explain that he is hopeful that a large upscale retail property is possible north and east of the street that would run right through the development.   “At the same time, I also believe that a public-private partnership may be required in order for that to happen. The window of opportunity for such is continuing to close with this PUD and the city should seriously consider the opportunity, while it still exists,” Mauldin said.

He was glad that the area proposed for apartments would be north of the Encore on Memorial complex.   The last three apartment complexes built in Bixby have all had PUD’s which is reported to help contribute to a better quality structure of the apartments.

The city sets a 25-percent masonry requirement for apartments and a 45-percent masonry requirement on the leasing office.

Other information related to development is that efforts have been made to ensure the preservation of mature trees. If trees have to be removed, they will be taken down only for parking and new trees will be planted at a different location.

The city is also suggesting a walking trail and asking for specific plans on screening and setbacks.

The Tulsa real estate market is really Hot right now with interest rates at historical lows and prices just starting to rise. That means there is no better time to buy your Tulsa area home.  With that being said we wanted to put together a list of suggestions to help you in your Tulsa Home buying experience.
1. Make sure you are pre-qualified or pre-approved for your mortgage. This will not only help you to understand your ability to know how much home you can afford but it will also help you to be able to negotiate the with much more authority so you can win your dream home. A lot of times the offers don’t necessarily go to the highest bidder but often to the person that has the best credentials and looks solid for being able to complete the buying process.
2. Communicate with your Tulsa area Realtor; they are going to be able to offer tips that will help you with the Tulsa home buying experience. One of the biggest reasons you want to always use a Tulsa area Realtor is that they know the market, the proper process and will help protect your rights as a home buyer. This will not only help you to negotiate therefore saving you money but it should help protect you with the proper inspections and all the do’s and don’ts in the Tulsa real Estate Market.
3. Make sure once you have communicated to your Tulsa Area Realtor exactly what it is that you are trying to achieve make sure you move with a quick decision so that you do not lose your Tulsa area dream home.
4. Having followed these easy steps and a proven process you will be able to use some of the tools and technology that’s available today to help you identify the homes that best fit specific criteria.
5. Inspections once you have an accepted offer make sure you take advantage of all the inspections that are recommended in a timely manner.

Stay tuned for additional tips for Tulsa Home buyers in the future posts.

All three properties are located in very high traffic areas in Tulsa with easy access to I-244. “The location alone should really spur the attention of anyone looking not just for fueling stations, but commercial real estate at high traffic locations,” explained Matt Fisher, Manager of Operations at AmeriBid. “With two of these properties, you aren’t just bidding on ordinary frontage; this is a prime location from an access point to Interstate 244. Buyers can come name their price for an opportunity to own any or all of these locations – the possibilities are endless.”

The properties will be sold to the highest bidder given their choice at a live on site auction on April 4th, 2013 at 3:00PM located at 3204 W. 45 St. S, Tulsa, OK 74017.

Available Properties include:

3204 W 45th Street South – a micro Shell station with an automatic carwash. The location is off Southwest Boulevard and can be seen from I-244 while heading toward Oklahoma City. The property has a traffic count of around 27,500 vehicles per day. The 0.38-acre lot only requires a small amount of maintenance.

4903 E. Admiral Boulevard South – was a Shell Station sits on a .58-acre lot with a high-rise sign and a 1300 square foot convenience store and carwash. The traffic count is more than 100,000 vehicles per say and offers immediate turn in access for traffic that is headed westbound on Interstate 244 with exit on Admiral.

621 S. Sheridan Road East – offers 0.59-acre lot with 130 feet frontage on Sheridan Road. The property has 4 fiberglass fuel tanks that can hold 34,000 gallons. Traffic count is more than 13,500 vehicles per day.

All brokers that represent a buyer will be given a 2% cooperating broker fee. Properties can be examined during scheduled appoints on March 28 and on April 4th before the auction.