The properties included in the auction include several parcels found at
1644 E 3rd Street in Tulsa, which includes a 12,382 square foot warehouse/retail building along with the two adjacent lots. One of the buildings offers 6,282 square foot of retail space along with a wall down the center allowing for more tenants. Another building offers 6,100 square feet of warehouse space, which is to the west of the retail building and has been used for storage for the current business.

Wellings stated, “Multiple parcels exist within this property description with an opportunity to buy any combination of the buildings and lots being offered or purchase as a whole,” and went on to say, “We will hold a beauty supply inventory liquidation auction following the real estate auction.”

The two lots that are adjacent total 12,000 square feet and could be used for added parking or even new construction.

On the auction block is a three bedroom, three-bath home with 4,318 square feet offering a 1.23-acre lot home at the end of a cul-de-sac at 1601 S. Terrace Road, Cleveland, OK on Keystone Lake. The traditional style home was built in 1966 and offers a large wrap around deck with views of the cove.

Wellings explained, “This property is permitted for a boat dock and ready to be turned into a private retreat just 30 minutes West of Tulsa off Highway 412.”

The last in the group is 17 acres of rural land on Pinehill Road in Bristow, OK east of highway 48. The land is open with heavy timber full of wildlife along a road. The other property is 10 acres of development land for residential properties in Mannford, OK with frontage on 61st street.

When you make an offer even if you have competition, you should include an inspection contingency. The reason is there could be issues with the home that you may not see just by taking a tour. You should word the contingency so that it is very broad and gives you the right to inspect anything that you need to in order to ensure the home will meet your needs as well as your budget.

If during the inspection defects are found that you cannot fix or ones the homeowner will help correct, you should have the option to withdraw your contract and receive your deposit.

In most cases, home buyers normally have a prospective home inspected for structural damage and pests, but you should have other items inspected as well include the roof and drainage.

You should learn not only how bad the defect is but also how much it will cost for repairs. Instead of just talking to someone about the repairs, you should ask for written reports and estimates. These reports can help you when you are in negotiations with the home seller.

If you do not want to negotiate, you can keep the records for your own records and even use them when you are ready to sell so you can show potential buyers the problems you fixed after purchasing.

One inspection that is often overlooked is the permit history of the home. It can take some time and it can be frustrating, as you will have to deal with the city planning department. This may be one of the most important inspections of all as you can learn if there are fees or liens on the home that you will have to pay after you buy the home.

The main reason you want to learn of any permits that may have been taken out by previous owners as if there are outstanding permits on the property you will not be able to receive a permit until you pay the old fees. If the old permits were not approved by the city from the previous owner you will need to have the home inspected again by the city and do any work necessary in order to receive the final approval. All of this money will be out of your own pocket if you do not do a permit inspection and negotiate this prior to closing.

On homebuyer in Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland obtained a permit history for a potential home she was going to buy. There were two issues on the report.

One of the reports was due to a remodel by a previous owner not the one that she was buying from with the permit receiving final approval. However, the final approval was contingent on the seller agreeing to record a notice of property use limitation on the title to the property.  The title report did not show a notice of property use limitation. The issue was corrected by the title company after research.

The other issue was that there fees owed. The homebuyer wanted to do work on the home after purchasing and was concerned that she would have to pay the fees. The fees were determined not to be passed on to the new owner as the application from the previous owner had expired.

At the closing of your new home, be sure that you learn along with any permits that may be present, learn the amount of the fees.

The Farmers Almanac recently released the dates for each state, which is below.

Alabama:  October 19 to November 4
Arizona: October 5 to October 21
Arkansas: October 19 to November 4
Arkansas Ozarks: October 12 to 28
California: October 15 to October 31
Colorado: October 5 to October 14
Connecticut: October 12 to October 28
Delaware: October 19 to November 4
Florida: November 2 to November 11
Georgia: October 19 to November 4
Idaho: October 5 to October 21
Illinois Northern: October 5 to October 21
Illinois Southern: October 12 to October 28
Indiana Northern: October 5 to October 21
Indiana Southern: October 12 to October 28
Iowa: October 5 to October 21
Kansas Northern: October 5 to October 21
Kansas Southern: October 12 to October 28
Kentucky Eastern: October 5 to October 21
Kentucky Western: October 12 to October 28
Louisiana: November 2 to November 11
Maine Inland: October 1 to October 17
Maine Coastal: October 5 to October 21
Maryland Inland: October 12 to October 28
Maryland Coastal: October 19 to November 4
Massachusetts Inland: October 5 to October 21
Massachusetts Coastal: October12 to October 28
Michigan Northern: October 1 to October 17
Michigan Southern: October 5 to October 21
Minnesota Northern: October 1 to October 17
Minnesota Southern: October 5 to October 21
Mississippi: October 19 to November 4
Missouri Northern: October 5 to October 21
Missouri Southern: October 12 to October 28
Montana Central: September 28 to October 9
Montana Western: October 5 to October 21
Nebraska: October 5 to October 21
Nevada: October 12 to October 28
New Hampshire Inland: September 28 to October 9
New Hampshire Coastal: October 5 to October 21
New Jersey Inland: October 12 to October 28
New Jersey Coastal: October 19 to November 4
New Mexico: September 28 to October 9
New York: September 28 to October 28
North Carolina Inland: October 12 to October 28
North Carolina Coastal: October 19 to November 4
North Dakota: October 5 to October 21
Ohio: October 5 to October 21
Oklahoma: October 26 to November 4
Oregon: October 12 to October 28
Pennsylvania: October 5 to October 21
Rhode Island: October 12 to October 28
South Carolina: October 19 to November 4
South Dakota: October 5 to October 21
Tennessee: October 12 to October 28
Texas: November 2 to November 1
Utah: October 5 to October 21
Vermont Northern: September 24 to October 10
Vermont Southern: October 5 to October 14
Virginia Inland: October 12 to October 28
Virginia Coastal: October 19 to November 4
Washington: October 12 to October 28
West Virginia: October 5 to October 21
Wisconsin: October 5 to October 14
Wyoming: October 5 to October 14

For those that have been renting for a long time and have a good credit history, alternatives are available that can help you purchase your dream home. The FHA offers mortgages to those with good FICO scores with only a down payment of 3.5%. On the other hand, FHA mortgage insurance premiums may cause FHA mortgages to cost more than traditional mortgages but it does provide the opportunity for those that cannot be approved for traditional loans.

The last two weeks, mortgage rates are holding steady at record lows, of course, there is no way to tell just how long the rates will stay low. The FHA is offering a 30 year fixed FHA mortgage to borrowers that qualify at a rate of 3.750% with an APR of 5.092%.

For those that have a FHA mortgage and are paying a higher rate that is now being offers may be able to refinance via the FHA streamline refinance program. In the majority of cases, this will require a new appraisal but does make the process easier.

Remember mortgage rates are ever changing. The rates quoted in this article were accurate on September 21, 2011.

Broccoli needs to be planted at the end of summer around ten weeks before the first frost.

Cauliflower should be planted in rich soil and will need to be watered well to produce a good harvest.

Plant lettuce so new seedlings will be shaded from the afternoon sun.

Spinach is one of the hardiest vegetables that can last into the winter months. It should be planted five weeks before the first frost.

Cabbage does quite well in cooler temperatures as well but you should make sure you keep the soil wet and the seedlings should not receive a lot of sun.

In Oklahoma City, the median housing priced increased 6% while in Tulsa the jump was 5.6%. Throughout the US, there are very few cities that look better which are San Antonio and Austin, Texas and Cape Coral/Ft. Myers, Florida. The last one was hit very hard during the recession but is now sporting a 19.6% increase.

The decent numbers for the state of Oklahoma are due to much finer stuff.

In Oklahoma over 50 of the 77 counties grew over the last ten years with expansions in population of 8.7% to 3.75 million as reported by the Census Bureau.

Lisa Noon the CEO of the Oklahoma Association of Realtors provided a series of highlights:

•State revenues rose 15.5% over last year.
•Oklahoma City ranked in the top 20 metro areas for strong economic performance. OKC added 2,000 jobs in the oil and gas sector and since 2008; it gained 2,500 jobs in the tourism and hospitality sector.
•Double-digit growth in tax commission collections, which is a good sign of economic growth.
•Construction job growth near the top in the country.
•Statewide residential building permits doubled since the start of the year.

Dan Rickman, a professor of economics at Oklahoma State University stated, “We didn’t have any evidence of a housing bubble, so we had no aftermath.”

Until the 1980’s the economy of Oklahoma was dependent on oil and gas only. With the bust in the early 80’s, Oklahoma was thrown into a recession. Since that time, Oklahoma has become very diverse economically.

Rickman explained, “We used to counter the U.S. cycle,” and went on to say, “Now we follow the rest of the nation, but energy is still important enough that it gives us a cushion. When the U.S. economy was heading into a recession in 2007, we enjoyed a big surge in energy prices.”

Even though the service, hospitality, medical, call center and manufacturing industries all have grown, the important thing about the energy industry is that “it’s a very high-income sector and that spills over into a lot of other areas of the economy,” Rickman said.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. and Devon Energy Corp are major oil and gas companies that are based in Oklahoma with Devon Energy Corp recently building a 50 story headquarters in OKC.

Oklahoma City, which is the capital, has helped the states economy with a population in 2001 of 579,000, which has grown 14.6% since 2000. This is wonderful for the housing market.

Steve Mann, a broker/associate and auctioneer at Paradigm AdvantEdge Realty in Oklahoma City and president of the Oklahoma Metropolitan Association of Realtors stated, “In June, our average home price was $163,600 and that’s down a little from May, which was $170,000, but in May we had several million-dollar home sales.”

“Our list-to-sell-price (ratio) is 97 percent and our average days on the market in June were 85. We had 9,000 listings in the metro area a year ago and we have 9,100 listings this year. And we still have new construction.”

Oklahoma City has not seen a severe REO (real estate owned homes) problem.

Chuck Harris, broker/manager with Century 21 All Pro Real Estate in Oklahoma City and a specialist in REO sales stated, “Up to this point, we haven’t had enough REO properties to affect pricing,” and went on to say, “The market wasn’t flooded with REOs and we’ve been real fortunate as we’ve been able to turn most REO properties under 60 days. We are getting families as well as investors.” Harris went on to explain when it comes to foreclosures in Oklahoma City, “we’ve been able to absorb and get them closed out.”

Oklahoma City is not the only city in the state that has enjoyed the economic health. Tulsa, which is the 2nd largest city in the state, only lost some of their population over the last years, being down 0.3% to
391,906 from 2000 to 2010, however, Tulsa added 2,943 jobs since the first of 2010, mainly in the manufacturing sector.

One of Oklahoma City’s exurbs, Edmond saw an increase in their population of 19.2% from 2000 to 2010 to 81,405. According to Noon, “the cost of living there is 8 percent below the national average.”

Other areas around the state such as Ada home 88 miles southeast of Oklahoma City with a population a tad over 17,000 has a jobless rate that according to Noon may be negative.

Ada, Oklahoma has increased 465 government jobs, 444 service positions, 398 manufacturing slots, and 333 new employees in oil and gas extraction, and filled 222 openings in accommodation and food service industries.

“A number of employers and entrepreneurs are doing extraordinarily well in that area of the state,” said Noon.

If you look at the economy, then you can tell that Oklahoma is more than just OK.

Broken Arrow was the only city in Oklahoma to make the list, which was chosen by community and entertainment options along with the local health care system options in the area.

The magazine stated in the release, “In the past few years alone, Broken Arrow has seen some notable new developments, including the opening of a 20,000-square-foot YMCA with many programs geared toward active older adults; an impressive performing arts center that raises its curtain for everything from the local orchestra to Broadway tours; and a 68-bed hospital within the highly acclaimed St. John Health System. A half a dozen golf courses, miles of bike and walking paths, two community centers and civic groups galore add to the attraction. And with updated one-story homes starting in the low $100,000s, you’d be paying about half what you would to move to some comparable communities.”

Mayor of Broken Arrow, Mike Lester, stated the city was “thrilled” to be included as well as recognized for being a “great” city for those wishing to retire.

“We know what a wonderful community we live in and it’s nice to see the nation taking notice,” Mayor Lester stated. “We are establishing a trend of being recognized year after year for the amenities and opportunities we have to offer.”

On the top ten list was
1. Marquette, Michigan
2. Cape Coral, Florida
3. Boise, Idaho
4. Danville, Kentucky
5. Weatherford, Texas
6. Southaven, Mississippi
7. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
8. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
9. Lake Charles, Louisiana
10. Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Not only was Broken Arrow chosen among the Best Places to Retire but it was also ranked in Money Magazine’s Top 100 “Best Places to Live” in 2010 along with many other national recognitions throughout the last five years as reported in the press release.

All of these questions are very important for prospective homebuyers. You will be considered the professional and will be responsible for providing the buyer with all the information pertaining to the neighborhood in which they are looking to call home. There are three basic ways to provide your potential buyers the neighborhood.

Instead of letting your potential homebuyers check out a neighborhood on their own, drive them around the community. Now, you can give them a personal tour of the area and allow them to ask questions regarding the schools, shopping, and even entertainment opportunities nearby. With your help, you will be able to provide your potential buyers with all the information they need to choose the exact location to call home, once you know the area yourself. If a neighborhood is quiet around lunch time during the week does not necessarily mean it is the same during rush hour before and after work. Ensure you know all there is to know about a neighborhood this way you will be able to present the area in the proper perspective so they can envision living in the neighborhood.

Along with providing your potential buyers with information on the neighborhood, make sure you also provide them with ways to learn about the crime rate and the safety of the community. This may only be the police station, local crime maps, or even local radio or television stations that offer this type of information.

Most families once they purchase a home will eventually move to another neighborhood sometime in the future. You should provide your potential homebuyers with information on how well homes have sold in other neighborhoods in the area along with the home they are considering to purchase. This information will be very welcome especially if the home values have been steadily increasing over the years or if the home values have gone down recently. This will allow your potential buyers the opportunity to learn if they are making a good investment on the property or if the value may decrease.

By providing your buyers will all the information they need to make a decision on where they wish to call home, will bring you more clients through word of mouth.

Of these properties, the lowest price property was $76,000; however, three properties sold for more than one million. These figures show the diversity that can be found in the midtown area of Tulsa.

From the 157 properties that sold during the 2nd quarter of 2011, a whopping 85% sold for more than $200,000. In the higher prices range several properties sold after a short time being placed on the market. The midtown area is flourishing and is a great investment.

As of July 14, 2011, there were 96 properties for sale for more than $500,000 in the midtown Tulsa area with the highest priced property offering a listed price of $2,159,000. Along with that, 17 of the properties are listed at more than $1,000,000.

2nd Quarter 2011 Market for Midtown Tulsa

26 properties listed for sale under $100,000
113 properties listed between $100,000 and $200,000
81 properties listed between $200,000 and $300,000
93 properties listed between $300,000 and $500,000

In Bixby, one-bedroom rentals are around $510 with 2 bedrooms at $691 without any changes since 2009.

Broken Arrow rentals for a one bedroom on average are $726 and two bedrooms at $676. The cost for a one bedroom has risen 13.97% since 2010 while two the cost for a two-bedroom rental has decreased 9.14% over the past year.

In Catoosa, a two-bedroom rental is on average around $795 and is down 0.62% from previous years.

Claremore Oklahoma has one-bedroom rentals for $455 and two bedroom rentals for $623. The price for a 2 bedroom has increased 8.16% over previous years while the price for a one bedroom has only raised around $10 since 2006.

Owasso has seen huge increases in rental prices. In 2010, the price of a 1 bedroom was $502 and in 2011, the price is now $870, which is a 73.31%. For a two bedroom, the price in 2010 was $665 and today the price is $758, which is a 13.98% increase.