Tulsa Real Estate and More... by Jane Whitby

FOR SALE IN MIDTOWN TULSA

This is a great 3 bedroom, 1 bath home with 1 car garage. Just $85,000! All new in the last few years: AC, roof, guttering, thermal windows, insulated garage door, carpeting, stove, vent hood and dishwasher. All appliances stay! Great deck and fully fenced back yard with shed. Hardwoods under carpet. Walking distance to community pool.

Need to Sell Before You Can Buy?

Success Means Planning Ahead If you're thinking of making an offer contingent on selling your current property, don't wait until you've found your "dream home" before putting your house on the market. Most everyone who sells a house to buy another one faces this dilemma: How do you buy a new home before you've sold the one you live in? When you make an offer with a sale contingency, escrow doesn't close until your current house is sold, so a sale contingency can be an appealing way to handle the transition between homes. But sale-contingent offers are unpopular with sellers, because accepting one means taking on risk. While waiting for your house to sell, a seller can miss out on other, possibly better, offers. And if your house doesn't sell within a reasonable time, a seller may have to start from scratch finding a new buyer. Here are some options for handling the financial transition from one home to the next — with and without contingencies. Strategies ..(read more)

View These Properties in the Tulsa Area

What's With All The Penguins?

Why are there dozens of 6 foot tall penguin sculptures scattered throughout the city? It was a local art project to celebrate the Tulsa Zoo's 75th anniversary as well as to raise funds for the Tulsa Zoo's penguin habitat. Here are just a few examples.

Tulsa's Center Of The Universe

When in Tulsa you'll want to vist the Center of the Universe. It is a strange place located downtown on the Boston Avenue Pedestrian Bridge between Archer and 1st Street. If you stand in the center and talk normally, you can here your own echo. It is just plain weird.

Market Statistics for July

The following schedule shows the current supply of homes and average marketing times in the Tulsa and surrounding areas. (TULSA School District) 1 Active Listings as of 7/15/2007 Supply of homes Type of Market DOM Total Market 1520 5 months Sellers 64 Under $100,000 875 5 months Sellers 64 $100,001 to $150,000 311 4 months Sellers 57 $150,001 to $200,000 115 5 months Sellers 68 $200,001 to $300,000 81 5 months Sellers 64 Over $300,001 ..(read more)

April Market Analysis for Tulsa Area

The overall Tulsa area market appears to be a SELLERS market, but when you dig deeper into the numbers a very different picture emerges. (TULSA School District) Active Listings as of 4/15/2007 Supply of homes Type of Market DOM Total Market 1469 5 months Sellers 57 Under $100,000 839 5 months Sellers 57 $100,001 to $150,000 302 5 months Sellers 58 $150,001 to ..(read more)

A Great Research Tool for Buyers and Sellers

At any one time a Realtor with a good website may be working with up to 50 families looking to buy or sell a home. Of course many of these families will be a long way from actually moving forward. I have in place a system to help these future buyers and sellers look around for as long as they need so they become comfortable with what's available and the current prices. This same system also helps people who are ready to buy a home. It can help them define what they really want in a home, move the search along at their pace, and it gives them more control over the homes that they will eventually see. This system is my email home search website. Someone who is thinking about buying or selling can go to www.emailtulsalistings.com and enter the criteria that they want in their next home. The first email will list all homes currently for sale that meet that search criteria. Then each morning a new email with a list of all ..(read more)

What Is Title Insurance?

What is the Difference Between Title Insurance and Casualty Insurance? Title insurers work to identify and eliminate risk before issuing a Title Insurance policy. Casualty insurers assume risks. Casualty insurance companies realize that a certain number of losses will occur each year in a given category (auto, fire, etc.). The insurers collect premiums monthly or annually from the policyholders to establish reserve funds in order to pay for expected losses. Title companies work in a very different manner -- Title Insurance will indemnify you against loss under the terms of your policy. However, title companies work in advance of issuing your policy to identify and eliminate potential risks and therefore prevent losses caused by title defects that may have been created in the past. Title Insurance also differs from casualty insurance in that the greatest part of the Title Insurance premium dollar goes towards risk elimination. Title companies maintain ..(read more)

Will The Sellers Accept My Offer?

I get this question alot, especially with new buyers - will the sellers accept my offer? Well, I don’t have a good answer. There is no way to know for sure. Although in my experience if you make a full price offer the sellers will accept it, unless there is something odd in your contingencies or closing date. You can try to guess all you want. Or try to figure out the sellers’ motivation based on time on the market (some feel that the longer the marketing time the more likely the sellers will accept…not true), or perhaps from what you have learned from theMLS - “Motivated sellers” shows up frequently. But that really doesn’t tell you anything. Most sellers want to sell, don’t they? You may have learned they have bought another place? Or are relocating? Or are getting divorced? Will that help you figure out what the sellers will do with your offer? Perhaps. I wouldn’t waste a lot of time wondering about this. If you ..(read more)

Tulsa Education

Education Providing a comprehensive education from pre-kindergarten through college has been the goal of community leaders since the city’s founding. The results of this dedication are reflected in some impressive statistics. More than 83 percent of Tulsa area residents have a high school diploma or higher; 23 percent have a bachelor’s degree; and more than 11 percent have a master’s degree. Public Education A great education starts with a solid foundation in elementary and preschool. Two dozen school districts offer public education in the Tulsa metropolitan area. In Tulsa County alone, more than 106,000 students are instructed by 15 school districts. Tulsa Public Schools, the largest district in the state, educates more than 43,000 students at more than 80 sites. The district is noted for progressive programs, extensive technology and high levels of community involvement, including the very successful Partner-In-Education program. ..(read more)

Early Tulsa History

Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma and is located in the northeastern part of the state. Wichita lies 133 miles to the north, Oklahoma City is 100 miles southwest, Dallas is 235 miles south and Little Rock is 223 miles southeast. Tulsa History The earliest settlers of the area date back to the Ozark Bluff Dwellers. They lived in the northeast part of Oklahoma, otherwise know as Green Country. The Native American population came to the area in 1836 by way of the infamous Trail of Tears. Their journey ended beneath the branches of the Council Oak Tree, located on the east side of the Arkansas River. It was here that many decided to make their home. They called their settlement Tulsey," meaning "old town," in memory of their former Alabama town. Today this spot is 18th and Cheyenne near downtown Tulsa. The Lochapokas, a band of Creek Indians, carried burning embers from their council fire in Alabama. Every evening while they traveled, ..(read more)

Mortgage Insurance (MI) will be Tax Deductible for Select Income Brackets

Congress recently passed legislation allowing MI payments to be tax deductible for mortgages closed in 2007. The Mortgage Insurance Fairness Act will allow homeowners with adjusted household incomes of $109,000 or less to deduct some or all of the cost of their MI premiums from their annual income on their 2007 federal tax returns. Eligibility Parameters • Loans closing in 2007 (January 1st – December 31st) that are required to pay private mortgage insurance, FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) or the VA Funding Fee. Note: The legislation will be evaluated for extension into future years by Congress towards the end of 2007. • All MI payment options are eligible for deduction under the new law. In the case of the Financed/Single Premium option, a portion of the up front premium may be deductible in the first year. If the law is extended, the remaining portion may be deductible in subsequent years. A tax advisor should be consulted to determine the ..(read more)