SUMMER'S 5TH NIGHT AT UTICA SQUARE

Looking for something fun to do this summer. Check out Summer's Fifth Night at Utica Square. Live music, every Thursday, all summer long. Utica Square's summer concert series serves up everything from jazz to rock to country. There's something different every Thursday and best of all, it's free! Pack a picnic or dine at one of their great restaurants as you unwind to your favorite local bands. Put on your dancing shoes, catch up with family and friends and win great prizes like Utica Square gift certificates and merchandise from Utica Square merchants. Celebrate summer every Thursday at Utica Square, 7 - 9 p.m.  Click here for more information and the 2010 Concert Series.

NATIONAL OPEN HOUSE WEEK-END

It’s the perfect weekend to shop. For many people, now really is a good time to buy a home. Inventory is high, prices are down and mortgage rates are near 50-year lows. And right now, first-time buyers can qualify for up to $8,000 and current homeowners for as much as $6,500, but contracts must be in place by April 30, 2010, so get out and start shopping!

READING UP ON REAL ESTATE

Some first time home buyers really do their home work. They read books, and the news and learn as much as they can about the home buying process. Some even watch television shows about buying a home. There are plenty of books about getting rich in real estate and of course all you have to do is "follow these simple steps", and plenty of books about how to buy a home.

I don't think much of most of the books that I have seen, but if I didn't know anything about the home buying process I would consider reading one to get started. That is what I did when I had my first child, I bought a how to book.

The problem with the books is that real estate is local. The laws and contracts are regulated on the state level. General business practices are not the same in each market either. The books are pretty generic and they try to cover situations that most Oklahomans will never encounter while at the same time missing important parts of the process in this state.

There is a great guide for Oklahoman home buyers that's free and on the internet, published by the Oklahoman Real Estate Commission. It may not be a literary master piece or have the drama of the television shows about buying a home, but it is packed full of useful information about buying a home in Oklahoma. Find it here. 

TULSA AREA HOME STARTS UP

The March 20, 2010 Tulsa World had an article intitled "Home Starts Accelerating." It stated that the year-to-date total for the Tulsa area is 9% more than at the same time in 2009. Home Construction picked up speed in February and has built a sizable lead over the first two months of 2009. The year-to-date now stands at 340 over the 312 for the first two months of 2009. Gary Soderstrom, president of the Home Builders Assoc. of Greater Tulsa, attributed much of the increase to the home buyer tax credit. To read the entire article (click here.)

CLOCKS FORWARD THIS SUNDAY

Well, it's only Wednesday, but let's remind one and all: Clocks "spring" forward early Sunday morning. And as fire officials would remind you, it's an excellant opportunity to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. While there will be more daylight in the evening, beware of the kids waiting for buses in the dark morning hours for the next few weeks.

WINTER WEATHER SAFETY

Winter Weather: Indoor Safety Highlights

• Use fireplace, wood stoves, or other combustion heaters only if they are properly vented to the outside and do not leak flue gas into the indoor air space.
• Never use a charcoal or gas grill indoors—the fumes are deadly.
• Never leave lit candles unattended.
• Keep as much heat as possible inside your home.
• Check the temperature in your home often during severely cold weather.
• Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
• Eat well-balanced meals to help you stay warmer.
  

Winter Weather: Outdoor Safety Highlights

• Dress warmly and stay dry.
• Wear a hat, scarf, and mittens.
• Avoid frostbite.
• If you have to do heavy outdoor chores, dress warmly and work slowly.
• Avoid walking on ice or getting wet.
• Notify friends and family where you will be before you go hiking, camping, or skiing.
• Avoid traveling on ice-covered roads, overpasses, and bridges if at all possible.
• If you are stranded, it is safest to stay in your car.

Information from the CDC online resource for Emergency Preparedness & Response.

THANK YOU FOR 2009!

Mike and I would like to thank all of our clients for making 2009 a great year! With all the economic talk, we were a little nervous that it was going to be a tough year. BUT God blessed and the calls came in and we are so thankful. Also a big thank you to everyone that referred business to us. The majority of our transactions this year was due to friends and family sending their friends and family to us. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! We're looking forward to another great year in 2010! Happy New Year from the Butlers!

INTERIOR DESIGN vs. STAGING

When you are selling your home, it immediately becomes a product that buyers compare with all the other homes they look at. Preparing to have your home look its best is a very smart idea. However it is easy to spend time and money on things that may not help all that much, and could even have a detrimental effect. Hiring professional help to put your home’s best face forward is a relatively new phenomena.

Most Interior Designers think they can stage homes and most Staging Professionals think they can do Interior Design. There is some crossover, true, but the philosophies and purpose are very different. There is much more training, talent and skill needed to be an effective designer than most Staging Professionals possess. On the other hand, many designers don’t really understand the common sense or purpose behind Staging. When you are living in your home you usually want to express your individual tastes. You want it to look great, but you want it to be YOU! Enter the Interior Designer.

The objectives are different when you are staging your home for sale. You don’t want the prospective buyer to fall in love with your decor, or be green with envy over your art collection, or focused on your great black and white photography collection of your children and pets. You want them to be able to focus on the HOUSE! You want them to get a vision of how their things and their famliy could fit in it. You don’t have to pack up and move completely out leaving it empty, but almost every home needs a little editing. We all accumulate a lot of stuff and a little early packing is in order. Staging is not rocket science! Much of it is common sense. Much of this is realted to Clean Up...Clear Out...Fix In...Fix Out! If successfully accomplished, prospective buyers will be able to view your home at its best. Best because its good features will be discovered and enhanced and they can see and feel themselves living there. That usually means a faster sale and a better price!

Tina & Mike Butler

(918) 740-1000

ButlerTeam@cctulsa.com

SUMMER'S END

When the hot weather breaks and the mail brings the notices for the kids’ school, it means many things. One of which is the realization that the time to complete outdoor home projects is running short. You don’t have to read the Little House series to know that the way people survived was by spending the summer getting ready for winter. The limiting problem is always paint. You can’t paint outside when it’s below 35F at night. Every outdoor project needs the protection of paint to make it through the winter intact, and that’s something we need to get done in September. When the weather gets that slight chill in it, there’s a real temptation to sit back and enjoy what is left of the summer. It’s our reward for getting through the bad weather of winter. September can be a beautiful month and there’s still time to enjoy it, and plenty of time to sit in the rocking chair. The cooler end of summer lasts a fair amount of time, so take advantage and finish off those nagging outdoor projects.

Tina & Mike Butler

918-740-1000

ButlerTeam@cctulsa.com

LABOR DAY WEEK-END IN TULSA

The Tulsa Drillers have big plans for Labor Day Weekend, as they celebrate what will be their last games of the regular season at Drillers Stadium. The team plans many special events for fans that to mark the end of nearly three decades of play at the Tulsa Fairgrounds. The Drillers will host a three-game series with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City Royals) that will run from Saturday, Sept. 5 through Monday, Sept. 7. The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive special commemoratives Saturday and Monday. On Sunday night, the game is followed by what is being called the largest fireworks show in stadium history. On Monday night, after the final out, they will remove the bases, which will be taken using a limousine to a temporary location. The bases will be used in the opening game next season at Oneok Field, the Drillers' new downtown home that is under construction. Fans will participate in a countdown from 29 to mark the team's 29 seasons at Drillers Stadium. When the count reaches zero, the lights will be turned off. The Drillers are the AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Next year, the Drillers will play at Oneok Field, a new downtown park under construction now in the Greenwood District. Tickets for all three games are now on sale at the stadium ticket office. Tickets are also available at TulsaDrillers.com or by calling 918-744-5901.

Source: NewsOn6.com

Have a safe & fun holiday week-end from The Butler Team!

Tina & Mike Butler

918-740-1000

ButlerTeam@cctulsa.com