Well, it looks like despite concerns from homeowners in Arrowhead Valley, the City of Edmond has approved the commercial development plan for a retail shopping center at the corner of 15th Street and I-35.While the developer did make some concessions to make the plan more appealing, the residents of Arrowhead Valley weren't given any time to consider them before the city council voted unanimously to approve the plan, according to reports. You can read more about this plan in this Edmond Sun article.In addition, the council approved the site plan for the Children's Safety Village on Covell. 07/11/2007

These days home-improvement is big business. As a country, we're investing more in improving our homes than we are in the stock market, retirement accounts and savings accounts. In general, such improvements provide a great return on our investments. Kitchens and bathrooms are probably the most commonly improved areas in our homes and generally provide the largest return in terms of property value appreciation.When improving your home, don't neglect the outdoor areas. Mom always said that what really matters is what's inside, but I don't think she was talking about real estate. When it's time to sell, curb appeal is the first step to courting buyers, so outer beauty is a must! Personally, I've spent a lot of time lately looking into different types of patios. You see, we have a ridiculo... 07/01/2007

Many Edmond residents may be wondering what all the commotion was early this morning. I had heard there was a serious house fire at 8600 E Waterloo Rd but didn't know the details until I found this story in the Edmond Sun. While this home is technically outside the city limits of Edmond, OK, firefighters from Edmond and surrounding areas responded and say the house is a total loss, having completely collapsed after the walls were blown out from the explosion. Fortunately, it doesn't appear that anyone was there at the time, so no injuries or casualties are being reported. The cause of this explosion is still under investigation.I found the photo you see here (taken in 2004)on the Oklahoma County Assessor's website. After several years in Edmond Real Estate and 7 years as an Insurance Ag... 06/28/2007

I am amazed at how many of my clients ask why they need a home inspection when it comes to them buying a home.  Most of them ask not because of ignorance but because they look at it as a cost saving measure (inspections in Oklahoma typically run between $225 - $300)  I can not stress enough that this is not the place that you want to shave your budget.Although a home may look in perfect working order when we walk through it there are many, many items that we might not see that could become a potential hazard after you already own the home.  A licensed home inspector is trained to test and examine everything in your home from the plumbing all the way to the roof.  At the end of their inspection (typically 2 hours) they will hand you and your REALTOR a copy of their findings.  Now, if you... 06/21/2007

While a few markets around the country are struggling or declining, the Real Estate market in Edmond, Oklahoma and the overall OKC metro area is still increasing at a healthy, steady rate. The following chart shows the monthly Oklahoma City Metropolitan Real Estate statistics for May 2007 as compared to April 2007 and May 2006.  May-07Apr-07May-071-month change1-year changeTOTAL CLOSED 19941725199113.49%0.15%TOTAL $ VOLUME $302,824,147 $257,832,393 $289,049,222 14.86%4.55%AVERAGE PRICE $151,833 $149,607 $145,177 1.47%4.38%MEDIAN PRICE $130,000 $128,000 $125,000 1.54%3.85%AVG. INT. RATE 6.02%6.01%6.22%0.17%-3.32%%SELLING PRICE TO LIST PRICE 98%98%98%0.00%0.00%DAYS ON MARKET 788370-6.41%10.26%NUMBER OF LISTINGS 8838859580082.75%9.39%ABSORPTION RATE4.434.984.02-12.42%9.25%The first thing y... 06/20/2007

The Edmond Real Estate market continues to show very significant signs of growth as we approach the middle of June, 2007. Last year, 2006, brought a significant rise in most areas of Edmond, Deer Creek and Oklahoma City and indicators are following suit in 2007. View the latest statistics here: (OKC Real Estate). CLICK HERE to see the statistics of homes sold in Bridgewater, located on the East side of Santa Fe, between 2nd & Danforth, from June 11th, 2006 through June 11th, 2007.   As you can see, the Bridgewater comparison from 2006 to 2007 shows some positive signs. Although there hasn't been much growth in the area and the number of sales was slightly lower than last year, the prices-per-square-foot saw respectable increases. The overall sales prices did decline slightly, but the sa... 06/12/2007

The Edmond Real Estate market continues to show very significant signs of growth as we break into the second week of June, 2007. Last year, 2006, brought a significant rise in most areas of Edmond, Deer Creek and Oklahoma City and indicators are following suit in 2007. View the latest statistics here: (OKC Real Estate). Likewise, the Valencia addition, located on the NW section of NW 178th & Penn, is seeing tremendous signs of appreciation and growth. View the latest statistical chart here. As you can see, the Valencia comparison from 2006 to 2007 is very encouraging. The number of homes sold increased sharply, due to increased building activity. This community began construction in Spring of 2005, so the number of closings in 2005 was limited and the community really picked up steam in... 06/08/2007

The Edmond Real Estate market continues to show very significant signs of growth as we break into June, 2007. Last year, 2006, brought a rise in most areas of Edmond, Deer Creek and Oklahoma City and indicators are shaping up well for 2007. View the latest statistics here: (OKC Real Estate). The following chart shows statistics of homes sold specifically in the Marble Leaf addition, located on the South side of NW 150th St, between Penn & Western, from May 31st, 2006 through May 31st, 2007 and compares these numbers with their respective numbers from 2005-2006:   2006-07 2005-06 Change Number of sales 45 57 -21.05% Years built 2004-2007 2004-2006   Largest home sold (sf) 1470 1522   Average home sold (sf) 1248 1236   Smallest home sold (sf) 953 953   Highest sales price $134,326 $131,25... 06/01/2007

Over the past few weeks, while exploring how to sell a home in our current Edmond Real Estate market, we've addressed preparing your home and pricing your home to sell. To achieve a successful sale in today's market, every aspect of the sale is equally important; from preparation, to pricing, to marketing, but one of the most critical areas is your selection of a REALTOR®. For that reason, we'll spend the next couple of weeks looking at a few of the most misunderstood or overlooked areas of hiring your REALTOR®.Your first goal when hiring your REALTOR® should be finding one that you mesh with on a personal and professional level; one you feel you can be honest and direct with and can trust with your financial concerns. After all, you're selling your largest asset, so you have to be sure... 05/30/2007

According to a May 28th Edmond Sun article, the city's search for a new finance director has concluded with the hiring of Ross VanderHamm. Although Mr VanderHamm will be paid handsomely, he says that money is not the issue, but rather being closer to his oldest daughter and his 14-month old granddaughter. The former city manager of Paola has already begun his new position and will participate in Edmond's annual budget hearings. Congratulations on your new position,Mr VanderHamm! 05/30/2007

Have you wondered where Home Plate Hotdogs went? I have. Well, worry no more! We haven't lost them and they haven't gone out of business as I feared. We can still get the same great hotdogs, gyros, pizza, Italian sandwiches and desserts right down the street at Iggy's. After Home Plate Hotdogs' lease was up, they decided to make some changes. We all know how difficult it was to get in and out of their parking lot and once you got in, chances are, you'd always have trouble finding a parking space. So, they decided to move down the street to 1710 E Second St. I'm guessing this might be a better location for exposure anyway. And they figured while they moved, why not change the name too, so everybody doesn't think hotdogs is all we make. Iggy is the owner's nickname for her son, so the dec... 05/30/2007

The Edmond Real Estate market continues to show very significant signs of growth as we rapidly approach the end of May, 2007. Last year, 2006, brought a rise in most areas of Edmond, Deer Creek and Oklahoma City and indicators are shaping up well for 2007. View the latest statistics here: (OKC Real Estate). The following chart shows statistics of homes sold specifically in the Thomas Trails addition, located on the South side of Covell, between Kelly & Broadway, from May 28th, 2006 through May 28th, 2007 and compares these numbers with their respective numbers from 2005-2006:   2006-07 2005-06 Change Number of sales 27 30 -10.00% Years built 2005-2007 2004-2005   Largest home sold (sf) 2569 2322   Average home sold (sf) 2001 1956   Smallest home sold (sf) 1805 1657   Highest sales price... 05/29/2007

In case you haven't heard, about 10,000 Edmond residents and businesses in North and Northwest Edmond, currently served by the Coffee Creek station, will be getting new zip codes, effective July 1. According to an article I read in the Edmond Sun, the new ZIP codes - 73012 & 73025 - are necessary due to the growth our community continues to experience. These changes will also position the Edmond Post office to handle future growth. Edmond postmaster Larry Chandler is cautioning everyone not to begin using those ZIP codes until the July 1 effective date and says that those affected should be receiving a letter of notification. Also, any mail addressed with the old ZIP will be recognized and forwarded for 12 months after implementation.For many of us, change can be frustrating, but the co... 05/29/2007

Once again, residents of Edmond have validation that Edmond Public Schools are amongst the best in the country. According to a May 24th article in the Edmond Sun, two Edmond high schools are in the top 5% of public schools nationally. Of course, we already know how blessed we are to have a great school system for our kids, and Edmond property values reflect that, but seeing two of our three high schools make Newsweek's "Top of the Class" list is very satisfying. It simply backs up what we take so much pride in and tells us that we're still on the right track.I don't know if this list is constantly changing, or if there was a typo in the Edmond Sun article, but at the time I found this, Edmond North High School is ranked 458th and Edmond Santa Fe High School is ranked 1,123rd in the list... 05/29/2007

The Edmond Real Estate market continues to show very significant signs of growth as we rapidly approach the end of May, 2007. Last year, 2006, brought a rise in most areas of Edmond, Deer Creek and Oklahoma City and indicators are shaping up well for 2007. View the latest statistics here: (OKC Real Estate). The following chart shows statistics of homes sold specifically in the Copper Creek addition, located on the SE section of NW 178th & Penn Ave, from May 27th, 2006 through May 27th, 2007 and compares these numbers with their respective numbers from 2005-2006:   2006-07 2005-06 Change Number of sales 51 65 -21.54% Years built 1986-2003 1986-2003   Largest home sold (sf) 2118 2253   Average home sold (sf) 1802 1785   Smallest home sold (sf) 1347 1365   Highest sales price $211,000 $178... 05/28/2007

The Edmond Real Estate market continues to show very significant signs of growth as we rapidly approach the end of May, 2007. Last year, 2006, brought a rise in most areas of Edmond, Deer Creek and Oklahoma City and indicators are shaping up well for 2007. View the latest statistics here: (OKC Real Estate). The following chart shows statistics of homes sold in the Homestead addition, located on the NW section of Santa Fe & Danforth, from May 24th, 2006 through May 24th, 2007 and compares these numbers with their respective numbers from 2005-2006:   2006-07 2005-06 Change Number of sales 20 22 -9.09% Years built 1996-2001 1996-2002   Largest home sold (sf) 2513 2645   Average home sold (sf) 2309 2443   Smallest home sold (sf) 2055 2256   Highest sales price $231,000 $231,200 -0.09% Avera... 05/28/2007

My wife and I had the pleasure of attending a private party at our friends' Oakdale Farm home last night, at which Neil Bush was the guest of honor. You may recognize his name as the brother of our current US President, George W Bush, and son of our former US President, George HW Bush and Barabara Bush. In case you're not familiar with him, this link will take you to a page outlining some of Mr Neil Bush's accomplishments, as well as plenty negative press, which is never in shortage in our national media. Our time with Mr Bush was quite enjoyable, with around 100 various guests, consisting of numerous well-known business owners, members of Oklahoma City Rotary, Oklahoma County Medical Society Alliance members, and Leadership Oklahoma City alumni.As possibly the only non-political member... 05/25/2007

The Edmond Real Estate market continues to show very significant signs of growth as we approach the end of May, 2007. Last year, 2006, brought a rise in most areas of Edmond, Deer Creek and Oklahoma City and indicators are shaping up well for 2007. View the latest statistics here: (OKC Real Estate). The following chart shows statistics of homes sold in the Cedar Pointe addition, located on the East side of Santa Fe, between Danforth & Covell, from May 23rd, 2006 through May 23rd, 2007 and compares these numbers with their respective numbers from 2005-2006:   2006-07 2005-06 Change Number of sales 25 37 -32.43% Years built 1997-2004 1997-2005   Largest home sold (sf) 2317 2276   Average home sold (sf) 1894 1933   Smallest home sold (sf) 1572 1582   Highest sales price $210,000 $210,000 0... 05/24/2007

Although it doesn't appear to have been highly publicized, the City of Edmond announced back in April that they've started a new program to help first-time home buyers with down-payment and closing costs, up to $5,000. Their goal is to ultimately help city businesses lower their turnover rates by helping folks who work here in Edmond cut their commute time. Edmond has always been known as a commuter town, since the majority of residents work outside the boundaries of Edmond, however, in recent years, more commerce has come to the city, resulting in a lower percentage of commuters. It's nice to see the city doing what they can to encourage these companies. I can see how this homebuyer assistance would be beneficial, not only in reducing turnover for local businesses, but also in helping ... 05/24/2007

   The City of Edmond has recently announced a new program to assist qualified, first-time Edmond homebuyers with down payment and closings costs of up to $5000. The program is funded by HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)."We want to make sure potential homebuyers are aware of this new program," said Shannon Morris, the CDBG coordinator for the City of Edmond. According to Morris, cities across the state have administered similar programs with great success. "I expect Edmond to set the bar even higher," Morris said. "For example, this program gives us a unique opportunity to work with local realtors and lenders to encourage potential homebuyers to consider Edmond."City Manager Larry Stevens sees the program as an indirect benefit for businesses in the city. "Hopefully this p... 05/21/2007