Wichita Gets Noticed!!

Wow, the city I live and work in selling real estate was recently voted number one on Newsmax. Wichita holds the number one ranking of the "Top 25 Most uniquely American Cities and Towns." Not sure what that's worth, but what I found interesting, and I agree, was that we were rated a 9 on culture.

It must be the underground culture. Really, you would never believe it by the things you hear about Wichita. Nothing to do, flat, full of rednecks and then we had that little mini scandal where they tried to ban teaching evolution in the schools.

When you take off the blinders and look around though, it really is a nice place to live. It's quiet. Family values are held in high esteem. I think there may be more churches than liquor stores. (that's an exaggeration, but there are a lot of churches)

The people are friendly, the business climate is good, taxes a little high, but we're working on that. The crime rate isn't bad and the hospitality is outstanding.

We have loads of museums to wander thru including a modern world class art museum.

The Sedgewick County Historical Museum is a wonderful old building full of rich Kansas history. One of my favorites is a private museum, The Museum of World Treasures, owned by a Doctor here in town who has traveled the world collecting artifacts from full dinosaur skeletons to ancient Egyptian relics to military paraphernalia from across time and around the world.

The opera company is well known around the area for it's magnificent performances and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra rivals any in the world.

Music theater of Wichita preforms stunning off Broadway shows that can easily compete with the real thing. On top of that the many playhouses and theater groups that dot the community are all fun and extraordinarily entertaining.

The Wichita Grand Opera is the best opera company around these parts. Some of the greatest names in opera are enticed to come here and preform. Many of the resident artists were trained right here in Wichita at the fine arts department of WSU.

There's a living museum, Cowtown, that is an exact replica of a small Kansas town in the young frontier days of our country. We have an Indian center that celebrates the culture of the first Americans that were here before our forefathers immigrated over.

Exploration Place is a museum of sorts built half in the Arkansas river for kids and adults alike. A really unique building design and a place to learn and play. Recently we had the world renown "Body: The Exhibit" on display.

Just getting finished up is the brand new arena that the people voted to have built downtown for concerts, games and shows. If that's not enough venue, there's the coliseum right outside of town where there is everything from monster truck rallies to horse and dog shows. The Sedgewick county 4-H club uses the coliseum for all of it's major events too.

Am I forgetting anything? I'm sure I have. We have the Arkansas River that runs through downtown and hosts the River Festival every year, can't forget that.

The town and surrounding area is full of lakes to fish in. If you like to hunt your own meat, the hunting in the area is famous for deer and turkey. Hunters come from around the country to bag their limits every year.

All in all there is more to do here than you can "shake a stick at". The really nice thing is the people. Friendly, down home, laid back and full of "culture".

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Home of the Wichita Grand Opera

April 3rd, 2005, 3pm at Century Two concert hall at home here in Wichita KS I experienced my first opera. I have been hooked, some say obsessed, ever sense. It just happened that the performance was Puccini's La Boheme, one of the greatest all time Operas ever written, in my humble opinion.

I went with my Mother in Law at the time who was a big opera and symphony fan. What a show. Act one when Marcello and Rodolfo were burning pages of the book and...well, if you haven't seen it yet, you should.

Here in Wichita we have a very good opera company. Besides our super talented Resident artists, the artistic directer, Margaret Ann Penn, also brings in some really great and often times famous outside help. Names such as Hector Sandoval, Zvetelina Vassileva, Marcello Giordani and even Kansas own Samuel Ramsey. The list doesn't stop there either.

The performances over the years have included Carmen, The Magic Flute, Faust, La Traviata and Aida, just to name a few. The sets are professionally done, elaborate and beautiful designs. The costumes nothing short of stunning.

If you should ever call Wichita Home and are an opera fan, you have chosen the right place to live. If the WGO doesn't have something to your liking, or if you just want more opera, the Lyric in Kansas City, just 3 1/2 hours away also has a really nice program. Tulsa Oklahoma, believe it or not, is famous for thier opera house. Again, just three hours away. There is more great opera around here than the biggest critic, or fan, could ever dream of.

So, are you an Opera fan, and if so what's your favorite?

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Who's Watching The Builder?

You have saved your money, planned, made a list of all you want, and had plans drawn up. The new home you have always dreamed of is now ready to be built in Wichita. Next task is finding a builder, and someone to watch that builder.

Do your research thoroughly. The best way to find a builder is through referrals. Find other people who have built with them and ask questions. If you already have found a good Realtor, get them to help. It can not be stressed enough the importance of finding a good and reputable builder.

There are good builders and bad ones. The one constant is that they are in it for a profit and are looking out first for their own best interest. Sure they may do quality work, maybe even be honest and ethical, but the fact remains that in their minds they come first.

When times are good every one and his brother wants to be a builder. It's amazing the number of small building companies that pop up. A lot of these are questionable operations and if a downturn in the economy comes along you may just get stuck with a half built home and a lot of wasted money. After the market does some weeding most of the companies left are good ones with a solid financial foundation. Even these reputable companies need to cut costs and find ways to save money and if their working on your house....well.

That leaves you, as the future homeowner pretty much at their mercy. You can read books, watch HG TV and it seems every new homeowner has done some “remodeling”. Nothing can prepare you for the actual construction of your home. You can't be there 24/7 to make sure it's being done right and to your standards. It's not the builder that does the work, but subcontractors. It's not the subcontractors that do the work for the most part, but their employees and those employees don't really care much about you and your dream home. Mostly they care about quitting time and the weekend.

Having spent nearly 20 years in the construction business, 10 of that in management, I saw a lot of what goes on. We were the people that watched over your house as it was being built and while we genuinely cared for the interest of our clients, the builders interests is always number one. Loyalty to the company and whatever policies it may have is key to collecting your paycheck.

That is why it is essential to have someone knowledgeable in the industry watching out for you and your interest. That is why you must have a Realtor. A Realtor will know their way around the local building scene. He or she will be able to recommend builders that maybe they have worked with or have some knowledge of. Having help to negotiate tricky building contracts always favoring the builder is a must for success on your project. When the time comes for the several different walk throughs that building a home requires, you will have someone watching out for your best interests. Last is the final walk through to make sure everything is done right and complete. It will be just you, the builder and his staff. That's when you need a Realtor most. Their there to watch the Builder for you. At the closing table his/her job is to make certain no surprises appear and that your building and closing experience are a good one. That will give you piece of mind and the insurance that your dream home is built to your dream standards.

Now you and your family can live happily ever after.

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It Takes More Than Just A Realtor

When thinking about services or employment in real estate an agent or sales come to mind. Selling residential real estate is a big part of the real estate business of course, but there are many other services offered. Services that revolve around investing in or buying real estate. There are many other career opportunities than just becoming a real estate agent.

Education is big in real estate. To receive a license to sell real estate one must first learn and study for the test. Special schools exist for the purpose of teaching prospects what they need to know to pass the licensing exam. After the license is received ongoing education is required by most states. Education in the real estate business never ends. Many different types of classes are taught at Universities, community colleges and real estate schools. Seminars are another way to get information and training.

A real estate agent works under a broker. A broker brings together buyers and sellers or landlords and tenants, what ever the case may be. Brokers negotiate the real estate deal for their clients, take care of paper work, and get the deal closed. This is also what agents do, but agents do it for a broker.

Real estate deals, transactions and activity usually requires the services of an appraiser. Appraisers are in the business of making appraisals, or finding the value of something. In real estate appraisers are needed to find the value of properties to be bought and sold. Banks require appraisals before they can lend money. Tax assessment and insurance adjusting requires the services of an appraiser also.

There are counselors in the real estate business whose service is to provide advise to people and firms regarding buying, selling and using real estate properties. Counselors have to have a large knowledge base of tax laws, investing, finance and real estate.

Property management is a big part of the real estate business. Large commercial properties as well as apartment complexes and sometimes subdivisions have companies that manage the day to day operations. Filling vacancies, maintenance and collecting moneys are some of the responsibilities of property management. In the process property mangers find ways to maximize income and keep properties maintained and profitable. There are property management companies and sometimes real estate firms have their own property management divisions.

Mortgage brokers are an important facet of the real estate business. Real estate transactions generally require financing. Mortgage brokers bring buyers and lenders together, much like real estate brokers bring buyers and sellers together. Some real estate brokers also hold a license as a mortgage broker.

To have real estate you need property development. Developing property involves sub dividing land, installing roads, sewers and utilities, and constructing buildings. Everything from construction workers to builders to developers fall into this category.

As you can see there are many jobs that are related directly to real estate. If being a real estate agent is not your desire, there are other services needed to get the job done. From finding the right parcel of land to putting the finishing touches on the landscaping to finding and putting a perspective client into their dream property. Every one of these services plays an important role and the end result couldn't be accomplished without the entire team.

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Good News For Housing

Good news for housing could mean bad news for home buyers. Those sitting on the fence waiting for prices and rates to drop are taking a pretty big risk. Interest rates are to low as it is to support this debt ridden economy and raising them could put a damper on the recovery. Know what "catch 22" means. It means we're stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Many economists and analysts believe the economic recovery in this country rests on the shoulders of the housing market. Once the market begins to turn around, as we are seeing clear signs of, home prices and interest rates charged on loans to buy those homes will rise.
How much and how fast is anyone's guess, but in order to fuel a recovery and provide momentum, banks, builders and sellers have to start making money again.

There was a 3.6 percent increase in housing starts last month. The largest jump since 2004, according to Bloomberg. Builders are feeling confident and putting up homes again. "It seems clear that housing starts bottomed in the first quarter", says Mark Vinter of Wells Fargo.

A lot of that buying is do to Government incentives and tax breaks. When that ends....

Forecasters had predicted a fall in starts. Home starts are still down quite a bit from this time last year but the improvements are solid evidence buyers are creeping back into the market.

Others, of course, say we still have further to fall. If forecasting was easy, everyone would do it. The one sure thing is there will be a recovery, just no one really knows when. (except maybe Goldman Sachs)

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Make Buying A House Easy With a Realtor

When buying a new home using a Realtor costs you nothing. He or She works for you for free. The benefits are unlimited however. In fact, searching for a home without a Realtor makes no sense at all.

These days most home buyers begin their search on-line looking through the many different Internet sites that offer MLS services and real estate sites such as Zillow, Yahoo Homes and Trulia. If your on your own sometimes there is a number provided to set up showing appointments, sometimes not. So right there your limited.

Most times the number listed puts you directly in touch with the sellers agent. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it leaves you at the mercy of that agent. As a seller agent they are responsible to look out for the best interest of their client. As your buyers agent they are also responsible for your best interest. That presents a conflict.

In a situation when the same broker is handling both sides of the transaction that puts him as a deal maker, or broker. In the Real estate business this is called a transaction broker. You can have two different agents, one representing the buyer and one representing the seller, both working under the same broker. The best interest of both parties is presumably represented by each different agent. He or she must be honest, ethical and completely non biased. This doesn't present a problem as long as you feel comfortable with the person making the deal for you.

You can see how having your own Realtor is to your advantage.

Having a real estate professional when shopping for a home makes the task easy, convenient and even fun. Your Realtor will keep you up to date as to what becomes available when it does. They will walk you through the process of buying from finding a house, to inspections to closing.

Many new homes come on the market and get sold off every day. You never know when that perfect house is going to come along so it's nice to have someone knowledgeable about the industry constantly scanning the market for you. When it's found your real estate agent can notify you right away and immediately set up a time to show the home to you and your family thus insuring you never miss an opportunity when it's ripe.

I know here in Wichita Kansas the housing market is very competitive. Homes can hit the market and have a contract the same day. It happens often. Many times a potential home buyer will see a house he likes only to find it's been contracted that very day. With all the tools available to Realtors these days it makes finding the perfect home for you a real possibility and not just a dream.

Remember your Realtor is your friend. He gets paid when your happy and not by you. Someone out there has worked it into the price of a house to find them a buyer. They are willing to pay to turn the equity they have in their house into cash. The Realtor brings you and that person together and brokers a deal where everyone's happy and gets what they're after.

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Still Renting?

Are you still throwing your money away on rent? Really, think about it. Every month you write that check and give to the landlord, never to be seen again as it disappears into his pocket.

Being a land lord has got to be one of the easiest jobs there is. He buys a house, just like you could, then lets someone live there while he builds equity and makes profit. Sure once in while he may have to fix something, or paint or whatever, but overall it's a very stress free and profitable existence.

I'm not suggesting you should become a landlord, although if you did you could be taking some other poor saps money, what I am suggesting is that you look into buying. Did you know that it's very possible, likely even, that you could be laying out less cash every month on a Mortgage than on rent.

When you own a home you in essence have a place to live for free. Every month when you make a payment on your house your building equity. Equity is money. That doesn't even include the improvements you make. More money.

Then there's the tax benefits. Every year when you file your tax returns for the money the Government has been holding for you, you can write off your house. Not the whole house of course, but things like mortgage interest and real estate taxes. There are write offs for making your home more energy efficient. First time home buyer write offs. In fact,this year, 2009, the Government will even give you $8000 to buy a house.

I have a story about a young man who used to work for me. He and his girlfriend rented. Every month throwing that money away, and every month complaining about it. Every month I told him “then stop it, go find a house to buy. It's really not that difficult. Doesn't have to be a dream house, just STOP paying rent! Later you can sell it when you want to move up, and make money instead of throwing it away!.”

Well, he did. Him and the girlfriend went out, found a small house with a nice yard, went to the bank and now they are proud homeowners investing their money in their future rather than wasting it. He is so happy. When I see him now he's bragging about his latest remodel project, or his garden or what he's doing with the money he's saving. It's really nice to see him so happy as opposed to complaining about being broke all the time. The whole process took less than a month, and he even broke his old lease because the numbers worked in his favor.

Here is an open question posted by a renter on a real estate site that asked

“I pay $800/mo. for 1 bed apt., should I just find a home for rent and hope there's an option to buy?”

Here is the answer,

“In all honesty you should try and buy a home and quit enriching your landlord, start building some equity for yourself and become a proud home owner. Often times in that price range, $800, you will lay out less cash every month for a nicer place that is your own. It's also a great way to hold on to your money and even grow it. Now is a good time too as economic indicators are pointing to an improvement in the economy which will mean higher prices and interest rates in the near future.”

So why are you still renting?

Click here to enlarge the cartoon!!

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