The BobHaywood.com Blog

If you read the title of this blog, you already know that this is going to be about the infamous leg lamp from one of my favorite movies of all time, "A Christmas Story."

And you would be right.

And so here is my Speechless Sunday pic!

How cool is that?  Even though it isn't full sized, I now have the leg lamp from "A Christmas Story" sitting on my desk.  Everytime I turn it on I can still hear Ralphie say, "There's only one thing that could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric..."

If you don't know the rest of the line, go watch the movie!

Taking the Emotions Out of Selling Your Owasso Oklahoma Home

Everybody knows that a home is an investment.  You buy it.  Values go up.  You sell.  You make money, right?  Yeah, sure.  That may have been the way it was in the past, but for many Owasso Oklahoma home sellers, the world has changed.  In today's Owasso Oklahoma home market, making a profit when you sell is no longer a sure thing.

I could give you all kinds of reasons why this is true, but I won't because we all already know what a mess the housing market is in across the country and here in Owasso Oklahoma.  So instead, let me focus today on what continues to hold Owasso Oklahoma home sellers back from being successful in selling their home.  I call these the "I'm smarter than the market brain farts".

Smarter than the market brain fart Number One:  "I can't sell this house for less than I paid for it!"  I hear this from so many Owasso Oklahoma people who want to sell their home, but can't.  The house sits and sits and sits.  Very few people come to look at it.  And whose fault is it?  The Real Estate Listing agent, of course!  You can talk to these kinds of people until you are blue in the face.  But sadly, many will never understand...or maybe...accept the reality that a house is an investment.  And sometimes you lose money on investments.  And the market determines how much a buyer is willing to pay for your Owasso Oklahoma home.  And the market is going which direction still?  Yeah...down and flat.  People who think they can sell their Owasso Oklahoma home for more than they paid just a few years ago (when they paid maximum asking price in a hot market) are living in Neverland for the most part.  There continue to be too many Owasso Oklahoma homes on the market.  Too many foreclosures.  And too many lower priced properties. 

Smarter than the market brain fart Number Two:  "My house isn't dirty or cluttered!"  Holy cow.  I'm not sure where people got the idea that dirty baseboards, nasty oil spills in the garage (under the car), animal smell, dirty walls, worn carpet, old wallpaper and/or a plethora of other not so clean features has become acceptable in Owasso Oklahoma homes that are for sale.  In Owasso Oklahoma we still have lots of brand new homes to pick from.  Ever climb into a new car on the car lot?  It is super clean.  It smells awesome.  And everything works great!  That's how new homes are marketed to the few potential buyers who are left in the Owasso Oklahoma home market.  When your house stinks, is dirty or has other problems you instantly put yourself into a lower priced category.  Dirty, smelly and clutter are dollars lost in asking price.  And further, an Owasso Oklahoma home that is not in good condition is a sitter.  It will not sell quickly unless the price is bargain basement priced. 

Smarter than the market brain fart Number Three:  "I love this house.  I'm not willing to give it away because someone else will come along who will love it too!"  Yeah right.  I may love a certain pair of old boxer shorts, but that doesn't mean I can sell them in my garage sale for $10.00!  That's what new ones go for.  Old used ones don't.  And sometimes old used stuff that has been well loved doesn't have much a second life.  Think Toy Story movies here.  Haven't seen them?  Okay, let me summarize for you.  Just because you loved the place, there is NO guarantee that someone else will.  And there is especially no guarantee that your love translates into higher dollars for your Owasso Oklahoma home.  Your experiences are not a new buyers' experiences in that home.  So take your memories with you.  Pack them up.  Store them away.  Get real with the market and get your Owasso Oklahoma home sold!

Look folks, I hate to say it, but here in Owasso Oklahoma, we are not seeing a housing market recovery yet.  That having been said, our housing market didn't fall nearly has hard as other areas either.  However, will our continued new construction, the mixture of existing homes for sale, foreclosures coming to market and an unsure economy and high unemployment rate, now is the time for an Owasso Oklahoma home market reality check.  If you want to sell your house in today's market, you may need a counselor.  Or you may need a good accountant.  Or you may simply need a good Real Estate professional who will talk with you candidly about your "investment."

Either way, you have to get off high center to sell your Owasso Oklahoma home!

There once was a dog groomer who owned a fairly successful dog grooming business.  Even when times got tough.  Her dog grooming business did well because she was good at what she did; grooming dogs.

However, she wasn’t so good at keeping her mouth shut.

One day, a regular customer came into her shop to have his little dog groomed.  This particular customer loved his little dog.  He often fed her table scraps and other kinds of people food that weren't good for her.  But that was because he loved her. 

Needless to say, his little dog was on the plump side because she ate all the goodies he gave her.  But that was okay with her because she liked all that stuff that wasn't good for her.  And she liked being spoiled.  And she knew she was loved.

The little dog was happy and so was her owner.  Life was good for them.  Until that day when he took her to the dog groomer with the big mouth.

The dog groomer didn't think he should feed his little dog all those table scraps because they weren't good for the little dog.  And she said so.  She told Mr. Dog owner, "You're going to kill that dog by making her too fat.  You shouldn't do that."  Mr. Dog owner told the dog groomer lady how he wanted his little dog groomed and didn't say anything about her comment. 

Later that day, when he came back to pick up his precious little dog, he found that the dog groomer lady had not done a good job grooming her.  She had cut all the hair off the little dogs legs and made it so her little fat belly stuck out.  She looked like a fat, overfed pig.

And to add insult to injury, the dog groomer once again commented about how overfed the dog was and how he was going to kill it if he didn't quit feeding it table scraps.  Now, Mr. Dog owner had had it with this lady, so he told her to mind her own business (in a rather gruff voice).  He then paid her and left, dog in his arms.

Not too much later, the dog groomer lady called Mr. Dog owner's house and told his wife that she didn't think Mr. Dog Owner liked her very much.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This story is based on a true incident that someone told me about.  It brings up an interesting point for any small business owner, including those of us in real estate.  There is a time and a way to approach people with the truth and there are sometimes when you need to keep your mouth shut.

The dog groomer lady was obviously concerned about the health of the little dog, but the way she went about conveying her concern wasn't the right approach, especially when she gave the dog a bad haircut in order to highlight her feelings.  The end result was that she lost a customer.  And she lost more than that too.  She lost potential future business.  This unhappy previous customer is now sharing with his friends what happened to him.  And word will spread around their community.  And people will retell the story.  And they'll talk about what happened.  And you know what will happen.  Many won't go to the Dog Groomer Lady anymore, lest they and their pet receive the same kind of treatment.

Lucky for the Dog Groomer that this particular customer is not Internet savvy nor vengeful.  If he was, can you imagine the reviews that might pop up online about her business?  (You have checked your online profile lately haven't you?)

The lesson here is to know when to mind your own business and when to know how to approach people and to know what needs to be discussed and what doesn't.  I could go into what conversations one must have (child neglect, abuse, etc), but that's another blog for another time.

For today, let us just remember this.  In business, personal opinions about other people's lives, habits and choices must always be measured against whether or not what you believe has to be said and whether or not you're willing to risk future business if you open your mouth. 

Is it illegal?  Of course, open your mouth.

Is it anything else?  Open your mouth?  Don't say anything?  Talk to others?  You'll have to decide.

One thing not to do for sure is not to take your anger out by giving the little dog a bad haircut!

A father and husband, out of anger and favoritism, calls his wife and non-favored child, f'n b's.   He is overheard by others, who are rightfully embarrased.

A mom threatens to put down her teenage daughter's dog because they have no money for dog food and the bills are too much...too overwhelming.  The daughter, in tears, has to give her beloved pet to a family who will care for the animal.

A brand new house sits empty.  Now full of cobwebs, it has been vacant since the builder abandoned it, not quite finished.  What could be a beautiful home, is now an empty shell and a drain on the bank that financed it instead of an income producing asset.

All of these are real life pictures of real estate, the job market and life in general in 2011 that I have witnessed.  And each of them brings me back to something that I often wonder about.  And that is this.

"Why do some people overcome and handle pressures, tough situations and market downturns while others can't, don't or won't."

I'm not sure I know the answer to that question.

I am sure that it probably involves morals, personal conviction, upbringing, DNA, chance, work ethic, maturity and a host of other things as well.

And it kind of reminds me of many home sellers who I run across these days.  Too often they'll list their house at the high end of the price spectrum reasoning, "We can always come down."  Or they will refuse to paint walls or clean the clutter out of the house, when those simple steps would greatly increase the chances of their home selling. 

Why is it that some people overcome while others can't, don't or won't?

I had one home seller recently who I met with to list their property.  We discussed price and condition of the home.  They listened and chose to list the house at a reasonable price.  Then then got busy, cleaned out the stuff, painted the knicks in the red wall, shampooed the carpet and made the yard look great.

The house went under contract in less than two weeks.   Now they get to go out and chase their dreams by finding another house for their growing family.  How cool is that?!

Like I said, I'm not sure why some people thrive in down markets while others mope around in self pity and despair, but they do.  And it seems like you run into more people who fall on the "I'm not doing so well" side than you do on the "I'm conquering and kicking butt" side these days.

Why is that?  I don't know.  But what I do know is that those who refuse to let these tough times get them down and those who listen to good advice and those who chose to love instead of blame, hate and threaten...well, those are the kind of folks who do pretty well in life...in good times or bad. 

Ever feel like you're being watched? Kind of creepy isn't it?

This happened yesterday morning while I was out garage selling with my garage selling friend.

We pulled up to a house and I noticed this guy standing in his garage watching the garage sale. When we came back to the car, the guy was still standing there. Only he hadn't moved an inch. I thought, "Hey, that guy is watching us!"

Then when we pulled away, I found out why he was watching us! Can you figure it out?

 Still no? How about a closer look...

 Yep, it's a punching dummy! LOL

Welcome Home to 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021
MLS 1118629

This great house, located at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021 has a unique feature. It has a Collinsville Oklahoma address, but it is located within the Owasso Oklahoma school district. But this is not unusual. Here in the Owasso area, we have several neighborhoods on our northern boundary that share this same unique set up.

There are some other unique and wonderful things about this great home at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021. One would be the Brookfield Crossing neighborhood. Why is that unique and wonderful? Because Brookfield Crossing is a quiet neighborhood located just off the German Corner intersection, close to the new Reasor's Grocery store, just down the street from our newest McDonalds and Sonic and close to both Highway 169 and 75, both of which will take you towards Tulsa or north to Kansas.

Now that I've told you about the location of this wonderful home, located at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021, let's take a tour of the home.

We begin with the open floorplan. This popular floorplan offers an open dining area, kitchen and living room with a vaulted ceiling and fireplace. Here you can see the kitchen and the dining area. You can already begin to see the beauty of this home, located at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021.

 Here you can see the living room with the fireplace and the high vaulted ceiling.

In this view of the living room, you can see the staircase that goes upstairs to the bonus room, gameroom or 4th bedroom, depending on your preference. You can also see the doorway to two of the downstairs bedrooms. The kitchen is just to the back of the picture on the right side, by the stools.

 And here's one more look at the kitchen, showing the openness and connectedness of the floorplan.

Now that you've seen the living room and the kitchen, let me show you the rest of the features in this great home at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021 in Brookfield Crossing. One of the things everyone loves about this home is the front room. This room can be used for a variety of functions, such as a bedroom, an office or a formal dining room. I've even seen it set up as a second living area.

This is the master bedroom. You can see the entry to the master bathroom in the back of the picture. We'll look into that room in a moment. The large master closet is to the left of the room out of the picture.

In this view of the master bedroom, you can see the master closet and the beautiful double trayed ceiling.

Now, let's take a look at the master bathroom. You'll love the jetted corner whirlpool tub, the double sinks, pantry and separate shower. Here you can see the double vanities and the corner tub.

And here's a look at the separate shower.

Now that you've seen the master bedroom and bathroom, let me show you the other bedrooms and features of this great home, located at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021 in Brookfield Crossing.

Here are the bedrooms and the downstairs hall bathroom.

If you're counting, these two bedrooms added to the front room and the master bedroom, equals four bedrooms!

Now let's take a look upstairs. The room you are about to see makes a great game room. And check this out...it can be used as a 5th bedroom too! The room has a closet and half bathroom. Quite often, this room is one of the favorite places in the whole house!

Now that you've seen the inside of this great home, located at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021 in Brookfield Crossing, let's take a look at the outside. Here's a picture of the large backyard.

 Here's a closer look at the back of the house showing the covered back porch.

Now, let me show you where this great home at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021 in Brookfield Crossing, is located. On this map you will see that the neighborhood is just down the street from what is called German Corner. German Corner is at the intersection of 116th and Garnet. It is named German Corner because there is a German Mennonite church that has been located there for many years. You will also notice on the map that I have drawn a rough box around the Owasso fence line. This is to show you that this home is located in the Owasso school district. You will also notice that you have quick access to highway 169, which takes you to Tulsa to the south.

Now, let's zoom in a bit closer, so you can see a better view of the neighborhood and some of the shopping and dining options nearby. You can also see where the home is located in the Brookfield Crossing neighborhood.

Now that you've seen the inside, outside and location of this great home, located at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021 in Brookfield Crossing, let me share with you the details of the home.

Asking price: $175,000
Square footage: 2142
Bedrooms: 4 or 5
Bathrooms: 2 1/2
Garage: 2 1/2
Office/Flex room can be bedroom
Open floor plan
Fireplace
Living room with vaulted ceiling
Master bathroom offers double vanities, jetted whirlpool tub and separate shower
Owasso Schools

If you're moving to Owasso, you'll want to be sure to check out this home, at 11740 E 117th Place North in Collinsville Oklahoma 74021 in Brookfield Crossing. You'll love the open floorplan, the large corner lot and the location to shopping and dining in Owasso. For a showing of the home or for further information about the home or other homes in Owasso, be sure to call the only Realtor® who blogs all things Owasso!

Originally Posted at: My Owasso Home

One thing I enjoy about working in Real Estate is finding the hidden gems of life that lurk in each home and sometimes, in backyards. Take, for example, this sign. I came upon it not long ago while showing yet another foreclosed house.

If you can't read the sign, it says, "Bridge to London." When I saw the sign, it made me smile because I could see in my mind a father and his daughter in the garage cutting out the sign or maybe a mom taking her to Hobby Lobby or Lowes to find a precut piece of wood that work for the entry sign that the kiddo wanted just in that spot.

And I could picture them in the garage or maybe in the kitchen, painting the background color and then making the star. And then maybe carefully painting the lettering so it looked "just right."

And then I thought about all the fun afternoons that little girl must have spent on her bridge to London. What adventures did they take? Who did they meet? What did they imagine?

I suppose the coolest thing about this little sign is that it reminded me of some of the safe places I used to play when I was a child growing up in Tulsa. Oh the adventures my friends and I had riding our bikes to TG&Y, hanging out at the creek, playing with our Tonka toy bulldozers and dump trucks in my backyard and spending time in the little red fort.

Of course, we all know that time marches forward and nothing ever stays the same. And we know the pain of foreclosure and the mess our housing market is in.

To a child I suppose that the foreclosure process simply means "we are moving." I hope it doesn't mean little ears listening in to a parent on the telephone begging for more time or eyes peeking around the corner and seeing a mom in tears or parents going at each other as the stress tears them apart.

I suppose we won't know for 20 years or so what this particular period of our history has done and meant to those who are the children of today. One thing that we can take comfort in is that children are resilient. And they are usually way more flexible than adults. But as we are out showing houses that once were homes, let us remember that the innocent spirit of a child can also be crushed and ruined if we aren't careful.

The next time you're out showing houses and the people you are with have kids, be sure to bend down on your knee, give them a high five and ask them their name. Not only will you light up their day, but you'll be surprised what it does for your insides!

If you've been a member of this amazing community for very long, you know about the value of friendships.  Since joining Active Rain way back in 2007, I have made some amazing friends across the nation.  Many are people whom I've never actually met in person, but whom are more supportive and provide better counsel than folks in my own company and/or community.

This past week I was in Durango, Colorado for a week long High School event with some kids from our church.  Needless to say, Colorado is not only gorgeous, but June Colorado weather rocks compared to June Oklahoma weather.  While there, we enjoyed lots of fun activities, including a day of shopping in downtown Durango.  As we walked around, I noticed a couple of Real Estate companies and advertising by the "big dog" agent in town.  But I didn't go in the Real Estate shops since I was sort of on vacation and also, since I was there with the kids.  High school kids don't have much interest or patience for Real Estate talk and time frames, so I was good with laying low.

When the week was over, we got up early (4 a.m.) and loaded the trailer to come home.  We were going to drive from Durango to Oklahoma in a day, so we needed to hit the road and make good time.  Once the boys rolled out of their beds, I went and pulled the rental van and trailer over to their dorm.  After loading their stuff, we were going to pull over to the girls dorm and load them up.  So we get started loading, do a last minute check of the rooms and get ready to roll over to the girls, who were waiting on the curb with all their stuff.

That's when we discovered that the van keys had gone missing.  And I mean missing.  They weren't in my pockets.  They weren't on the back of the trailer.  They werent' in the trailer.  They weren't in the van ignition.  They weren't in the dorm rooms.  They were literally gone!  Poof!  Vanished into thin air! Needless to say, this is a very bad situation!

Now, there is a very long story that played out over the next couple of hours, so let me shorten it up and give you the Reader's Digest version so I can get to the Active Rain part of the story.  Oklahoma is an hour behind Colorado.  The van rental company isn't in Colorado...only in Oklahoma.  Lots of messages were left on lots of answering services and cell phones.  The locksmith people in Durango weren't awake at 4 a.m. so they weren't answering their phones either.  Once we did start getting to awake and living people, we figured out that the answer to resolving our situation was one of three options:

1. Get the van towed to the Chevy dealership where a new key could be made.
2. Have the rental company overnight a key to us.
3. Find the keys.

It seems that new rental vans now have a chip in the plastic part of they key.  Most locksmiths don't have the equipment to program the chip.  And even if they do, you have to have the super secret code that only the van rental company can give you.  So that meant either find the keys or figure out how to get a key and fast!  Since I had a connection to the Internet, I found the Chevy dealership online.  I also found out that they didn't open until 9 a.m. and that their service department was NOT open on Saturdays.   That meant I needed to find someone who knew the owner personally, so we could ask them if they would help us out.

You know what my first thought was in order to accomplish this task right?  Find an Active Rainer from Durango!  Because Durango is a small town, surely they would know the owner or know someone who would know the owner!  This would be our most likely lifeline to getting that stuck van moving towards Oklahoma.  So I jump on Active Rain, pull up Durango and find...NOBODY!  Now remember, this was around 6 a.m. under a highly stressful situation, with little sleep.  Out of my weariness, I missed Durango in the list!  When I pull up Durango today, I find Marlene Gebhardt, Denise J. Storm and several other agents who are Rainers!  I swear, Durango wasn't in the list that morning!  So Marlene and Denise be glad I couldn't find you!  You would have been getting a desperation early morning phone call!

Why didn't I call any of the other agents from Durango whose marketing I had seen earlier in the week around town?  The answer is simple.  Because they weren't Rainers.  They wouldn't have known me from a hole in the ground.  Calling someone up early in the morning and having a connection like Active Rain is a powerful thing.  I know this because any time someone calls me from out of town and says they are a Rainer, I immediately feel like I'm talking to a family member, even if I've never met the person.  Calling another Realtor up early in the morning who has no connection to you and pleading your case to have them call someone just isn't the same.

When you are on Active Rain, you have a connection to other Rainers!  And that connection crosses state lines and Real Estate companies.  It brings a closeness and support that you don't often find in life.  For some reason, my AR friends are some of the best friends I've ever had.  I love that about Active Rain.

The lost keys story ends when my wife said a little prayer, tore apart the trailer and found the keys.  Somehow or other the key ring had become attached to a laundry bag.  Ask anyone who was there that morning and we will all tell you that those keys weren't there the 16 times previously when we all searched the trailer.  We took off a little after 9 a.m. and arrived home around 2:30 a.m.  Along the route we came across a major 18 wheeler truck wreck.  It was very apparent that at least one person lost their life.

Had we left on time, we calculated that we more than likely would have been at the scene of the truck crash a couple of hours sooner.  Somebody told us that that was about the time the wreck happened.

I read somewhere that all things work together for the good...

I hear it all the time.  And I've been hearing for the last year or so.  It usually goes something like this...

"NOW is the time to buy!  Interest rates are never, ever going to be this great again!"

And then it is usually followed by some kind of statement like this...

"Where are all the buyers?  How come NOBODY is buying?
There are SO many great houses out there and everything is on sale!"

And sometimes, even in the context of office meetings, it goes something like this...

"You all just need to get out there and sell! sell! sell!  Interest rates are low and blah, blah, blah..."

You know what I want to say to those kinds of statements?  "YOU'RE NOT TOO BRIGHT!"

That's not very nice, is it?  Nope, it isn't.  But it's the truth.  Anyone who is going around yaking about why the house buying public isn't buying houses right now is just stupid!  Either that or they just like whining about what they cannot change.

The reality may be that housing market is trying to get going again, but the bigger reality is that consumer confidence is pretty much still in the toilet.  Add to that high gas prices and continued high unemployment and you see exactly what you get - a slow housing market and recovery.

Oh, and add to the mix the increasing difficulty of obtaining a home loan and the increased requirements for more money down and you're just not going to see people running to the market!  3.5% down may not be a whole lot of money, but the reality I see everyday is that it is more than most people have or can come up with.  Investors now get to cough up 20% down to buy properties.  And while that isn't all bad, those who are trying to buy a house before their other house sells, are also getting caught in that 20% down requirement.  I've lost several deals this year over that one.  And while I hate to lose the paycheck, I really feel badly for the people who are literally stuck where they are.

The reality of the housing market is that it is sputtering at best (at least in our area).  We still have way too many houses for sale, way too many foreclosures flooding the market and pulling down housing values and way too few people who are motivated to buy something they are afraid they may have to try to sell if they lose their job.  Who wants to try to sell a house in this kind of market?  No thanks!

Why aren't more buyer's buying?  Because we're in a housing market correction that hasn't finished correcting itself yet.  And because of all the other reasons I've mentioned above.

I think the reality is that the housing market will eventually come back to more of a "normal" condition.  I don't think it will be the party of the 06-08ish years, but it shouldn't be.  That's what got us to where we're at today and the housing market can only afford that kind of party every so often. 

In the meantime, those who "wish" that people would start buying houses can just keep right on wishing.  It ain't gonna happen till the housing market conditions all line up just right.  Until then, I hear that it really is a great time to buy a house.

Now...where are all those buyers at?!

A couple of weeks ago was Memorial Day.  As is our tradition, we headed to the Park Grove graveyard in Broken Arrow to visit the grave of my grandparents, great parents and other family members.  Now that mom and dad live in Tulsa, visiting the Park Grove Graveyard is much  more fun because my dad knew many of the people whose graves are just...well, graves, at least, to me.

One thing we always like to do when we're at the Park Grove graveyard is to find Ernestena's grave.  The reason we like to do this is because of this...

This is either the arm or the leg of poor Ernestena.  My dad remembers that she lost her limb, but he cannot remember which limb it was nor how she lost it.  The limb was buried on October 6, 1925.

Just to the right of Ernestena's limb is...Ernestena!

According to the date, she died five years later.  That means that for five years, she may have visited the grave of her limb!  (My niece pointed that out).

From what I understand, Ernestena was of the Christian faith, which teaches that there will be a resurrection of the body when Jesus Christ returns to the earth.  I suppose that she must have wanted all of her body parts available for when that happens.

Of course, if God made the universe and people and planets and all the amazing parts of life like whales and dolphins and sunshine and emotions and stuff, then remaking a limb probably wouldn't be a big deal to Him.

Still, it is fun to find Ernestena's limb each time we go to visit Grandma and Grandpa's graves!