Last night as I stood on my front porch I saw a divine signal that Oklahoma State's homecoming was going to be one for the record books. A huge ORANGE moon! I know, I should have taken a picture to share with you, but I didn't have my camera. I'll take it home with me tonight in case there is a repeat performance. Other signs that homecoming is upon us: the fountain in front of the Edmon Low Library runs full with orange water, sorority girls and fraternity boys are walking around like zombies from sleep deprivation with stained fingers from all the "pomping", Stillwater street crews are frantically trying to complete small projects surrounding the entrance to the campus, and there's a turkey thawing in my kitchen sink right now (nothing says Homecoming like a deep fried turkey tailgate party)! The Homecoming walk-around is tonight, the OSU Basketball Bash starts at 9:30pm, Homecoming parade is tomorrow morning beginning at 9am and the game kicks-off at 2pm! Click here for a link to the Official OSU Homecoming webpage!
GO POKES!!!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Why real estate is a good investment
During the past few weeks, the financial crisis facing our country has caused many of their retirement accounts to suffer. I was visiting with a person that had lost $26,000 in just a few days because of the stock market decline. Lucky for this person I had convinced him to buy a rental property close to the OSU campus several years ago. I asked him if the rent check for October had come in yet and he smiled and said it sure had. He realized at that moment that if you have rental properties under lease, that the income stays constant during bad times. As a matter of fact, as this nation's financial crisis continues it's downward spiral and homeowners are foreclosed on, rental properties will become a better investment. Let's face it, everyone needs a roof over their head and if they aren't homeowners then they are renters.
If you would like to discuss using some of your retirement account to buy rentals contact our office at ERA Stillwater! We have a trust company that we work with to meet the IRS requirements of a IRA or 401k, we can locate the property and we can manage it for you too! Give us a call today!
If you would like to discuss using some of your retirement account to buy rentals contact our office at ERA Stillwater! We have a trust company that we work with to meet the IRS requirements of a IRA or 401k, we can locate the property and we can manage it for you too! Give us a call today!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Back in the Saddle
I'm sorry for the lack of posts in September, we just got very busy around Stillwater listing and selling homes.
It seems every day someone asks me about how the Stillwater market is doing and how the economy is effecting the market. These are complex times that we live in and I'll answer the questions for you to the best of my ability. As of August 31, 2008 we have sold 629 houses to last year's 626, so a very very slight increase in sales. The median home sale price is up $2,750 to $135,000 while the average home sale price is up $7,012 to $153,438. The average home price being higher than the median home price indicates that there are some very high priced homes that have sold which have lifted the average sales price higher. That's the good news. Now for the bad news, August 08 versus August 07 shows a significant decrease in the number of homes sold. Typically we don't like to look at a short term indicator like a month versus month, but the numbers were off so drastically that there might be a need to keep a close eye on this market.
Will the economic bailout help our real estate market? Will the stock market's rapid decline hurt our market? The answer to these questions will be revealed in my next post, but here is a preview: Hmmmm, my 401k lost a lot of value Monday, but my rental properties kept paying that same old rent which is giving me a 12% return on my investment.........
It seems every day someone asks me about how the Stillwater market is doing and how the economy is effecting the market. These are complex times that we live in and I'll answer the questions for you to the best of my ability. As of August 31, 2008 we have sold 629 houses to last year's 626, so a very very slight increase in sales. The median home sale price is up $2,750 to $135,000 while the average home sale price is up $7,012 to $153,438. The average home price being higher than the median home price indicates that there are some very high priced homes that have sold which have lifted the average sales price higher. That's the good news. Now for the bad news, August 08 versus August 07 shows a significant decrease in the number of homes sold. Typically we don't like to look at a short term indicator like a month versus month, but the numbers were off so drastically that there might be a need to keep a close eye on this market.
Will the economic bailout help our real estate market? Will the stock market's rapid decline hurt our market? The answer to these questions will be revealed in my next post, but here is a preview: Hmmmm, my 401k lost a lot of value Monday, but my rental properties kept paying that same old rent which is giving me a 12% return on my investment.........
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Oklahoma Rock Song
I'm not sure who came up with the idea, but if you look at all of the nominees for Oklahoma's Official Rock Song, you would see that we have a rich history in the rock genre. Here is a link to the voting site!
Oklahoma Rock Song
Oklahoma Rock Song
Thursday, August 21, 2008
What's Happening in Stillwater
This weekend is the big College Fest out at the Tumbleweed. Dirks Bentley is the main headliner for Saturday evening. The weather forecast looks to be outstanding for the entire event. For more information or to get tickets click here!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Buy of the week
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What a fantastic home! This roomy three bedroom home is located just a couple of short blocks from the Boomer Lake walking trail and picnic areas. Updates galore and priced to sell at $149,000. 2623 N. Monroe is this week's buy of the week. For more information and more photos click on this link: 2623 N. Monroe
Monday, August 11, 2008
Wonder what happens when your child loses their balloon?
OSU students build and launch a sensor into space
Stillwater, OK--Students from OSU's Radiation Physics Laboratory built and successfully launched a cosmic radiation detector this summer that reached the edge of outer space. Carried by a helium-filled balloon 12 inches in diameter, the detector flew for more than two hours and reached 104,000 feet in altitude. The device recorded radiation levels at the varying altitudes - information that will be used by NASA to develop instrumentation for space flight.
"This is really amazing," said Carl Johnson, a physics graduate student who designed andconstructed the device. "Our detector actually flew to the edge of outer space and then back to ground, and the whole time it workedperfectly."
take off The high-altitude balloon carrying a radiation detector, high-resolution camera, sensors for temperature, pressure and humidity, and a GPS launches from OSU in Stillwater.
In addition to the radiation sensor, the balloon carried a high-resolution camera, sensors for temperature, pressure and humidity, and a GPS module to determine altitude and geographic position. The balloon and instrumentation launched from the Stillwater campus and landed about 10 miles away in Perry. OSU engineering graduate and undergraduate students Joe Conner, Xander Buck and Ryan Paul conducted the launch.
Funded through a NASA EPSCoR grant, this project was overseen by Drs. Eric Benton and Eduardo Yuihara of the OSU physics department and Dr. Andy Arena of OSU department of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Art Lucas of Lucas Newman Science and Technologies also assisted on the design and development of the radiation detector.
Benton said the purpose of the grant is two-fold.
"The purpose of the grant is not only to develop instrumentation for use in space flight but also to promote student interest in science and engineering through experiments with high-altitude balloons," he said. "The best part about the project is that the detector was built from everyday materials and launched into near space from right here in our own backyard. This proves you can accomplish really amazing things with simple materials."
The detector serves as a prototype for radiation detectors that will be included in the Near Space Standard Science Platform, a program used by science students at high schools and colleges around the country conducting research on high-altitude balloons.
Stillwater, OK--Students from OSU's Radiation Physics Laboratory built and successfully launched a cosmic radiation detector this summer that reached the edge of outer space. Carried by a helium-filled balloon 12 inches in diameter, the detector flew for more than two hours and reached 104,000 feet in altitude. The device recorded radiation levels at the varying altitudes - information that will be used by NASA to develop instrumentation for space flight.
"This is really amazing," said Carl Johnson, a physics graduate student who designed andconstructed the device. "Our detector actually flew to the edge of outer space and then back to ground, and the whole time it workedperfectly."
take off The high-altitude balloon carrying a radiation detector, high-resolution camera, sensors for temperature, pressure and humidity, and a GPS launches from OSU in Stillwater.
In addition to the radiation sensor, the balloon carried a high-resolution camera, sensors for temperature, pressure and humidity, and a GPS module to determine altitude and geographic position. The balloon and instrumentation launched from the Stillwater campus and landed about 10 miles away in Perry. OSU engineering graduate and undergraduate students Joe Conner, Xander Buck and Ryan Paul conducted the launch.
Funded through a NASA EPSCoR grant, this project was overseen by Drs. Eric Benton and Eduardo Yuihara of the OSU physics department and Dr. Andy Arena of OSU department of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Art Lucas of Lucas Newman Science and Technologies also assisted on the design and development of the radiation detector.
Benton said the purpose of the grant is two-fold.
"The purpose of the grant is not only to develop instrumentation for use in space flight but also to promote student interest in science and engineering through experiments with high-altitude balloons," he said. "The best part about the project is that the detector was built from everyday materials and launched into near space from right here in our own backyard. This proves you can accomplish really amazing things with simple materials."
The detector serves as a prototype for radiation detectors that will be included in the Near Space Standard Science Platform, a program used by science students at high schools and colleges around the country conducting research on high-altitude balloons.
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