Click on the attached link for an update on this topic.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/33520633

 

Realtor.org has asked me to join their Young Professional Network  blogging team. Young Professional Network is an online place for young professional Realtors to discuss the business side of real estate and develop the next generation of leadership for our industry. This is a big deal for both me and Webster Team and I look forward to blogging about the ‘other’ side of the business.

Don’t worry; I will definitely share a link to my first blog post!

1.  Full Time - Your Realtor needs to be full time; not doing several thing - just in real estate. Real estate is a fickle market and can change on a dime. You need someone on your team that is keeping up with those changes. You need someone who's following the trends, viewing houses, attending seminars and workshops, and generally keeping up to date on the goings on in Kansas City. When someone does not commit fully to real estate it's the ancillary, yet very important, items that tend to be pushed aside.
2. It’s the number of transactions, not years in the business, that’s important – But more is not always better. You want to know how many transactions your Realtor has completed in the last couple of years but if they are a single agent working alone make sure they don’t have too many transactions – you might not get the attention you want and deserve if you’re transaction number six for the month.
3. Website - Check out the Realtor's website and not just the company they work for - See if they have their own website. Technology is such a key part of the real estate business these days. An agent that doesn’t have their own website (and a decent one at that) may not have all the tools they need to market your home to sellers properly.
4. Get the presentation – All agents should come prepared with a listing presentation laying out how they plan to market your home, information about them and their broker, and how the home selling process works. If you don’t automatically receive the presentation from the agent you’re interviewing, ask for it.
5. Have a look around - Did the Realtor look around your home on the inside and outside? Although the area and location of your home does have a large influence in the value of the property so does the home itself (for the good or bad). If you keep your home meticulously maintained – inside and out – it oftentimes has more value then a home that is left in disrepair. Home buyers like to be able to move right in with no work.
6. Were they on time? -  Realtors will work on your behalf with lots of contractors and consultants that are just as busy as everyone else. If they don’t show up on time for you (who is interviewing them) do you have confidence that they will be prompted with the inspector, appraiser, and electrician? Late arrival or missed appointments could potentially delay the closing of your home.
7. Solid Stats - Did the Realtor present some solid facts and figures that show why you should use them?
8. Testimonials - Do they have testimonials or referrals that you can follow up on? You will probably have to ask for contact details but all agents should have at least 2 or 3 people that that are more then willing to speak with potential clients about the agent’s services. You should also be able to find testimonials (with no contact info) just about anywhere the agent is present: on their website, the listing presentation information, Facebook, Zillow, Trulia, the list goes on and on – there should be no shortage of praise.
9. Technology – Social media and online is future of the real estate industry. See how much the Realtor understands about new technology; websites, etc. The best way to do this is to do a Google search for the person’s name or company name. You might want to also check the key websites like Twitter, Zillow, Facebook, etc.
10. Commissions – Remember this is a business transaction you are entering into with your Realtor. If you select a Realtor because they were willing to cut their commission the most what do you think could happen when they are negotiating the sale of your home on your behalf? More often then not, you will get what you pay for.

 

 

Another meticulously maintained and updated home in Olathe's prestigious Briarwood subdivision. Home boasts custom oak cabinetry, new carpet, lighting, counters, sinks, faucets, and fresh paint inside and out in warm Tuscan colors. Large living room, dining room, and hearth room. Second master bedroom is perfect for a Mother-in-law suite with elevator  and handicap access for wheelchair. VERY CLEAN!!

If you would like to know more about this property and view the photos please click here to view the MLS listing. 

This meticulously maintained, updated, and smoke-free home is a super value in Johnson County. Home has four bedrooms, fabulous front deck, large fenced yard, and mature trees. Fresh paint inside and out in current colors. New carpet, lighting, tile, counters, mirrors, etc! Large living room and dining room. Two bedrooms are large enough to be master bedrooms! Quiet, established neighborhood. SUPER CLEAN!!!

If you would like to know more about this property and view the beautiful pictures please click here to view the MLS listing.

Everyone in real estate has their mind on one thing: What's going to happen on December 1st?

Realtor.org reported yesterday that bills are pending in both the US House and the Senate to extend the current credit - but don't expect to receive more money or for it to be extended to all home buyers - if the bill is extended at all.

If you're still on the fence about purchasing your first home, now is the time to jump down! To take advantage of the current tax credit you must have closed on your home by November 30. 2009 - but with the Thanksgiving holiday we suggest closing by the middle of November.

Banks and title companies are busier than ever because of this credit, so it's taking more than the average 30 days to close on a home. If you add in the 6-8 weeks it could take to see what is available in the market and have an offer accepted, you should really start looking now.

Of course, Webster Team is here to help you throughout the whole process! 

As every first time home buyer knows, time is running out to cash in on the Federal Government's First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit. As I've said before, and will say again-right now, the tax credit is a nice incentive but should not be the only reason you chose to purchase a home. You need to be ready for the commitment: financially, emotionally, and physically.

Here is an article from the Wall Street Journal about an over zealous first time home buyer. He lost sight of the reason to purchase a home and it almost cost him - big.

Remember to use a knowledgable buyer's agent (someone that works for you - not the seller) and know what the property is worth. Homes should not be purchased on PRICE alone - make sure you understand the VALUE of the home. Each person's situation is different, do not force yourself into believing that you are ready for home ownership if you know, deep down, you're not. And when you feel you are ready to purchase a home - give Webster Team a call!

Everyone wants the best deal they can - on a home, on a car, even on a gallon of milk. But, did you know that by waiting for the 'bottom to drop out' of the market you can actually be doing more damage to your financial life then you think you're bettering it? Here's why:

 

• Interest rates are on their way back up. If you wait for home prices to decline another 10% but interest rates go up 1% in that timeframe the payment would be the same as if you had purchased today. 
• Waiting for the right time to buy can be expensive. Some buyers would still have more equity in their home today (even with the falling prices) if they have purchased when they were first considering it - instead of continuing to pay rent.
• Financing criteria is a fickle world. Even if you were a prime candidate for a mortgage a year ago you may not be today (and if you are today who knows about tomorrow). The slightest change in lending laws or your personal financial situation can greatly affect your ability to qualify for the loan.  

 

Now is not just a great time for first time home buyers to purchase a new home. It is also a wonderful time for people looking to move out of their first home and into something a little more 'roomy' (pun slightly intended).

Approximately 50% of the home buyers out there today are first time home buyers (normally it is half that amount)- that means if you have a first home to sell you have a huge market available to purchase it. But home buyers aren't buying just any ol' house - homes are expected to be modern and move in ready.

So what if your home isn't? What do you do to get it up to snuff? Here is a great article from frontdoor.com about home updates that will give you the most bang for your buck when trying to sell.

Congratulations Bob on selling another home in less then 2 weeks. The beautiful home was only on the market 12 days - slightly more then Webster Teams' average of 10.5 days - and sold just slightly below list price.

Another great reason to have Webster Team on your side when selling your home. 

As a home buyer you want to find the perfect home for you and your family.

Home staging can make a home very inviting to buyers and get them swept up in the thought of living there - it helps to draw the eye to the focal point of every room to draw out the beautiful features of a home. Staging is so important that Webster Team has a resident home stager that is available to work with every seller on their home.

That being said, buyers still need to be aware of the other issues that are important when house hunting - it's not all sofa placement and pretty paint colors.

Buyers need to remember that there are other major aspects of a home that can make or break a deal, that are not as obvious - structural issues, plumbing, electrical, building codes just to name a few.

Home staging is not meant to ‘trick' the buyers or ‘cover up' any problems. It's like cleaning for a big party; you'd never want guests over with toys all over the living room and laundry hanging. But buyers, especially first time home buyers, can get swept up into the beauty of a home and forget about all the other things.

That's why Webster Team is proud to be Kansas City's Home Repair Realtors. With our repair and remodel knowledge we are able to detect major issues with the ‘bones' of a home even before the inspection.

Why is this important? By being able to pinpoint these issues early it helps in several ways:

• 1. It can keep the buyer from becoming too emotionally attached to a home that isn't of good quality - possibly saving them thousands of dollars in repairs and maintenance (you might not thank us now but you will later).
• 2. The issues can be used in negotiation of the offer price if the issues are correctable.
• 3. It keeps the buyer from having to invest too much of their valuable time later in the home buying process to deal with the issues, inspection of the issues, and repair of the issues.

Our knowledge does not take the place of a licensed home inspection but it does make a world of difference in how quickly and painlessly you can find your next home.

In case you haven't already guessed homes are more affordable then ever. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone is clamoring to purchase right now.

A family earning the national median income of $53,182 is able to purchase about 75% of the homes on the market today.

Want to know more? Click here to view the press release from yesterday.

If you're looking to get a mortgage be ready to spend some time (and maybe headache) in the process. There are lots of options but really three main catagories of lenders: local banks, direct banks, and broker. 

• Local Banks: Think credit union or KC's Cap Fed,  they lend their own money (using their own rates and terms) so there is no 'middleman'. These loans are normally a little more conservative then the 'average' loan but there is the opportunity to receive preferential rates ro discount if you are already a customer of the bank. 
• Direct Banks: Think national bank, these banks often lend in such high quantities that they have low overhead and may be able to offer lower rates. The normally offer a little better information online and you can make payments there. More often then not, they sell your loan to another bank (or Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac).
• Brokers: Work with several different banks to find you the best deal. They don't lend their own money (like the banks do) but find you a bank that will. Brokers work best when you have complicated mortgage financing needs. Since the broker isn't lending their own money they are not making money through the interest you pay, they make their money in the form of a commission - make sure you know how they are getting paid.

With heat indexes topping 100 degrees and very little relief in sight now would be a good time to remind everyone to be careful while out and about.

If you're like me and don't 'get' to sit in a nice airconditioned office all day then here are a few tips and tricks to cool you off.

 

• Don't forget to use sunscreen when you are outside. A sunscreen with a high SPF is the best. Wearing a hat is also a good idea too and don't forget the lips! You can buy lip balm that has SPF in it. 
• Drink plenty of fluids. Water preferably. Drink before you get thirsty. Thirst is a sign that you are already at least slightly dehydrated. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which dehydrate your body. 
• Stay in air conditioning. Visit a library or mall. Movie theaters usually are frosty on summer days.
• Keep cool! Try to stay cool when you have to be outside. Have a fan or something nearby to keep you cool. They even make handheld fans that spray water. 
• Try to avoid being in the sun at the hottest part of the day which is usually 12:00 p.m. to around 3:00 p.m. If you must be outside try to limit your activity.
• Take breaks. It is important to rest and get cooled off and drink plenty of water when working outside. Another option (in addition to taking breaks) is to buy a cool wrap you wet and wrap around your neck.
• Do things in early morning. Do yard work and other activities in the morning when it's not as hot. Try to avoid doing your outside activities during the hottest part of the day.
• Head to a pool! Even though you're out in the sun, submerge yourself in a pool to cool off. Get out of the pool periodically to sit in the shade.
• Play with squirt guns or set up a sprinkler in the yard. 
• Take a cool bath. Add some peppermint oil to the water to further cool you.
• Take a hot shower. That's right, hot. You'll find that when you step out from under the water, the air feels cooler.
• Enjoy a frosty beverage. Slushies, shakes, smoothies and iced blended coffee drinks that decrease internal body temperature. Just watch out for brain freeze.
• Stick your head in the freezer. It's not energy efficient for beating the heat, but a few seconds with your head in the icebox feels great and refreshes at the same time.
• And, of course, my all time favorite; eat lots of ice cream. I think thechocolate kind with bits of brownie has the most cooling effect as well. If you don't believe me just try some - you'll be cool in no time! (And if you want to invite me over that would be OK too.)
 

 

Congratulations again to Bob and team for another super quick home sale! The Olathe three bedroom, 2 bathroom raised ranch home was put on the market Thursday evening and an offer accepted Saturday by noon.

Just another great example of how the Webster Team, on average, gets your home sold in less then a week!

If you have a house that you would like sold so you can move on to better and better things give us a call. We'll be happy to do our best to do the same for you!

With more and more people looking to buy a new home the topic of a down payment comes up pretty frequently - especially with first time home buyers.

Even with the programs out there that offer low down payments and even down payment assistance doesn't mean you can come to the closing table empty handed.

Bankrate.com has provide a nice article (even though it was written a year ago) showing ways to save money; and you might not even feel it! Click here to view the full article.

The last tip is my favorite and probably the most important one. Move your low earning savings account to a high yeild online savings account. You could be earning 2-3 times (or more) the interest that you are now by moving. Moving your savings does 2 things:

 

1. You are making more money-and really not doing anything for it or even realizing it!
2. By moving your savings online it takes a couple of days to get the money from one account to the other meaning you are making it just that much more difficult for you to dip into your savings without thinking - causing you to keep more in your savings account. I've been doing it for years and on more then one occation it has stopped me from buying those 'must have' shoes...

 

 Make your money work as hard for you as you do for it! 

I still remember the days when getting on a school bus at the crack of dawn and going to Worlds of Fun with 100 of my classmates to preform (choir, band, plays - you name it, I did it all) and then run around the park the rest of the day was the highlight of my spring.

Well, Worlds of Fun is opening this weekend along with lots of other great activities for the whole family. Here's a listing of all the wonderful things going on this weekend. 

KC has been named #26 on Forbes' Best Cities for Young Professionals. Last year it barely made the list - this year we jumped 13 spots beating out cities like Orlando, Las Vegas, and Phoenix!

You can see the full article HERE .

On that note, Kansas City has many young professional groups including one that I administer. Join us at www.kcyoungprofessionals.com

Webster Team made it to Twitter! Of course, we'll continue to keep you up to date with our blog but now you can get the 'play by play' on our Twitter page. Find us @WebsterTeam to follow us...and send us a message to let us know you found us from our blog.

Ok, maybe that’s a fib. There is no real ‘quick fix’ for a poor credit score but this little trick might help you to boost your credit score; especially if your score is right on the cusp of average and excellent (or poor and average).

Every time you receive a pre-approved credit card application in the mail your credit score is pulled to verify that you should receive the ‘great offer’. Although these small hits to your report are not detrimental, if you receive many of these types of applications in a short period of time they can add up – and even reduce your credit score by several points.

There’s a quick and easy way to remove yourself from these pre-approved application lists.

Step 1:

Go to www.optoutprescreen.com and scroll to the bottom to click on the ‘Click Here to Opt-In or Opt-Out’ Button.

Step 2:

Chose between the following options:

• Opting-In will put you back on the list if you have previously removed yourself.
• Opting-Out for 5 years is a quick (about 15 minutes) online form. Personal information such as social security number and date of birth is needed for both Opting-Out forms.
• Opting-Out forever requires you to print out the form, fill it out, and mail it in.

Step 3:

Complete the form.

See - super easy!

It will take a little bit of time for this to show any improvement to your credit history and score, the current offers need to have time to cycle of your credit history – and like I said before, it won’t move your credit from poor to excellent – but it may be just that extra little push you need to get a better interest rate on your next home.

Another upside to opting out: Less junk mail!

Congress has approved a new first time home buyers tax credit. All it needs now is a signature from the President.

The credit has been increased to a maximum of $8,000 and is now a true credit with no repayment plan.

This website will continue to be updated once the President has signed the bill into law.

With interest rates the lowest they've been in quite some time people everywhere are looking to refinance their homes to get better rates, extend their repayment period, and reduce their monthly payment.

Lenders have tightened up their lending requirements. Even if you were able to qualify for the loan a year ago you may not be able to qualify for the same type of loan today. Bankrate has given us a very nice article providing some solutions to common refinancing dilemmas.

Click here to view the article.

Did you get an economic stimulus payment from the Internal Revenue Service in 2008?

If you didn't receive a payment from the IRS or you didn't receive the full $600 per person ($1,200 per married filing jointly, $300 for each qualifying child) there is still the chance to do so.

Click here for a link to the IRS website.

For more information on how to receive this credit check the instuctions of the 1040 form you file.

Are you looking for something fun and different to get you out of the house this weekend?

Click here for a listing of all the events that are going on around Kansas City. From productions of classis plays, to club events, to concerts at the Sprint Center there is something for everyone – even the kiddos!

If you're still doing some last minute holiday shopping or looking for a place to meet with friends and family while in town don't forget about Legends at Village West.

Once again, they have posted a great coupon listing. Just click here, print out the sheet, and take it with you next time you head out that way.

How about super low interest rates? 

The Washington Post is reporting that the Treasury Department is  strongly considering getting involved with the mortgage industry to drastically push down interest rates to stimulate the market.

Click here to view the full article.

These lower interest rates would only be for a short period of time so be ready to act.  Call Webster Team to set up an appointment and have us start looking for your perfect home!

...for holiday lights! And if you thought the Plaza was the only place to find lights you are mistaken. North of the river, down south, east, and west there is a lighting ceremony near you!

Here is a list of places to see the lights and all of them run through the end of the year (some a little bit later).

Take it easy this year, go see some lights, and let someone else pay the electric bill!

In case the low home values and the low interest rates haven't enticed you enough into looking for your first home here is another incentive to add to the mix.

The first-time home-buyers credit is part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and is available through mid 2009.

Any homebuyer that purchases their first primary residence between April 9, 2008 and July 1, 2009 is eligible for up to a $7,500 tax credit (both spouses, if married, have to be first time home buyers). Even if you've owned a home in the past (but not in the last three years) you are still eligible.

So, how does it work? This is a tax credit; it is taken on your federal income tax return, and directly reduces the amount of tax you owe in the year that you buy your first home. This credit is refundable so you may even receive a check!

The amount of credit you receive is based on the purchase price of your new home. It is 10% of the purchase price, up to $7,500. This credit can also be limited by your adjusted gross income (AGI). The credit is phased out after your AGI is above $75,000 ($150,000 if you are married filing joint). For a more specific breakdown of the amount of credit you will receive please consult your tax adviser.

Ok, free money - what's the downside? This tax credit is similar to an interest free loan from the government - there is a payback period. Two years after you claim the credit on your tax return you begin paying back this ‘loan' so that the full amount is paid back in 15 years ($500 per year). If you sell your home within those 15 years the remaining amount of the loan is immediately payable.

So why claim this credit if I just have to pay it back? Don't forget about the time value of money! One dollar today is not worth $1 a year from now. So, when you have to start paying back the loan in 2 years, that $500 is ‘worth less' than it is worth today.

Confused? So am I, here's an example:

In April of 2009 you buy a $200,000 home and get the full $7,500 tax credit. You live in the house for 6 years (2015) and then sell the house for a profit. Starting in 2011 you begin paying back your ‘loan'. Here's a chart to show that you actually receive a benefit for taking the tax credit (assuming a 6.5% discount rate)

House held for 6 years and credit is repaid in full
Repayment	Nominal Value	Value in 2009 Dollars
2011	$500	$441
2012	$500	$414
2013	$500	$389
2014	$500	$365
2015 (remaining amount)	$5,500	$3,769
Total	$7,500	$5,378
Tax Benefit	(7,500-5,378)	$2,122

This shows that you receive a benefit of just over $2,100 for taking the first-time home-buyers tax credit.

Here's another example:

In April of 2009 you buy a $200,000 home and get the full $7,500 tax credit. You live in the house for 17 years and then sell the house for a profit. Starting in 2011 you begin paying back your ‘loan'. Here's a chart to show that you actually receive a benefit for taking the tax credit (assuming the same 6.5% discount rate)

House held for 17 years and credit is repaid in full
Repayment	Nominal Value	Value in 2009 Dollars
2011	$500	$441
2012	$500	$414
2013	$500	$389
2014	$500	$365
2015	$500	$343
2016	$500	$322
2017	$500	$302
2018	$500	$284
2019	$500	$266
2020	$500	$250
2021	$500	$235
2022	$500	$221
2023	$500	$207
2024	$500	$194
2025	$500	$183
Total	$7,500	$4,414
Tax Benefit	(7,500-4,414)	$3,086

What if you sell your house for a loss? In most cases, you will not have to repay any amount of the loan. (Again, speak to your tax adviser for more specific information.)

I want to do some more research. Where can I go? Here are some websites that you can use to determine if buying your first home is for you:

http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/preparing_for_homeownership

http://finance.realtor.com/homefinance/guides/buyers/

http://www.hud.gov/buying/

http://www.freddiemac.com/corporate/buying_and_owning.html

And, of course, Webster Team is here to help you through your entire home buying process! Please contact us with any questions or to set up an appointment to see homes.

Some people don't fully understand the importance of having a good credit score. A poor credit score can effect many areas of your life. It can determine the interest rate you can get on a house, car, and credit cards - it can even keep you from getting a good rate on your insurance. Your credit rating is a way for businesses to determine how likely you are to pay back the money you owe it. The lower the number the less likely you are to pay it back.

Credit scores range from 300 to 850; anything under 620 is considered 'subprime' and normally represents people with a blemished or insufficient credit history. A good credit score is anything above 750. Assuming you could get a loan in the current market; having a 'subprime' credit score can really cost you - about 1.5%!

Let's put that into perspective. Say you have a 'subprime' score and purchase a $200,000 home. Your mortgage payments will be about $200 higher a month than someone with a 750 credit score (pure interest). That's $2,400 a year!

So, how is your credit score calculated you ask? FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) determines your score based on 5 factors:

• Payment history - Having good 'credit behavior' will increase your score. Pay your full payment due, pay on time, don't have more then a couple of late payments on your report. Your payment history accounts for 35% of your overall score.
• Amount owed to total available credit - This is the amount of debt you have compared to the amount of credit you have been given. The best way to explain this is by looking at your credit card. Your credit card has a limit of $10,000 and you've spent $3,000 on the card. Thirty percent of your available credit is being used. That is better then spending $9,000 but not as good as only spending $1,000. This accounts for 30% of your total FICO score.
• Credit history length - The longer you've had credit the better your score will be. This is 15% of your score.
• New credit - The more credit you've apply for recently (like a credit card) shows that you need money and can lower your score. Shopping around for a good mortgage rate will not effect your credit as negatively as shopping around for new credit cards - just remember to do it in a short time frame. New credit is 10% of your score.
• Type of credit - You need a mix of 'good' and 'bad' credit; installment (mortgages and loans) and revolving credit (credit cards). This is 10% of your FICO score.

So, to have a good credit score pay your bills on time and in full, don't max out your credit cards or lines of credit, and stay away from applying for a whole bunch of new credit cards because you get a free t-shirt.

Knowing your credit score when you decide to start looking for a house is very important (you can buy a lot more house for an extra $200 a month). But it's not important only when you're ready to make a big purchase. You should monitor your credit score annually. Annualcreditreport.com is a great resource to do just that. It is a free service mandated by the government. Every year you are allowed to get a copy of your credit report from the three reporters (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax). These reports will not give you your credit score (however you can pay a small fee to get your credit score) but it will get you what others see when you have your credit 'pulled'.

Spend some time looking over your credit report for accuracy. If you see something that is not correct, report it. All the information should be found on the report itself or on the website of the agency. Wrong credit information can hurt your credit score just as much as right credit information.

And when you've taken a look at your credit report and decided it was time to buy your new home remember to come to Webster Team!

With the economy the way that it is these days sometimes bad things happen to good people.

 

Short selling a house is an alternative way to sell a home. A short sale, also known as a pre-foreclosure sale, happens when a lender accepts a lower amount for the house than the mortgage the house has against it. These sales are not easy to complete and it does require a knowledgeable team on your side to help you, but is becoming more and more common.

 

There are qualifications that have to be met in order for your home to be sold through a short sale:

• You are in default or near default status with your mortgage
• The value of your home has dropped
• You have fallen on hard times.
• You have no other assets to pay the difference of the short sale

 

This is a good alternative to foreclosure. There are still credit ramifications because it does appear on your credit report – but it’s not a foreclosure. And, sometimes, when you are able to sell your house in a certain manner, you may be able to purchase another house within a couple of years – this is something you definitely can not do with a foreclosure.

 

Most people aren’t even aware that this opportunity exists. This option is not ideal – losing a home never is – but it can help preserve dignity through a stressful situation.

 

Webster Team Real Estate would like to work with you to help sell your home through a short sale. If you have reached a point where your mortgage payments are hard to make every month and you are moving towards default status on your loan contact Webster Team to discuss your options.

 

Also, make sure your friends and family are aware of this home selling alternative. They may not know that there is a way to get ‘out from underneath’ their home. This is a wonderful alternative to the bright orange and green stickers stuck to the front door and windows of a foreclosed home.

 

Webster Team continues to be here to work with our clients to find the best possible solution fortheir housing needs, in good times and in bad.

Halloween in just around the corner. Yes, that means you only have a couple days to finish up, or start in my case, the costumes...

You can never be to safe with the little ones; so I thought you would like a little reminder of some safety tips.

A special thanks goes to the Los Angeles Fire Department for putting such a great list together! Click here to see it.

Oh, and parents, remember to try at least one of every type of candy your kiddos bring home!

I LOOOOOVE Halloween. It probably stems back to when I was little. See, my birthday is in 5 days and then right around the corner is Halloween - which I always thought was a belated birthday present for me. PLUS, I got to dress up and just ask people for 'presents'.

 So every year I get excited about the crisp air, pumpkin patches, apple picking, Louisburg donuts, and all the other fun activities that come along with fall.

Click here for a list of all the wonderful things going on around town (these are not necessarily family friendly). If you make it the Terror at the Train Station let me know how it was, I've always wanted to go!

Looking for something fun to do this weekend?  Don't forget about the KC Pumpkin Patch in Gardner, Kansas! Just hop on I-35 until you get to the 191st street exit and turn right. They offer way more then just pumpkins, click on the hyper link to see all the festivities!

 What a great way to spend some quality family time.

Congrats Bob; another quick sale! A great house in Olathe sold in just over a week for almost 2% over asking price!!

You didn't even give me enough time to put the specifics up on the website!

Looking for something to do this weekend? How about the Wild West Show and Bullwhacker Days at Mahaffie Farmstead?

Experience the 1860s with historical re-enactors—cowboys, Indians, mountain men, mounted cavalry, dance hall gals and more. Enjoy Mexican and European music, dancers, crafts, food, children’s activities, and stagecoach rides.

Here is a link to give you all the details and the hours of the festival.

Looking for something to do this weekend? How about the 77th Annual Plaza Art Fair.

Here is a link to give you all the details and the hours of the fair.

Here is an article I found on Bankrate.com. I thought it had some useful ideas and sometimes it's nice to hear the same ideas in a different way.

Especially in this time of rising prices it's nice to have a few ideas up your sleeve.

Congratulations Bob on your 'Five Star: Best in Client Satisfaction' award! This is the THIRD year that Bob has received this award; it is really special to those people within the industry as it is based off of the clients we serve. Only the top 7% of all agents in Kansas City are eligible.

Here is some more information on the award itself.

Here is Bob's award profile.

Just another reason why Webster Team is proud to be Kansas City's Home Repair Realtors!

As most of you know, Webster Team is a big supporter of the Special Olympics. We try to provide volunteer time whenever they ask for it and even give them a few bucks now and then...

I just received an email from the Special Olympics of Kansas and was appalled at the message that Hollywood is presenting. Here is what the email said:

 "Dear Friend of Special Olympics Kansas:

Special Olympics Kansas invites you and your friends to be a fan of dignity and join us in a campaign to stop the use of the 'R-word.' This week, the film 'Tropic Thunder' opens in movie theaters across the nation. While intended to be a satire on Hollywood actors and producers, the film has a scene which is offensive and demeans people with intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics Kansas is asking you to help us in this campaign by boycotting the film 'Tropic Thunder.' We need to make a statement to Hollywood that we will not stand for this type of content that is hurtful to people with intellectual disabilities.

In addition, I would ask that you share this email with your family and friends.

Be a fan of Dignity, don't say the R-word. Visit www.r-word.com."

I'm really disappointed that Hollywood thinks that this is appropriate to include in a movie and will not be seeing it in the theater or renting it.

I hope that you will join me in this fight for equality.

Everyone's favorite part of back to school time is shopping...right? Yeah, mine either.

But, I've found some great coupons that should make everyone's day a little better. I love the Legends Shopping Center. It's a little bit out of the way but once I get there I'm always glad I did. Plus, when I find a great deal on shoes or a new blouse I'm happy for the rest of the week!

Click here to get a list of all the special deals going on for back to school in Legends Coupon Card.

When you go out there make sure to make a day of it! Shop in the afternoon, have dinner at one of the many resturants (the kiddies love T-Rex and Dave and Buster's) and then catch the T-Bones before heading home. It's a full day of fun on the cheap!

The new Webster Team page on Facebook will help us to better serve the members of the Facebook community. Of course, we will still have our website but will add our blog and other features to our Facebook page for added convenience. This Facebook page will also give you the opportunity to add your thoughts about Webster Team and invite your friends to become fans.

If you are already a member of Facebook become a fan of ‘Webster Team Real Estate’ to enjoy the benefits of getting updates from us right on Facebook through your mini-feed and inbox. Or, creating a Facebook profile is easy and available to everyone. But, you don’t have to be on Facebook to view our page. Simply click here !

Hello everyone! Most of you don’t know me since my picture isn’t on the website (yet!) so I wanted to introduce myself a little bit. My name is Crystal and I’m Bob’s daughter-in-law. I’ve been involved with Webster Team since the very beginning – in fact I was one of Bob’s first buyers and best referer. Then I married his son…

I have a degree in accounting from Emporia State University. That’s right, I’m a nerd. (But I like working with money and that sure comes in handy when buying and selling.) After college I worked in a big four accounting firm for about four years in the tax department where I prepared corporate and individual income tax returns. Although the job was great, it was very stressful and time consuming.

I’ve always considered Kansas City home; first in Olathe and then in Downtown KC and take great pride in our wonderful city. I hope to be able to share my pride with you!

I’ll be helping Bob blog about the happenings around Kansas City and other things I find interesting – oh, and of course the housing market…

 

I am so proud of our Keller Williams office in Overland Park!  For the last five years I have seen our office grow some of the finest agents around.  Our particular office has trained and developed numerous agent leaders who are now providing expertise in other area Keller Williams' offices.  We have just learned of two more agents spreading their wings!

Mark Willis is moving over to the Lee's Summit Keller Williams office to be a Team Leader.  He has been a great asset to our office and will be a great Team Leader in Lee's Summit!

Shannon Steere is moving over to our Shawnee office to become an Operating Principal.  She has been our team leader for the last two years and has done a tremendous job of teaching and helping the rest of us grow!

I am so excited to see who will come into our office next and be blessed by all the training and support that is shared here at Keller Williams.

I am generally known as the Webster Team guy, but in this case I want to shout at the top of my lungs.... "I am a PROUD MEMBER OF KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY PARTNERS, INC.!!!"

Bob Webster

 

Cool Tool!

For years I have been replacing washers on faucets.  No big deal.  I have always had a love/hate relationship with bathtub faucet handles.  Either they come right off and I am a happy person or they are so corroded that I end up practically pulling he whole faucet out of the wall! (not so happy)

I cannot believe I did not know about this tool that has been around for as long as I have. ( A very long time.)  It is a handle puller.  Very simple, there is a pin that sticks in where the screw comes out of the center of the handle and then two clamps hook on the sides of the handle, twist the knob and the handle pops off!  Who knew simple things could bring so much pleasure!

 

The other day I was heading across town to meet a client. Do I take 119^th? Do I take old 56 and cut back? How about the wonderful new 127^th street bridge?  No, not me, I decided to risk it and cut through town on Santa Fe.  You probably already know what happened.  I got stuck by the train...   While sitting there admiring the beautiful bridge construction, I wondered when it would be completed.  GOOD NEWS!  The trains should be on the bridge by late February ‘08! It will be completed by the end of 2008!

 

Here is the plan according to Olathe News - Dec. 17 '07

 

Railroad Elevation Project Approaching Milestone
The project to elevate the east railroad tracks at Ridgeview, Santa Fe, Park and Loula streets is approaching a significant milestone.  The first set of railroad tracks on the elevated structure are expected to be functioning and open for trains in mid January, weather permitting.  At that point, trains will be traveling on both the at-grade and elevated tracks.  Vehicles will still need to stop when the arms are down for trains traveling on the old tracks.

The second, and final, set of tracks are expected to be operational in mid to late February, weather permitting.  At that time all train traffic will be routed to the elevated tracks.

After the elevated tracks are functioning, train delays will be eliminated on Santa Fe and Ridgeview, but additional roadwork will continue for several months.  Additional work will also be conducted at Loula and Park Streets to significantly lower the roads, allowing for safe travel under the new bridges.  Those crossings are expected to open in the fall of 2008 with the entire railroad elevation project complete in late 2008

The City of Olathe is growing like crazy and part of that expansion is down College Boulevard West past Ridgeview road. If you had past that way a year ago you might have hit any one of the following:

1. Train
2. Pedestrian
3. Covered Wagon

BUT THE FUTURE IS NOW!!!

As of December 20th a beautiful Four-Lane road has been opened and contains the longest bridge in Olathe (662 feet!). [The 127th Street bridge is 520 feet doubting Thomas]. The bridge crosses over the creek, train tracks, pedestrian walkway, and any overzealous players of the Oregan Trail computer game.

So take a drive, enjoy the view, and celebrate progress... Olathe's on the move... and it's Westardly-ish... if that's actually a word.

 

I was at a gathering this weekend and there was some serious concern about how terrible the housing market is.

I tried to explain it this way...

In my opinion, there seems to be two markets out there.  One is torn up foreclosures and overprice unprepared personal homes for sale.  The other is correctly priced cleaned up ready to move into houses with home owners who understand what it takes to sell a house.

There have been many times that I have shown buyers the houses in the second category and the house is sold before we can make an offer on it.

The mentality of start high then drop your price just does not work.  These days, start high and you don't get showings.  Most buyers use a Realtor because we can analyze the area around a house to determine a fair price.  If it is not priced right, the buyers just go down the street to the next house.  Please understand I am not saying you need to price a house unrealistically low, I am saying price at the right price for the area and people will look.

The next issue is how the house looks.  If you have looked at houses to purchase before, you probably ran across one with the funky paint or smell.  We usually spend at least a month or more ahead of listing a property advising our sellers on what needs to be done to their house before it goes on the market.  Often it involves painting, cleaning and a storage unit somewhere.  The good news is the people willing to work with us usually don't have to put up with showing for long because their house sells.

Okay, off my soapbox....  The point is... do not panic about what the media is saying about the market.  If you want to sell your house and are willing to do what it takes, it will sell.  It is really not that bad out there for what I call the "normal" market.

President Bush unveiled his plan to remedy the Mortgage Crisis currently plaguing the country.

It's pretty simple actually:

1. Keep the rates from adjusting for a while
2. Give homeowners time to switch to a Fixed Rate mortgage
   
3. Allow the economy time to recover

SO... If you have an Adjustable Rate Mortgage... Now's probably the time to be calling your banker to get it switched to a 30 Year Fixed.

Not sure if you qualify for the rate freeze? Give us a call...

If you've followed the News lately or the Real Estate News Feed on the right side of this page you've probably seen:

1. The explosion of foreclosures

2. The seeming demise of the mortgage industry

3. And now... Several plans being presented to resolve the situation...

But what does this all mean to you? 

First, there are many opportunities in the market today!  You just have to know where to find them!  

In the past people have had any number of reasons to sell a home, now they have another BIG one.  

Second, there's going to be a lot more to think about when preparing to buy or sell a home than there used to be.  Banks are very interested in making sure they continue to stay profitable as some of their mortgages go into foreclosure.  If you buy a home be prepared for some additional hoops, having an expert - like me :-) - can help with this.  It you are selling remember to get your bank involved early so there are no surprises at closing.  Again, having a professional always helps and that's why I'm here.

Please, give me a call, and let's talk about your situation and how to make the most of current market conditions

WOW! That is the best way to describe the feeling I had after leaving the Special Olympics Fall Classic Games. Webster Team Real Estate volunteered assistance with the bowling competition held at AMF College Lanes in Overland Park, Kansas.

The Olympic bowling athletes worked very hard to get to this point. After competing in many rounds of games throughout the year, they earned theirplacein the final phase of the Olympics. Each athlete deserved to be treated with respect and honor.

What a blast we all had! I have never seen so many people in one large area having so much fun and supporting each other. It did not matter which team or person was bowling, all of the contestants cheered and gave high fives to that bowler as they came off the lane.

In these games the athletes are all winners! After spending the day with them, I felt like a winner, too! What an amazing organization and wonderful group of volunteers!!

I would like to thank Crystal Webster for getting Webster Team Real Estate involved in this special event!

Contact Me if you would like the full quality images!

My niece is a student teacher in Lawrence and was staying with us since we live so close on the west side of Olathe.

She had just bought a new car. A beautiful pearl white car. Within a few weeks of owning it, the car was plastered with bird poop. These birds must have been eating a whole lot of red berries (if you get my drift).  She took it to the car dealer and they said they had never seen paint stain so deeply and had the front of the car repainted.

Not three days after getting the car back she was once again hit by the (very full) birds.  (I need to mention she was not parked under any trees) She was very upset and called me to help out. I found out online that Meguiar's Scratch X is supposed to remove bird poop stains. We ran out and picked some up and to our surprise it worked! It took a lot of hand rubbing, but the stains came out! I thought I would pass this along as I was amazed that it worked! I also had no idea that bird poop could stain paint so deeply.

 

The weekend's here and it's time to have fun... but where? Check out our Local Events Guide . We've spent a lot of time gathering a collection of local event calendars so you can find just what you're looking for.

Have something we should add to the list? Please Contact Us or add a comment to this Blog Posting.

You've seen the commercials... you remember your freinds talking about it last year... now's your chance to get in on the action, the 2007 Kansas City Parade of Homes.

Grab your husband, wife, sister, brother, mailman or milkman and head out on September 16th - 30th to browse through some of Kansas City's most amazing homes.

Here's why we go:

1. You'll see how professional Interior Designers are decorating homes for Kansas City. Forget TLC, this is our style.

2. Looking for intersting landscaping ideas? You've got it.

3. Did someone say free snacks? Where are my keys...

I was on the Plaza for lunch the other day when I heard honking. It was so unusual that everyone was looking around. Turns out someone was honking to let a pedestrian know they could cross the street (odd form I know... hand signals usually work... but to eachtheirown).

This got me thinking... what a great town we live in where typically rude behavior like horn honking is such a rare occurence. Just another reason I love to live here.

Until next time... best wishes...

(Photo provided courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)

Hi Everyone!  If you were at the recent Mid America Nazarene University Football game and were listening to KMNU you might have heard us on the radio.  In each segment Bob goes through a different home repair tip from "How to Repair a Leaking Outdoor Faucet" to "Is that smell really my Furnace?"  We have a lot of fun with it!

It's a neat arrangement with the University Radio Station where we're able to help provide funding for their student program and also get some air time.  Can't beat that!

We'd love to hear any ideas you have for future segments.  Any home repair quandries you have that you'd like Bob to answer?  Please call us or send us an email!