The begging of the new year is the most popular time to put a home on the market. Sales transactions are the highest in the first six months of the year. Four important but inexpensive steps will make your home shine at showings. Curb appeal is the buyers first impression so spruce up the plant beds by trimming shrubs, pulling weeds and planting fresh flowers. A few decorative pots near the walkway or on the porch give an added touch of beauty. Once inside, floors will be the first focus. Touch up scratches on wood floors and be sure they are dusted. Tired linoleum or stained carpet needs to be removed. Replace the flooring unless there are wood floors underneath which can be cleaned up. Grout needs to be repaired and revived. It will almost make the tile floors look new again. Finally, make sure any water stains have been remedied but first make sure the problems causing any water stains have been successfully repaired. These four simple improvements will help the buyer see you have a fabulous home ready for them.

If you need help deciding to continue renting or buy a home the link below might be helpful to you. 
​www.lendingtree.com/rent-vs-buy-calculator

but you may have forgot about some of the best places for quality service in Oklahoma City. I am excited to share or remind you of a few of my favorite places you must visit for a consistently enjoyable experience. First and high on my lists is Zeigler's Shoe Repair at 2148 W. Britton Road where I believe they can do anything and for a fair price. I have been there many times recently and they are are always knowledgable and friendly. Next up is the Grand House on Classen for Dim Sum on the weekends from 11:00am to 3:00pm. I think I am now considered a regular. There is a large selection of items which includes many dumplings and noodles that are always fresh. They even have duck, chicken feet, eggplant, delicious desserts and polite wait staff. Not far from the Grand House on Classen is We Knead You where you will receive the best reflexology treatments in Oklahoma. The inexpensive foot massage includes a full body massage and lasts one hour. Wear comfortable clothing since you will not be required to remove your clothing. It is amazing until you have to get up and leave. Go with a friend and let them drive so you can continue to relax. Check back and I will share more fabulous places with great service that might have been forgotten or overlook.

Fixed home loan interest rates seem to be on the rise from the record lows this year. Doug Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae does not think they will be that low again. There are three main reasons for the increasing rates. The Fed is going to stop bolstering the housing market as early as September. The economy is no longer reeling. Yippie! Improvements in the economy have increased since emerging from the recession. The market is getting stronger with more job hiring. The interest rates this week are still low with an average range of 3.82 to 4.12. The supply is low so it is still a sellers market. It is also a great time to buy before interest rates climb higher. Everyone can be a winner buying or selling a home

God Bless the people of Moore. 

Tornados are a part of life in Oklahoma so I need to comment on the basement and storm shelter situation. Yes, you can have basements in Oklahoma. Building a home with a basement is more difficult and creates an additional expense. A basement in an average home could add around $10,000 to the building costs. In financing this is only several more dollars a month over the course of a home loan. A storm shelter in the floor or the garage is between $2,000 and $3,000 extra. The main problems are a high water table and the red clay soil which shifts from expanding and contracting. This causes basement wall cracks and leaks which can cause a barrier to resale. This situations can be prevented by proper excavation, drainage systems and basement pumps. The building codes in Oklahoma require a much shallower excavation so deeper excavation is out of the comfort zone for many builders. Please consider a basement if you are planning on building a new home. There are plenty of builders qualified to build a safe dry basement. 

Should you paint your front door red? Painting the front door of your home has many different meanings depending on what country you live in or what century the door was painted. Hebrews believed a red door protected the first born. In early America it indicated a safe place for travelers to spend the night. According to Feng Shui it invites positive energy into the home. Painting the front door red in Scotland  was a sign that the mortgage has been paid off. Some people paint the front door red simply because they like the color and it is a good match. Go ahead and paint your front door red or any color you like for what ever reason pleases you.

Moving here from Chicago I often say in a joking manor "I blew in from the Windy City". People are quick to point out that I am now in the real windy city. They are absolutely correct. Chicago is called the Windy City because they are such braggarts about their town. The term was coined in the mid 1800's and often used by their rival city, Cincinnati. They also call it windy because of all the politician blowing hot air. As far as wind goes, Chicago barely makes the top 100. Oklahoma City beats out Chicago as windy by a long shot. We are in the top 20! I am told that many of the beautiful sunsets are due to the wind whipping up the red earth into the atmosphere. I love living in the best windy city in the United States.

After years of visiting I recently moved to Oklahoma from Chicago. I love the people and the increased number of days with sunshine. Over the years I have found many connections to new friends in the area. It often feels like we are all intertwined here in Oklahoma City. I like it! My most recent ah ha moment was when I found out the famous Chef Rick Bayless was from Oklahoma City. Frontera Grill and Topolobampo which are both owned by Chef Bayless are two of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. When you travel to Chicago skip the deep dish pizza and head to one of Rick Bayless's restaurants. You can even get his food in O'Hare Airport. I own several of his cookbooks and have seen his show many times. I highly recommend the books. Rick Bayless will be back in his hometown to host a cooking demonstration and luncheon on January 17 at the Saints Heart & Vascular Institute. This sold out celebrity chef event is a fundraiser  for the institute being held at the Rapp Foundation Conference Center.