Spread out in this spacious double wide mobile on 4 landscaped lots. Many extras include covered RV parking w/electric and sewer, storm cellar underground, storage sheds, two carports, generator and fencing. House features large country front deck, a spacious open floor plan, 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. This is a very nice setting and at a good price. Owner will consider selling all furniture with a good offer. Call Janis Ferguson at 580-678-8259.

Nice 14 x 80 mobile home that needs some TLC. Needs some work, but could be a great place. Sits on +/- 6.36 acres. Has rural water meter, 2 garages and workshop. Also has 30 x 60 metal building that was previously used as a bar/tavern. Very well built and insulated. 2 water meters, 2 septic systems, 2 electric’s, propane and natural gas. Pond on back of property is definitely a plus! Unbelievable views of Mt. Scott. Lake Lawtonka only 1 mile away. Close to Medicine Park and the Wildlife Refuge.  Everything is ready to re-open for business or simply move in. Seller will not divide or sell separately. One of a kind place! Call Richard Hixon at 580-585-0595 for more information on a deal you don’t want to miss out on!

Dream of Country Living? This is the perfect setting. Spacious home with 3 beds, 2 baths and sits on +/-3.433 acres with a large pond. Gourmet kitchen has an island, breakfast bar, breakfast nook and separate dining area. Large living area. Master suite has garden tub, separate shower and walk-in closet. This Southern Energy home is just waiting for a new owner. Enjoy your morning by overlooking the pond from the side deck. Elgin school district, located close to Lawton, Ft. Sill, Wildlife Refuge and Medicine Park. Call Janis Ferguson at 580-678-8259 today for more information.

Live on the waterfront in historical Medicine Park! This upscale, custom, tri-level home was built in 2007 and has approx. 2,000 sq. ft. of living space. The landscaped yard and covered front porch make this home very warm and inviting. On the bottom level you will find a great room with approx. 800 sq. ft. of open space, designer concrete flooring, which doubles as a safe room, and a small office or storage area. The middle level offers wood floors, living room with a corner cobblestone and wood fireplace with mantle, guest bedroom and a ¾ bath. The top level also has wood floors, kitchen and dining area, den, master bedroom and full bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower. Kitchen has a breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances, marble countertops and copper colored tin backsplash. All appliances, to include refrigerator, stay. Master bedroom and dining area both have patio door access to upper wood deck. Custom woodwork, window treatments, and vaulted ceilings all create a perfect setting. On the bottom level there is also a large storage area with gravel floor that is accessed only from the exterior of the home. Stackable washer and dryer stay with home. Home has a 58 gal. water tank and is very well insulated with low monthly utility bills. You can enjoy the view of Medicine Park and the water from the upper wood deck or from the covered patio below. Views of Medicine Park are not available from any other home in the area at this time. Located minutes from Wichita Mountains, Wildlife Refuge and Lake Lawtonka recreational area. Only 15 mins. from Lawton/Ft. Sill. When you buy this home you are buying a lifestyle. Words cannot describe this one of a kind beauty. Don’t wait for your viewing, call Janis Ferguson at 580-678-8259 for an appt. to see it today!

Peace and tranquility describes this rural home on 1 acre +/-. This total electric home has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and 2 living areas. 2^nd living area has a huge rock fireplace for chilly nights. As a bonus, there is a large indoor basement (indoor access) that is clean and dry. Home has been completely re-painted to include basement. The utility is large with extra cabinets and ceiling fans. All appliances stay. Stop by and take a look at the views from this unique home. Call Richard Hixon at 580-585-0595.  

Fabulous floor plan – loads of space and king size rooms in this nice home. Featuring a 18x18 family room with brick fireplace and built in book cases, kitchen has custom cabinets with lots of work space, all black appliances with breakfast bar. Living and dining rooms can hold large furniture perfect for family gatherings. The 3 bedrooms can also accommodate over sized furniture. Spacious bath, nice landscaping, large covered porch in back perfect for entertaining outdoors, a chain link fence and storage shed. Attached is a 1-car garage. This home is spic and span and very well maintained. This is a must see!!! Call Janis Ferguson at 580-678-8259.

What a home! This 3 bedrooms and 2 bath home is completely remodeled with the original wood cabinets and trim which is in excellent condition. Kitchen/dining area is separated with a breakfast bar, all new appliances.  The living area has an all bricked fireplace and lots of natural lighting. Large rooms with walk-in closets. All new brushed nickel fixtures to include ceiling fans, faucets, door knobs and pulls. All new satin finish stainless appliances. Baths all redone, new tubs, sinks, countertops and all tiled surrounds. Attached is a 2-car garage with door opener and a wood privacy fence.  Sunroom is not included with the square footage.  Located on a cul de sac in a great neighborhood.  Priced right and ready for a new owner. Possession is negotiable!!! Call Richard Hixon at 580-585-0595.

Just like new! This well kept 3 bedroom and 2 bath home has a great open floor plan with 2 living areas and a separate dining area. Home has large rooms and lots of space. There is a well established yard with a wooden privacy fence. Great location and close to Elgin schools and shopping. Owner would like to sell furniture, price of furniture to be determined. Don’t miss out! Call Carla Weaver for showing at 580-280-0715.

Immaculate describes this home. A Rusty redo just a few years ago. This beautiful home has 3 bedrooms which are larger than most with huge walk-in closets and 1¾ baths that have been updated and very clean. The large and attractive front yard has well established grass and landscaping. The back yard has a nice size patio with a storm cellar. As a bonus, Adams Elementary school sits just across the street. Such a nice, older neighborhood with excellent curb appeal! Attached is a 2-car garage with door opener. Call Richard Hixon at 580-585-0595 and take a look at your very next home!!!

Nice home in Greater Geronimo addition with approx. 1,465 sq. ft., 3 beds, 1 3/4 bath & lots of landscaping. There is a great room large enough for a family to enjoy. The updated kitchen has new European cabinets. Fresh interior paint, ceramic tile and carpet throughout. A very nice sunroom in the back with lots of windows and natural lighting. Storage shed out back with chain link and wood fencing, and a nice covered patio for those cool summer nights. A 1-car garage with a 1-car carport. Call Mike McLain at 580-512-1891 for more information.

The Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce announces December 4, 2009 that the Comanche County jobless rate is less than the State of Oklahoma and the nation.

According to the most recent Oklahoma Employment Report provided by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, Comanche County has a 5.8% unemployment rate for the month of October which is 1.3% lower than the state and 4.4% lower than the national unemployment rate.

“Lawton has weathered the national economic downturn far better than much of the U.S. and many areas within the State of Oklahoma,” cited Dana Davis, Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce President and CEO.

Comanche County’s unemployment rate raised a slight 0.6 percent over September.  A year ago, Comanche County’s unemployment was 4.2 percent.  Of the 46,370 available labor force in Comanche County, 43,660 are employed leaving 2710 jobless.

Lawton has a strong manufacturing sector which has avoided layoffs.  Strategic investment in product diversification by many of our manufacturers has allowed them to maintain market share and employment levels. 

Lawton also has a strong military structure.  Base Realignment and Closure movements to Fort Sill represent a significant investment by the Department of the Army (DA) in the Lawton Fort Sill Community.  DA announced that by the year 2020 they will have invested $4.4 billion to upgrade facilities at Fort Sill.

“Lawton is poised to gain thousands of new citizens by 2011.  The community, the Chamber and other organizations are involved in downtown redevelopment and beautification along with the development of a 480-acre business park and I am excited to be a part of it”, said Ed Cole, Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Economic Development.

P.S. Don't forget that United Country Lawton Real Estate Group is connecting buyers and sellers and adding value others can't.  We are the market experts!  

According to a local news media outlet in a story they ran last week, the worst is yet to come.  Well at least their innumerate real estate expert would attest.    

An ironic timing issue was the day after the local media outlet ran their less than factual report, Richard Mize with the Oklahoman ran a story on foreclosure statistics in the state of Oklahoma.  He reminded everyone that although you don’t want to ignore the numbers; you just have to realize that most sets of statistics are close indicators but not Gospel, especially those from sources that claim to be saying something about “the national housing market” – because there is no such thing, just thousands of local markets!

Take my Market Snapshot numbers, those numbers are pulled directly from our local MLS and are reported as correctly as the members report them.  So the members that are lazy or just don’t care and decide they don’t feel like reporting the status of the properties to the MLS in a timely manner can skew the numbers.

Mize talks about the reporting of foreclosures through a reliable internet source, RealtyTrac, as they boast that the FBI, Federal Reserve, Treasury Department and state agencies have used the numbers it crunches. 

Actually, when Mize asked, he found that RealtyTrac only reported on 33 of the state’s 77 counties, primarily the most populous ones.

Richard Mize’s article is good and you should check it out –

Most Housing statistics need some seasoning

I guess the point I am trying to get across is that you have to pay attention to local statistics from local people that are in the trenches every day working their butts off and gathering the facts the best they can.

The facts are this – Foreclosed homes (Bank owned, HUD, and VA Acquired) that are reported through Paragon MLS consist of 8.5% of our active inventory, new construction is 14.3%.  I will repeat that, Foreclosed homes (Bank owned, HUD, and VA Acquired) that are reported through Paragon MLS consist of 8.5% of our active inventory, new construction is 14.3%.

Lawton foreclosure rate is the same as it was in 2004, interesting fact is that five years ago Lawton ranked in the top five cities with the highest percentage of VA foreclosures, now we are not even in the top 15.

Over the last six months we are averaging 164 sold homes per month, $131,118 average sold price and 92 days on the market average.  Foreclosed homes consist of 15.7% of the sold homes and new construction is 19%.  Compared to the same 6 month date range in 2008 we averaged 134 sold homes per month, $123,879 average sold price and 138 days on the market average.  Foreclosed homes consisted of 14% of the sold homes and new construction was 17.1%.

So yes, sold foreclosed homes have gone up 1.7%, but new construction is up 1.9%, total market closed sales price is up 5.9% and homes are selling 46 days faster.  We have less than 5.5 months of inventory and new construction is right at 4....unbelievable!

In a recent article in the Lawton Constitution, Stephen Robertson reported on Lawton new home permits.  He stated that builders purchased permits for 18 new homes valued at $3.5 million in October, bringing the year’s total to 185, well within range to reach 200 new homes for the year for the first time since 2006; only 164 permits were issued in 2008.

To the guys and gals in the trenches every day - getting the facts right is a big deal.  So with the help from people like Steve Barnes and the other “A” Team Realtors, we will keep doing our part to make sure we keep spreading the truth and exposing your real estate market.

If you want more information on your real estate market conditions or have any information that would be helpful to share, just shoot me an email or give me a call!

Sure most of you have seen this and curious to hear what you think.  Not really sure this will work or even come close to working.  If someone cannot make their mortgage payment, not able to get a loan modification, then how is someone going to be able to afford to lease their home? 

Another question to be answered is what happens to the second lien holder if there is one?  Do you think they will not go down without a fight?    

The bottom line is if you don't pay your mortgage it's impossible that you can live in a place for free.

Check out the story By Tami Luhby, CNNMoney.com senior writer, and let me know what you think…

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Giving troubled borrowers yet another way to avoid foreclosure, Fannie Mae said on Thursday it would allow eligible homeowners to rent their own homes.

The Deed for Lease program lets homeowners transfer the deed back to their lender and then sign a lease to remain in the home. The effort is aimed at borrowers with mortgages owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae who do not qualify for or cannot sustain a loan modification. Borrowers must live in the home as their primary residence and must be released from any subordinate liens.

The program aims to reduce the number of foreclosed properties being abandoned because they often fall into disrepair and hurt the surrounding homes' values. Also, it keeps a roof over troubled borrowers' heads and a steady stream of income coming from the property. Tenants of homeowners may also be eligible for leases.

"This new program helps eliminate some of the uncertainty of foreclosure, keeps families and tenants in their homes during a transitional period, and helps to stabilize neighborhoods and communities," said Jay Ryan, vice president of Fannie Mae, a mortgage-guarantee firm under federal government control.

Homeowners must show they can afford market rent, but that payment cannot be more than 31% of the borrower's pre-tax income. Leases may be up to 12 months, with the possibility of renewal or month-to-month extensions. If the property is sold, the new owner picks up the lease.

"It really buys them time," said Paul Habibi, real estate professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management.

But in the long-run the program only delays the inevitable sale of the distressed properties.

While this initiative is not part of the Obama administration's loan modification program, the White House is leaning heavily on Fannie Mae and its sister firm, Freddie Mac, to assist in stemming the foreclosure crisis.

Freddie Mac launched a program in January that allowed borrowers to stay in their homes on a month-to-month basis after they go through foreclosure.

Despite the government and financial industry initiatives, foreclosures hit an all-time high in the third quarter. During that time, 937,840 homes received a foreclosure letter -- whether a default notice, auction notice or bank repossession, according to RealtyTrac.

Last month, Treasury officials announced that 500,000 troubled borrowers have been put into trial modifications under the president's plan. The program calls for eligible homeowners to pay no more than 31% of their pre-tax income toward their mortgages.

At the same time as it tries to ramp up its loan modification program, the administration is looking for ways to help those not eligible for adjustments. In May, officials unveiled a program to incent borrowers and loan servicers to participate in short sales and deeds in lieu. Under that initiative, borrowers get up to $1,500 to assist with relocation expenses and Treasury pays servicers $1,000 when the deal is completed.

Short sales, in which the home is sold for less than the mortgage balance and loan servicers may forgive the difference, and deeds in lieu, in which borrowers voluntarily forfeit the deed and the debt may be erased, are faster and cheaper than foreclosure. 

RISMEDIA, November 6, 2009—President Barack Obama has approved the first-time homebuyer tax credit extension which will extend the tax credit until April 30, 2010.

The extension is part of a $24 billion economic stimulus bill that will extend the $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers who are purchasing their first home from the current November 30 deadline and expands the program to offer a credit of $6,500 to homeowners who have lived in their current home for at least five years and are seeking to relocate.

The following details apply to the homebuyer tax credit expansion:

Who is Eligible
-First-time homebuyers, who are defined by the law as buyers who have not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase, may be eligible for up to an $8,000 tax credit.
-Existing homeowners who have been residing in their principal residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight and are purchasing a home to be their principal residence (“repeat buyer”), may be eligible for up to a $6,500 tax credit.
-All U.S. citizens who file taxes are eligible to participate in the program.

Income Limits
Homebuyers who file as single or head-of-household taxpayers can claim the full credit ($8,000 for first-time buyers and $6,500 for repeat buyers) if their modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is less than $125,000.
-For married couples filing a joint return, the combined income limit is $225,000.
-Single or head-of-household taxpayers who earn between $125,000 and $145,000, and married couples who earn between $225,000 and $245,000 are eligible to receive a partial credit.
-The credit is not available for single taxpayers whose MAGI is greater than $145,000 and married couples with a MAGI that exceeds $245,000.

Effective Dates
-The eligibility period for the tax credit is for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009, and before May 1, 2010. However, home purchases subject to a binding sales contract signed by April 30, 2010, will qualify for the tax credit provided closing occurs prior to July 1, 2010.

Types of Homes that Qualify
-All homes with a purchase price of less than $800,000 qualify, including newly-constructed or resale, and single-family detached, townhomes or condominiums, provided that the home will be used as their principal residence. Vacation home and rental property purchases do NOT qualify.

Tax Credit is Refundable
-A refundable credit means that if the amount of income taxes you owe is less than the credit amount you qualify for, the government will send you a check for the difference.
-For example:
-A first-time buyer who qualifies for the full $8,000 credit who owes $5,000 in federal income taxes would pay nothing to the IRS and receive a $3,000 payment from the government. If you are due to receive a $1,000 refund, you would receive $9,000 ($1,000 plus the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit).
-A repeat buyer who owes $5,000 would pay nothing to the IRS and receive $1,500 back from the government. If you are due to get a $1,000 refund, you would get $7,500 ($1,000 plus the $6,500 repeat buyer tax credit).
-All qualified homebuyers can take the tax credit on their 2009 or 2010 income tax return.

Payback Provisions
The tax credit is a true credit. It does not have to be repaid unless the home owner sells or stops using the home as their principal residence within three years after the purchase.

The www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com site is being updated. Check the site next week for more detailed information on the new tax credit.

For more information, visit www.nahb.org.

You have probably heard or read many tips for getting your home ready to go on the market.  Suggestions such as placing fresh flowers on the table, baking cookies, turning on the lights and removing family photos sound like good advice.  These suggestions do not take into consideration that most people work and are not home to turn on the lights, flowers die quickly and most of the buyers (80 to 90%) are looking online before they ever decide to visit your home in person.  We have 15 awesome tips we'll share with you that cover staging techniques for today's buyers and explain the "why" behind all you have heard for years.

First Things First

The first thing you need to know about selling your home is that in every market it takes the same 3 things to sell a home.  They are:  exposure, condition and the right price.  Many sellers wonder why their home does not sell.  If your home fails to sell, it is because something is missing....exposure, condition or the right price...

Exposure is our responsibility when you hire us to represent you.  Condition and price are in your total control as the seller.  All three working together is the only way to guarantee a sale for your home.  You may have the very best exposure in the world, but if your home is not priced right and in good showing condition, it will never sell.  You may have a home in perfect condition and priced competitively, but if you lack exposure, your home will not sell.

Our job as your REALTOR is to expose your home to every buyer in the world and counsel you wisely on correct pricing, market changes and how to achieve the best showing condition for the lowest cost to you.  Our primary goal is to get your home sold, in the time period you desire, and at the highest net price to you.

Shoot us an email if you would like to get those 15 awesome tips sent your way…

Email us at Info@LawtonRealEstateGroup.com, log on to www.LawtonHomeValue.com, or give us a call at 580.248.HOME (4663).

While its passage remains uncertain, the agreement would extend the existing credit for first-time homebuyers, worth up to $8,000, while offering a new credit of up to $6,500 for some existing homeowners, Senate aides said. The reduced credit would be available to all homebuyers who have been in their current residence for a consecutive five-year period in the past eight years. Lawmakers in Washington also raised the qualifying income limits to $125,000 for single taxpayers and $250,000 for joint taxpayers, from the current $75,000 and $150,000, housing-industry sources said. Under the Senate compromise, buyers must have sales agreements in hand by April 30, but they will have until June 30 to go to settlement, said the sources. The measure still faces votes in the full Senate and the House.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan are in full support of the Senate’s proposal to both extend and expand the first-time homebuyer tax credit and called on Congress to approve key housing measures that include the tax credit. "We welcome efforts taken by Congress to extend the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit for a limited period. This credit has brought new families into the housing market and contributed to three consecutive months of rising home prices nationwide," said Secretaries Geithner and Donovan. "In extending the credit, we urge Congress to include strict measures to combat tax fraud and protect responsible homeowners.”

The current tax credit did little for the new-home market in September, the Commerce Department recently reported—news that took many industry analysts by surprise. Sales fell 3.6% from August and 7.8% from September 2008. Industry observers had expected a fifth consecutive monthly increase in new-home sales, believing that the tax incentive for qualified first-time buyers—credited with 357,000 sales of previously owned homes so far this year—would do the trick. Instead, sales of typically more expensive newly built houses slipped. "The decline in new-home sales seems to us to be more a function of the attractive pricing available on resales in the current environment than a reflection of weakening demand," said Michael Feder, president of Radar Logic in New York, which tracks the market.

"Since hitting rock bottom in March, demand is up 20 percent," said Joel L. Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisers in Holland, Pa. For Naroff, the robust rise in existing-home purchases—9.2% year over year in September—indicated that the housing market was not faltering. "Maybe the issue is supply, which fell to its lowest level in 27 years," he said. "Builders, at least those left standing, have been making sure they don't have any houses sitting around, and they have been very successful in controlling inventories."

IHS Global Insight economist Patrick Newport echoed that, noting new-home inventories "sank for the 29th straight month to their lowest level since November 1982." Naroff maintained housing has recovered enough to stand without the tax credit, but Newport said that if the credit were not extended and expanded, housing demand would take a hit, and home sales would drop.

The new provisions are aimed at broadening availability of the credit beyond first-time buyers and giving the weakened real estate market a bigger boost while preventing real estate investors from benefitting. While Senate lawmakers appear to have reached a deal on the substance of the tax credit, they are still at odds over how it would be brought to the Senate floor.

(c) 2009, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For more information, visit www.wsj.com.

The goal of the Market Snapshot is to educate you on our current market conditions and should help all the bankers see where the good and soft markets are as well as help the builders get a solid look at what is going on and make their business plans as educated as possible.  
 
If you know of anyone that would benefit from this snapshot please let me know and I will add them to the mailing list.  Remember that this information is obtained from Paragon MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

If there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to give us a call!  
 
Have a scary and frightful Halloween weekend, and Please be careful with the little ghosts and goblins running around! 
 
Trick or Treat!
  
P.S. Don't forget that United Country Lawton Real Estate Group is connecting buyers and sellers and adding value others can't.  We are the market experts! 

	Active Listings	Actual New Const	Pendings	Expireds Last 6 Months	Solds Last 6 Months	Sold / Month	Months of Invent.	Average Sold Price	Days on Market
0 - 49,999	102	0	58	38	155	25.8	4	$      30,279.00	98
50,000 - 99,999	303	0	99	106	243	40.5	7.5	$      76,559.00	84
100,000 - 149,999	209	17	88	68	222	37	5.6	$    127,114.00	91
150,000 - 199,999	123	31	66	65	190	31.7	3.9	$    173,968.00	82
200,000 - 249,999	68	23	18	26	96	16	4.3	$    223,747.00	91
250,000 - 299,999	50	26	15	21	39	6.5	7.7	$    273,225.00	122
300,000 - 349,999	24	6	4	6	20	3.3	7.3	$    327,619.00	156
350,000 - 399,999	15	10	0	4	3	0.5	30	$    379,666.00	189
400,000 - 449,999	8	3	1	2	2	0.3	26.7	$    412,750.00	15
450,000 - 499,999	4	0	0	0	2	0.3	13.3	$    492,250.00	223
500 +	3	0	0	3	2	0.3	10	$    730,000.00	12
Market Totals	909	116	349	339	974	162.3	5.6	$    131,075.00	91
4 Wks Prior	896	116	370	336	942	157	5.7	$    131,521.00	94