How to ALWAYS find Your House Keys

1. DUPLICATE KEYS: Make at least 3 sets of house keys. House keys are cheap.

2. COLOR CODE YOUR HOUSE KEYS: Put the same color rubber key identifier on each house key.

3. PLACE EACH HOUSE KEY ON INDIVIDUAL KEY RINGS: Go all out on this step and purchase the biggest, gaudiest key rings that you can find. Put each key on its own ring.

4. LOCATE DUPLICATE KEY #1: The obvious location for a house key is next to the door. Whether it's a key rack on the back of the door, a box on an entry stand, or even a ledge by the door, leave one duplicate key in this location.

5. LOCATE DUPLICATE KEY #2: The second best location for a house key is the first room you enter when you arrive home. Every kitchen has a catch all junk drawer. Leave the second duplicate key here.

6. LOCATE DUPLICATE KEY #3: You now know the drill. If the next room you enter is the bedroom, leave your third duplicate key in your night stand. Continue until you have placed each key around the house in a location you think you will look for it at some future frantic date when you cannot find your keys.

7. ADD KEY LOCATIONS TO CELL PHONE: Of course this step is predicated on the belief that you are less likely to misplace your cell phone than your keys. For each duplicate key, enter the location in your cell phone as a contact.
   

8. ADD KEY NUMBER/MANUFACTURER TO CELL PHONE: Add the key manufacturer and number of your house key to your cell phone. If all else fails and you cannot find a single key, with this information, you can easily purchase a new key and not have to a hire a locksmith. You should make a second cell phone entry to add this information for your car keys.

Listing of the Week in Edmond.

14116 Canterbury - $309,900
4 Bed 3 Bath 2,954 Square Feet

View Obeo Virtual Tours at:

www.14116Canterbury.com

This Edmond home is located in prime area. It was custom built in 2002 on a large over sized lot. Some of the features of this home include: large open floor plan, hardwood floors, tile floors, vaulted ceilings, built-in bookcases, large kitchen with breakfast bar, beautiful woodwork, updated color schemes, bonus room, 3 living areas, huge backyard, large covered patio, etc. This home is perfect and ready for new owners! Call Wyatt Poindexter for more info.

Wyatt Poindexter
Keller Williams Realty
405-417-5466
wyatt@wyattpoindexter.com
www.WyattPoindexter.com

Email Wyatt if you want your property to be "Listing of the Week".

Inexpensive Ways to Prepare Your Home For Sale

First impressions are important when trying to sell your home. Extreme changes aren’t always necessary. There are simple steps you can take to prepare your house for the market while staying within a reasonable budget. The interior plays a big role, but don’t ignore exterior modifications, such as fresh light bulbs, an attractive mailbox and welcome mat, shiny doorknobs, colorful landscaping and window boxes, to name a few.

CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN: Take all personal items, such as pictures and trophies, and box them away. Buyers want to envision the house as their own.

Remove clutter, and clean. No one wants to see dirt on the baseboards, cluttered counters or a filthy microwave. Dust the ceiling fans and stair handrails; sweep, mop, clean the toilets, etc. Mow the lawn, edge it and sweep or consider power washing the driveway, front porch and the curb. Make your flowerbeds look neat and tidy. Consider adding hanging planters and fresh mulch outside, too.

WHAT’S THAT SMELL?: Smell is a huge factor. When you open the front door, what smell wafts out? Get someone not living in your house to give you an honest opinion. Put clutter into storage, not the garage. Add vanilla-scented candles in all the rooms. This scent isn’t too overpowering and is the most neutral. Go through every closet, cabinet and drawer and pack it up or move it out if you’re not using it. Ask your Realtor to walk through and give your home a once over.

TEND TO THE DETAILS: When I entered one woman’s house, it looked nice except that the carpet was awful and the tub was really stained. You can rent a carpet machine at the grocery store. The blinds are also a big thing to clean because they hide dirt. You want the windows to be open and plenty of light shining through or at least bright interior lighting. If you have a loaf of bread or brownies baking, it really helps offer a welcoming scent, too.

FIX ‘ER UP:

1. Paint interior and touch up exterior. All neutral colors.
2. Fix minor problems such as a sticking door, leaky faucets and broken/bent mini-blinds. We always figured when we were house hunting that if the small things weren’t tended to, the big stuff probably wasn’t maintained, either.
3. Be sure to take the trash out. Maybe I’m cynical, but when house hunting, the strong scents made me leery of what smells they were trying to mask.
4. Play music. We put on some smooth jazz.
5. Consider offering a one-year homeowners warranty. It’s a nice incentive for the buyers, especially if your home is older than 15 years.
6. Display new hand towels for the bathrooms and some houseplants or fresh flowers for around the house.
7. Remove anything that has strong connotations, such as hunting trophies, campaign signs or hot-rod posters. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State items also!
8. New light fixtures are a cheap update.
9. Have laundry baskets or boxes handy for an emergency showing. I kept them in the car, and, when I had a hectic day and wasn’t ready for a showing, we went around and tossed things into the baskets and loaded them into the car to be sorted out after the showing.
10. Even if you don’t include the fridge with the house, as a homebuyer, I always check the fridge. In my opinion, it is an honest evaluation of the care taken of the house. Clean the fridge!

www.WyattPoindexer.com

Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker get top marks in J.D. Power homebuyer survey

Two residential sales firms with broad operations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area ranked tops in a new comparison.

Keller Williams rated highest in homebuyer survey released Thursday by consumer research firm J.D. Power and Associates.

Coldwell Banker placed second in buyer satisfaction but was highest rated by home sellers quizzed for the annual report.

The study rates national brand residential sales firms based on overall satisfaction with the agent, the office and additional services.

Re/Max and Century 21 also performed above average, according to buyers.

J.D. Power said that both buyers and sellers indicated that while the performance of the agent is the most important factor in their overall satisfaction, the importance of additional marketing services has grown in the last year.

The study also found that the number of first-time buyers in the housing market grew this year to 56 percent from 44 percent in 2008.

“The presence of more first-time buyers is encouraging, as it indicates that the real estate market is returning to more normal activity, with fewer speculators," Jim Howland, senior director of the real estate and construction practice at J.D. Power and Associates, said in the report. "However, real estate companies and agents must carefully manage first-time buyer expectations.”

J.D. Power also found that agents are holding fewer open houses to sell properties, but the number of sellers using the Internet to market their properties is at a record 64 percent.

The Power survey did not rank local and regional residential sales firms, which dominate the business in some markets.

By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

Luxury Living on a Smaller Scale

OPEN HOUSE This Sunday August 16 2:00-4:00 PM

2009 AllenStyle Home just completed in July 2009. This home was built by award winning AllenStyle Homes. All of the amenities of a luxury home on a smaller scale. This is a waterfront property located in Northampton III of Edmond. Some of the features include: granite in kitchen, all bathrooms and utility, stained driveway, gas range, kitchen island, breakfast bar, eating area, office/study with view of water, 20x20 tile floors, hand scraped wood floors, fireplace, pre-wired for HDMI, barrel ceiling in entry, double vanities, whirlpool tub, covered patio, extra garage storage, security system, custom vent hood, etc. This house is truly one of a kind. Please see professional Obeo photographs and virtual tours. THIS HOME CANNOT CLOSE UNTIL OCTOBER 15TH BECAUSE IT IS ON THE PARADE OF HOMES. AllenStyle Homes can custom build for you with a 3 month completion date. Call Wyatt Poindexter for details 405-417-5466.

www.2301nw159.com

2301 NW 159th Terrace
Edmond, Oklahoma
Northampton III Addition
(NW 159th and Penn)

www.WyattPoindexter.com

Symphony Show Home in Heritage Hills

The 36th annual Symphony Show House opens the doors of one of Oklahoma City’s most storied homes to the public. This year’s featured home is the Caldwell house, built in 1918 by oilman and banker Walter D. Caldwell in what is now Heritage Hills.

The home was sold to oilman E.W. Marland, and then leased by corrupt Oklahoma governor John “Jack” Walton, who used it as the governor’s mansion at the time. His tenure lasted less than a year.

In 1959, the Veazy family purchased the home. Some of its interior features came from their popular drug stores. Currently the home is owned by John and Denise Bode.
Fifty-eight designers united this year to decorate the home for Symphony Show House and each space showcases their work. Show house hours are 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Saturdays and noon - 5 p.m. Sundays April 26 - May 17. Admission is $15 at the door. Visit www.symphonyshowhouse.com for more information. Courtesy of Peter Gill - OKC Friday

MARCH 2009 - Oklahoma Recognition

• According to Forbes magazine, Oklahoma City is 12th and Tulsa is
ranked the 47th top metro area “Best Places for Businesses and
Careers.” (Tulsa World, 03/31/2009)

• Tulsa’s hiring outlook is the 10th best in the country, based on a
survey by Manpower Inc. that released earlier this month. (Tulsa
World, 03/10/2009)

• Three Oklahoma companies have been named to Fortune magazine’s list
of 363 “World’s Most Admired Companies.” Devon Energy Corp., ONEOK
Inc. and Williams Cos. Inc. all made the list. (The Oklahoman,
03/04/2009)

• The rate of Oklahoma foreclosures remained steady in February,
however significantly fewer people are losing their homes compared
to a year ago. Because of this, Oklahoma has dropped to having the
34th highest foreclosure rate in the nation. (The Oklahoman,
03/12/2009)
• Foreclosures in February:
o U.S. 290,631
1 foreclosure per 440 households
o Oklahoma 1,030
1 foreclosure per 1,576 households

• Oklahoma has the largest percentage of wireless-only households in
the nation, 26%, according to a recent study by the CDC in Atlanta.
(The Oklahoman, 03/12/2009)

• Oklahoma’s laws that protect teenagers from abusive relationships
are some of the best in the country, according to a report from a
national youth advocacy group. Only four other states were given an
‘A’ rating along side Oklahoma. (The Oklahoman, 03/24/2009)

• Oklahoma ranks sixth nationally in its licensing standards and
oversight for childcare centers, according to a report from the
National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.
(The Oklahoman, 03/13/2009)

• Oklahoma’s per capita – or per person – personal income rose from
$34,997 in 2007 to $36,899 last year. The latter figure also placed
the state at No. 4 nationally in 2008 for percentage growth, up from
No. 6 the year before. (The Oklahoman, 03/25/2009)

New Listing in Braden Park - NW Oklahoma City

7417 NW 132 St.
Oklahoma City, OK
$229,900
4 Bed
3 Bath
2,509 SF

This home is located in gated Braden Park in NW Oklahoma City. This property is on one of the largest cul-de-sac lots and backs up to community pool, tennis courts and playground. This home features: gated community, brand new carpet & paint, professional landscaping, open floor plan, high ceilings, walk in closets, pass through garage, etc. Braden Park is a prime location close to Edmond, turnpike, hospitals, malls, food, etc. Call Wyatt at 405-417-5466 for more info or your own private tour.

VISIT: www.Braden-Park.com for Obeo Virtual Tours

Wyatt Poindexter
Keller Williams Realty
www.WyattPoindexter.com