According to the Branson Tri-Lake MLS statistics, Branson single family homes sales last month total was 14 homes with the highest priced one selling for $450,000 and the lowest priced one selling for $62,000.  There were also 10 condos that closed escrow last month and they ranged from $40,000 to $275,000 in price.  That is a huge improvement over the last several months and shows a major change in both the weather and buyer's desires to take advantage of the lower market prices.  Land, farm and home sales and more information is available by request. Real estate is always local and we have had no problem getting financing for good buyers and a fair price for good property.  Naturally, whether you should buy or sell depends upon your particular circumstances more than any other factor.... 04/09/2009

How much should you offer when writing a contract to purchase a home?   This is an area where it pays to listen a professional. Your Realtor can show you data on comparable properties that have recently sold and the price per square foot. Also, a Realtor has access to statistics such as the sale to list price difference. This is the percentage that homes have sold for as compared to the asking price. Many prospective buyers have convinced themselves that sellers are willing to accept 25%-30% off their asking price. In the majority of cases, this just isn't true, at least not in the Branson/Tri-Lakes area. While it is a fact that some homes are overpriced, this is usually due to an owner's unwillingness to listen to the Realtor's price suggestion. It's more common to see overpriced homes... 03/31/2009

All agents at Gerken & Associates are now Realtors for Green Living (RGL). RGL is comprised of members of the Tri-Lakes Board of Realtors who have a passion for living green. Each RGL member has taken a "Green Living" class and the oath to "Live Today to Help Save Tomorrow." RGL is a community minded group looking to do its part in preserving and restoring the Tri-Lakes area and educating its citizens. 03/30/2009

Gerken & Associates was a corporate sponsor of the NAIA Basketball Tournament held on the campus of College of the Ozarks over the last two weeks. Over 30 teams participated from around the country. The tournament was deemed a huge success by NAIA officials and has been held at the College of the Ozarks in Branson since 2000. 03/30/2009

Gerken & Associates attended the 62nd Branson Chamber "Black Tie Dinner", a yearly gathering of community business members. During the event, recognition was paid to Branson's top leaders, including the presentation of the Pioneer, Ambassador, Beautification and Community Spirit Awards. During the event, Charlie Gerken was recognized for his continuing role as a Branson Chamber Ambassador and Board of Director. 03/30/2009

Jeff Gerken served as a "Youth of the Year" judge for the Boys & Girls Club which is the highest recognition bestowed upon a teen member. Over the course of a year, Club members are recognized monthly at each facility based upon character, participation and grades. Each facility chooses the top 3 candidates to participate in a public speaking and interview competition with community leaders. Ultimately, the competition is multi-tiered and results in Boys & Girls Clubs of America naming one "Youth of the Year" to represent the Club across the country for a year. 03/30/2009

Are you curious about homes on Table Rock Lake and how much home you can get for your investment? If you're unfamiliar with Table Rock Lake, view my blog What is the Address of Table Rock Lake? This article will give you information on communities around the lake. Many factors affect the price of lake properties including the availability of boat slips, the terrain of the lot, and the view. As of today's date, there are 171 lakefront homes available for sale in the Tri-Lakes Board of Realtors. The least expensive is $89,500 and the highest price home is listed at  $3,999,000. In the past year, 101 lakefront homes have sold per our Board of Realtors MLS data. The average selling price was $285,112. This information is just a summary of information on Table Rock Lake homes. For more exten... 03/05/2009

Recently, our local hospital, Skaggs Community Health Center, unveiled a new name:  Skaggs Regional Medical Center.         In addition to the name change, the hospital announced that it is in the top 5% of hospitals for overall clinical quality and has been named a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence. This title was given by HealthGrades, a healthcare rating company that studies 5,000 non-federal hospitals for quality. Skaggs is the only hospital in Southwest Missouri to receive this distinction. For more information on Skaggs Regional Medical Center, click here. 03/05/2009

I had to post a blog about this home since we had all of these listed at one time back in 2007. Marty Foltz a well known and respected builder in our area had built four homes on Lee St. If you are interested in investing for a rental property or just looking for something low maintenance then this would be a perfect match. It is about a minute off of Hwy 76 in Branson (right in the middle of town). You might wonder what happened to our listings, well we did sell sell them, but now one is on the re-sale foreclosed market for only $269,900 Here is a link showing the active repo listing and the comp we had sold. They are really the exact same house, floor plan is a little different. Quality is top notch, granite counters, pine cabinets, hand made wood floors, arches, bull nosed corners, a... 03/05/2009

According to the local MLS, Branson single family homes sales last month total was six homes with the highest priced one selling for $400,000 and the lowest priced one selling for $66,500.  There were also lots, condos, commercial, hospitality, and vacant land sales and all that and more information is available by request. One of the typical questions I get is: "How is the market in Branson right now and is it a good time to buy?"  Reading the articles from various well-known nationally recognized experts for buyers can give you sometimes what seems like conflicting information.  I do not claim to be an "expert" because I have heard the definition of an ex is a has-been and a spurt as a drip-under-pressure and I am certainly not either.  Honestly I have to give my opinion regarding Bra... 03/05/2009

Winter is finally fading into the sunset and spring is on it's way to the Ozarks.  My fishing fever is rising and people are making plans to travel, vacation, and sell their homes and land too.  What a great year I am looking forward to, spring always energizes me and the hope that comes with a new beginning.  Here is some info for you to use as you plan your activities in the Branson and Table Rock Lake area this year. The Oak Ridge Boys Theater is opening in April and even sooner the Historic Owens Theater opens in just a few days, March 10.  New shows and some old favorites are back too.  Jim Stafford Theater is already open and Yakov Smirnoff kicks off his season on April 22.  Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede is already open for the season and Dino's Christmas shows begin November 2nd... 03/04/2009

Inspections are an important part of the Contract for Sale of Real Estate. Inspections must be made by an qualified, independent inspector. This means that someone who is in the business of inspecting homes must perform the inspection. The buyer may have any type of inspection they deem necessary including structural, septic, well, radon, etc. Inspections are at the buyer's expense.   One of the most misunderstood parts of the Inspection section of the contract is the Inspection Period. The inspection period is length of time stated in the contract in which all inspections must be completed. Not only do the inspections have to be completed within this time frame, BUT the seller must also be notified of any requested repairs or requests for monetary adjustments by this deadline. These re... 03/02/2009

The Branson Parks and Recreation Center offers a variety of clinics and camps. Listed below are the 2009 dates of the various programs. April 4                 Girls Softball Clinic June 4                 Springfield Cardinals Baseball Camp 2 & 3            Junior Golf Clinic July 24               Jackie Stiles Youth Basketball Camp 27-31          Challenger Youth Soccer Camp August 3-5              Volleyball Camp TBD             Cheer Camp  You can get the details on these events by calling the Parks and Recreation office at 417-335-2368. 02/27/2009

On Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th, Branson is hosting a pie contest. The event will be held at the Convention Center in downtown Branson. Even bigger news, NBC's Al Roker will be a judge for Branson's Great American Pie Show presented by Taste of Home. Contestants may enter their recipes on-line. There will book signing as well as a question and answer session. This is great recognition for the Branson Tri-Lakes area.  http://www.tasteofhome.com/Contests/Recipe-Contests/Taste-of-home-Presents-Branson-s-Great-American-Pie-Show?keycode=ZTF011209F     02/27/2009

Below are the statistics for January 2009 residential and condo sales from the Tri-Lakes Board of Realtors: Residential Number Sold: 33 Listing Price Total: 5,471,979 Listing Price Average: 165,818 Selling Price Total: 5,163,068 Selling Price Average: 156,457 List-to-Sell Variance: 9,361 List-to-Sell Percent: 94.4 Average Days on Market: 127 Condo Number Sold:  7 Listing Price Total:  951,600 Listing Price Average: 135,943 Selling Price Total: 888,000 Selling Price Average: 126,857 List-to-Sell Variance: 9,086 List-to-Sell Percent: 93.3 Average Days on Market: 108 Please contact me with any questions you have regarding our market here in the Branson/Table Rock Lake area. 02/24/2009

It's almost time for the NAIA Division II Basketball Championship. This year's contest will be held at the College of Ozarks, just south of Branson, Missouri. The dates for the tournament are March 11-17, 2009. Thirty-two teams will compete for the chance to capture the national championship title.  Each year the single-elimination tournament is hosted at the Keeter Gymnasium at the College of the Ozarks. The first round starts on March 11 at 8:30 a.m. and the championship game is held on March 17 at 8:50 p.m.  People travel from all over the country to this event. Some make it a yearly vacation. March is a great time to visit the area too.  The weather is usually mild and most of the music shows are open.  For more complete information on this tournament, visit www.cofo.edu/naia or cal... 02/22/2009

It is thrillingthat the new Branson Airport is set to open May 11, 2009. The airport is the first privately developed and operated commercial airport in the US. It has been announced that AirTran Airways will be providing service to Atlanta and Milwaukee. I suspect more announcements are to come of additional locations and possibly airlines. It has also been made public that Famous Daves BBQ Restaurants will be the food vendor for the newly constructed airport. I believe the new airport will bring more great things to the Branson area. To say the least, I am very excited about the changes that are taking place. I firmly believe this will bring more people to visit our area and with that comes revenue. How about that for stimulating things?? 02/21/2009

Never before have first time home buyers been able to receive such an incentive for buying a home! You have to agree it is a fabulous thing to be in the shoes of a first time buyer. Interest rates are incredibly low, and no you do not necessarily have to have money down. You can still get the $8,000 tax credit and get a 100% loan. Are you eligible? Here are the facts- 1. You must purchase a home this year for the tax credit to apply. (Now-Dec.19th 2009) 2. Your income must not exceed $150,000 (for a married couple) $75,000 (for a single person) 3. You must live in the residence for 3 years. 4. This tax credit is available to anyone who has not owned a home in 3 yrs. (that could be you?) 5. Do you have to pay it back? No. A couple days ago the tax credit was for $7,500, paid back over a ... 02/19/2009

This will be a year of change for Branson as we know it.  So many new things will no doubt cause one of the biggest ripples since the "boom" of the early 90's.  For starters, of course, The Branson Airport opening with the air show May 9 and 10th.  The Thunderbirds will be there and I have already have my tickets  .www.BransonAirShow.com.  Don't put it off, there will be a crowd.  The Big Spring event prior to this is going to be held downtown at the Convention Center is The Great American Pie Show.  Al Roker of "The Today Show" is one of the celebrity guest judges.  This is April 24 and 25th. For the classic car lover/collector, Engler Block has announced a change of venue.  The 59,000 square foot building will begin housing classic and collector cars. Rennovations should begin later t... 02/18/2009

It's important to understand the Contract for Purchase when buying or selling real estate. In this article and others, I will be explaining different parts of the Contract for Sale of Residential Real Estate drafted by the legal counsel of the Missouri Association of Realtors. Our subject today is the Inclusions and Exclusions section. This simply means: what's included with the property and what is not. The items listed on the contract in this section are the basis for what is included in the sale; not the MLS information sheet, the Seller's Disclosure, or a promotional flyer. Therefore, as a buyer, it is imperative that you list items that you wanted included in the sale on the contract. Our contracts already list attached items such as built-in dishwashers, ceiling fans, hot water he... 02/13/2009