Have you ever wondered how healthy your bank is? Here in Springfield, MO, we have not yet experienced the massive bank failures that other parts of the country have experienced, but that does not mean we are immune.  Having specialized in new construction homes and land development, many of my clients have been victims of the banks frantically attempting to increase their capital, while decreasing their troubled assets, with the results usually being the builder/developer has his loan called, and the bank ends up with troubled assets anyway. As of the end of October, there have been 123 bank failures in 2009.  The number is rapidly increasing.  Here is a link to view the banks which have failed this year:  FDIC failed bank list. Many of the troubled banks in the Springfield, MO, area we... 11/15/2009

Looking for information regarding Springfield Public Schools?  I often have clients who are searching Springfield MO homes for sale, ask, "What is the best school district?"  Unfortunately, I can't answer that question.  The answer is very subjective.  What may be important to one client is not necessarily important to another client. When relocating, it's wise to research the area schools yourself and make your decisions based on what criteria in a school is MOST important to YOU.  I have provided some helpful links to help you in your analysis of the high schools in the Springfield Public School District. Springfield Public Schools, consists of five high schools: Central High School - Home of the Bulldogs!   Glendale High School     Hillcrest High School     Kickapoo High School     P... 11/14/2009

There's a very serious epidemic going around Springfield Missouri and the Ozarks. No, its not Swine Flu, its much more contagious than that. It's Deer Fever! Many people will call in sick to work, use vacation days, and even miss school. Symptoms include wandering thoughts, insomnia or waking up early, storytelling, uncontrollable urges to go to Bass Pro Shop, and watching hunting shows on TV. There is no vaccine and the only known cure for Deer Fever is to put on your hunter orange and head to the woods! Gun season opens November 14th. Good luck out there! 11/13/2009

  This chart from Credit Suisse was forwarded to me by Mark Trigg, with North American Savings Bank in Springfield, Missouri, this morning.  You can see the lull in 2009 between the resets for subprime and the beginning of the resets for Option ARM's, Alt-A, and Prime loans, etc., that are just beginning to hit our market at such a critical time in our economy. I suspect we will see an increase in motivation to sell by those homeowners that bought more home than they could afford as their payments begin to reset.  This will, of course, be much more pronounced on the east and west coasts, but will be felt in the Springfield MO Real Estate market as well. The media is reporting that the biggest part of the subprime wave is passing, but the good "prime" loans are an area to watch closely i... 11/12/2009

 Home buyers in Springfield, Ozark, Nixa, or surrounding areas of the Ozarks, check out the Home Buyers Scouting Report!  This FREE Search Tool  lets you search for homes in ways you only dreamed of! You can search for any combination you can think of including location, price, sq. footage, listing date, foreclosures, and much more! One of the most exciting features is "favorites". When you find properties that interest you, save them as favorites and the Scouting Report will automatically send you status updates to that property such as price changes, under contract, and sold. It will also email you when new properties come on the market that meet your personal criteria. To sign up for this exciting FREE service, click the link at the top of the page to get started! We look forward to... 11/12/2009

1454 E Pythian St, Springfield MO Overview Maps Photos $64,900 Single Family HomeFor Sale Main Features 3 Bedrooms1 BathroomInterior: 1025 sqftLot: 0.15 acre(s) Location 1454 E Pythian StSpringfield, MO 65802 Team Knowles Keller Williams Realty(417) 631-7234betty@teamknowles.comhttp://www.searchspringfieldmissourirealestate.com Our recent listings 1454 E Pythian St, Springfield MOGreat Home on 6.44 Acres, National Forest View!Great 5 Plex Investment PropertyYOUR VERY OWN PIECE OF PARADISE5.03 Acres Building Lot with Ozark Mountain Views! Subscribe to our listing feed See more Springfield, MO real estate for sale 11/11/2009

Today is Veteran's Day, a time to honor those who so bravely serve our country and put their life on the line for our freedoms. Say thank you to those who take the oath to uphold the Constitution and protect us from enemies both foreign and domestic. This is especially true looking back at the terrorism of 9-11 and this week at Fort Hood. More than ever before our freedoms are under constant assault. We are a Representative Republic based on free enterprise, and Capitalism, not a Socialist or Marxist country; at least for the time being.Pray that our country will return to its roots of limited government by the people and uphold the principles set forth by our Founding Fathers. 11/10/2009

Statistics are boring sometimes, but they can give you a lot of useful information. I did stay awake in stats class in college! One of the most important statistics when considering selling your home in Springfield is the current absorption rate. This is calculated in either months or weeks and tells how quickly homes on the market are selling. Keep in mind the absorption rate can vary by price range, sq. footage of your home, even by neighborhood. Typically more than 26 weeks inventory of homes indicates a buyer's market. Less than 26 weeks inventory indicates a seller's market. Somewhere in the middle is a balanced market. The absorption rate can give you an idea of how long it should take your home to sell if priced and marketed correctly. Of course there are exceptions but its a go... 11/09/2009

As REALTORS we tend to work a lot of hours. There are always buyers to show properties, homes to list, homes to preview, websites to update,  paperwork to do, marketing, meetings, training, and on and on. However, you can't work all the time without getting burned out. Yesterday was nice so we decided to take a much needed day off and went to Silver Dollar City! Here is a video I took with my phone of the Power Keg roller coaster taking off. Sorry about the poor sound quailty but its still funny! 11/08/2009

  417 Springfield Mo Open Houses - 2639 N Campbell, Springfield, Springfield Mo Real Estate 2639 N. Campbell, Springfield, MO Home For Sale, Greene County, Springfield, Missouri 4BR/3BA Single Family House   offered at $130,000 Year Built 1994 Sq Footage 2,057 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size .42 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009 2:00 - 4:00 Cute As A Button 1 1/2 Story Home, located on wooded .42 acre lot, across from Doling Park. Home offers 4BR/3BA/2 car garage, approx 2057 sq.ft. on living space, gas fireplace, & kitchen is fully equipped w/disposal, dishwasher, stove, micro, refrigerator. There's a deck, fenced backyard, brick/permanent siding for low maintenance, storage shed & more! Don't Mi... 11/07/2009

Heads up Springfield Misouri home buyers and sellers! The 1st time homeowners tax credit extension was signed into law this week and was extended to April 30, 2010. It was also expanded to include other homeowners too. To qualify for the new $6500 credit, you must have lived in the home for 5 of the last 8 years. To see if you qualify and for more details see the graphic below from the National Association of REALTORS. When you are ready to start looking just give us a call at 417-631-7234 or visit our website at springfieldmissourihomesforsale.com 11/07/2009

Are you thinking about selling your business in the Springfield MO area?  Traditional methods are no longer practical in today's world.  There is a new trend taking shape across the country....the business broker.  Murphy Business & Financial Corporation is the largest and fastest growing business brokerage in the United States.  Here in Springfield, MO, Dan Machnicki opened the first franchise of this kind to offer his services to business owners who want to sell, and buyers who are looking for their newest business venture. Murphy Business & Financial Corporation offers the following services: Site Acquisition team for Commercial Real Estate Maximum exposure when Selling a Business or Buying a Business through our affiliations with National and International Business Brokerages and Me... 11/06/2009

Staging a home can be a fearful experience for some sellers but it doesn't have to be! We are here to give you advise about staging your home; keep in mind we are not criticizing you decor or the way you live.  Our job is to make your home the most appealing to a wide variety of home buyers. We sell a lot of Real Estate in Springfield Missouri and can help you sell your home quicker. Here is a list of tips to think about when staging your home: 1.  Remember, the way you live in a home and the way you sell it, are two different things. 2. Buyers only know what they see, not "the way it's going to be". 3. Remember, less is more. 4. Staging can make the difference between a sale or no sale. 5. Depersonalize and de-clutter so buyers can visualize the home as their own. 6.  The market is co... 11/06/2009

Springfield MO Real Estate Market Report for October 2009 Three Year Comparison of Home Sales     Three Month Comparison of Home Sales   Inventory Report of Homes   Homes for Sale in Springfield, MO: Total Active Listings: 1,530 homes Under Contract:  361 pending sales Total Sold Listings for September: 276 sales Springfield MO Sales Price Information Average Sales Price: $132,126 Sale Price to List Price Ratio: 98.73% Days on Market (for Sold homes) Average Days on Market: 60 days   Springfield MO Real Estate Market Report for September 2009 Springfield MO Real Estate Market Report for August 2009   11/04/2009

No matter where you go in Springfield Missouri you can't escape the ubiquitous orange construction cones and road equipment. They're everywhere! James River and Hwy 65 intersection is being totally rebuilt and won't be finished for years. Hwy 65 between James River and I-44 is being widened to 6 lanes. National and James River is being upgraded to a diverging diamond intersection.  I-44 & Glenstone, and on and on...  Police are cracking down on speeders in construction zones and I have noticed a lot of people being stopped lately because they ignore the speed limit signs. The bottom line is; unless you have an extra $250 you don't need, don't speed through construction zones!  Look at the bright side... When the construction is finished it will be much easier to get around town and in ... 11/04/2009

Today is election day! Make sure to do your duty and get out and vote. Its not only our right but our responsibility. A couple of important issues are on the ballot for Springfield and Ozark. Springfield voters will vote yes or no on a 3/4 cent sales tax for the police and fire pension fund. Ozark voters will decide whether or not to raise taxes to fund expansions to the Christian County Library with a possible new facility between Ozark and Nixa and satellite branches. Whether or not your are for or against these initiatives, you need to get out and vote! 11/02/2009

I lost another short sale listing today to foreclosure.  The bank literally made it impossible for me to succeed in selling the home.  Most people ask, "Why would the bank want to do that?  Don't they lose money?"  The answer is NO, they can actually MAKE money when they foreclose. This was explained to me by a loan officer handling the construction loans of my last builder/developer.  About a year ago, my builder had approximately 12 new construction homes languishing on the market, no longer able to compete with the short sales, REO's, and existing home sales.  Our plan was to rent the homes out until the market stabilized.  Unfortunately, the market failed to stabilize itself during 2009.  When the builder's loan came up for renewal, the bank reappraised the properties, claimed he no... 11/02/2009

Springfield Missouri Real Estate Market Statistics as of Oct 31, 2009. As you can see, the absorption rates vary widely by price range. The lower price ranges are down to less than 26 weeks which indicates a more balanced market or even trending towards a seller's market. The higher priced homes are still a buyer's market with much higher supply than demand. If you would like to know what the rate is in your neighborhood or specific price range give us a call today! Springfield Missouri Real Estate 11/02/2009

We just put a house under contract in Springfield Missouri that was a very good deal. I won't divulge the price or address to protect the parties involved but I can say that it sold for 54% of what it sold for a few years ago! This is a bank owned property. Of course we can't guarantee all homes will sell this cheap, but there are some deals being made. Yes, the carpets are trash, but underneath the carpet is beautiful hardwood floors! The home needs paint and some cosmetic repairs but it will be a wonderful home with a little care. If you are looking for a "fixer upper" there are some great deals out there. Also, if you are looking for a higher price range home, there are some great deals there too that don't need updating.  We can show you foreclosure properties and other homes that ... 11/01/2009

A lot of people ask us if it's a good time to list a home in Springfield Missouri for sale during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's seasons. The weather is turning colder, days are getting shorter, and people's minds are on the holidays. Is this really a good time to list your home? Absolutely! It's indeed a great time to sell your home! Homes that are decorated for the holidays are warm and inviting. Greenery on the fireplace or stair rail, a Christmas tree with shiny ornaments and lights, and a few red poinsettias can really make buyers see the attractiveness of your home. During an open house we can even serve hot apple cider to the buyers looking at your home! Buyers this time of year are fewer in number but you can rest assured they are more serious buyers and not just w... 10/28/2009