Nebraska's very own astronaut, Clay Anderson, was surprised to learn that he is scheduled to go on another space flight in March of 2010.  Since he spent five months aboard the International Space Station last year, he figured that he would not be scheduled for another flight for quite awhile.  In fact, when he was recently summoned to the Johnson Space Center, he thought he had done something wrong.  Anderson was Nebraska's first astronaut launched into space and he spent most of the five months aboard the International Space Station.  His next mission will only last 12 days.  He will dock at the space station and will do at least three space walks.  With his children getting older, Anderson is happy about a shorter flight.  School children followed his space journey last year and the ... 12/23/2008

Four area teachers each received $10,000 for the innovative ideas they submitted to the Quest Foundation. The money was awarded with the intention that it will be used for classroom technology to help them implement their ideas.  The teachers are from Omaha, Millard, Ralston, and Plattsmouth.  The grants were presented by the Nebraska Department of Education and the Quest Foundation on Wednesday to the four surprised teachers.  The new technology will be for handheld systems and multimedia software for reading comprehension (Millard's Willa Cather Core Academy program), science documentaries of service learning projects (Omaha's Morton Middle school), electronic tools to improve vocabulary and reading (Ralston's Meadows Elementary), and a portable computer lab to help students solve com... 12/22/2008

I think everyone knows the basics of what an appraisal is. But do you know why it is done or how the appraised value is reached? An appraisal is a report produced by a licensed appraiser to establish the fair market value of a property. The appraisal is paid for by the buyer but is done to protect the lender. Lenders of course don't want to loan more money on a property than it is reasonably worth (the appraised value). If a property does not appraise for the agreed upon purchase price or more, then the buyer will have to make up the difference with cash or financing from another source. For this reason it is common that there is a contingency that the property must appraise for the purchase price or higher. With this contingency if the appraisal comes in low, then the buyer has another... 12/21/2008

The Metro area is using interesting technology that saves time in getting medical help to heart attack patients before they even get to the hospital.  The technology is called a "12-lead EKG" which transmits information by cell phone directly to the emergency room.  So, when the patient arrives at the emergency room, the cardiac staff is ready for heart catheterization and the appropriate care necessary to prevent further damage to the heart muscle.   The EKG is called a 12-lead because it sends 12 views of the heart to the cardiac staff.  In order to utilize the 12-lead EKG, a person suffering the heart attack must call 911 and not drive to the hospital.  The rescue squads in Omaha have the technology. Bennington was the first location to get the technology three years ago, followed by... 12/21/2008

Brad Andersohn of Active Rain  will be giving a seminar in Omaha, NE on 1/15/09. It will be hosted at the Omaha Area Board of Realtors Education Center. The subject he will cover is Maximizing Your Online Presence. It will touch on blogging, social networking, search engine optimization, and of course the importance of the Active Rain real estate community. The five hour seminar is $25 and will include lunch.   Troy Trumm, Trumm Team - Omaha, NE Omaha Homes For Sale Omaha Real Estate 12/21/2008

Three Creighton University students accepted the Google challenge hoping they will win a trip to Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.  The challenge by Google was called the Juicy Ideas Competition in which students were to find a productive use for items normally regarded as trash.  The creative idea was to be submitted within ten days on YouTube. This challenge was available to students in the five regions where Google has data centers.   The three Creighton students, Michael Mahoney, Joy Schafer, and Christopher Tooker took first place in the Iowa region for their design of a coat insulated with shredded plastic.  They won a $2,500 Wal-Mart gift card, $1,000, and from Google, cameras and sweatshirts. They are among 15 final teams waiting to hear who will go to Google h... 12/20/2008

It appears that the recent shoplifting incident at Dollar General by two Gering, Nebraska brothers, ages 12 and 15, has drawn the attention of John Rosemond, family psychologist.  (Article in the Omaha World Herald on December 16, 2008)  The story got his attention, not for what the boys did, but for how their parents handled the situation.  Both boys were required to stand outside of Dollar General with large poster-size signs that stated they were caught shoplifting at the store and that they would never shoplift again.  The signs also added that both stealing and lying are wrong.  According to Rosemond, many in his field would toss out babble about the boys acting out because of emotional deprivation in the home.  Rosemond indicated that this father is more concerned about his sons l... 12/17/2008

  Who cares about Santa?  Mark your calendars for January 15th cuz Brad Andersohn is coming to town!  I think I've died and gone to heaven!  Don't miss this terrific opportunity to jump start your 2009 business and learn how to maximize your online presence.  This class is for both beginners and those already in the social media arena.  You'll learn about additional online tools that are available to you and your real estate business.  Trust me, you can't afford to miss this!  Thursday, January 15, 20099 a.m. - 2 p.m.Lunch is provided Cost:  $25 See you there! 12/16/2008

High school students helped spread the Christmas spirit by volunteering for the Nebraska Foundation for Visually Impaired Children and helping visually impaired children do their Christmas shopping. On Sunday, December 14, about 150 children were each given $100 to spend as they wished and they were then paired with high school students who assisted them in shopping at Westroads Mall.  The children bought gifts for their families, friends, and themselves.  The event allowed the children to make purchases that would be a surprise to their family and allowed them to have their own unique, special holiday fun.  Following the shopping spree, they met Santa Claus, wrapped their gifts, and enjoyed pizza and pop.  The children also enjoyed the special one-on-one contact with their teen volunte... 12/16/2008

Currently the cost of maintaining a real estate license in Nebraska is minimal. The costs include: Omaha Area Board of Realtors® (OABR) dues $475/year Nebraska Realtors Association $90/year Great Plains Multiple Listing Service dues $30/month Errors and Omissions Insurance $135/year eKey for GE Supra lockboxes $15/month The OABR and National Association of Realtors® (NAR) go to great lengths to keep these costs down so that membership is affordable. In my opinion, that this is entirely the wrong thing to do. Getting and keeping a real estate license shouldn't be easy. People depend on their Realtor® to assist them with one of the most financially and emotionally important decisions in their lives. The powers that be want to keep the capital investment needed to be a Realtor® so low that... 12/14/2008

Omaha homes for sale market data  November Market Absorption Rate Closed Transactions in Past 12 Months 6 Months 3 Months # of Closed Transactions 10631 4598 2257 Average Homes Sold Per Month 885.92 766.33 752.33 Current Active on MLS 7740 7740 7740 Months Supply on Market 8.74 10.10 10.29  6 months supply = Balanced Market< Six Month Supply = Seller's Market> Six Month Supply = Buyer's Market Right now in the Omaha Real Estate Market there are more homes available for sale than there are ready, willing and able buyers in the market.  As you can see by the numbers above, the supply of homes has increased since a year ago.  12/12/2008

Chip Davis of Omaha was recognized by the Pentagon on December 10th for his support of the military.  The proceedings took place at the Pentagon with Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England present. Not only has Davis shown his support of the military in the past, he is endorsing the campaign  "A Million Reasons to Be Thankful"  which is donating a million CDs to the military and the Veteran' hospitals throughout the country.  Our own Offutt Air Force Base and the Nebraska National Guard will be among the recipients.  All of the CDs should be distributed by Christmas.  Chip Davis lives North of Omaha with his wife and three children and is the owner of American Gramaphone.  He is responsible for the Mannheim Christmas concerts performed yearly in Omaha during the Christmas holidays.    ... 12/12/2008

Sarpy County gets closer to having the Royals play ball in their ballpark.  For the past few months, there has been interest on the part of the Royals in Sarpy County.  This interest developed once plans were made in Omaha to build a large stadium for the College World Series.  On Tuesday that deal took a giant step as the Sarpy County Board voted 5-0 to sign a memorandum of intent with the Royals.  Both parties will work together over the next hundred days to work out a deal.  During that time, the Royals will only deal with Sarpy County.  Currently it is expected that tax money will not be used to build the facility that will also serve as a multi-purpose area that will attract a variety of family events.  Residents will be able to enjoy many activities, sporting and otherwise, withou... 12/11/2008

This past October, Therese Wehner, Mark T. Wehner II, and myself form "The Wehners", a strategic real estate marketing team.  With our combined 30+ years of experience, we will be providing our clients with an extensive marketing plan to help reduce days on market and produce results in today's market place. With "The Wehners", I will add to my already proven marketing plan.  I will be adding the following marketing for my sellers: www.GoWehner.com; a new website Real Estate Hotline 672-7275 for all inquiries on our listings Full page monthly advertisement in The Real Estate Book All our listings will be on http://therealestatebook.com and 12 other real estate affiliate websites Create a seller's webpage to keep our clients informed on the marketing efforts for their home www.WehnerSna... 12/08/2008

A community touched by tragedy one year ago stopped to remember and pay respect.  The Westroads shopping center where eight people were killed was a year ago.  Six of the victims were Von Maur employees.  On Friday, December 5, a large crowd gathered outside of the Von Maur store for a planned remembrance.  The crowd was comprised of Von Maur employees, customers, police officers, and citizens lending support. The president of Von Maur, Jim Von Maur, remembered each of the victims by name and spoke briefly to the crowd.  His words were followed by silence for reflection and remembrance of the victims, their families, the first responders, and the community.  Omaha Mayor, Mike Fahey, spoke of the city's response to the shooting and the outpouring of love and support.   Following the init... 12/08/2008

Below is a summary of the Omaha new construction real estate market for November, 2008. New Residential Construction Closed: Nov-08 Nov-08  Nov 08 YTD Nov 07 YTD Total New Construction Sales 31 100 931 1406 Total $ Volume $8,168,155 $29,438,260 $265,818,792 $381,414,079 Avg. Market Time 102 94 123 120 Avg. List $ $270,519 $293,599 $285,732 $269,539 Avg. Sold $ $263,488 $294,382 $285,519 $271,276 High Sold $ $875,000 $935,000 $2,000,000 $1,398,000 Median Sold $ $246,662 $271,000 $250,000 $251,175 Low Sold $ $94,000 $109,900 $28,000 $55,000   Troy Trumm - Trumm Team Omaha Homes For Sale Omaha Real Estate 12/07/2008

On November 28, 2008 Fremont MLS was merged into the Omaha Area Board of Realtors' Great Plains MLS. As a result the Omaha MLS will now cover a much broader area of Eastern Nebraska. I would like to welcome all of the Realtors in Fremont to our MLS. I hope this will create more sales opportunities for everyone and benefit our clients with greater exposure resulting in quicker sales.   Trumm Team - Omaha, NE Omaha Homes For Sale Omaha Real Estate 12/07/2008

Until a permanent facility is available, Omaha's homeless people will have a day shelter in a renovated construction warehouse.  It is anticipated that a permanent facility will be available in about two years.  The shelter opened on Monday, December 1 as part of the Siena-Francis House and will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  It will have the capacity to help 160 people. In addition to services for basic care, such as showers and bath tubs, the day care will have case managers, social workers, and staff trained in drug and alcohol counseling.  There will be an employment training program available as provided by eight people from Siena-Francis House.  Through the day shelter, the homeless will be helped with housing, education, and employment opportunities.  The programs available... 12/06/2008

All All are invited to attend a Family Holiday Party at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, December 12th, starting at 6:00 pm, sponsored by members of UNO Young Alumni!  Fun for the entire family, including: Barbecue dinner catered by McKenna's Blues, Booze & Barbecue in Treetop Restaurant overlooking Lied JungleCrafts & Goodies for the kids!Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus!Holiday Wildlights '08 debut!Zoo membership NOT required to attend! All of the above for just $15 per adult and $5 per youth age 3-10. Children 2 & under free!To attend, download a Family Holiday Party Registration form by clicking on the link below.  Tickets will be mailed upon receipt. For information call Sheila at (402) 554-4802 or email her at sking@unomaha.edu.   12/05/2008

The Omaha Fire Department is offering a FREE carbon dioxide and smoke detector.  This offer is for owner occupied properties only and the fire department will also install the detector to insure correct installation.  This program is residents of the City of Omaha only and to register call Theresa with the Omaha Fire Department Public Safety Department at (402) 444-3560. Thanks, David Matney, CRS,GRI,E-Pro Alliance Real Estate (402) 490-6771 12/05/2008