Now that it's officially Autumn, it's time to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. When you think of fall, you think of pumpkins. Beginning this weekend, the Claremore Pumpkin Festival 2017 goes into full effect.What: Claremore Pumpkin Festival 2017 Where: Shepherd's Cross Farm (16792 E 450 Rd, Claremore, OK) When: Every Thurs, Fri & Sat from Sept 28th to Nov 4th, 9 am to 6:30 pm Admission: Suggested donation of $5 each (not required) Contact: Dr. Diane Dickinson or Amy Kinsey, Shepherd's Cross Farm (918) 342-5911 or via emailClaremore Pumpkin Festival 2017Shepherd's Cross hosts their Claremore Pumpkin Festival 2017 every Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning September 28th. The final day of the festival takes place on November 4th. Yes, pumpkin picking can be fun. But that's not all you... 09/27/2017

When I say the word OKLAHOMA, what do you think of?Indians?Buffalo?TeePees?OU Sooner Football?OKC Thunder maybe?I'm pretty sure you don't think about UFO's right?  I mean, that's area 51, Rosell New Mexico stuff right?  Not Oklahoma stuff.And yet it is!The other day I went touring around the northern part of Greater Tulsa up around Oologah lake and Talala Oklahoma to see what Oklahoma looks like in the summertime.  And not only did I find the Oklahoma UFO, but I found a couple of other things out about Oklahoma too.So come along as we discover that there's more to Oklahoma than what you think! 06/17/2016

 Here in the Owasso Oklahoma area we live on the edge of the awesome prairie as well as the edge of the Ozark mountains which stretch into Missouri and Arkasas.  That means we have a very unique landscape that offers fun surprises at times, such as this Oklahoma Osage Orange.I came across this softball sized oddity one day while I was out showing property in the Oologah, Oklahoma area.  It's called an Oklahoma Osage Orange but is also known as a Monkey Ball, Hedge Ball, Horse Apple, Green Brains or even a Mock Orange.  In Texas, I'm told they're called Horse Apples.Old Timers believed that the Hedge Apple was a natural insect and spider repellent.  To that end, people will keep an Oklahoma Osage Orange or Hedge Apple in their home.  In the AC, it will last a couple of months.The Hedge A... 08/29/2015

National Open House Weekend in Claremore! It's time for the NAR's National Open House Weekend, June 4th & 5th, 2011. What an exciting opportunity to tour so many wonderful homes in such a short time. The Greater Tulsa Association of REALTORS reports that there are  over 386 homes being held open in the MLS area. OklaHomes Realty will be holding open 21 homes in the Claremore area. Click on the QR code (or scan it on your smartphone) for the updated list of homes available for tour. Why do we hold so many open houses? Because what matters to YOU, Matters to Me! See you Saturday and Sunday! 06/01/2011

5 Cool Oklahoma Museums For FREE!Just like most parents, I am excited about my kids getting out of school for the summer. We usually plan for some type of daycare camp program, individual activities, time at the splashpad, fun in the backyard, and the list goes on. However, I also want my kids to do activities that will educate as well as entertain. But what can we do that is educational and FREE. Everyone likes FREE, right? Here are 5 fun free Oklahoma Museums that are within driving distance (a couple hours anyway) of Claremore, Oklahoma. 1) Oklahoma Museum of Natural History - Located in Norman, Oklahoma, it is the furthest from our home. But it is well worth the trip as an all day excursion. The musuem has FREE admission on the first Monday of every month. This means that we could g... 05/28/2011

Homes Less than $100K in Claremore, OklahomaAre you still renting? Now is an incredible time to purchase your first new home! The Claremore area is currently in a buyer's market, meaning there are more homes on the market than there are buyers. Never before, well in my 8 years experience anyway, have there been so many incredible homes for less than $100,000. There are currently 42 homes that are at least three bedrooms and many have two baths or more. Quite a few of these homes include complete remodel and five of them would qualify for the USDA Rural Development Zero Down program ($0 Down!). While the interest rate continues to hover around 4.7%, your new home payment could be less than it would be to rent the same property in most cases. Unless you have circumstances that prevent you... 05/20/2011

Those are buyers just below the surface!It's funny how we find analogies everywhere we look. I was Sun Perch fishing with my daughters and a friend of the family last night, much like we do every Tuesday night. The Claremore, OK, city lake is beautiful and a great place to hang with the family. We have adopted a certain fishing spot as our spot because we can park close and there is room for everyone to play with the Perch. Our 11yr old guest had not been fishing but a few times in her lifetime and seemed to be really enjoying herself. She was putting her worm just below the surface in fairly shallow water and watching the perch swim by, nibble or pull the bobber under and then swim away. She said, "it's a perfectly good worm, why don't they like it."....out of the mouths of babes.One o... 05/18/2011

Avoid The Worry...Get A Home Inspection!Now that you have that perfect Claremore home under contract, all you have to do is wait for closing right? Well, not exactly. Buying a new home is very stressful all by itself, but as a new homebuyer you may begin to worry about the possible troubles that lay behind door #1. The answer to relieving this worry is to always get a home inspection.Your Oklahoma Uniform Contract (Residential Contract of Sale of Real Estate) is designed to protect the buyer and seller during a real estate purchase. It is always recommended that you get your new home inspected. There is so much emphasis on this that the contract actually takes up three of six pages discussing the inspection process. The person doing the inspection may be an Oklahoma Liscensed Home Inspe... 04/20/2011

Disclosure, Disclaimer or Exemption?When an Oklahoma property is offered for sale, the property is subject to the Oklahoma Residential Property Disclosure Act. This includes the seller, whomever that may be, is required to complete certain forms such as a Disclosure Statement, Disclaimer Statement or Exemption forms. But which can you expect on the property you are interested? The answer...it depends on who lived in the home!The Property Condition Disclosure form is to be completed by the homeowner who has lived in the home and has personal knowledge of its condition. A written property condition disclosure statement on a form established by rule by the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission shall include an identification of items and improvements which are included in the sale of the propert... 04/13/2011

5 Minutes Early and 10 Minutes Late My mother was a wonderful woman. She was about the same age as I am now when I came to live with her as a foster child. My mother was a woman of the land. She was interested in surviving, feeding her family, and instilling her children with lessons of success. Problem is...I didn't listen much as a youngster and now I wish I had. My mother shared lessons often as I approached my teen years and started working odd jobs. She taught me to be respectful. She taught me to work hard. She taught me to always do my very best work. But most importantly she taught me..."be 5 minutes early and stay 10 minutes late and you will own the company." What an incredibly simple but profound idea. Come to work 5 minutes early and stay 10 minutes late and you will own the... 04/12/2011

City Parks and Playgrounds in Claremore, OklahomaWhere are the parks and playgrounds in Claremore, Oklahoma? Did you know the City of Claremore features more than 15 city parks available for public use? There is something for everyone in our grand city. Several of the city parks are reservation only such as the beautiful Happy Lake area. Several of the parks are designated for a specific use such as for Soccer, Baseball, Softball, and more recently our very own skate park. However with all these great parks, where are the public playgrounds? Below is a list of Claremore parks that include playground equipment for the kids!Dogwood Park - This beautiful 4 acre park is hidden behind the VFW building on Dupont Street. Built in 1973, it is a beautifully shaded park with a playground and bask... 03/31/2011

Interview? I just want to look at Claremore homes!You've started searching the internet for your new home and have found several possibilities. You contact OklaHomes Realty to find someone to show you the home you've dreamed about while searching. But when you reach me, Jim Courtney, I'm going to have a few questions. Why? All you want to do is look at Claremore homes. I'm going to ask questions because it's important in order to help you narrow down your search to that perfect home. So what questions am I going to ask? Here's just a few...How soon (when) do you need to buy?     It's important to establish a timeline for your purchase. The real estate market changes often and your timeline may affect your options. When do you need to move? Are you on a timeline that requires special cir... 03/31/2011

Are Any Rogers County Oklahoma HUD Homes Livable?Have you been searching the market for that great deal on your new home, but haven't found it? Have you heard about HUD homes and have been told, "HUD homes are for investors?" The reality is that HUD homes are a great way to get a good deal on a great home. But isn't buying a HUD home difficult, confusing and frustrating too?A HUD home is a home that was financed using an FHA mortgage and the buyer then defaulted on that mortgage. The government backed the loan and now owns the house as a result of the mortgage default. Since our government is not in the business of home ownership, they sell these homes through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website. Anyone can view these homes on their website, Hudhomestore.com... 03/25/2011

Zero Down Loans in Claremore, Oklahoma   "There aren't any more zero down loans" is a something buyers hear all the time. "The Mortgage Crisis killed any special financing." is another. Many buyers may be reluctant to purchase their new home because of a lack of money for down payment and/or closing costs. In the reality of real estate today, nothing could be further from the truth. There are currently two methods for buyers to obtain zero down financing: VA Loans and Rural Development Loans. This blog will focus on the latter. The Rural Development Guarenteed Housing Loan is operated through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development section. The financing program has many requirements for both buyer eligibility and property requirements. Buyers must be able ... 03/23/2011

Rural Development Loans, Claremore vs. Owasso Oklahoma REALTORS®, like myself are asked quite often about a Rural Development loan and what this entails. The Rural Development Guarenteed Housing Loan is operated through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development section. The program provides guarenteed home loans for those who qualify by meeting certain income standards. This type of rural development loan is one of only a few ways a homebuyer can purchase a home with no money down. Be sure to check out my other blog posts about eligibility and additional types of rural development funds. Eligibility for these funds is never as challenging as actually finding a property that qualifies for the program. According to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a pro... 03/18/2011

Welcome to Precision Screen Manufacturing in Oologah Oklahoma! Precision Screen Manufacturing began in 2006.  It was established in Tulsa and is a sister company to ACME Screen Manufacturing in San Antonio Texas.  Now, why is any of this important to those of us who live in Oklahoma?  Because Precision Screen Manufacturing chose to move to the Northern areas of Tulsa.  And that's good for business! My part of this story began back in 2007, when I placed a Craigslist ad to market some property I had listed in Oologah.  One of the partners saw that ad and contacted me for a showing of the property.  We met up at the scheduled time and struck up a friendship.  My new friend ultimately decided the original property wouldn't work for his needs, so we set off to find some property that would.... 11/11/2010

Willow Gorge-Golf Course Community, Verdigris, OK The Villas at Willow Gorge is a great place to call home.  You will absolutely love homes at this golf community.  ScissorTail Golf Course has 18 holes of challenging golf with a beauty that keeps calling you back. The homes are Willow Gorge-Golf Course Community, Verdigis OK were first built in 2005 and homes are still being built today.  For information on homes that are available visit 25235 Creek Bank Trail and see the beauty of the homes . Don't miss out on picking the lot of your choice for your new home also.  The beauty of Willow Gorge is not only in the ScissorTail Golf Club, but also in the bridge and professionally landscaped community. Willow Gorge-Golf Course Community, Verdigis OK has a Claremore, OK address, but the kiddos... 05/31/2010

Welcome Home to 20745 Skyline View Road in Claremore Oklahoma 74019MLS #1011884 Are you looking for your own quiet home in the country?  Want to be close to town, but not in town?  Then 20745 Skyline View Road in Claremore Oklahoma 74019 is the place for you! This beautiful home offers 2045 square feet, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a beautiful and classic wood buring fireplace in the living room, Anderson casement windows throughout, an inground storm shelter, above ground pool, acre and a quarter and Owasso schools! You might notice that the address of this home, located at 20745 Skyline View Road, is in Claremore Oklahoma.  And yet, the school district is Owasso.  How can this be?  If you'll take a look at the map below, you will see that the Skyline view estates neighborhood is loca... 04/23/2010

Welcome Home to 13008 E 77th Street North in Owasso Oklahoma 74055 This full brick home, located in the Copper Meadows neighborhood of Owasso, Oklahoma is a great place to call home.  And it is a great house for first time home buyers who are looking for a great home at a good value.  With 1907 Square feet, this Copper Meadows home offers big bedrooms, a large living room, high ceilings and a big kitchen that is nicely updated.  Let's take a look inside this beautiful home, located at 13008 E 77th Street North in Owasso Oklahoma  74055 in the Copper Meadows neighorhood.  Here you can see the front entry.  The engineered wood floor is brand new!  Notice also how bright and welcoming the entry of this Copper Meadows home is.   The entry of this home at 13008 E 77th Street North in Owasso ... 04/04/2010

Due to the incliment weather, today's open house at 8981 E Maple Drive in Claremore Oklahoma, 74019 has been cancelled. Please join us next Sunday, March 28, 2010 for our next open on this great home! One of the great things about the Tulsa Oklahoma area and the surrounding cities is the fact that you can live close to everything and yet, still enjoy a laid back country setting.  Take, for example, this great home in Silverwood Estates in Claremore, Oklahoma.  This house offers 1598 Square Feet on just over an acre in a lovely housing development that is located just down the street from Verdigris High School.  Here you can see a view of the backyard and Verdigris High School (behind the sign).                   Here is a map so you can see where this great house at 8981 East Maple Dri... 03/21/2010