Welcome 2012!  Here are some of the things that we have seen happen over 2011 and are expecting so far in 2012.

                - New Hwy 54 Expressway has been finished and opened.

                - Hwy 242, also called the Horshoe Bend Expressway, has been finished and opened.

                - Golden Corral has been completed and has opened for business

                - Cracker Barrel has reached an agreement with a local real estate developer to put in a restaurant and is hoping to start construction sometime in the 2012 year, but no time frame has been set.

                - CVS will be opening in March of this year

                - Kohls will be opening in March of this year

                - Menards is currently under construction and has a projected opening of April of this year.

                - Jo-Ann's Retail Fabric store will be opening in April of 2012

                - Dierbergs, a St. Louis Grocery Chain, will start construction this year and is projecting to open in April of 2013.

                - Tan Tar A is in the middle of working out a deal to sell all of the Estates Lots to the homeowners.  They are having some hoops to jump through with the New P & Z Commissioner, but they hope to have all of this rectified and accomplished sometime in 2012.

These are the "Big Ticket" items that are happening at the lake or have already happened!  As for the John Q Hammonds Hotel & Convention Center, there has been no word as to when they will start construction or if they ever will.  All that is known currently is that they own the land and they still have their TIF (Tax Increment Financing) available for when they are ready.  There are still talks going around about revitalizing the Lake Ozark Strip, but there has not been any advancement to speak about.

Justin Farrell

John Farrell Real Estate Company

REALTOR

Office: (573) 348-2181

Toll Free : (800) 318-2181

Cell: (573) 216-2580

Fax: (573) 348-2167

Website: www.johnfarrell.com

There is reason for optimism at the Lake of the Ozarks.  After the first six months of 2011 the overall sales outlook has improved.  The number of sales for the following property types has increased; Lake Front Homes, Resale Condominiums, Villas and Townhomes and Commercial.  In addition the overall sales volume in dollars for the following property types has increased; Lake Front Homes, Resale Condominiums, Villas and Townhomes and Farms.  This is real good news for Sellers in the lake area of these types of properties.

The good news for Buyers is that the average sales price for the following property types has decreased; Lake Front homes, Offshore homes, Resale Condominiums, Villas and Townhomes, Non Lakefront lots and Commercial.  In addition we have seen an icrease in the number of foreclosure sales from last year 171 in 2010 and 194 in 2011 (this combines all property types).

In my opinion we may be seeing a stabilizing of the real estate economy at the Lake of the Ozarks.  Overall the number of properties sold has increased and the sales volume for some key property types has increased but we have seen a decrease in the average sales price of properties at the lake.  This provides some good news for both buyers and sellers.  Ultimately the market at the lake is still a Buyers Market due to the large number of inventory available and decreasing values but it is a very good time to take advantage of these decreased prices.

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7 Burglary Prevention Tips for Your Summer Vacation

Certain home maintenance tasks should be completed each season to prevent structural damage, save energy, and keep all your home’s systems running properly. What maintenance tasks are most important for the Midwest in spring and summer? Here are the major issues you should be aware of and critical tasks you should complete. For a comprehensive list of tasks by season, refer to the to-do lists to the right of this article.

When spring arrives in the Midwest, it’s time to clean up your home and yard from the ravages of winter. As the weather warms, you can also accomplish some routine maintenance tasks that are much more agreeable when the sun is shining.

Key maintenance tasks to perform

• Check your gutters and downspouts. “Stuff accumulates even after your fall gutter cleaning,” says Frank Lesh, president of Home Sweet Home Inspection Co. in Indian Head Park, Ill. “Pine needles especially, which fall all year long and are difficult to remove.” Children’s toys, he says, also find their way into gutters between cleanings, as well as nails and other debris from the roof. Look for any signs of wind or ice damage—has the gutter pulled away from the house, or bent so that there are depressions where water can stand? You can usually repair damage yourself for under $50 by adjusting or reattaching brackets and gently hammering out bent areas.

Lesh also recommends examining your downspouts for blockages. “You can’t see inside them,” he says, “so tap them with a screwdriver handle to see if they sound hollow.” If the ends run underground, where animals can build nests or winter debris can become trapped, your best bet is to put a garden hose in the gutter and see where the water discharges. If you have a blockage, you’ll have to disassemble or dig up part of the downspout until you locate it.

• Inspect your roof for winter damage. This is best done from a ladder, but if you’re allergic to ladders, use a pair of binoculars to check your roof from your yard. Look for loose and missing shingles. If anything looks unusual, investigate further yourself or call a roofing contractor.

• Take a close look at your chimney. “Do this even if the winter was mild,” Lesh says. “High winds, rain, and snow can damage a chimney. Look for cracks, missing mortar, loose bricks or boards, and signs of rot.” If any of those things are present, call a chimney sweep certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America for a repair estimate. If the metal flashing and the cap on a chimney are galvanized, Lesh says, check to see if they look brownish, which means they’re rusting and should be replaced. Also, make sure the cap is still present but hasn’t collapsed and covered the flue opening, which could cause a dangerous carbon monoxide buildup inside the house. Expect chimney repairs to start around $200.

• Examine your drainage. Make sure soil slopes away from your foundation at least 6 vertical inches in the first 10 feet on all sides of the house and that there are no areas of standing water. If you have properly sloped foundation drainage but still have areas of standing water, consider a landscaping solution, such as a swales (contoured drainage depressions), berms (raised banks of earth), terraces, or French drains (a shallow, gravel-filled trench that diverts water away from the house).

• Take a look at your siding. Has any of it come loose or begun to rot? Repair any damaged sections before moisture has a chance to set in. No matter what your siding is made of (wood, vinyl, brick), it may need a spring cleaning. The best DIY method for any kind of siding is a bucket of soapy water and a long-handled brush. A power washer is not recommended and should only be handled by a professional cleaning contractor. If you choose to have your siding professionally cleaned, expect to pay $300–$500 depending on the size of your home.

• Schedule your biannual HVAC appointment. Get ready for the air conditioning season with your spring tune-up. If your system wasn’t running well last season, be sure to tell your contractor, and make sure he performs actual repairs if necessary rather than simply adding refrigerant. “He shouldn’t just charge it up,” Lesh says. “That will work for a while, but it won’t last. Freon lasts forever—if your system is low, there’s a leak somewhere, and he should tell you specifically what he’s going to check to fix it.” Expect to pay $50–$100.

Your contractor’s maintenance checklist should include checking thermostats and controls, checking the refrigerant level, tightening connections, lubricating any moving parts, checking the condensate drain, and cleaning the coils and blower. Duct cleaning, while it probably won’t hurt anything, is not necessary; be wary of contractors who want to coat the inside of the ducts with antimicrobial agents, as research has not proven the effectiveness of this method and any chemicals used in your ducts will likely become airborne.

On your own, make sure your filters are changed and vacuum out all your floor registers.

• Check your GFCIs. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that you do this once a month, and it’s a good idea to incorporate it into your spring maintenance routine. GFCIs (ground fault circuit interrupters) are electrical outlets that protect you from deadly electrical shocks by shutting off the power anytime even a minimal disturbance in current is detected. They feature two buttons (“test” and “reset”), and should be present anywhere water and electricity can mix:  kitchens, bathrooms, basements, garages, and the exterior of the house.

To test your GFCIs, plug a small appliance (a nightlight, for example) into each GFCI. Press the test button, which should click and shut off the nightlight. The reset button should also pop out when you press the test button; when you press reset, the nightlight should come back on.

If the nightlight doesn’t go off when you press the test button, either the GFCI has failed and should be replaced, or the wiring is faulty should be inspected. If the reset button doesn’t pop out, or if pressing it doesn’t restore power to the nightlight, the GFCI has failed and should be replaced. These distinctions can help you tell an electrician what the problem is—neither job is one you should attempt yourself if you don’t have ample experience with electrical repair.

Spending a weekend or two on maintenance can prevent expensive repairs and alert you to developing problems before they become serious. Be sure to check out the comprehensive seasonal to-do list following this article, and visit the links below for more detailed information on completing tasks or repairs yourself.

Karin Beuerlein has covered home improvement and green living topics extensively for HGTV.com, FineLiving.com, and FrontDoor.com. In more than a decade of freelancing, she’s also written for dozens of national and regional publications, including Better Homes & Gardens, The History Channel Magazine, Eating Well, and Chicago Tribune. She and her husband started married life by remodeling the house they were living in. They still have both the marriage and the house, no small feat.

There are plenty of myths out there about financing.  While I am not a loan officer by trade I do get plenty of experience with loans; below is a small lists some common financing myths and the truth regarding each myth:

 
1.    It’s impossible to get low down payment loans – UNTRUE!

        a.    FHA down payments are only 3.5 percent and VA is 0 percent. In some areas, there may be some 100 percent USDA loans available.

 2.    It takes perfect credit to get a loan – UNTRUE!

        a.    There is a relationship of better rates to better credit but many issues on a credit report may be explained. The way to know for sure is to speak to a reliable lender. 

3.    If I’ve had a bankruptcy or foreclosure, I can’t qualify – UNTRUE!
        a.    Credit history following a short sale or foreclosure is very important and there can be extenuating circumstances.  It only takes a few moments with a reliable lending professional to find out if your individual situation will allow you to qualify.

4.    Getting pre-approved is expensive – UNTRUE!
        a.    Usually, the only expense to getting pre-approved is the cost of the credit report which could be around $35. The advantage is that you will know that you qualify for a particular mortgage amount.

 5.    I should wait to qualify until I find a home – UNTRUE!

        a.    Too often people make the mistake of assuming they know how much money they can borrow.  It is only after they have spent hours and days with a Realtor searching for and locating their dream house they then determine that they may have a problem with their credit and don’t qualify for the loan.  If you are considering purchasing a house it is best for you to get qualified for financing before starting your search

6.    All lenders are the same – UNTRUE!
        a.    Reliable lending professionals will explain the entire process before collecting fees, quote fees up-front, have competitive products, do what is necessary to get the loan approved and close at the locked rate and terms. Ask for recommendations from recent borrowers.

If you are considering borrowing money to purchase a house, do not assume anything.  There are a lot of lending professionals out there.  I always recommend that you first speak with a loan officer where you bank and then get competitive quotes from another lender and consider a mortgage broker as well.

REALTOR® Karen Stephens in Memphis, TN, encourages homeowners to give their pocketbook and Mother Nature a break this season by taking advantage of these simple, surprising ways to save energy and money.

Switch to a laptop: If you’re reading this article on a laptop, you’re using 1/3 less energy than if you’re reading this on a desktop.

Choose an LCD TV: If you’re among those considering a flat-screen upgrade from your conventional, CRT TV, choose an LCD screen for the biggest energy save.

Give your water heater a blanket: Just like you pile on extra layers in the winter, your hot water heater can use some extra insulation too. A fiberglass insulation blanket is a simple addition that can cut heat loss and save 4 to 9 percent on the average water-heating bill.

Turn off the burner before you’re done cooking: When you turn off an electric burner, it doesn’t cool off immediately. Use that to your advantage by turning it off early and using the residual heat to finish up your dish.

Add motion sensors: You might be diligent about shutting off unnecessary lights, but your kids? Not so much. Adding motion sensors to playrooms and bedrooms cost only $15 to $50 per light, and ensures you don’t pay for energy that you’re not using.

Spin laundry faster: The faster your washing machine can spin excess water out of your laundry, the less you’ll need to use your dryer. Many newer washers spin clothes so effectively, they cut drying time and energy consumption in half—which results in an equal drop in your dryer’s energy bill.

Use an ice tray: Stop using your automatic icemaker. It increases your fridge’s energy consumption by 14 to 20 percent. Ice trays, on the other hand, don’t increase your energy costs one iota.

Use the dishwasher: If you think doing your dishes by hand is greener than powering up the dishwasher, you’re wrong. Dishwashers use about 1/3 as much hot water and relieve that much strain from your energy-taxing water heater. Added bonus: you don’t have to wash any dishes.” Click here to read more blog posts by Karen Stephens.

The Lake Sun Leader has an article in the front page of the weekend paper citing that representatives of John Q. Hammons have met with Osage Beach Mayor Penny Lyons and reaffirmed their intent to build the Chateau at the Lake, when economic conditions improve. 

This is Great news for the lake area.  Hammons company is one of the strongest and largest hotel companies in the midwest region.  I have never been to their hotel in Branson but I have heard from friends that have stayed there and all say that it is a beautiful complex.  A hotel similar located in the heart of Osage Beach and right there next to the Grand Glaize bridge would be a huge boost to the community of Osage Beach.

That said I think the most important point to remember is that they are waiting on the economy to recover.  With that said, I would not expect to see any construction begin for the next 2 - 3 years.  I hope I am wrong and construction begins sooner but in my realistic expectations, I would not expect to see this hotel up and running for at least 5 years.

For more information read the article available at LakeNewsOnline.com.