It has been the pleasure of many agents to serve on the Woods Bros Realty Foundation for Giving over the years.

Board members are appointed by the managers of each Woods Bros Realty office for a term of four years. The present board members are pictured at right.

It has been the tradition at Woods Bros Realty to consider the benefits of serving in our communities and to give back in a meaningful way. Thus the Woods Bros Realty Foundation For Giving was established over 20 years ago by Pace Woods, II. Pace Woods, Sr. was the first Chairman of the Foundation.

Uniquely at Woods Bros Realty, when each agent closes a transaction, $2 from each leg of the transaction is matched by the company and placed in the account to be held until November of that year. To my knowledge there has been no other real estate company that has created such a fund. Through the agents’ activities we have supported our communities by donating between $5,000 and $18,000 annually and over $250,000 since 1987.

This year the board members received requests from 18 charities. After interviewing the representative and their sponsoring Woods Bros agent, the board decided to divide this year’s funds of $12,251 among all 18 charities.

 Posted by Sharon Wulf

Effective January 1, Capitol Title will change its name to Nebraska Land Title and Abstract (NLTA) and will join forces with its Omaha-based sister company of the same name and offer full-service title insurance and escrow closing services throughout the state.

This joining of forces makes NLTA the largest title operation in Nebraska, providing new business opportunities while maintaining the same high level of customer service and efficiency that its clients have enjoyed. Both companies will operate under the Nebraska Land Title and Abstract (NLTA) name in order to denote their statewide service. The combined title operation will be in a better position to secure new statewide and national business accounts.

Other than the name change, the combination will be seamless to consumers and real estate agents, who will continue to receive the same high level of customer service and see the same familiar faces through the transaction.

As part of the combination, the companies will be converting to the same title software system. The end goal is to facilitate electronic document management with the eventual goal of nearly “paperless” transactions. This feature will enhance the level of service provided to both consumers and agents.

Capitol Title serves the areas of Lincoln, Beatrice, Seward and Wahoo and was founded in 1981 by its predecessor, Beutler Title. NLTA was founded in 1984 and serves Omaha and surrounding areas. Both are wholly owned subsidiaries of HomeServices of America, the largest brokerage-owned settlement services (mortgage, title, escrow and insurance) provider in the United States.

For more information, call (402) 434-3737 (Lincoln) or (402) 778-1000 (Omaha).

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

BY MATT OLBERDING / Lincoln Journal Star

November was a month to remember for local home sales.

Existing home sales were up 76 percent over the same month last year. Sales of new homes were up more than 60 percent.

Doug Rotthaus, executive vice president of the Realtors Association of Lincoln, attributed the numbers largely to the $8,000 tax credit for new homebuyers, which was extended last month, and the new $6,500 tax credit for buyers who already own a home.

“Tax credits are playing a big part in this, along with low interest rates,” Rotthaus said.

Kent Obrist, a Realtor with Woods Bros. in Lincoln, said about one-third of his buyers this year have been first-time homebuyers.

He said that helped lead to a “really good” October and November.

Nationally, half of home sales in October and November were to first-time buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Sales of existing homes were up 44 percent nationally and 53.5 percent in the Midwest compared with November 2008, although those numbers are measured differently from the local ones. The national sales figures are reported as an annual rate, rather than as raw numbers of sales.

“This clearly is a rush of first-time buyers not wanting to miss out on the tax credit,” said Lawrence Yun, the national Realtor group’s chief economist.

National figures for new home sales were not available from the Realtors.

Even with the strong showing in November, sales of new homes locally for the year to date are slightly below where they were last year, but Rotthaus said existing home sales are approaching record numbers.

The local record for existing home sales was set in 2005, and “we’re real close to beating ‘05 year-to-date,” he said.

Rotthaus said he’s looking forward to this year’s success continuing at least into the first half of 2010.

” I think the expanded tax credit will have a good impact on our market,” he said.

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

The IRS has spelled out guidelines for eligibility for the home buyer credit when co-borrowers purchase a property.

When a home-owning parent of an adult child co-signs for a mortgage and both names appear on the note, the IRS says that under some circumstances, the first-time home buyer can qualify for the whole amount.

The IRS says the parent doesn’t qualify for any portion of the credit, but if the child hasn’t owned a home during the three years preceding the current purchase and can qualify based on income, he or she can be allocated the entire $8,000 credit.

When unmarried individuals co-purchase a home and only one of them is eligible for the credit, then the full $8,000 can be allocated to the eligible buyer.

From REALTOR Magazine

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

Judy Mutzenberger

Mike Figueroa

The Home Ownership Matters Training Institute is pleased to announce the recent graduation of Mike Figueroa and Judy Mutzenberger of Woods Bros Realty from the (FIS) Foreclosure Intervention Specialist certification program.

HOM trainer, Mildred Wilkins, joins with the local board in applauding the efforts of Figueroa and Mutzenberger who have taken 30 hours of extensive training and have set themselves apart by being prepared to handle the challenges associated with foreclosure or short sale transactions. When facing one of the most difficult challenges related to their homes, clients need someone who has taken the time to grasp the significant impact of both state and federal laws related to the process as well as having a firm handle on the basics of managing a real estate transaction.

The (FIS) program is highly recommended for REALTORS® interested in foreclosure intervention. The program covers such topics as: Legal Aspects of Foreclosure Mitigation; Short Sales; Listing an Upside Down Property; Foreclosure Ethics; and Practical Application of Loss Mitigation. As a graduate, Figueroa and Mutzenberger have benefitted by covering a wide spectrum of issues and demonstrated the breadth of knowledge needed to effectively handle your transaction.

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

Woods Bros Realty would like to welcome the following new associates: William Gibson and Lois Kohmetscher with the SouthPointe office, and Trevor McArthur with the Lincolnshire Square office.

These associates have undergone Nebraska licensing, extensive training and are well-qualified to help their clients in every aspect of real estate.

Woods Bros Realty, an affiliate of HomeServices of America, is a full-service company offering 120 years of expertise in real estate as well as experience in mortgage, title, closing, and insurance services. Providing an easier way to buy and sell, nearly 300 sales associates work with clients in Lincoln, Seward, Beatrice, York, Grand Island, and southeast and northeast Nebraska. For more information about Woods Bros Realty, visit www.WoodsBros.com.

William Gibson

Trevor McArthur

Lois Kohmetscher

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

1. People who look for a home during the Holidays are more serious buyers!
2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the Holidays and less competition means more money for you!
3. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular home! Less demand means less money for you!
4. Houses show better when decorated for the Holidays!
5. Buyers are more emotional during the Holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price!
6. Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons!
7. January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs. Since transferees cannot wait until Spring to buy, you must be on the market now to capture that market!
8. You can still be on the market, but you have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days during Holidays!
9. You can sell now for more money and we can provide for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until next year!
10. By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the Spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money!

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

Woods Bros Realty has formed a new insurance partnership with INSPRO Insurance to provide its realty clients more options and competitive pricing for property, casualty and life insurance products.

INSPRO Insurance is an independent, multi-line insurance agency that has been serving Nebraska for over 50 years. The joint venture between INSPRO and the insurance division of Woods Bros Realty will be called HomeServices of Nebraska Insurance.

“We are thrilled to partner with such a longstanding, reputable member of the local community,” said Gene Brake, CEO of HomeServices of Nebraska. “The joint venture with INSPRO furthers our goal to offer one-stop shopping to our clients, and INSPRO’s customer-centric values align well with our own full-service philosophy.”

Kathy Mayer will continue to represent HomeServices Insurance of Nebraska. Born and raised south of Lincoln on an acreage, Kathy has been in the insurance business for 20+ years. She has previously worked with Farmers Insurance as an agent, with State Farm as an office manager, and with Allstate Insurance Company as a broker. She has four grown boys, and she enjoys spending time with her four grandchildren. Kathy can be reached at (402) 434-3724.

Julia Franken will continue with INSPRO as a customer service representative, at their office at 1919 S. 40th St. (next to Capitol Title).

INSPRO Insurance is an agency leader in the Nebraska region, is 100 percent employee owned and offers a complete line of insurance products and services. For more information about INSPRO Insurance, visit www.InsproIns.com.

Woods Bros Realty, an affiliate of HomeServices of America, is a full-service company offering 120 years of expertise in real estate as well as experience in mortgage, title, closing, and insurance services. Providing an easier way to buy and sell, nearly 300 sales associates work with clients in Lincoln, Seward, Beatrice, York, Grand Island, and southeast and northeast Nebraska. For more information about Woods Bros Realty, visit www.WoodsBros.com.

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty