For a limited time only, the Seller of this spectacular Williamsburg home at 3801 Old Dominion Ct in Lincoln, NE, will seriously consider all formal offers with a purchase price of $470,000 or higher. This stunning property is currently priced at $499,000 and is well worth the price – the home was recently assessed at $517,900!

3801 Old Dominion Ct, Lincoln, NE

Located in one of Lincoln’s most prestigious developments, this stunning home is better than new and features a fabulous open floor plan, gourmet kitchen with granite counters, double ovens, custom cherry cabinetry and a large walk-in pantry. In addition, you’ll find a spacious master suite, 3 additional large bedrooms, an office or study space and a beautifully finished basement and amazing landscaping.

Public Open Houses will be held on:
Saturday, June 16, 2012 1:00 to 3:00pm
Sunday, June 17, 2012 3:00 to 5:00pm

RSVP to this open house on Facebook.

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 Posted by Bruce Hahn

At the recent Nebraska REALTORS® Association Annual Convention and Exhibition, 48 Members received the REALTOR® Mark of Excellence. The following Woods Bros Realty agents were among those recognized for receiving the Mark of Excellence Award from the Association: Linda McCall from Beatrice, Al Avery from Grand Island, and Gloria Aron, Thane Jensen, Arla Meyer, Judy Sasek, Doug Vandervort and Gene Ward, all of Lincoln.

The goal of the Mark of Excellence award is to promote professionalism in the industry by recognizing members for their participation at the local and national levels of the REALTOR® organization, for activities in the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Institutes, Societies and Councils, for Designations earned, for educational activities and for political involvement. Obtaining the Mark of Excellence award results in better educated, active members who will bring credit to themselves, to the Association, to their clients and to the public by demonstrating functions of being a professional.

Since 1917, the Nebraska REALTORS® Association has served as The Voice for Real Estate in Nebraska™. Our 4,000 plus members subscribe to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics and take pride in the communities in which we work, serve and live.

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

Jim Lamphere

Nebraska Land Title & Abstract President Jim Lamphere has been elected to serve as President of the Nebraska Land Title Association for 2012.

The Nebraska Land Title Association was formed in 1903 and is guided by an elected Board of Directors and Officers.  The committee structure allows members to make a difference by advocating for high standards when searching real estate records, preparing title documents and passing clear title. This association is also very in touch with current legislative and regulatory issues that affect home ownership.

Lamphere has guided Nebraska Land Title & Abstract since 1998. He is a Lincoln native and earned his law degree in 1984.  He is also a licensed title agent and a member of the Nebraska and Minnesota Bar Associations.  Lamphere and his wife, Amy, have two children, Jake and Sarah.

Sheryl Oldham

In addition, the Realtors Association of Lincoln (RAL) recently named Sheryl Oldham of Nebraska Land Title & Abstract its 2011 Affiliate of the Year. The award is given to an affiliate member of RAL in recognition of his or her professionalism and outstanding service. Selection is based on organized real estate activity; business conduct and experience; and civic and volunteer activity.

Oldham has dedicated her career to the real estate industry for over 30 years. She is involved in RAL as a member of the Affordable Housing Committee, participates in Meals on Wheels, Salvation Army bell ringing, RAL golf and bowling events and the RAL booth at the Home & Garden show as well as many other activities sponsored by the board.

Oldham is a member and past president of the Escrow Association of Nebraska and currently serves as the Nebraska state director to the American Escrow Association. She is a member and currently serves on the Education Committee for the Women’s Council of Realtors and was that organization’s Affiliate of the Year in 2003. Oldham is active with the Home Builders Association of Lincoln. She is also very active in her local church and volunteers at the Information Center, Coffee House and many other activities sponsored by her church. Her personal interests include spending time with her family including three grandchildren, camping and any outdoor activities.

Nebraska Land Title & Abstract (formerly known as Capitol Title) is a wholly owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, the largest brokerage-owned settlement services (mortgage, title, escrow and insurance) provider in the United States. The company provides title insurance and escrow closing services to the areas of Lincoln, Omaha, Bellevue, Seward, Wahoo and Beatrice. For more information, visit www.NebraskaLandTitle.com.

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

2011 Mrs. Nebraska Karalyn Hoefer

Woods Bros Realty SouthPointe agent Karalyn Hoefer was crowned Mrs. Nebraska Saturday night.

She will represent Nebraska in the Mrs. America Pageant at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia in April. Mrs. Nebraska 2011 also wins a prize package worth more than $15,000, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.

Hoefer has been a REALTOR with Woods Bros Realty sice 2001. She and her husband, Brian, have two daughters, Kalyssa and Kaitlyn. She holds her Graduate, REALTOR Institute (GRI) designation.

According to the Mrs. Nebraska website, “the Mrs. Nebraska Pageant is the state preliminary to the Mrs. America Pageant. But more importantly, it is the vehicle by which women in Nebraska are able to promote family values, women’s causes, and local charities. Past holders of the Mrs. Nebraska title have spoken out—and continue to speak—statewide on topics such as spending more time with our children, youth volunteerism, building strong marriages, breast cancer education in Nebraska, and domestic violence.”

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

The Lincoln branch of HomeServices Lending, LLC was recognized as one of the Top Lenders in Fiscal Year 2010 for USDA Rural Development’s guaranteed rural housing (GRH) loan program. HomeServices Lending provided more than $1.7 million in home loans through this program, which fostered rural homeownership in the state, said Maxine Moul, Nebraska State Director for USDA Rural Development in making the presentation to the lender.

The GRH loan program continues to be extremely successful in Nebraska. Seventy-seven approved lenders participated in Fiscal Year 2010 providing nearly $90.4 million, and assisting 1,020 rural Nebraska households to achieve homeownership. Demand for the USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing homeownership program continued to be strong in Fiscal Year 2010.

Moul said, “We appreciate our partners, the Nebraska-approved lenders, who make this program such a success. We anticipate another active year and we look forward to helping more rural Nebraskans to achieve the dream of homeownership. I wish to thank HomeServices Lending for their dedication in using the program.”

With guaranteed financing, private lending institutions provide the loans which are guaranteed by the federal government. The program features no down payment to eligible income households and no maximum mortgage limits. Dwellings must be located in a rural community with a population of up to 20,000, and including Norfolk and Columbus.

Existing guaranteed or direct loan borrowers may refinance their home loans under the GRH loan program to obtain a possible lower interest rate.

For additional information visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/ne.

About HomeServices Lending, LLC

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

All homeowners and all Nebraskans might well be interested in the Dec. 2 briefing by the The Nebraska Department of Economic Development held at the State Capitol. Housing will be one of many topics discussed and it should be an excellent opportunity to hear about what is happening across the state. It will be an opportunity as well to meet with and make comments to key Nebraska leadership. Reservations are required. For more details check the link that follows.

 http://www.neded.org/content/view/1168/2364/

 Posted by Marcia Murray

Did You Know: GAO Initial Report on Home Buyer Tax Credit

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

Al Avery

Governor Dave Heineman has appointed Al Avery to be the broker representative from the Third Congressional District on the Nebraska Real Estate Commission.  Avery is a branch manager for Woods Bros Realty in Grand Island and has had his real estate license since 1987.  Avery has been appointed to a six-year term on the seven-member Commission and will be sworn in and offcially begin his duties at the September 30th Commission meeting.

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

By MATT OLBERDING / Lincoln Journal Star

The federal homebuyer tax credits helped propel local home sales in the first half of the year to their highest level in three years.

According to figures released last week from the Realtors Association of Lincoln, there had been 2,001 home sales through the local Multiple Listing System as of June 30.

That’s a more than 13 percent increase over the same period in 2009 and the most since there were more than 2,100 sales in the first half of 2007.

Sales of new homes, which have been a drag on the market for several years, were up even more.

For the year, sales of new homes are up more than 40 percent after increasing nearly 150 percent in June.

Despite the good news, most signs point to a slowdown in the second half of the year.

For the second straight month in June, pending sales – sales that are under contract but have not yet closed – were way down compared with last year.

“As expected, there was a reduction in the number of pending home sales in June, compared to those in June of 2009, due to the April 30 Homebuyer’s Tax Credit deadline,” said Nicole Jensen, executive vice president of the Realtors Association.

The tax credit, which offered $8,000 to new buyers and $6,500 to repeat buyers, expired at the end of April.

Despite continuing closings of sales related to the tax credits, sales of existing homes in June were actually down compared with June of last year – 370 to 396.

“We definitely foresee that the volume of home sales are going to curtail and are going to curtail pretty quickly,” said Kent Thompson, the elected president of the Realtors Association.

Still, Thompson stands by an earlier prediction he made that home sales will be up overall for the year.

“I think that Realtors, as a whole, will have a good year this year,” he said.

Mike Rezac, owner of Rezac Construction and president of the Homebuilders Association of Lincoln, is not as optimistic.

Despite the spike in sales of new homes, permits so far this year are down slightly compared with where they were at this time last year.

While that may not sound so bad, Rezac points out that last year was a 29-year low.

“I don’t see this being a terribly strong year,” he said. “We’re really holding out for next year.”

Not everybody is looking at the market with skpticism, though.

Rita Dinger, a real estate agent for Woods Bros. Realty, says she’s been plenty busy since the tax credits expired.

“I’m having one of the busiest Julys I’ve ever had,” she said.

Dinger said she thinks that all the incentives did was push people to buy a home earlier than they would have otherwise.

And she’s not convinced yet that the slowdown is anything more than typical late summer seasonal drop-off.

There are plenty of people still considering buying a home, Dinger said.

“They’re looking for all the reasons that people have always looked.”

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

Courtesy of RealtyTrac

Statewide foreclosure filings down 47 percent from March
Monthly foreclosure activity in Nebraska decreased in April, down 47 percent from the previous month to 277 properties with foreclosure filings. This latest state total also represents a 135 percent year-over-year increase in foreclosure filings from April 2009, according to the latest RealtyTrac^® U.S. Foreclosure Market Report.

“Nebraska foreclosures fell nearly 50 percent in April,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. “The largest decline was in default notices, which dropped 68 percent for the month. The state currently holds the third lowest unemployment rate in the country and had higher-than-average home sales during 2009.”

Nebraska ranked 45^th in the country in total foreclosures reported for the month. With one in every 2,839 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing, its foreclosure rate ranked 45^th among the 50 states.

Saline County posts top foreclosure rate for April
Saline County posted the highest county foreclosure rate in Nebraska for April, with one in every 1,158 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing — 2.5 times the state average. Douglas County came in second, with one in every 1,260 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing — 2.3 times the state average. Saunders County was third, with one in every 1,529 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing — 1.9 times the state average.

Douglas County led the state in total foreclosures for April
Douglas County led the way, reporting 170 properties with foreclosure filings for the month. Lancaster County came in second highest, documenting 27 properties with foreclosure filings. Reporting 17 properties with foreclosure filings for the month, Sarpy County ranked third highest. Cass County was fourth, reporting six properties with foreclosure filings, while Saunders County came in fifth, reporting 6 properties with foreclosure filings.

State contributes less than 1 percent to nation’s month foreclosure total
Nebraska accounted for less than 1 percent of the 333,837 properties with foreclosure filings reported nationwide in April. Total U.S. activity declined more than 9 percent from the previous month and was 2 percent below the level reported in April 2009. One in every 387 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing during the month.

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

From the Sioux City Journal:

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The Nebraska Energy Office is offering residents low-interest loans to go green when building a house.

The office is offering 2.5 percent loans through eligible Nebraska lenders for the construction of single family, highly energy-efficient homes. The home must meet or exceed the state’s energy code by 30 percent to be eligible.

Energy Star 5 Star Plus homes typically feature higher levels of properly-installed insulation, high-performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment and Energy Star appliances, lighting and water heaters.

The first step to building an Energy Star 5 Plus Star home is to have a certified home energy rater complete a rating of the construction plans provided by the designer and builder.

___

On the Net:

Nebraska Energy Efficient Housing Loans: http://www.neo.ne.gov/loan/index.html.

Certified Home Energy Raters: http://resnet.us

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

Pet owners can face a dilemma when putting their homes up for sale.

Many real estate agents will tell them to remove all traces of dogs and cats from a home before showing it to potential buyers. Some even suggest placing the animals in another home during this time.

That’s just what Dawn Pieke was told when her real estate agent tried to help her sell her house. The agent told Pieke to place her two large dogs in a kennel for two months. The advice was like a slap in the face to Pieke. She wasn’t about to remove two beloved family members from her home. Not only would it be hard on the dogs, it would be hard on her.

The attitude of that agent persuaded Pieke to take action to train what she is calling “pet-friendly Realtors.” Pieke, editor of “Pet Enthusiast” magazine, a publication circulated in Omaha and Lincoln, hosted a workshop in Omaha in March for real estate agents interested in learning about becoming pet-friendly Realtors. She plans to host another in Lincoln this summer.

Pet-friendly real estate agents are those trained to understand the needs of pet owners when selling and buying homes.

The former mortgage broker knows this is an issue of importance to a big share of the population. According to the 2009-2010 National Pet Owners Survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 39 percent of American households have at least one dog and 33 percent have at least one cat.

When Pieck was looking for a new home, she told her Realtor about specific requirements she wanted to accommodate her dogs, such as a walk-out basement and a fenced backyard. Her agent, who was not fond of dogs, did not work to accommodate Pieck’s requirements.

As a result of her disappointing experience, Pieck is convinced that pet lovers should work with agents who are sensitive to the needs of pets and their owners.

Pieck does not, however, believe being sensitive to those needs mean abandoning common sense when it comes to showing homes to potential buyers. Pet owners listing their homes for sale must keep them extremely clean and free of pet odors. Pet toys, beds and litter boxes should be removed from the home during all showings. All dog droppings should be removed from the yard.

And by all means, remove the dogs and cats from the premises when potential buyers come to look. Sellers definitely don’t want barking dogs charging the door when prospective buyers enter.

Removing the animals for weeks or months on end until a home is sold, however, is far too drastic in Pieck’s mind and likely will not be a feasible option for people who consider their pets to be part of the family.

The best option for pet owners is work with a pet-friendly real estate agent, Pieck says. Pieck’s goal through her workshops is to teach Realtors innovative ways to work with home buyers and sellers while keeping their pets in mind.

 Posted by Lori Black

Dennis Cauchon of USA TODAY recently reported on Lincoln’s steady economy. Read the excerpt of the article below, or the full article here.

To understand why some places are winning and others losing, USA TODAY examined a pair of No. 2s — the metropolitan areas of Lincoln, Neb., which has the second-lowest metro area unemployment rate in the United States, and Merced, Calif., which has the second-highest.

Lincoln symbolizes a swath of the central USA with economies that didn’t have wild highs and lows during the last decade.

Lincoln: Steady as she goes

Lincoln’s economy has been good for so long that it’s hard for many there to remember bad times.

The unemployment rate in the vibrant metropolitan area of 296,000 is just 4.1%, second-lowest in the nation.

The rate has never been above 5% since the Bureau of Labor Statistics starting tracking it 20 years ago.

“It’s like we’re on our own island out here,” says Jason Perry, a Wisconsin-born rental car manager who moved to Nebraska in 2008, when his wife, Robin, got a job in nearby Omaha, which also has low unemployment.

Lincoln is home to a major research university and national and regional headquarters for several substantial companies. It is surrounded by farms that export worldwide.

The metro area — built on the edge of the Great Plains — has the good fortune of being at the convergence of several positive trends in a dangerously weak national economy. Lincoln is:

• A college town, home to 24,000 students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Nine of the 10 metro areas with the lowest unemployment rates have major universities.

• A state capital, benefiting from a stable workforce of government jobs.

• Part of a farm economy at a time when farm income has been at or near record highs.

Just as important, Lincoln missed the real estate bubble, so it’s not suffering withdrawal from a construction boom caused by too-easy credit.

Tom Henning, chief executive of Assurity Life Insurance of Lincoln, can’t recall any significant speculative office buildings or shopping centers getting built in Lincoln during this decade’s national real estate boom that ended in 2007.

During an interview, Henning calls the company’s head of real estate lending on a speaker phone to check his memory.

Investment chief Bill Schmeeckle pauses for a long time as he recalls what’s been built in Lincoln during the past several years.

“No. None,” he says.

Henning says a real estate developer who approached Assurity Life about financing a speculative building would have been met with the common-sense question: “You mean you want to build it, but you don’t have any tenants yet?”

Construction in Lincoln proceeded at a steady, moderate pace during the last decade — and that continues today.

Assurity Life is building a new $53 million corporate headquarters. The university is developing a new research park. In May, voters will decide whether to approve bonds to start a $334 million arena for the university’s basketball team.

The city’s historic Haymarket District continues to slowly but steadily add new businesses.

The Bar & Grill has hung a sign at its future location: “Now Accepting Applications for All Positions.”

Trent Taylor, 28, who recently quit his job as a cook, says he’s not worried about finding work.

“There’s work around, just not always what you want,” says Taylor, smoking a cigarette outside a government career center in downtown Lincoln.

Lincoln hasn’t been immune to the recession. A total of 6,800 people were unemployed in December in a labor force of 167,000. That’s an increase of 1,150 from a year earlier.

“We’ve absolutely had job losses,” says Eric Thompson, a University of Nebraska economist. “It just doesn’t feel like the worst recession in 30 years or longer.”

One reason: Nebraska has among the nation’s highest rates of people holding multiple jobs, Thompson says. That means people can lose one job or be employed below their skill level, yet not count as unemployed.

Nebraska, with its high level of education, and Lincoln, in particular, have a labor force that’s attractive to employers.

“We might have someone with an economics degree working as a clerk,” Henning says.

Lincoln’s diversified economy has more than 100 companies and agencies that employ 250 or more workers, including a robust manufacturing sector. Kawasaki makes New York subway cars here, along with all-terrain vehicles and Jet Skis.

Nick Cusick, chief executive of IMS Corp., says manufacturing has been helped by electricity rates 25% below the national average.

A key reason for the low rates: Nebraska is the only state that generates all its power from government-owned utilities.

Thriving entrepreneurship and the lack of a major union presencealso have helped keep Nebraska manufacturers competitive, says Cusick, who started his company with a high school buddy in 1974.

Today, Cusick and his friend are still 50-50 partners in a company that employs 200, down from a peak of 275 in 2008.

IMS makes football goalposts, basketball hoops and electronic signs and scoreboards. The PGA Tour’s electronic leader board is one of its products.

Cusick thinks his region’s “common sense” culture helps Lincoln avoid economic peaks and valleys.

Nebraska companies typically are reluctant to take on debt because of this conservative culture, he says. Nebraska’s constitution even prohibits the state from borrowing money.

“The Nebraska sensibility — whether it’s in the public sector or the private sector — is to be cautious,” Cusick says.

Cusick vacations in Scottsdale, Ariz., every March and November. Between visits there, new shopping centers would appear there during the boom years. “Lot of vacancies now,” he says.

Lincoln was different that way. No boom, no bust. Still hiring.

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty

New tax credits will help continue to further activity within Lincoln’s residential real estate market

The extension and expansion of the existing homebuyer tax credit programs are positive steps for the nation’s residential real estate market, says Ron Peltier, Chairman and CEO of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and the nation’s second-largest independent residential real estate brokerage (www.homeservices.com).

The existing homebuyer tax credit program, which has been in effect since January 2009, provides up to $8,000 in tax credits for individuals purchasing their first home, as well as for those who have not owned a home for three years has been extended into 2010. Under the new extended legislation, the current Nov. 30, 2009 deadline to close on a home has been expanded to June 30, 2010.

The newly-enacted tax credit provides eligible home buyers who have lived in their current home consecutively for five of the previous eight years with up to $6,500 in tax credits.

Qualified, prospective homebuyers looking to capitalize on either tax incentive will need to have a signed purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and will need to close on their home by June 30, 2010.

“It is an unprecented time to buy a home,” said Gene Ward, managing broker and team leader of Woods Bros Realty. “The low interest rates and these tax incentives make it the perfect storm to make a move. Our local market will especially benefit because of our low home prices and cost of living.”

“We view this as an extremely positive step for our industry,” adds Peltier. “The extension of the homebuyer tax credit and, in particular, expanding the tax credit to include current homeowners, creates motivation for those buyers that have been contemplating a home purchase. This creates a tremendous incentive and makes this the perfect opportunity to act now.”

The tax credit is available for the purchase of principal residences only, and the home must cost no more than $800,000. Vacation and second homes are not eligible.

Individual buyers must have an annual income of no more than $125,000, or $225,000 for those who file jointly. Buyers who have served in the military outside of the U.S. for at least 90 days will receive a 12-month extension on the tax credit.

“Our industry is one of the nation’s key economic drivers,” concludes Peltier. “We are confident in its long-term viability and in its chief mission of helping facilitate the American dream of owning a home.”

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.

About HomeServices of America
HomeServices of America, Inc., based in Minneapolis, Minn., is the second-largest homeownership service provider in the United States. Owned by MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., HomeServices’ operating companies offer integrated real estate services, including brokerage services, mortgage originations, title and closing services, property and casualty insurance, home warranties and other homeownership services. HomeServices Relocation, LLC is the full-service relocation arm of HomeServices of America which provides every aspect of domestic and international relocation to corporations around the world. HomeServices operates in 20 states under the following residential real estate brand names: Carol Jones REALTORS; CBSHOME Real Estate; Champion Realty Inc.; Edina Realty; EWM REALTORS; Harry Norman, REALTORS; HOME Real Estate; Huff Realty; Iowa Realty; Koenig & Strey GMAC Real Estate; Long Companies; Prudential California Realty; Prudential Carolinas Realty; Prudential First Realty; Prudential York Simpson Underwood; RealtySouth; Rector-Hayden REALTORS; Reece & Nichols; Roberts Brothers Inc.; Semonin REALTORS and Woods Bros Realty. Information about HomeServices and the locations of its subsidiary companies is available at www.homeservices.com.

 Posted by Woods Bros Realty