The whole purpose of the loan is to provide home owners with money to use to make energy efficient upgrades to their home.  The maximum loan amount is capped at $10,000, but the money can be used for multiple energy saving upgrades including: 

• Installation of energy-efficient windows or exterior doors 
• Adding more insulation to the attic and walls 
• Replacing inefficient window units with central heat and air 
• Installation of a new heat pump 
• Replacing a dark-colored roof with a cool roof that reflects the sun 

Homeowners in Oklahoma City with a household income of $100,000 or less can apply for one of these green home loans and will have up to 36 months to pay it back.  The City’s Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Program is administered by the Community Action Agency.  Read the entire article here. 

While this specific program is happening only in Oklahoma City, the US Government has been encouraging energy efficiency for the entire nation.  There are countless tax credits and rebates available for renewable energy products such as solar water heaters or wind energy for both businesses and you, the homeowner.  DSIRE is the “Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.”  Check out their website where you can search for government refunds and credits by state.  You will be surprised how much you can actually save by taking advantage of these programs.  

Speaking of energy efficiency and environmental responsibility, Rausch Coleman’s homes are E-Star Certified for two reasons.  One, it’s a way we can do our small part at reducing pollution by making green homes.  Two, it’s more comfortable for the homeowner, especially in the winter and summer months.  Lower gas and electric bills with a nice and cozy warm home.  

What do you do to stay green around your home?  Have you cashed in on any of the government incentives for renewable energy?  We want to hear about what you’ve done and how it’s impacted you.

Reason #1:  You’ll pay less tax.  Did you know that when you own a home you can deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage from your taxable income? The value of the tax break depends on the amount of your mortgage, your interest rate, and your income.  As a general rule, the newer the mortgage, the greater the amount of interest you pay each month and the bigger the tax break. Therefore, recent buyers with young mortgages tend to get the greatest benefit. 

Reason #2:  You’ll be buying a piece of real property rather than putting money in a landlord’s pocket each month.  Renting is something that is probably necessary for all of us for a period of time, some longer than others.  For those of you that can afford a home, but continue to rent, think about the opportunity cost.  The money spent on renting (which goes straight to the landlord and will never be in your hands again) could be spent on building equity in something that is yours.  When you own a home and it comes time to move, you recoup some of the money you put into it through the sale.  There’s no such thing when you rent. 

Reason #3:  Interest rates are still historically low.  As of September 21, a 30 year fixed rate mortgage was at 4.5%.  That’s a low interest rate!  The lower the interest rate, the less you actually pay for your house and the sooner you can pay the mortgage off. Check out this loan calculator to help you with estimates on monthly payments. 

Reason #4:  You’ll have the stability and emotional security of owning your own home.  Remember when your lease was coming to an end and your landlord let you know about the rent increase to renew?  Ouch!  What about when you had 4 months to go on your lease but there was a for sale sign in your front yard?  Not when you own a home.  No more worrying about dictatorial or negligent landlords or rent increases.  You’re calling the shots now. 

Reason #5:  It’s YOUR home!  You can decorate, remodel, re-carpet, paint, and change anything and everything you like.  It’s completely your call!  Have some fun! 

These are just a few reasons why you shouldn’t be afraid of owning a home.  Of course, it’s a huge responsibility and requires work, but your work pays off when it’s your home.  We have different models in different locations throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas.  We have managers and sales people ready to walk you though the home that can be yours.  Get in touch with us today!

Employing a Realtor® is not something that is required to purchase or even sell your home.  In fact, over 20% of buyers buy their new home without the assistance of a Realtor®.  Regardless of the numbers, we understand that many homebuyers will turn to a professional for help in the process.  If that’s you, here is some valuable information according to DaveRamsey.com to keep in mind when choosing a Realtor® to work with:

• It’s a common myth that all agents are the same, so you shouldn’t just pick the one who charges the lowest commissions.  The truth is that all agents are not equal and commission shouldn’t be the deciding factor when hiring an agent.  In some states, one can qualify to buy and sell real estate in 48 hours!  Look for experience.  Find a Realtor® who has sold many homes in your area. They know your local market and what works best in that area.
• Find a Realtor® with a good network.  Often times, it’s not always about what you know, but who you know.  A Realtor® with a strong network will tap into those contacts to help with the sale of your home.
• Make sure the agent is known for great customer service, those who actually do the work and give personalized service. This means that the agent should put your needs above the almighty dollar, stay in touch and explain everything to you in a way you understand, and is willing to work with all price ranges.

If you don’t think a Realtor® is the route you want to go, we completely understand.  They can be helpful, but aren’t always necessary.  If you’re trying to tackle finding your next home on your own, we have a great tool on our website that allows you to search for available Rausch Coleman homes in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas.  You can also contact our sales office for advice or questions related to buying your new home.

Of course, we still get to experience the leaves changing colors in the fall, pumpkin carving, and some warmth throughout the daytime, but it’s about that time to start thinking about preparing your home for the cold winter months.  We’re only posting this now so that you don’t wake up the morning before Thanksgiving with the family on the way over and no heat in the house.  

There are a few standard maintenance routines and checkups you should do before it gets too cold outside to ensure your family’s comfort through winter.  

• Add insulation to attics and basements. You don’t want precious heat escaping your home.  If you’ve purchased a home from Rausch Coleman or are thinking about it, you don’t need to worry about this one.  All our homes are Energy Star certified, meaning they are designed to make your home more energy efficient.  We’ve taken care of the insulation already!  
• Check your heating system. You want to make sure everything is working properly.  If you didn’t bring out the heating and cooling specialist in the spring to look at your AC unit, it may be a good idea to call one to the house to check on your furnace.  The cost of a simple check up and maintenance is significantly lower than fixing a break down or a replacement! 
• Check pipes for any cracks. Wrap any outdoor pipes with pipe insulation. 
• Check the roof!  Just like we suggested in the spring, you should clean all your gutters. We know it isn’t fun, but the leaves can cause melted water to freeze in your gutters and cause ice damming.  You may also want to consider trimming any overhanging branches.  Heavy snow and wind increases the chances of breaking one off and damaging your roof. 
• If you have a chimney and like to warm your home with a fire, make sure it is cleaned before you start the first fire of the season. 

We hope you aren’t too angry with us for mentioning the word “winter.”  It’s never to early to begin preparing, and before you know it, the days will be just a little shorter and a little colder.  If you’re considering buying a Rausch Coleman home, read up about our Energy Star certified homes.  They require far less maintenance while decreasing your heating and cooling costs.  If you have questions about this, let us know.  What did we miss?  What do you do around the house to prepare for winter?  Let everyone know by responding to this post.  Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Are you currently trying to sell your home in today’s real estate market?  Does anyone remember how easy it was to sell your home 5 years ago?  There were so many buyers out there that you were choosing what offer you were going to accept before your ad showed up in the paper.  There were so many people competing for a new home that you, the seller, had no competition.  Don’t we all miss those days?

If you’re selling your home today, we’re guessing you aren’t experiencing quite the same simplicity.  You have to compete with both retail sellers and bank foreclosures. Because it’s such a buyers market, it frequently takes more than just the price to sell a house.  Here are just a couple ideas to give you a leg up when selling your home.

Set yourself apart.

In any competitive sales environment, real estate or otherwise, your product needs to stand out. The product is, of course, your house.  Ask yourself what every buyer is asking themselves; “Why should I buy this house instead of the other ten I looked at last week?”  If you can’t answer that question, then the potential buyer probably can’t answer that question either.

Make it easy on the buyer.

Have you ever bought a used car?  What was the first thing you did?  You asked and looked for what was wrong with the car.  When someone walks into your home, they do the exact same thing.  They look for things that need to be repaired, replaced, or otherwise changed.  You can make it much easier on a potential buyer by making your home ready and appealing to move into.  This means taking care of all the little repairs like painting scuffed walls, cleaning or replacing carpet, fixing a few kitchen cabinets, or putting in a new ceiling fan.  We know you may be thinking that none of these little fixer uppers add any value which is true in the sense you’re thinking.  But if we redefine value as improving your home’s move in condition to help sell your home faster, then you’ve added value!

Encourage the sale.

And this one ties back in with setting yourself apart.  There are many sellers today doing this.  They are paying for closing costs or for all the inspections.  Those are great!  What about setting yourself apart in your incentives by giving someone your time share for a week?  What about a gift certificate to Ikea or even the grocery?  It’s often times the little things that make the biggest difference.

Hopefully this information causes you sellers to think a little out of the box.  Our hope is that these tips will make the sale of your home a little easier on you.  If there’s anything we can do to help like referring you to a Realtor that we partner with, please let us know.  You can respond to this blog or contact us directly.

Athletes will race through a muddy obstacle course completing obstacles such as the “Tire Dive”, “Hot House Tube Run”, and “Terrible Tank Traps.”  It sounds like a blast, but runners of the past have said the race is quite challenging.  Runners will have to cross over railroad ties, climb walls, and jump over hurdles of hay while covered in thick heavy mud. 

Proceeds benefit local charities and Tulsa’s “Fire Burn Camp,” which services children that are burn victims, or children that have any disfiguring type injuries.  It’s not too late to sign up to help support this cause.  Online registration is closed, but you can sign up at Runner World Tulsa at 43^rd and Peoria or at the race.  The last day to sign up as a competitive team is Thursday, but you can sign up as an individual racer up until race day.

You can also enter to win the Costume Contest.  The contest will start at 3:30 pm. Biggest Loser’s Sean Algiers will be a celebrity judge.  Teams will be judged on originality, flair and theme.  Prizes will be given to individuals, two person teams and five person teams.

Everything kicks off at 3:00 on Saturday.  The Mud Run is fun for the whole family, and children of all ages are welcome to participate.  Most teams will be in costume, so get creative and show up in something unique.  Local firemen will be present to cool participants off, and Sextion 8 will be rocking the park with their distinctive sound.  In addition, participants 21 years of age and older will receive two free beers.

Rausch Coleman Homes is proud to sponsor this event.  Of course, it’s a great time, but it is also for a good cause.  We hope you will join us on Saturday beginning at 3:00.  Come ready to get dirty!

Did you know that we also have our own Facebook page?  We use Facebook to update our fans on things that we don’t post in our blog.  You’ll find articles containing useful industry and home owner information, posts from customers, pictures of people in their new homes, and updates on promotions.  If you aren’t a fan of our Facebook page, check it out today.

We’re also on Twitter.  Similar to Facebook, we use Twitter for quick updates and pertinent information for customers.  Check out RCHomes on Twitter.com to begin following our updates!

We also want to make sure and keep this blog fresh and intriguing, so we’re turning to you for suggestions and ideas.  Is there anything you’re wondering about when it comes to the home building industry that we can answer for you?  Do you have questions about the real estate industry?  Anything you can think of that you’d be interested in hearing about, please let us know.  If we don’t know the answer, we’ll find the answer. See the comments section below? Put it to use and let us know what we can answer for you!

We are proud to be the presenting sponsor for this year’s TATUR MUD RUN!  Come join us through a fun one to two mile frolic through muddy obstacles such as: “The Super Slip & Slide”, “The Kids Run Slip & Slide”, “The Hill Climb”, “The Tummy Crawl” and “The Tire Drive”… just to name a few.

Rausch Coleman Homes is especially excited about the cause that this event is supporting.  All proceeds of the Mud Run will be going to the Tulsa Firefighters Burn Camp which serves children that are burn victims, or children that have any disfiguring type of injuries.

Not convinced yet?  Here are a few other TATUR Mud Run Perks to look forward to:

• Live music
• Tulsa’s finest firemen hosing everyone down
• Official Mud Run shirts to the first 1,500 entrants
• Age group awards to competitive divisions
• Professional photographer
• Costume Contests
• Inflatable’s for the kids

When does the fun begin?  On August 21^st from 3:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M., we will be in the “Soccer Bowl” at East 31^st Street & 117^th Street.  If you want to register for the event, you can sign up here on their website and you can RSVP to their event on Facebook.

We’ll be getting dirty, will you?  Hope to see you at the TATUR Mud Run!  Be sure to leave us a comment if you’re going and connect with us on Facebook to let us know you’re going as well.

1.  Consider whether or not you plan on using a broker or if you’re going to tackle this on your own.

2.  Assess your financial requirements and goals. Do you need a steady stream of income from your rental or do you plan on selling it for a profit in a couple of years?  What you decide to do will play a factor in what type of property to buy.

3.  Decide if you want to do maintenance yourself.  Hiring a property maintenance company is something you will want to work into your rent.

4.  Get pre-approved for a mortgage.  Financing investment property is very different from residential property.  It requires a much larger down payment!

5.  Do your research.  Choose property where people want to live.  This could be places that are near shops or parks or near a great school system.

6.  Determine what improvements you plan to make on the house and get estimates.

7.  Have the property inspected and get an appraisal.

8.  Plan on spending time and money advertising for and interviewing potential renters.  You want to make sure you get renters that aren’t going to destroy all your hard work.

9.  Determine what a competitive rental rate is for your property by asking rental agents, reviewing area apartment listings, and by personally visiting units available in the neighborhood.

At Rausch Coleman, we aren’t experts on purchasing rental properties, but we do have homes for sale.  A lot of our homes are offered at a great price and are in tucked away, appealing neighborhoods.  We also offer a Limited Lifetime Warranty on all of our homes….that may come in handy as a rental property owner.

If you’re interested in exploring a home built by Rausch Coleman, get in touch with us today.  Respond to this blog if you have any other helpful information for potential rental property owners.

In the report, “American’s Top States For Business 2010,” Oklahoma landed in the top 10 in more categories than most.  They rank 1st in the nation for cost of living, while coming in at 3rd in the cost of doing business category.   CNBC gathered publicly available data in over 40 categories to generate the rankings.

If you currently live or own a business in Oklahoma, congratulations on contributing to a thriving economy.  If you’re considering moving to an area of Oklahoma, you can feel pretty confident that you’re moving to a great area.

Rausch Coleman Homes has great homes available in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City in multiple communities at varying prices.  Contact a sales office today if you’re interested in seeing what we may have to offer.  You can also respond to this blog and we’ll get back in contact with you.  We’d love to hear from you.  Congratulations once again Sooner State!