The Bartlesville Association of Realtors recently released the closing statistics for January, 2012 compared with January of 2011.  The Bartlesville area real estate market was slightly less active in 2012 than it was in January, 2011, which can most likely be attributed to the ConocoPhillips company decision to divide into two separate companies.  Most employees have been uncertain about their jobs and have held off doing anything in the real estate market.

It is expected that the market will pick up in the spring with new hires and the usual move-up buyers.

RESIDENTIAL CLOSING STATISTICS

January 2012 vs January 2011

                                                 2012                        2011

          # sold                                            40                           47

Avg. $                                $  102,660                $ 136,014

Median $                            $    74,500                $  119,900

Total Monthly Closings:       $ 4,106,421              $ 6,392,700

Year-to-Date Total $:          $ 4,106,421              $ 6,392,700

Year-to-Date Sold:                            40                          47         

Average Days on Market:                  74                           73     

Current Active Listings:                    313                        341

          Breakout of 2012 January Sales:

          0 - $100K = 25 (low - $ 8,100)

$100-$200K = 9

$200 - $300K = 4

$300K + = 2 (high - $397,200)

The Bartlesville Community Foundation and the Young Professionals of Bartlesville joined forces to provide a fun-filled evening fundraiser on Saturday, January 21.  The Hilton Garden Inn was filled with activity and laughter as teams competed to win the most points for their teams.

Competitors play basketball.  The Guy Sutherland team won first place!

Adam and Rachel Nash, Allie, and Jacob Atkinson, and Emily and Kevin Hieb play blackjack as John Pannell deals the cards.

Title sponsor Brad Doenges of Doenges Toyota and Ford poses with Bob Pomeroy, Bartlesville Community Foundation Chairman of the Board.

Dan Gilliam and Charlie and Corky Bowerman

Wii dancing competitors get plenty of exercise!

Christy Wareham, Earl Sears, Marilyn and David King, and Bruce and Jeannette Peabody take a break from games.

Sandy Kent and Mary and Thad Friedman competed on the "Fairview Flames" team.

Emcee Heath Osborn and Bartlesville Community Foundation President Joe Haney.

The "money machine" was a popular attraction.

Auctioneer Roger Skelly

We are so pleased to offer congratulations and kudos to the fine people who educate the children of Bartlesville!  A recent article in the Bartlesville newspaper reported that Bartlesville Public School District ranked first in its peer group for students scoring advanced on assessment tests.  Schools used in the comparison are Owasso, Stillwater, Jenks, Yukon, Sand Springs, Broken Arrow, Mustang, Enid, Union, and Ponca City.

The Academic Performance Index is how the Oklahoma State Department of Education measures school performance.  They rate test scores, graduation rates, and attendance rates, but they do NOT give extra points for students who score advanced.  Bartlesville had the most students scoring advanced in third, fifth, seventh, and eighth grades in a variety of subjects.  Bartlesville Public Schools administrators give credit to teacher dedication and high level of instruction.

Bartlesville is definitely the place to live for families looking for quality education for their children!  Shop and compare! 

The McAnaw and Company Team is pleased with what we did in 2011. Although the year was nearly identical with 2010 as far as number of listings, sales, and months of inventory, our company was able to increase our market share to approximately 34% of the dollar volume. Our nearest competitor is around 27%.

More importantly, the McAnaw team is working hard to increase value for our customers, trying to leave no stone unturned as far as providing “over the top” service and assistance. Do you have any suggestions? I’d love to hear from you – really!

Here are the Absorption Rates for the entire year for 2011 and 2010. As you can see, they are very similar.

2011 Absorption Rate for Bartlesville, Dewey, Copan Schools

2010 Absorption Rate for Bartlesville, Dewey, Copan Schools

We are looking forward to another good year in 2011. Once the ConocoPhillips company split is settled, we are expecting to be busy with buyers and sellers who have been waiting until their future is certain before making any moves. We are also expecting to see some new hires.

May you have a happy and blessed 2012!

It is FUN to live in the Bartlesville area!  There are always plenty of activities and events.  Last night (December 1, 2011) we were privileged to attend the Prelude to Christmas at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.  The university showcased the newly refurbished Foster mansion, which has been remodeled with grants from the Lyon Foundation.  Guests enjoyed touring the main floor rooms, the entire upstairs, and the downstairs "rec room" area.  Delicious hors d'oeuvres were served throughout the mansion, and carolers and string quartet provided music.  The final event of the evening was a fireworks show!

Carolers greet guests to the Foster Mansion.

(download)

Click here to download:

ringing-in-the-christmas-season-for-bartlesville-veatyqeBiFagBfizGfah.zip (6.49 MB)

Guests enjoy chamber music in the living room.

Carolers in the library.

The former dining room is currently used as Dr. Piper's office.

Fireworks to kick off the Christmas season!

We have a great team here and we want to make sure you have the chance to meet each and everyone of them.  So we will be randomly picking one of our fabulous realtors for you to meet every so often.

This week's Agent starts with the letter "P" no matter how you look at it: Pat Poindexter

Experience and Knowledge are the two words that best describe why Pat Poindexter is such a great member of the McAnaw and Company Realtors’ team. 

Experience: As Pat likes to say, “If you remember green stamps, then you are as old as I am!” (If you don’t remember them, then go read about them here, you’ll wish they were still around) 

Her experience doesn’t just come with age.  Pat was a personal lines insurance underwriter for seven years. In addition, she owned and operated a small business for 19 years.

Then, Pat says, she finally figured out what she wanted to do when she grew up. So in 1997 she became a realtor and a part of the McAnaw and Company team.

Knowledge: If you want to know something or anything about Bartlesville, OK, just ask Pat.  She is a native of Bartlesville. She claims to pretty much know every street, short cut and country road around. 

Beyond knowing the community, she knows how to bring value to her clients. Pat is diligent at keeping pace with the constantly changing business complexities of real estate.

Community:  Pat doesn't just know how to get around Bartlesville, she cares about her community. Including the four-legged members of Bville.  Pat is a great lover of and advocate for dogs. She started the local organization called Bark Park Buddies.  They have raised money and are now building a fence around the land across the street north of Lowe's for a dog park. 

If you are looking for a realtor that has a depth of knowledge of the area, and the experience to help you buy or sell a home, then you need to contact Pat.  She will also be happy to explain the whole “green stamp” thing too if you’re interested!

Contact Pat:  pat@patpoindexter.com  or call Office: 918-332-3016  Cell: 918-331-8031

Are you enjoying the cool weather?  After our extremely hot summer, most of us are very thankful that we’re no longer sweating!  The fall colors are beautiful, and since the time change, we can enjoy long, cozy evenings by the fire (if we’re lucky!).

In spite of the recent ConocoPhillips announcement, we have been surprisingly busy with 55 residential listings in the Bartlesville, Dewey, and Copan school districts going under contract during the month of October, and 48 closings during the same time period.  Of course, very few of those buyers have been ConocoPhillips employees, as the are waiting to see what will happen with their jobs.

The latest Absorption Rate statistics (see below) show that our market this year has been very similar to 2010.

Absorption Rate – January-October, 2011

Bartlesville, Dewey & Copan School Districts

Absorption Rate – January-October, 2010

Bartlesville, Dewey & Copan School Districts

A recent article from RisMedia.com (see www.realestateeconomywatch.com) was titled “Renters Outspend Owners on Housing.”  Due to economic fears and restraints, more people are renting rather than buying homes.  The article stated, “Renters now spend 5% more of their household budgets on housing costs than do homeowners, and the difference is growing as rents rise.  Since 2005, homeowners’ expenditures for housing have risen from 31.9% of their household budget to 33.2%, but renters’ costs have risen even more, from 35.6% to 38.4%, according to the October CoreLogic U.S. Housing and Mortgage Trends.  Since 1985, homeowners have increased their housing expenditure allocation by 12%, while renters increased by 22%.” 

So spread the word . . . real estate is STILL a great investment!  Also, since more people are now renting, rental properties can be a much better investment than the stock market or a money market account.  The Bartlesville area has a serious shortage of good rental properties, so anyone inclined in that direction should MOVE FORWARD!

On Friday's we will try to provide answers to questions we hear often and that we think you might want to know but haven't had a chance to ask.  So we are starting with gusto and going after a difficult question to start: Should I sell my home in this economy?

This is a tough question to answer of course, because there are a lot of “it depen

ds” that would be part of this answer.  But I do want to share some key information that might help you if you are wondering about how the current economy might affect your decision.

First, Martin Brown, in his post gives a great summary of what exactly happened -- and what it means for you. In essence, what we now know is that there were way too many risky loans given both by banks and in particular Fannie Mae.  This is only a part of the problem our economy faces, but has certainly loomed large in the face of the housing market. 

So with all that being said, should you sell your home? 

From Donna Skelly (Broker/Owner, McAnaw & Company Realtors)

Most people assume that because we want to make a commission, we as Realtors would say, "Yes, of course you should."  However, you will find that good, ethical Realtors will help you answer that question honestly by helping determine if a move is in your best interest.  Will a move improve your life?  If the answer to that question is "yes," then you should sell.  You may get less money from your house than you would have five years ago, and you might sell it for a greater price a few years from how.  However, if you want a different home, your purchase price will be lower and offset your current loss. 

If you are losing equity, you must consider whether or not it is worth it to get where you want to go.  DO NOT try a price above market value just to see what happens . . . because nothing will happen.  It is a waste of time and effort because the competition is fierce, and there are many motivated sellers out there who will price their property to sell.

The bottom line is that if you want to move on to the next chapter of your life, go.  If you sell lower, you can buy lower.  If you sell with equity, you can invest your cash into low priced investments that will triple the equity you may have lost in your previous home.

Let us know if you have questions you would like for us to answer in the comments below.

We are happy to report that the national economy does not have a great deal of effect on the real estate market in the Bartlesville, Dewey, Copan, Pawhuska, and Nowata areas.  Green Country, Oklahoma is alive and well!  Recent articles we read have said that Oklahoma is thriving (personal income growth at 8 percent is the fifth best in the country), and unemployment is well below the national average.  A report from Hanley Wood’s Housing Intelligence Pro showed that Oklahoma City and Tulsa were in the top five in median price growth at the start of the year, with the Oklahoma City median housing prices going up 6 percent and Tulsa median housing prices going up 5.6 percent.  In addition, more than 50 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties grew in the last decade as overall population expanded by 8.7 percent to 3.75 million.  Because Oklahoma did not have a housing bubble, there has been no aftermath of plummeting prices.

Even with a drop in a leading economic indicator in September, Oklahoma’s economy is still forecast to grow in the months ahead, according to a report released recently by Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.  Government data indicate that Oklahoma’s manufacturing sector has been moving at a much better pace than the United States as a whole.

Other good news for Oklahoma includes being named by Moneyrates.com as the third best state for retirement.  The 2011 rankings are based on data about each state’s economic condition, climate, life expectancy of residents, and crime rates.  Key considerations in the selection included the state’s low cost of living, tax rates, and unemployment.

So what about the Bartlesville area specifically?  We are doing extremely well!  As you can see from the Absorption Rate for January-September, our average months of inventory for all price ranges is 5.5 months, which is EXCELLENT!  We are blessed to live in northeast Oklahoma.

Absorption Rate

January- September, 2011

Bartlesville, Dewey & Copan Schools

The term "Big Box" is often used to describe large, non-personal type retail stores where it's all about volume. Some would also suggest they are not known for their quality or attention to customers. The same thinking could be applied to the world of real estate. As buyers are figuring out that bigger isn't always better, there are still great local businesses, like McAnaw & Company Realtors that still exist.

With beautiful offices located near the heart of downtown Bartlesville, OK, McAnaw & Company, Realtors has been a tradition in the area since 1980, earning a reputation of excellence through the years.  The company started as a partnership with Ernestine McAnaw and Ron Wright and a handful of brokers.  Donna and Roger Skelly purchased the company in February, 2002. Today, it has grown into the leading real estate company in the area and boasts a staff of more than 20 experienced professionals.  The "bright orange sign" company has become a Bartlesville tradition that people can count on!

The tradition includes community involvement, honesty and integrity, and helping people throughout Bartlesville, OK and the surrounding communities make the most of their real estate opportunities. From the beginning, the company’s philosophy has always been Service With Integrity, and today, while technology and the industry is changing at a rapid pace, it’s nice to know some things still remain the same. “I’ve always felt the secret to our longevity is building lasting relationships with the people who put their trust in us,” says Donna. “It’s a tradition that continues to stand the test of time because people know they can count on us to be by their side from consultation to closing and beyond. And that’s what makes our work so truly rewarding.”  

With a culture of looking forward from day one, McAnaw & Company, Realtors has been a future-thinking real estate brokerage firm where new ideas and technology are always warmly embraced. So, although we love the opportunity to visit with clients over coffee, or pass them on the street, we also want to meet and help our new and future clients here online. 

 A few things you can look forward to when you check back here:

• Meet some of the great women and men who are the "real" Realtors of McAnaw & Company
• Sharing decades of real estate buying and selling experience from important things to know, to simple ideas for getting a home ready to sell, best questions to ask when finding a realtor, what are the best colors for selling, and lots, lots more
• Connecting you to the great things that are happening in this community and region, plus great places to get a good cup of coffee, dinner with a friend or find the greatest places to shop
• Opportunities to ask your questions and personally connect with "real" realtors for expert advice