Midtown Tulsa Real Estate - Lori Cain

The excitement is brewing as we prepare for the February 16th Raincamp in Dallas. I feel like a kid counting the days until summer camp.

I will complete my first year on ActiveRain by the end of May 2010. I can't begin to explain how much I've learned through ActiveRain and their accompanying webinars in one short year. But this is the real deal - I actually get to attend a conference and meet fellow Rainers. Anxious to meet Rainers from Oklahoma and the Rain gurus: ActiveRain CEO Jonathan Washburn and RainCamp™ speakers, Ben Kinney, Brad Andersohn, and Bob Stewart.

Hope to see you there - go to link above to enroll!  I'll be the one with my laptop!  LOL!

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Our family's rendition of the Super Bowl party

Deme and I are happy to be included in the Kingsley family's annual Super Bowl get-together and chili cook-off.

Now, a chili cook-off may sound like a simple thing during a Super Bowl game, but this family owns the Coney Island restaurants around Tulsa and they all make excellent chili every day. So, it's slightly intimidating to enter their contest for the best chili.

Tonight, chili entries were submitted by Chuck and Pope; Michael Kingsley; Deme; Alex; and Barbra. First time contestant and fiancé to Barbra, Alex came out the winner and took home the trophy. Congrats Alex!!

Best thing about Super Bowl evening with the Kingsleys is that the guys watch the game in the den and the ladies visit in the kitchen. Tonight's kitchen entertainment was Cranium, a fun and interactive game guaranteed to make you do silly things.

Sophia and Allison teamed up; Barbra and Kate teamed up. I was on a team with Evonne and Pope. If you've never played Cranium, you should try it. It's a combination of trivia, cherades, drawing, humming, sculpting and more.

Sometimes the artist has to close her eyes while drawing. Sometimes everyone playing gets to guess the answer. The humming was definitely fun, as well as acting out a person your team-mate has to try to guess.

Barbra did an excellent impression of Clint Eastwood. Pope stumbled a bit over humming "Stop in the name of love," and Evonne drew an awesome King Kong that I couldn't guess. We invented a few dances tonight and Barbra got her aerobics in.

Sophia and Evonne are the natural artists, although Kate sculpted an excellent burger. Pope is the wordsmith and Allison is the dictionary. Most amazing win was Barbra and Kate's drawing of the toucan, guessed in less than ten seconds.

Eventual winners of the Cranium game were Pope, Evonne and myself.

Oh, and we heard that the "Saints" won as well. Coincidence?

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Preparing my home for sale in Florence Park AND am I a difficult Seller for THIS Realtor to work with?

Those that follow my blog know that I’m preparing my home for sale in Florence Park. My husband laughed today, “You need to blog about this - I think you’re being a difficult Seller!” He’s funny -ha ha.

• Buff the hardwoods or completely refinish them?
• Spend a thousand dollars on new light fixtures, ceiling fans and door knobs, but skip painting the closet interiors?
• What to do about the patio that didn’t fare well through our last snow/ice storm?

I did learn a cool trick from my preferred home stager, Peggy Givens, owner of Staging Tulsa. I have a perfectly beautiful glass storm door that I purchased ten years ago and we’re unable to locate a handle to replace the worn brass handle. Peggy’s solution? “Remove the hardware, go over it with fine steel wool, clean it, then paint it with rubbed bronze metal paint.” Whodda thunk. It looks beautiful. I decided to paint the old, worn brass mailbox and return the new one I already purchased. [Please note home Sellers that THIS Realtor would NEVER think of selling her own home without the services of a professional home stager.]

After spending the last seven years in real estate, of course I have access to the best vendors . . . you can find them listed on my “Preferred Vendor list" always available on my web site as a resource for my community and clients. Jane Halliwell of Prime Painting & Restoration was the obvious choice to do all my painting.

Of course, Gil DeLozier will refinish my hardwoods - his family has been restoring hardwood floors in the finest homes of midtown Tulsa for almost 100 years. Local arborist, Greg Cole trimmed my trees. My life-saver and repair specialist, Gary Ellis, will do all the odd-jobs that nobody else wants to do - and he’ll do them as if my home were his home. Of course, I have my fav plumbers, electricians, etc. to install the new sink, new range, new shower head and lighting fixtures.

I will have Atkinson’s pre-inspect my home and will purchase an American Home Shield (AHS) residential service agreement (home warranty) for the new owner’s comfort and protection. Roof bidding is still going on if you want in on that!

Lastly, my fav Lender: Juliana James-Thomas, 1st Capital Mortgage is going to provide mortgage payment information on the back of my flyers - this woman is the sharpest Lender I’ve met - years in the business and she has a heart of GOLD.

Preparing my home for sale in Florence Park

Several neighbors have noticed that my renters have moved and see that I’m preparing my home for sale in Florence Park - of course they have suggestions. I will definitely call on my neighbor Harriet for landscaping suggestions. Pat has suggestions about the shutters. Carol and Arleta will have suggestions about SOMETHING.

Nice to know I’m not selling my dream home alone - it’s my neighbors, my friends, cooperating REALTORS, my dear vendors and my family - we’re all preparing my home for sale in Florence Park together. What a great team!!

Oh, and I’ll be posting photos as soon as it’s ready. Honestly, you will WANT to buy it! Did I mention that I have a 2-car garage AND an inside utility?

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, including midtown Tulsa, downtown Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Bixby, Sand Spring and Jenks, Oklahoma. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Handbook For 2010

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

5. Make time to pray.

6. Play more game.

7. Read more books than you did in 2009.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously.. No one else does.

15.. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awak.

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing! Trust God for everything....

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

34. GOD heals everything. In HIS own time....

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come. Wait and See...

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it. You have work to do....

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa Oklahoma area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Sand Springs and Jenks. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

None of us know the full story yet - only what we've read in the local paper. A Tulsa trucking company, Arrow Trucking, SHUT DOWN yesterday and sent office employees home with a cardboard box holding their belongings.

The real tragedy is that they left approximately 1,500 truck drivers out on the road with no way to return home. They cut off the driver's credit cards which would allow them to re-fuel, so they can not make it to their destination to drop off their load or make it home for the holidays. Few had the $600+ needed to personally fuel their trucks.

I "heard" about this travesty yesterday early morning and read about it in the newspaper today.

When I got home this afternoon, I posted on FB, inquiring what was done to get the drivers home, and someone sent me a link - sure enough, a FaceBook page had been set up to help the stranded drivers. I immediately went to TweetDeck and found messages coming in from across the country. People were offering their homes, meals and cash - posting their travel schedules (for their personal holiday trips) and offered to assist getting drivers closer to their destination.

The response has been overwhelming and it has been heartwarming to read the responses and genuine offers of assistance.

It looks like the majority of truck drivers have received assistance -- and another trucking company, Swift Trucking, has given their drivers permission to assist the distressed drivers home - HUGE blessing.

The power of community is awesome and particularly appreciated in this horrible circumstance - men and women suddenly unemployed and stranded away from home two days before Christmas. And thank God for the power of Facebook and Twitter to organize their safe return.

I am truly speechless over this out-pouring of kindness.

Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa Oklahoma area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Sand Springs and Jenks. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Demetrius and Lori's Christmas gift to each other: food, fellowship, laughter, joy

I've never been too keen on purchasing Christmas gifts for adults. Christmas and Santa seem to me to be important for the kids, but do adults really need more stuff?

All I want for Christmas is to have healthy and happy friends and family surround me. Oh, and food. And wine.

This Christmas, my husband's and my gift to each other is a holiday buffet for friends. We open our home to friends who may be unable to travel to be with family, the divorced parent who doesn't have visitation this year, single individuals who don't want to be alone and/or cook for themselves. It's a hodge-podge of guests, for sure, but we have a great time. Everyone can come and go throughout the day - no schedule, no dress code.

This year, Demetrius is brining his first turkey - a tip he learned from Alton's Brown's cooking show, Good Eats. In fact, he purchased two turkeys from the butcher so that he could experiment the brining process on one. (But his butcher did recommend brining.)

My fav holiday recipe is Barefoot Contessa's sweet potato casserole with heavy cream, orange juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, apples and more (thank you Janice & Andrew for that fabulous cookbook).

Also, it wouldn't seem like a holiday dinner if I didn't make roasted butternut squash with red grapes, onions and fresh sage - a favorite recipe from epicurious.com.  Yes, I'm making the holiday regulars: mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans cooked in bacon.

Demetrius and Lori's Christmas gift to each other: food, fellowship, laughter, joy

Demetrius will likely prepare his signature dish, spanakopita, because nothing says "Christmas dinner" like Greek spinach pie!

Should you find yourself in Tulsa on Christmas Day and would enjoy some fun friends, fellowship, food and laughter, call for directions to our casa.

We wish all a safe, joyous and merry Christmas!

Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa Oklahoma area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Sand Springs and Jenks. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

A party appetizer that works EVERY time - Lori’s “ham roll” recipe

Everybody loves my recipes, although I rarely have amounts or quantity needed – “how much olive oil?” “I don’t know – it depends on how much pasta you make!” :-)

Here’s a recipe I make that’s great for holiday parties and will make people think you are a natural born chef.

I wish I could think of a fancy name for them, but I just call them “ham rolls.”

Mix softened cream cheese with finely diced green onions and chopped artichoke hearts. I use the canned artichoke hearts, drained. Buy pre-packaged square ham luncheon meat and roll the cream cheese mixture, as if you were rolling a cigarette.

You HAVE to pack the mixture at both ends, to make sure there are no air pockets.

Okay - I normally start with two packages of cream cheese, 2 cans of artichoke hearts, two to three bunches of green onions, and two packages of ham. If you wind up with extra filling, you can always use it as a dip with crackers!

After rolling the ham rolls, refrigerate to harden, then slice before serving. It's best to slice using a serrated or very sharp knife.

I tried this recipe with turkey one time, and I just missed the salty flavor of the ham. I have substituted hearts of palm for the artichokes, and that’s a nice change too.

Good luck if you make this for a holiday party! Let me know if you make any revisions that improve my recipe!

Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa Oklahoma area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Sand Springs and Jenks. Please visit Lori's web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me: The 12 Days of Christmas. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

1. The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
2. Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
5. The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
6. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
   
7. Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
8. The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
9. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
10. The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
11. The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
12. The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.

Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone!

Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa Oklahoma area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Sand Springs and Jenks. Please visit Lori's web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

No FHA or VA financing? Recently I’ve seen several property listings state in the Broker’s remarks (area that the public can’t see) that the Sellers will not accept offers with FHA or VA financing. Do these Sellers realize that they’re possibly ruling out 95% of the market by not accepting that type of financing?

I’m shopping in a range for first-time home buyers who will typically have FHA or VA financing. I’ve explained to my Buyers that if they choose an “as-is” property, they will be responsible for whatever repairs may be required by the type of financing they choose. They understand that and we’ve steered clear of properties that will require more repairs than they can afford.

Years ago, there were more financial costs for the Seller when accepting FHA or VA financing, but those costs are truly insignificant now. Repair costs can be negotiated and the prospective appraisers are not as stringent as they once were.

Remember that FHA and VA appraisers are looking for safety and health issues. They don’t care if your dishwasher doesn’t work or your air conditioner is old – they care if the hot water heater needs to be raised or if there is chipped and peeling paint.

Come on Sellers – don’t turn away such a large portion of your potential market!

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, including midtown Tulsa, downtown, Owasso, Sand Springs, Broken Arrow, Bixby and Jenks. Visit Lori's web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036 today!

Contingent offers – how do YOU feel about them?

My $300,000 listing has been on the 2 months and continues to get a steady stream of showings. I always get positive feedback. One Realtor said her Buyer loved the property, but it was his first day shopping, so he still wanted to look. Another Realtor’s Buyer loved the property, but his wife was too ill to see it – I am still waiting for them to return. Another Realtor’s clients loved the property, but it was at the top of their price range and they were not sure if they could forgo an in-ground pool – there’s certainly room to build one, but they likely won’t have the money to do so.

I have received NO poor feedback and no complaint on price.

We received an offer Saturday contingent upon the Buyer’s out-of-town home selling. The offer is almost full price and financing seems solid. Buyers did not ask for closing costs and asked for a small amount in repairs.

The Buyer is suppose to list her property with a Realtor tomorrow. I requested a copy of the listing agreement and Realtor’s MLS data, so that I could see the selling compensation offered. I also asked for a CMA.

Before I presented the offer to my Sellers, I mulled over why I tend to not show contingent properties. I couldn’t come up with a rational reason, but the truth is, if my search brings up multiple properties, I will skip the one with a contingency.

I mentioned this to two other Realtors and they both said they do the same thing, but none of us can come up with a reason why we tend to skip over properties that have a contingency.

Fortunately, I know a Realtor in the town where the property is. As soon as I get a copy of the listing, I’m going to ask her to visit the property and let me know if she thinks it is priced to sell and get her opinion of how long it will take to sell.

Since we received the offer (which we are still negotiating), the property has been shown twice. The steady stream of showings still amazes me. It's a unique property and absolutely beautiful.

When I called my Seller today with a counter, she asked my opinion of rejecting the contingent offer and let the Buyers come back and make another offer after their property sold. I told her that we could lock the Buyers in at a known price with their contingent offer, but if their home was still on the market two months from now after the Buyer's home sold, they would most likely make a much lower offer at that time.

So, lock the almost full-price offer now with a contingency and risk missing a few showings or reject the contingent offer?

Do you have a tendency to skip over contingent listings, and if so, why?