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Shell Knob, MO Real Estate News

By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 WHAT HAT DO YOU WEAR TODAY?  There are  factors in every occupation that either enhance enjoying your work,  or adversely affect your outlook.  What I have always enjoyed in  being a REALTOR is the hunt.   Sort of a safari around Shell Knob and Table Rock Lake.  I want to search out and find the trophy home for my hunters.  People come to us with the  expectation  of being guided through a maze of concerns and questions to help them  find the perfect property.  They have been dreaming, scheming, searching and planning for this and want instant fulfillment.  I often seem to be a Detective.  Trying to find what individuals say they want, and say they will pay for it.  If we turn over every rock.....  it must be here somewhere!  Joan Snodgrass, Super Detective will find it!  Up up and awa...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
EFFECT OF GAS PRICES? It's a puzzlement to me how real estate sales go down,and prices drop in my market area, here in Shell Knob. They apparently continue to go down nationally, according to recent posts on Yahoo .com, but prices are going up on a multitude of other things. This is an important question for retirees here in the Ozarks, as well as the rest of the country.  When you are on a fixed income, price increases can really hurt. It seems that the companies providing petroleum to the gas stations have a dart board that they use to supply today's gas prices to us lower beings.  $3.15 today - $2.89 tomorrow.  So I understand that that has an effect on the truckers, and so it goes all the way down the line.   I noticed things this week that are starting to annoy me.  A package of gu...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
HOW DO WE GET OUR POLLS UP  Have you noticed that it seems like everything in life has to be done by taking a poll today? There was a poll released in the REALTOR MAGAZINE not long ago that showed Real Estate Agents' popularity ranking down around lawyers and snake oil salesmen (just kidding Mr. Attorney).  Seriously, I was surprised and less than thrilled with that projection of my profession, and therefore ME and how I'm doing in my Shell Knob community. Than I saw a current poll on line this past week.  The question posed was : Were you SATISFIED with your last real estate agent's service?  We did a little better in this one.  53% responded with a YES.  A big improvement over the previous poll, but it seems we have got to keep trying to improve.
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 SUBDIVISION INVESTMENT One facet of current real estate trends that I haven't seen much comment on,  regards land.  More specifically, investors in new developments.  This is not apparent in the Shell Knob area, but our neighbors to the south (northwest Arkansas) are experiencing a problem in the Bentonville, Springdale area.   Many of the individuals attracted to make quick profits on lots in newly developed subdivisions, are coming face to face with the knowledge that what they paid for their land has now dropped substantially in value.  There will be no quick flip.  They paid a higher price for land, than what the current market will bear.  One result is they are making payments that many cannot handle for long.  Land foreclosures will be increasing. According to Housing Predictor, ...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 12 MONTH WINDOW TO BUY The best time to buy property in many housing markets, including Shell Knob,  will be in the next 12 months, according to Housing Predictor , an on-line market forecaster.  Markets in many areas are bottoming out or have already bottomed out.  These areas hold surplus inventories of homes, causing a downward pressure on pricing, which we have seen locally. It may take up to 18 months before the national real estate market flattens to the point where enough inventory has been purchased for a higher number of sales to result.  That's when prices will begin edging up again.The next 12 months will be the window for a buyer to get the lowest prices possible, according to the Housing Predictor analysis.  The national real estate slow down is not forecast to worsen or l...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
PART 2 - WELLS AND SEPTICSIn the Shell Knob area, unless you purchase a lot in a subdivision which has a community well, you will need to have a well installed on your property.  A safe water supply at your home is obviously vital.Having a well drilled may be considered expensive by some, but on the other hand, as a REALTOR, I know that  a home will be devalued when resold, if it doesn't have a good water supply.  Most homes need a well that produce 7 gallons of water a minute.  In certain areas of the country low yielding or dry wells are not uncommon, but that is not usually the case around Shell Knob.  With this in mind, it is smart for you to drill the well before building your house.  There are several good well drillers in the Shell Knob area, but it would be wise to obtain inform...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 PART 1    WELLS AND SEPTIC SYSTEMS You've found the perfect waterfront lot with the help of your Shell Knob real estate agent.  Settled on a great house plan. Now what?Now it's time to get started on some things you can't see, but can't do without.... the well and septic system.In  the Stone County portion of Shell Knob, you will need to have an expert, a registered soil scientist, do a site evaluation.  This is often done with a Perk Test and costs between $125 - $150.  The site evaluation is used to determine the suitability of the soil for a conventional septic system and the amount of lateral field needed for the system.If the site evaluation shows the property not suited for a conventional system, a registered engineer will need to design a system, or a variance may be requested f...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 FLATHEADS HOT ON TABLE ROCKTrotlines baited with live bluegill are attracting some nice flatheads.  A neighbor told me he has been getting two or three nice catfish every morning when he checks his lines.  It's even nicer when he shares.  Yum - sweet meat. According to our resident author and fishing expert, Tom Koob, the best black bass fishing has been with soft plastics in the 20 to 25 foot range.Fish are still in many locations, and it pays to target secondary banks with cover, points and transition areas.  The good shoreline cover, with the lake as high as it is after all the rain last week, should get some attention from bass fishermen.  Trotlines are to be marked with the owner's name and address and checked at least once daily.  When no longer in use, they are to be removed so ...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 People move to Table Rock Lake to enjoy the water, and part of that enjoyment for many is useing their boat.  The next logical step is to have a place to park your boat, which is normally a boat dock or slip.As a Shell Knob REALTOR, I know it is becoming more difficult to find these boat slips, due to restrictions placed by the Army Corps of Engineers,  but an ad in our local paper this week, The Rattler, kind of says it all.                  WANTED TO BUY            BUY, LEASE, RENT, WHATEVER.            We need a Boat Slip!!!            One 10 x 24 ' (minimum size)            boat slip in the XXXXX area of            Shell Knob.  Would like to have            a lift and a locker on the dock,             but these are just wants. 
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 WATER HAZARDSThere are many water hazards floating on Table Rock Lake, warns the Coast Guard Auxiliary as they check waters around Shell Knob.  The problem was created by unusually large rains the past two weeks, which dislodged logs and branches into the water.The normal pool level on Table Rock is 915, but the spring rains raised that to 919 for a few days.  When the water rises higher on the edges of the lake, the dead trees float free and can be in the path of a boat.    Boats traveling at a high speed may not see a log, or a partially submerged log.  Hitting one of the floaters could cause damage to a boat or propeller.The lake level is going down gradually and will soon be back at the 915 normal pool level. 
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
SHELL KNOB LIBRARY We are blessed in Shell Knob with an excellent library.  As one local user put it: "I love coming into a friendly library where I don't have to whisper all the time."   Personally, I love Google and use it daily.  Definitely use it in place of getting out one of the old World Book Encyclopedias, but it is unlikely to ever replace actually reading a good book that you hold in your hands when away from your computer, even in this information age we live in. Pat Skinner, Head Librarian, tells me that area residents organized the library in 1981, and it moved to its' present location in The Bridgeway Plaza in 1987.  It is a very popular place, not only for reading pleasure, but to read an assortment daily papers, or for organizations to use the large lower level meeting r...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
MAGIC WORD?An article in a recent issue of my Missouri REALTOR magazine got my attention.  It was titled: Enhancing Customer Service.  It used excerpts from various authors to supply the reader with positive ideas to assist in giving better customer service. As a Shell Knob REALTOR, I'm always looking for ways to improve my service. One tip, however, had me  puzzling over it.  It said to use the magic word "sure".  Sure?  It is not a word I use often.  It could be a substitute for "yes", I guess.  According to the author, John R. Graham, "Customers find the word "sure" so friendly and reassuring that you should practice saying it until it becomes automatic." Maybe in different parts of the country it is used as an affirmation?  Kind of like "The Power of Positive Thinking"?  Sure!    Se...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 EVER WONDER? How much are you and your services worth?  Really worth?  What would happen if we didn't set a price for our services.  What if you told your client to just pay you what ever they think is fair when you find that perfect house for them.  Whew - that's a scary thought.  First off, they have no idea of how many hours I spend in prep work.  Hours on the phone, on the computer, screening property. Hours (read gas $) driving potential buyers around  Shell Knob on showings. So if they don't know what our work actually entails, how can they value what we do for them? This thought came to me when I read of an unusual marketing program used by a farmer in Missouri known as "The Chicken Man".  His actual name is Bob Wright, and he has a large vegetable garden of corn, potatoes, onio...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
CHANGE TO NIGHTS FOR SHELL KNOB  Table Rock LakeTemperatures are in the upper 70's with 80 degree surface water to arrive soon, so night fishing is becoming the better option.Good cover along shorelines holds possibilities for shallow bass, but most fish are spending more time in deeper water now.  Plastic worms are good, according to author Tom Koob, along secondary banks, points and transition areas.  Faster lures like crankbaits and spinnerbaits can be useful to find fish on these areas.Bass are staging at around 20-25' but can move even deeper.  Drop-shot rigs with a Fish Doctor, French fry or razor worm will take fish that group up out on main lake gravel flats.Catfish and bluegill are active and taking live baits. 
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
LEAVE BABIES ALONEThis time of year, the majority of Missouri's wildlife will be with their young.  People coming into contact with baby wildlife is almost certain.  Living around the Mark Twain National Forest, we get to frequently see deer in the Shell Knob area. Young deer are the most common type of wildlife to be encountered and mistakenly thought to be orphaned.  Many residents find fawns without their mom's nearby and decide the fawn has been abandoned.  Thinking they are doing a good thing, they bundle the adorable spotted animal off to their house and try to raise it themselves - sadly.  Wild animals are almost always better off in the wild than in captivity.  Raised in captivity and released back into the wild, their chance of survival is slim.  The Missouri Dept of Conservati...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
AUCTION TIME IS HEREAuctions are a fun part of Shell Knob's culture.  On the practical side, it is a way to move used goods, like a garage sale, but better.  It is a form of recycling before the word 'recycling' even existed.   It is also addicting.  Ask this local Realtor, about how easy it is for families to have an auction to cut back on having to move all their goods when reducing the size of the home they are moving into, or due to their health, going to live with one of their children. Shell Knob residents enthusiastically attend local auctions.    They are a sign of summer and a way to socialize and renew old friendships.  It is free entertainment - until you bid and buy something.  Only a registration with your driver's license as ID is required to participate in this celebratio...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 LOW WATER CROSSINGS KILL When first moving to Shell Knob and I encountered a Low Water Crossing after heavy spring rains,  the surprise of seeing water rushing over the road, was surpassed by the deafening roar of this powerful force of nature.  Then I got confused by the terminology LOW WATER - shouldn't that mean that the water was actually 'low'?  Seemed to me that it should say HIGH WATER.  In reality, a Low Water Bridge provides a bridge for when the water is actually low. Southwest Missouri has had an unusual amount of rain this week, and as usual, there are people who don't believe  the news, when it is announced to NOT cross a road covered with water.  They continue driving and soon become a headline as their vehicle is swept downstream by the force of the water.  This is not s...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 LIFE AFTER THE FAST LANE I had a lady ask me not long ago, "Just what do you DO in Shell Knob?"Her question gave me pause, but I had to answer truthfully, "If you have to ask , then Shell Knob probably isn't the right place for you."  We don't have any malls (unless you want to call the Bridgeway Plaza a mall), theatres, night clubs or fancy restaurants.  We don't even have a Walmart, but you can get to a Walmart by driving 30 miles in any direction.   Shell Knob is actually rural, and if it weren't for a large body of water called Table Rock Lake, nobody would ever have heard of this area.  We don't have a traffic light or a stop- and- go or blinking light.    We get our share of tourists in the summer, thanks to this beautiful, clean, clear lake.  Some of them eventually say good-by ...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
SHELL KNOB'S COAST GUARD Is your boat safe?  The Auxiliary has no legal authority, and checks to make sure your boat complies with federal, state and local laws and that it is property equipped in case of an emergency.  Don Spirks is the man to call to request a safety check.  Don can be reached at: 417-858-9405The Coast Guard Auxiliary will also be conducting an America's Boating Course in Shell Knob on Saturday June 23.  The class will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the lower level of the Shell Knob Library. Pre-registration is required.  Call Mary Horvath at 858-2714.  This course is designed for people who are interested in the fundamentals of boating.  It covers general boating information and maintenance, safe and comfortable boat operation, laws, regulations and courteous boate...
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By Joan Snodgrass
(Midamerica Referral Network)
 SHELL KNOB MARKET  There is always a friendly air in customers as they shop the Farmers Market on Wednesday mornings.  Neighbors greeting neighbors that they haven't seen since last summer. Farmers Market in Shell Knob is recommending that now is the time to plant perennials and the market has a wide variety available, including lilies, iris, bleeding hearts, coreopsis, clemantis, hen-n-chick, astilbe, ferns, phlox and hosta. New potatoes are being harvested now with green beans coming soon.  Customers can expect to see beets, turnips, spinach, cabbage, napa cabbage, bok choy, fresh basil, radish, green onions, fresh dill, lettuce.  There is usually a good variety of home made jams, jelly, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, relish, pickles, pickled beets, honey, farm eggs, Iowa chops, bacon, beef j...
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