They Didn't Tell Me About the Bras in Real Estate School! I was showing a house to a nice couple the other day when we opened up the laundry room door.  Sure enough, it happened again!  Three bras were hanging on the laundry bar!  AAAAHHHHHHHH!  They Didn't Tell Me About the Bras in Real Estate School!  Nobody ever brought up the fact that you're going to have this little (or sometimes "big") surprise pop up during showings.  Nooooo, they talked about stuff like dual agency, RESPA and all that other stuff.  They called all that important, but I think they left out some of the more important stuff!  They should teach you what to say when you come upon a ladies' undergarments while showing her house...   "Uh, looks like she buys nice bras.  She must buy nice furnances and air conditioners... 05/27/2010

Let me begin this blog by stating clearly and up front:  I HATE GREATLY DISLIKE GOING TO THE DENTIST It's all my fault.  When I was a kid I had a massive sweet tooth.  I could eat candy like it was food and often would go to bed munching on Life Savors or some other such treat.  Consequently, (as you probably already know), I ended up with lots and lots of cavities and crowns.  I spent a lot of time in the dentists chair. Fast forward to yesterday.  I went in for my usual teeth cleaning and had a nice conversation with my hygienist.  We talked about her new boyfriend, her upcoming trip to see him over the holiday weekend and lots of other things (at least at much as you can when you have your mouth full of fingers and dental tools).  By the end of the visit, I was hooked up with a teeth... 05/26/2010

Hey Bob, Where's My New Water Company Located? Here in Owasso, Oklahoma, this is a question I am often asked after or during the process of closing on a house.  Now, this may sound like an odd question to you, but here in the Owasso area it is pretty common.  This is because Owasso and Collinsville are outer suburbs of the greater Tulsa area.  For years and years, people who lived outside the Tulsa city limits and county of Tulsa had to find their water and electricity elsewhere.  The utility companies of Tulsa did not reach all the way out to the outer suburb areas. So Verdigris Valley Electric Cooperative was developed after Oklahoma's Seventeenth Legislature approved Senate Bill SB141 on April 14, 1939. The bill was an act providing for the organization of electric cooperative, non-... 05/24/2010

"Hey Bob, Our Garage Door Opener Doesn't Work!" I had just pulled up to my client's new home and had walked in the front door.  I wanted to make sure everything was going okay for them when they pointed out that the remote control to the garage door wasn't working.  They told me that had purchased a new battery and installed it and it still wouldn't work.  "Hmmm," I thought, "I think I can take care of this."  So I opened up the remote control to make sure everything was okay inside.  Everything was okay (meaning battery installed correctly, etc).  Then we headed out to the garage.  Grab the ladder, pop the light cover and locate the "reset button" on the mechanical opener.  Push the button, push the remote control button and 5 seconds later it works like a charm!  My new home owners we... 05/17/2010

Speechless Sunday - Things are Changing Across the Street from My House... It might not look like much, but this is a driveway that is being put in across the street from my house.  If you look closely, you can see that there are stakes in the field.  That's where the house is going to go.  In the not too distant past, we would have horses to look at in this field.  Today the horses run in the next field down to the left.  Soon we will have neighbors.  It will be fun to watch as the house is being built. 04/25/2010

This beautiful tree is located in my backyard.  Every year at this time it displays absolutely gorgeous blooms.  All the dogwoods, tulips, redbuds and other trees and flowers are in full bloom in Oklahoma right now.  And so are our alergies!  You can't really tell from the picture, but this tree took a lot of limb damage in the ice storm this past winter. 04/11/2010

How to Sell Your Greater Tulsa House in a Tough Real Estate Market If you're going to be selling your home anytime soon, you're going to face an interesting and sometimes difficult and frustrating process.  You're going to need insight, top shelf marketing and a competitive advantage.  But how do you get those things?  Just sticking a sign in the yard doesn't guarantee that your home is going to get snapped up quickly by an eager buyer.  It takes much more than that in today's competitive housing market because buyers typically have the advantage in negotiations.  It is still a buyer's market and that can make it tough on home sellers.  How to Sell Your Greater Tulsa House in a Tough Real Estate Market There are three prices for every home on the market.  1)The price you want to get for... 03/29/2010

Due to the snow in Owasso Oklahoma today, the open house scheduled for 10721 North 146th East Ave in Lake Valley has been cancelled. Please stay home and stay safe!   Bob Haywood | McGraw Realtors | 918-272-7272 10721 North 146th East Ave, Owasso, OK The Star of the Neighborhood! 4BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $151,500 Year Built 2006 Sq Footage 1,657 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 6,900 sqft HOA/Maint $25 per month DESCRIPTION Lake Valley offers great amenities and affordable beautiful homes. This 4 bedroom home offers vaulted ceilings, beautiful arches, lots of closet space, a large kitchen with upgraded cabinets, pantry and a fully fenced backyard. see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Central A/C - Central heat - High/V... 03/21/2010

I was going down the road the other day when I came upon a sewage truck.  What he had on the back of the tank cracked me up... If you can't read it, it says, "If you can dump it, we can pump it.  Your number 2 is our number 1" Now that's having a great attitude with a dirty job!  Have a great Sunday! 03/21/2010

Shot this picture yesterday at a reinspection at a house.  The kids were having a "ball" playing keep away from the dog!  And every now and then the dog would get the ball and then the chase was on!  It made it hard to keep an eye on the reinspect! 03/13/2010

So you're going to sell your Owasso house.  And it's time to pick an Owasso Realtor.  And you probably know several Owasso Realtors.  You may even have an Owasso Realtor in your family.  But who to pick?  All Owasso Realtors are pretty much the same right?  Uh...no. Sure, all Owasso Realtors have access to the MLS and to Realtor.com and most of us have our own websites and we are licensed and trained in the required classes, but in today's world that may be all that many Owasso Realtors have in common.  Today, there is a vast difference in what your Owasso Realtor brings to the marketing table. For example, Owasso Realtors take pictures of their listings...well, most do anyway.  But sometimes those pictures aren't very good.  In fact, sometimes they are flat out embarrassing.  Have you... 03/06/2010

Today is March 1st.  It's my anniversary.  Well, it's actually our anniversary.  Twenty five years ago today, Diane and I were married.  Wow.  Where does the time go?  It literally seems like yesterday! She was one of the first girls I met when I got to college.  I was 12 hours away from home, the only student from Oklahoma and kind of lonely.  We were in a park eating cold hotdogs, which I hated, at a "Welcome Freshmen" picnic when she and some of her friends came walking up to me and she introduced herself.  I knew I'd marry her that day.  Well, I knew I wanted to marry her that day.  It took me three years to do so, but I did! Then we got busy doing life.  I was in youth ministry.  She was a busy housewife.  The kids came along and so did a move from Indiana to Oklahoma.  We were po... 03/01/2010

Can you say two all beef paties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun?  This is the way we make 'em out here in the flatlands!  My friend had to squish it all down to get it in his mouth.  And he ate every bite! 02/28/2010

Looking for a place to connect with your friends?  The Owasso Oklahoma Facebook Fan Page is the place to do just that! How about a place to learn all about what is happening in Owasso Oklahoma?  The Owasso Oklahoma Facebook Fan Page is the place! Come and join us as we become the place in Owasso to connect with friends and family!  Become a fan of the Owasso Oklahoma Fan Page today by clicking here! Remember Haley Palmer, our hero who passed away after a long struggle with Cistric Fibrosis?  We're honoring her memory by running a photo contest of the Memorial Bridge at the Owasso Oklahoma Facebook Fan page. We have business owners who will share with you about their businesses, like Carrie Dunham of Tastefully Simple (www.tastefullysimple.com/web/cdunham).  And Christy Lee Rowden who wi... 02/22/2010

Welcome to Owasso, Oklahoma, the Heartland of America! Owasso (pronounced O WAH SO), Oklahoma is a great suburb community of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  It is located just 8 miles north of Tulsa and is a city unto itself.  Owasso is a great place to live as it offers lots of beautiful, newer neighborhoods, areas where you can own half acre or full acre lots, shopping, dining and easy access to Tulsa and the Greater Tulsa airport. You can see from the map below where Owasso is located in relation to Greater Tulsa.  Owasso is a planned community.  For many years, it served as a bedroom community to Tulsa.  Many American Airlines employees would make their home in the town, even though it meant driving the eight miles into Tulsa almost daily for shopping.  All that changed beginning in 1997 as Owass... 02/10/2010

The Lakes of Bailey Ranchin Owasso Oklahoma is a place for you to call home.  A beautiful neighborhood close to all the conveniences you could want or need. Owasso's hometown feel, low crime rate, an education system that's outstanding and retail choices that give you the convenience of a large city.  Owasso is also the home of 2 state-of-the-art hospitals.  Why drive to somewhere else, when you have all you need at your fingertips.   Location - The Lakes of Bailey Ranch is between two major highways, Hwy 169 and Hwy 75.  It is just south of 96th st off Mingo Rd.  Just minutes from retail shopping, restaurants, schools and hospitals. Shopping -Just minutes away is great retail and restaurants.  Whether you"re looking for home improvement supplies, clothing for the family or just want to... 02/08/2010

Welcome Home to 8505 North 102nd East Avenue in Owasso Oklahoma!MLS #1002832 This great house, located at 8505 North 102nd East Avenue in Owasso Oklahoma, was built in 1997 as a custom home.  It offers a high vaulted living room ceiling, large bedrooms, two beautiful big bathrooms, an open kitchen with tumbled marble backsplash, fireplace, sprinker system, 16 x 16 shop with electric and raised flower/garden beds in the backyard and a built in storage system in the garage.  You can see from the picture that the home is full brick and offers mature trees also. Let's take a look inside this wonderful home.  When you walk through the front door, you are greeted by this beautiful entryway. You can see the entryway with the stunning arched doorways from the living room. And here is the living... 02/04/2010

Sherwood Homes build Custom & New Homes in Owasso, Broken Arrow and Jenks. A Sherwood Homes  speaks for it's self by the beauty and elegance portrayed.  One example of their homes is a Model Home at 9308 N 96th E Ave, Owasso, OK.  This home is listed at $262,900 with all the upgrades included.  The first view inside this home is of the open living area with the formal dining on one side and office on the other side of the entry.   The beautiful open formal dining is great for entertaining. Opposite the formal dining area is a beautiful office with hardwood floors and a bay window for natural light. The living area has double crown mold,  stone fireplace, flush mount speakers with surround sound and much more. The breakfast area just off the kitchen has a trey ceiling and double windows.... 02/02/2010

It's hard to see them clearly, but these two characters are actually liitle scarecrows that someone stuck in the top of this snow pile in the Owasso WalMart parking lot.  They were blowing in the wind when we drove up.  It looked like they were waving to us, so we had to check them out to see what exactly they were. For information on buying and/or selling your next home in the Greater Tulsa or Owasso area, be sure to contact Bob Haywood, McGraw Realtors. Want to know more about the world of real estate in the Greater Tulsa area? If so, you can find me in these places: 01/10/2010

"How come I can't sell my land?" As weird as it sounds, we real estate agents still get this question quite often here in Owasso.  And we get it because there is a lot of property that people are trying to sell for commercial development in Owasso.  And most of it isn't selling.  A search of our MLS (in regards to residential lots) shows that we have 38 lots for sale right now priced between $21,500 and $75,000.  We have 109 lots for sale right now priced between $76,000 and $2,000,000.  That gives us a total of 147 lots for sale right now.  That doesn't even include the lots that the big tract builders own in their subdivisions! On the commercial side of things, we have 13 properties for sale right now.  10 of them are existing buildings.  One is a church and one is a funeral home.  Ho... 12/22/2009