Postcards from the Lake

Archive for December, 2008

Yes, Virginia, Santa Claus is real

1897 editorial captures the essence of the holiday spirit

The following editorial originally appeared in The New York Sun in 1897.    All these years later it continues to capture the essence of the holiday spirit, and of Santa Claus in particular.   May you enjoy it along with me this year, and may a little bit of it stay alit in each of us throughout the coming year. ~ Melody

[We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun.]

Dear Editor:
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says if you see it in The Sun it’s so. Please tell me the truth: Is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon.  115 West Ninety-Fifth Street.

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds.

All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and Read the rest of this entry »

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Author: | December 24th, 2008
Categories: Area Activities
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Fixed rates for home loans now below 5%

First National Bank in Camdenton posts lowest rates in 37 years!

Every cloud has a silver lining, and here is the upside to our down market:

First National Bank in Camdenton has posted interest rates below 5% for fixed rate loans including USDA first-time home buyer loans.    These rates are the lowest recorded since Fannie Mae began its weekly survey 37 years ago.    This means that it’s a great time to consider refinancing (In addition to interest rates, it’s important also to weigh the refinancing costs and the tax impact from reducing your mortgage interest deduction.)

It also means it’s a great time to buy.  Local lenders are lending even after many of the nationwide lenders have said “no”.  Plus housing prices are roughly 10% less than this time 18 months ago.

Will prices and rates continue to fall?   That’s the $24 question.   But the problem with waiting for prices to bottom out is:  one never knows where the bottom is until it’s past!

If you’re considering refinancing, or would like to talk to a lender to see how much a home you may qualify for, give me a call and I’ll be happy to send you a contact list for local banks.

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Author: | December 19th, 2008
Categories: Real Estate News
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"Should I list my home now, or wait?"

Short term real estate forecast for Lake of the Ozarks uncertain.

In a typical market, it’s always easy to predict home-buying patterns in and around the Lake of the Ozarks and to advise homeowners accordingly.

Typically, at the first sign of spring, inventories will begin to swell in anticipation of the busiest season.  By mid-summer, even though inventories are lower,  homeowners and agents will begin to consider price reductions, as they ready their properties for the savvy end-of-season bargain hunters.

From Mid-November thru February agents would be spending more weekends at home finishing long-neglected projects, getting their records ready for tax season,  and flying south to enjoy a couple weeks at their favorite beachfront resort.

That’s the way it tends to go in a typical market.   But this, of course, is no typical market.

I spent much of this weekend reading market forecasts throughout the US, listening to interviews of economists, and reading the discussions online between realtors.   Such a wide range of expectations I found ranging  Read the rest of this entry »

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Author: | December 15th, 2008
Categories: Market Trends, Real Estate News
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Making the Most of Your Home Decor

Simply rearranging furniture can have great effect!

Ten years ago I assumed that having a beautifully decorated or staged home required the assistance of a professional decorator or, at the very least,  making a trip to a furniture store and purchasing the nicest pieces my budget would allow.   Not so any more.

Thanks to HGTV and Cable TV, anyone with a paint brush and an imagination can turn a ‘blahh’ room into an “ahhh” room.   Oh, sure, it’s still fun to buy exotic or expensive furniture.  But nowadays we realize that Read the rest of this entry »

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Author: | December 10th, 2008
Categories: Area Activities
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First time homebuyers want to live in Macks Creek

Life-long residents say they wouldn’t live anywhere else

I have been working with a young couple in recent months trying to help them buy their first home.   Life-long residents of Macks Creek, their won’t consider house-hunting in any other community – no matter the bargain.

The feeling they have of being at home in this small town, and the determination not to live anywhere else is the very same sentiment expressed by two other young couples to whom I’ve sold homes this year in Macks Creek.

I’ve asked all of them at some point why Read the rest of this entry »

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Author: | December 9th, 2008
Categories: Area Activities, Sites and Sounds
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John Q Hammons to Build Luxury Resort in Osage Beach

Chateau Lake of the Ozarks is apt to bring national exposure to the lake area

John Q Hammons, one of the nation’s premier developers of luxury hotels and resorts, expects to break ground on his $90 million dollar lakefront resort project this summer.

The Chateau Lake of the Ozarks will be a 15-story, 320 room/suite development  on 30 acres of lakefrontage  in the heart of Osage Beach (at Hwy 54 and Passover Rd.).  With more than 100,000 square foot of meeting space planned, this resort is expected to draw upscale visitors and conventions from not only metropolitan Missouri cities, but from expanded markets throughout the U.S.

Should the project complete as planned, the resort could be open by Spring 2011, and should provide a significant boost to the lake area economy.

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Author: | December 4th, 2008
Categories: Real Estate News, Sites and Sounds
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