Tulsa Looks Good on You

I’m sharing what Balloon Therapy is and how it can make your gathering great!

Pastor Tim talks about the amazing work they do at the Tulsa Dream Center.

Tulsa looks good on you, and Tulsa also looks so good on Pastor Tim. I am so excited to speak with him today. He just gave us an amazing tour of his facility and talked about all of the great stuff he does for our community, so I wanted him to share with everyone who he is and what he does here:

“It’s so great to be here and be a part of this. I’m Pastor Tim, and I’m the executive director of the Tulsa Dream Center. The Tulsa Dream Center is really simple; we’re about giving hope and changing lives. We do it through five things: food, clothing, medical, education and recreation, and character development. We’re right out here on 46th and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and our goal is to be able to serve our community all over the city, not just North Tulsa but all of Tulsa. I’d love to invite you to come out and be a part of it. We have Super Saturday every second and fourth Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. We rally at 9:15 a.m. Come out and serve our community! Whether we’re going out and doing adopt-a-block where we clean up in the neighborhood, making food boxes in the back, folding clothes, or whatever task we may have at the Tulsa Dream Center, we need your help.”

It’s been so fun getting to know Pastor Tim and this amazing organization. We talk to a lot of local nonprofits. I love our community that loves to give back. Pastor Tim helps not just our youth but also all the people in the community.

He mentioned that they serve meals, and there’s basketball, other sports, and so much engagement in classrooms. I feel his energy and love; what is the stuff that fires him up and gets him pumped every day?

“Our goal is to be able to serve our community all over the city, not just North Tulsa but all of Tulsa.”

“The people are what gets me going, but honestly, it’s what we’re able to do with our young people. With our after-school programs, we serve over 400 boys and girls every single day in three locations, whether it’s here at the Dream Center or in our remote locations.

We’re also doing something new; when I was a kid, my baseball coach was an LAPD police officer, and he made a great impact on my life. We’ve started this new program called Badges where we bring our boys and girls and the police force together in a mentorship relationship. Kind of like Big Brother Big Sister but police edition—police Dream Center edition. So it’s exciting to be able to facilitate the coming together of those two communities, especially when as those kids get older, historically there has been a wedge drawn between them and the police. So if we can bring them together by creating great relationships now, when they get older, that won’t be able to be severed.”

“We’d love for you to come on over to 200 West 46th Street N. You can also reach out to us on our website, TulsaDreamCenter.org. We’re also on social media; follow us on Instagram. We always post videos on Instagram and Facebook, and you can see all of the different things going on at the Tulsa Dream Center.”

We appreciate all they’re doing for our community. Let me know if you have questions about the Tulsa Dream Center or anything else related to real estate. I’d love to hear from you.

Chris Padley from Gateway Mortgage is here to talk all about mortgages.

I’m so excited to be here today with my friend Chris Padley with Gateway Mortgage. I wanted to feature Chris and share all the great things he does to help our clients get to the closing table with less stress and a happier experience. Chris has been in the Tulsa mortgage business for almost 20 years, so I wanted to chat about what’s going on in the mortgage world.

Feel free to watch the full message above, or use these timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video:

0:05 — Introduction to today’s topic

1:00 — Chris uses his years of experience to ensure everyone knows what’s going on throughout the process

2:35 — We’re more likely to see an interest rate increase than a home price reduction

5:35 — The best time to take advantage of the market is when it slows down

6:20 — Interest rates vary depending on the type of loan you’re getting, but they’re all great

7:10 — It’s always a good time to invest in real estate

7:50 — Wrapping up today’s topic

If you have any questions about mortgages or want to start the process, visit Chriss website to contact him. If you have any real estate questions or needs, call or email us at The Wolek Group. We would love to be your real estate resource.

My conversation with Morgan, the owner of Modern Cottage.

Today I want to bring you the inspiring story of a local entrepreneur. Morgan, the owner of Modern College on Cherry Street, has a surprising backstory, so I’m glad I have the opportunity to share it with you:

“I come from a great family of business owners. My great, great grandfather opened a hardware store in Collinsville back in 1887. In those days, hardware stores had a much wider range of products and services, so he had his hands full. He was even elected mayor of Collinsville! Then the hardware store was passed down throughout the generations.

Eventually, the hardware store was passed down to my grandparents. However, when Walmart came to town in the 80s, they were driven out of business. The hardware store had been open for 95 years, and my mother had grown up in it as a child. When the store closed, she never let go of the dream of owning her own business.

“I always tell people that if they have an entrepreneurial dream, they can make it happen.”

When my mother retired, she achieved her dream by opening a vintage store in Owasso. I worked there as a teenager, and I knew from that moment on that I wanted to be a business owner. I held onto this dream long enough to open Modern Cottage in 2017 with my father as co-owner.

I was inspired to open this business because I’ve always been interested in home goods. My mother was an interior designer when I was a child, and I always wanted input on my room. Opening Modern Cottage just seemed like a natural fit. I decided to open on Cherry Street because it’s such a beautiful place. It’s surrounded by a lovely community and historic buildings that add a ton of charm to the area.

I always tell people that if they have an entrepreneurial dream, they can make it happen. All you have to do is put in the work and never lose hope. If you want to visit our store, you can find us on Cherry Street in the Colonial Building, 1325 E 15th St #106, Tulsa, OK 74120. You can always shop on our website as well at ShopModernCottage.com.”

What a great story! I appreciated speaking with Morgan today, and I loved her beautiful store. If you have any questions about today’s blog post or concerning real estate, please give me a call or shoot me an email. I am always willing to help!

Join us for our Summer Snow Cone Social on Sunday, August 1!

Before We Gear Up for Back to School, Join Us for Our Summer Snow Cone Social!

The Wolek Group is excited for you to come by Josh's Sno Shack at Brookside Collective Park on Sunday, August 1 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

 

Reserve Your Free Snowcone!

 

We love our clients and we love Tulsa! To give back, we’re collecting school supplies for The Pencil Box. Learn more about how this organization gives back to Tulsa Public Schools on their website.

See below for full details and The Pencil Box’s Wish List!

We will donate $500 to The Pencil Box by way of The Wolek Group’s non-profit Keys to the City, which is funded by allowing us to help so many families! Thank you for your continued support!

Here’s how our current market compares to that of 2020.

It’s a fun time in the real estate market, both locally and around the country. Today I’ll update you on what’s going on specifically here in the Tulsa area and show you how it compares to last year.

As you can see on the chart at 1:30 in the video above, closed listings are up 21%, pending listings are up 7%, and new listings are up 4%. The main problem, and why we’re feeling like there is a shortage of inventory, is more properties are leaving the market than are coming on the market.

The average sales price has gone up 22.72% in the last year, which is an advantage for sellers, who didn’t even have to do anything to their homes to enjoy this increase in value. Now imagine if you had some equity in your home even before 2020—you have almost 23% more! This could be a great time for you to take advantage of the inventory shortage by selling your home.

Both buyers and sellers are noticing that homes are selling faster. The average number of days a home spends on the market here in Tulsa is 24 days, which is eight days faster than at this same time last year. Additionally, the list-to-sales price ratio is currently 99%, meaning that properties are selling faster and for more money.

All this feeds into the absorption rate (or month’s supply of inventory), which is currently at 1.87. That means if no new homes came on the market, we’d sell all of what is currently available in almost two months. The lower the month’s supply is, the more the market favors sellers, which we’re definitely seeing today.

“Properties are selling faster and for more money.”

However, low interest rates are keeping many buyers in the market. Lower rates mean increased affordability, so it could make sense for you to buy a home right now. If that’s a goal you have, we’re here to help you figure out the best way to win.

If you’re thinking about selling your home, we created a Seller Rescue Plan that will help you work through the hassles of buying and selling a home at the same time. Whatever your goals are, we can help you take advantage of this rare opportunity. We don’t know how long the market is going to remain like this, but for now, we’re just helping our clients through it.

If you’re curious about the value of your home, we have a great free website called tulsahomevalue.com and you can get an overview of what’s going on in the market!

Whether you’re buying or selling, if you have any questions or need advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to help you.

This is how our Seller Rescue Plan ensures you don’t end up houseless.

You’ve heard the news (how could you miss it?): The real estate market is red-hot right now! Home values are up around 20% over last year, which could net you $50,000 more today than last year. That means now is an amazing time to sell your home and take advantage of the historic low inventory and increasing home values.

There’s just one problem—where would you go? Let’s face it; it’s a hassle to deal with making a move and figuring out all the details. That’s where The Wolek Group’s Seller Rescue Plan comes in.

“These scenarios may include moving twice to make more money today than you would have in the past.”

We’ve created a list of the three options you have as a seller, as well as some discounts from local service providers:

1. Buy first, sell later. Finding a home is more of a challenge than selling a home in today’s market. We can get you set up on a home search to see what’s out there and so we can discuss your financing options. With a loan modification, if you can qualify for both properties and have a minimum down payment, you can purchase now without a contingency and sell after your purchase is secure. If there are no homes available that fit your criteria, we have a plan in place to help promote your wants and needs to uncover off-market properties.

2. Sell now, stay put for now. With today’s listing demand, many buyers are willing to allow sellers to rent back the property after closing or set an extended closing date, which would allow you time to find your next home. This allows you to be a non-contingent buyer and have more money in the bank from the equity of your home sale to put down. That way, you’ll be a much stronger buyer in this market.

3. Sell now, move now. Now might be the time to relocate or bunk with your friends or family in order to capitalize on the increase in equity, or you could possibly move into a short-term rental. We’re continually compiling a list of options to help with this arrangement.

As you can see, these scenarios may include moving twice in order to make more money today than you would have in the past. We know that moving is hard work (especially twice), so we’ve found some available options and resources for you:

T-Town Storage: Discount at local storage facilities to store your belongings. Get your first two months at half-price.

Great Day Moving: Discount with a local moving company to offset some costs. Get half off your service fee of $150.

ForRent.com: List of local short-term options, including some available in-office rentals.

A list of utility and moving information to help expedite the process.

A staging and design expert to help consult on furniture and belongings.

Discounts on a home inspection and appraisal prior to listing.

If you have any questions about today’s topic or the resource list provided, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to chat with you.

These are a few of my favorite things about the springtime in Tulsa.

Spring has sprung in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. These refreshing and sunny days have made me begin to think about all the things I love about this season. 

First of all, I love that we get to enjoy all the different seasons here (though most of us don’t particularly enjoy the tornadoes or ice storms). The other things I love about our spring season include:

1. Flowers. Spring means that plantlife is blooming, and you can see beautiful flowers in front yards, fields, and anywhere else you look in the city. There’s so much beauty here. On top of this, Woodward Park and the botanical gardens are now open to the public, and they have tons of gorgeous flowers and blooming trees to enjoy. 

2. Shopping. I love to shop, especially at our outdoor malls. We have Utica Square, which is full of both local and big-brand stores that provide everything you could ever want. The Farm Shopping Center has also had some big updates and fun new things to check out. We also have Cherry Street and Brookside for all of your dining and boutique shopping needs.

“These refreshing and sunny days have made me begin to think about all the things I love about this season.”

3. Eating outdoors. Many of our restaurants have wonderful outdoor dining areas; with the pandemic, many restaurants had no other choice but to expand their patio seating. Now, this means we have even more places to choose from.

4. Exercising outside. Maybe your fitness goals fell by the wayside this year, but Tulsa’s beautiful spring weather provides the perfect opportunity to get outside and start working out. If you’re looking for ideas, the riverside is a great area to walk or jog while enjoying the beautiful scenery.

5. Enjoying the front porch. I just love to sit on the front patio and watch everything the city does throughout the day. It gives me time to get outside and breathe, have a happy hour, and just smile at the beautiful weather.

What do you enjoy most about our Tulsa springtime? Or are you living outside of our area and hoping to become a resident in the near future? Either way, I’d love to hear from you. And as always, I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about buying, selling, or real estate in general. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Consider selling your home to a qualified buyer in this unique market.

Would you be willing to sell your home to one of our qualified buyers? You may have noticed that houses are selling extremely quickly in your area. That’s because we have record-breaking low inventory levels combined with historically low interest rates. Therefore, it’s a wonderful time to sell your property.

You can capitalize on your home’s increased value over the last year, and if you’re buying a new home, you may be able to buy more house for the money. It’s a win-win. We have many motivated, qualified buyers ready to buy a house but there just aren’t any properties to choose from on the market. Whether you’ve considered selling or not, this is the time to think about the huge opportunities for you and your family in the real estate market.

“We have record-breaking low inventory levels combined with historically low interest rates.”

We have plenty of ways to help you find your dream home such as negotiating a rent-back or renting a house for a while while you search for the right home. We won’t leave you hanging or wondering what to do next.

We want to help you. If you would like to have a confidential conversation about the value of your house and how you can take advantage of the current market, just give us a call or send an email. Reach out to us if you have any questions in the meantime. We would love to speak with you.

Our team is relentless in many different ways.

2020 was a tough year for so many. We are blessed that we were able to safely help so many families with their real estate needs, even in a historic pandemic.

Typically, our team would be together in person, celebrating our previous year’s production with each other and our Keller Williams family. Instead, we’re still mostly operating through Zoom. I still wanted to acknowledge our amazing team’s hard work and our gratitude for all of the families who trusted us with their 2020 move.

As a team, we helped over 170 families last year, which was around $43 million in volume. We also were able to donate $20,000 to the Tulsa-area community, which we could not have done without your support and referrals.

“Our team is relentless in many different ways.”

We’re grateful for last year’s business, and you know that we are already focused on helping even more families in 2021! The real estate market is still hot. The way home values are increasing, your home may be worth more than you think. Interest rates are still low, so buyers are getting more home for their money.

We work daily to help our buyers and sellers achieve their real estate goals. We focus on listening to all their wants and needs and strive to assist them seamlessly through the sometimes bumpy process. We are also focused on following through on our 2021 word of the year, which is Relentless. We are Relentless in:

Delivering an amazing experience for our clients

Learning and growing

Bettering ourselves daily

Connecting and communicating as a team

Purposefully achieving our goals

Giving back to our community

Being flexible, caring, and kind to all

Having fun while doing what we love

Thank you for trusting us and allowing us to do what we love! If you have any questions for us or real estate needs we can assist with, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.