Date: Feb. 2, 2010
Tags: Dolci, Joes, Restaurant, Wichita, Kansas, Wichita Kansas, Food, Sandwhich, Turkey, Salami
 Lisel and I ate there this afternoon after hearing about it from the owner himself. I was doing some other business on the phone with this guy when I found out he owns this place called Dolcis & Joes. So I thought we would give it a whirl, and are we ever glad we did.
The sandwich's were so ….. different from anything else around here, and soooo good. Mine was The Joshalotta with turkey, salami, peppered bacon, mozzarella, vegies and jalapeno-apricot mustard to kick it in. Lisel had a sandwich with beef salami, peppered bacon again, brined pork, smoked mozzarella, vegies and the sauce was a garlic aioli. Yeah, garlic aioli. A mayonnaise style sauce laden with fresh garlic, and we love garlic. They called it the Rocky.We were both just seriously amused, and impressed, with the “sweet potato fries” If for nothing else you have got to at least try these. And oh yeah, bring your appetite with you cause you won’t walk away hungry.
The place is crammed into the old taco tico building down by Hillside and Douglas. There are a few tables to sit at and some other decor, but we really didn’t pay much attention to that once we started eating.
If burgers or meat ain’t your bag, Dolci & Joes serves up some vegetarian sandwiches and salads too. We had tea to drink so I didn’t get to see what hand made fountain drinks was all about.
Just recently they put in an espresso bar and soon will serving breakfast too.
I can tell you that I’ll be stopping by for lunch again, or maybe even dinner. This was one of those finds that kinda makes your day!
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Date: Jan. 25, 2010
Tags: None
 Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of mis-information about the Governments tax incentives to buy a home here in Wichita Kansas. Everything from “how long will it take to the check to get here” to “I heard I don’t really have to live there”.
I was showing a home to a woman and her son when she posed this question to me, “if we write a contract on this house, how long will it take the check to arrive.” Of course I asked what check, and she said the government check. I explained to her the reality and sent her to the official website. (I don’t think she believed me.)
Apparantly she had been talking to a real estate agent who let her know that if she bought a house from him the Government was going to send her a check. A check she could cash, deposit in an account or whatever she wanted. A check for $8000.
She was shocked when I told her that wasn’t the case and looked at me like I didn’t know what I was talking about. True story. She ended up not buying as she was counting on that money to help. Or maybe she just was upset with me and went somewhere else. I’ll never know.
Another one was an honest mistake that could have been a disaster.
Sitting in a seminar not purposely eavesdropping I overheard someone tell someone else that you had to live in the home when you buy it to get the tax credit. True enough. What followed was you can move out right away and turn it into a rental as long as you own it for three years. Not true.
The someone doing the telling was a Realtor. Maybe it wasn’t my business. Maybe it was, being a Realtor myself. I interjected and set the facts out. No, you have to live there for three years and if you move out before then the money has to be paid back.
Imagine if this person had gone through with a deal thinking that the case. That he could move out right away and make the home a rental.
Whether by purposeful dishonesty or honest mistake either situation could have had grave consequences for the buyer. It is imperative that a professional, in whatever field, know the facts.
Another misconception I run into all the time is that people are being told that there is an  $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers. While this is true somewhat, the other factor is “or 10% of the purchase price up to $8000″” which often gets left out. Several times I’ve been approached by first time buyers wanting to buy a fixer upper for, say $30,000, figuring on an extra $8000 around tax time to help in the restoration.
What do suppose happens when these types of deals go through and the client finds out after the fact. The Realtor is long gone, he doesn’t care. There’s generally nothing in writing saying the realtor made these statements. There’s no one to sue. The buyer is just left with a bad taste in the mouth and a bad attitude towards real estate people.
What it does is give us a bad name, a bad reputation. So yes, it is my business, and I will continue to make it my business to set the record straight when ever I get the chance. Our reputation, our ethics and morality and our sense of right is the most important thing we have.
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Date: Jan. 9, 2010
Tags: Animal, Cold, Cruelty, Dog, Facebook, Friends, House, Humane Society, Real Estate, Realtor
Last Sunday I was out showing houses, my usual Sunday activity. What made this day working in real estate different was I had the chance to save an animal. A dog to be specific.
My clients and I were walking through our third house of a really cold day here in Wichita. There was snow on the ground and the forecast was for more. More snow and more frigid temperatures. On this day we were sort of avoiding the decks and backyards. We looked out the patio window to see the yard and what we saw next door startled both of us.
In the backyard right next door was a dog, what was left of one, chained to a rotting small “dog house” on a short chain. The dog itself was literally skin and bones. From where we  were we could see it was hunched, freezing and most likely starving. This isn’t a picture of that paticular dog but a close representation.
Immediately I went out back to get a closer look, I really had to as I couldn’t hardly believe it. I’d seen animals abused like this on animal cruelty websites and humane society posters, but never like this in real-time. We could see the dogs entire skeletal system as if he were wearing no skin at all.
The poor thing rasped, an attempted whimper I think, and struggled to rise. It sort of half dragged itself into the small box that served as it’s shelter.
 On returning home I tried to find a phone number to call and report. It wasn’t easy. No one answered at the obvious places like the Humane Society, Sedgwick County animal control or Wichita animal services due to it being the weekend and late. I called the police and they just gave me the number to the Wichita animal shelter. When explained that I had tried that the woman responded that I would just have to wait to report it.
Wait?!?? It was supposed to get down way below freezing tonight. I didn’t want to wait, I thought there were laws against this sort of thing, animal abuse and cruelty. She sounded annoyed when I asked her to take the information and report it. Big sigh, “OK fine, sir, what’s the address”.
I assumed by the attitude that the Wichita Police did nothing. The dog most likely spent another night in it’s misery, much to the chagrin of my face book friends.
Finally Monday morning I was able to contact someone with a heart at Wichita Animal services. This was the third person I spoke with, he sounded genuinely concerned with the plight of this poor animal and would send someone out to investigate right away.
Tuesday I called to see what had happened and was told that they couldn’t give out that kind of info. Something about due process and privacy rights. I can understand that and I feel confident that something was actually done.
 Realtors are constantly out and about in the community. In and out of houses and neighborhoods. We see a lot. Some of what we see is bad and we, as citizens, have the opportunity to report incidents, suspicious characters, abused animals and anything else we see that’s out of sorts.
I think we even have somewhat of a duty to do so. We can help to make the neighborhoods, and indeed the world, we live in a safer and better place to be.
Kansas Humane Society 316.524.9196
Wichita Animal Shelter 316.268.8378
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I’ve heard lots of stories about deals gone bad or strange happenings in the real estate world at the end of this year. Everyone wants to talk about the year gone by here in  Wichita Kansas, good and bad.
I have a win-win goodwill story of my own.
This deal was signed sealed and scheduled for closing. The house was in probate as the previous owner had died and her kids were selling it. A few days before closing we find out the probate lawyer has not done his job and the paperwork hasn’t been before the Judge yet.
 First delay. After many phone calls and much finagling we get a new date set. Again that date approaches and the lawyer is not finished. Now we’re five weeks overdue and my clients lease is running out at the end of the month with no chance of extending it. On top of that they have the moving truck reserved and help lined up.
We now schedule the closing with one day to spare and as that date approaches, yep, not ready. This time though the lawyer has an appointment with the court for the 2nd, two days after my client will be out on his ear.
So what do we do. The selling agent asks his client if we can take possession four days early, on a Friday, the day before Halloween, so they can move over the weekend. They agree so everything is going to be all right. The owners spend Thursday and Friday morning finishing up moving and cleaning. They left the house spotless.
When I called my client Friday evening they were moving, loading the truck for the second time and almost finished. It would take one more trip in the morning.
And this is where everything could have gone terribly wrong. Saturday morning my phone rang and I was informed the basement was flooded. Of course you call your Realtor, he’s the one who sold you the house.
The sump pump had quit working. Remember, we haven’t closed yet and all their stuff is already at the house, moving truck returned, no where else to go and the basement is full of water.
So of course I rush over and indeed, the sump pump has given out. No reason, it must have been working yesterday as the basement was dry. The seller agent called the insurance company and they might be able to get to it today, Halloween. In the meantime water is still running into the basement.
Can’t wait. A trip to Home Depot to buy a new one, home for tools and shop vac and then back to install it. Then we spent the rest of the day and into the evening installing the pump, pushing water back into the pit, pulling back carpet and trying to dry everything out. The carpet pad is of course ruined and the carpet itself needs some professional help.
I completely missed Halloween and handing out goodies to the neighborhood kids. Good thing Lisel was there to take care of that.
 My clients are now living in a house they don’t own yet with nowhere to go, I’m out the money for a new pump and the carpet layer wants to get paid. We closed Monday amid promises of payment for the disaster. We had no choice really but to trust the sellers.
In the end the carpet was fixed, the carpet guy paid by the sellers and a check came to my mailbox to cover the pump four days later.
This was a situation where there very easily could have been some big losers and upset people. As it turned out everyone did the right thing, did what they said they would and some even went beyond the call of duty. My clients are in their dry home, the seller is cashing her check and everyone is living happily ever after. So far.
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Date: Dec. 11, 2009
Tags: Realtor, House, Recovery Real Estate, Homes, Market, Wichita Kansas, Buy, Inflation, Economy, Feds
 If ever there was a good time to invest in real estate in Wichita Kansas, it’s now. Seriously. I happen to believe the bottom is in, or at least close in the residential market. Regardless of whether it is or isn’t there are several factors that weigh in to make one think this is a buyers market.
The first is that the banks need money. The way banks make money is by charging interest rates for money they lend. OK, simple enough. This contraction the economy is in has put most of these big banks in the red. Some are recovering and even paying us back but still need more money. The best and easiest way for them to become and/or remain profitable (and pay back all that money they owe us, the taxpayer) is to make more money, and they do this by raising interest rates. Credit card companies are already doing it.
The Wichita Real Estate market faired better than most during the latest housing bubble. It  slowed, like the rest of the country, but in comparison actually did very well. This shows how well this particular market holds it’s value. Housing prices are on the rise though. On the sales front, People are buying, just not in droves yet. When the flood of buyers start, prices will react quickly. Builders and homeowners alike have been taking much lower prices than their homes warrant. Whether buying a home for the first time, buying a second or vacation home or just investing in Real Estate you want to buy while prices are low.
There’s always the chance, as many think, that prices will fall even further. That’s a gamble you’d have to be willing to take. Stack that up against the time left for the tax credits and it just doesn’t make much sense to wait.
The Government has extended an $8000 dollar tax credit to first home buyers and added a  $6500 credit for homeowners who want to “move up”. It all ends at the end of June. This does not have to be repayed. It is a big incentive to get people to buy. There are many economists that believe the health of the recovery we are beginning to feel depends on the housing market. The Government is doing everything it can to promote this. Extraordinary measures are being taken. When the recovery comes, and it will, home prices and interest rates will rise quickly. The Government will not be so generous as the next task will be to repay all the money that was borrowed and printed.
The last really bad inflation we had was in the 1970s and 80s. I remember my family paying 17% interest on the home we lived in. Back then it certainly didn’t bother me, that was my Dads problem. Now it will be mine. When the economy becomes inflated the Federal reserve is inclined to raise interest rates to try and tame it. Just as the Feds started to drastically reduced rates around 1999-2000 to stimulate the economy they will easily go the other way to slow it down. Inflation is coming. With all the money the Government and Fed have had to print and borrow in 2009, inflation will surely come around. Inflation happens when there is to much money supply. It reduces demand making money not so valuable, causing the price of goods and services go up.
Now is the time to buy and this is the perfect market. A perfect storm of good news for investors and potential homeowners alike.
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 This post could actually have been written a month ago, right after Halloween.
As I was out walking the dogs last night full of holiday spirit I noticed Christmas lights up in the neighborhood. A lot of homes had lights up. As I thought about it I realized that I didn’t notice Christmas lights up in the neighborhood two, or even three weeks ago, but they were there already.
Perhaps I’m just getting desensitized to it. Christmas seems to start earlier every year. I suspect it’s more the commercialization of Christmas rather than Christmas itself.
Used to be one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving, besides the obvious, was that a radio station here in Wichita Kansas started playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. I love Christmas music. I’m not sure when it started this year, but I noticed last week it was already happening.
I mention Halloween just because right around the end of October I was at a local hardware store buying some real estate signs when I was surprised to see two full isles  dedicated to artificial Christmas trees and decorations.
In October!
We’ll start next week, as usual. It’s time to start thinking about a tree. This weekend I’ll start stringing lights and maybe even do a little shopping.
I wonder how long it took the three Kings to bear the gifts to Bethlehem, and I wonder if they had any idea of what they were starting.
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 It always breaks my heart when I go by the Wichita humane society or city animal shelter and see all those unwanted or lost animals.
When a dog looks into yours eyes from behind those bars it looks so sad. I can feel it deep down. The sadness, confusion and pure desperation. The thing is a dog, or cat, doesn’t understand. It just knows that one minute it was frolicking happily about without a care in the world and the next minute it’s locked in a cage completely alone.
I shouldn’t say completely alone. Those people who work at the humane society and animal shelter here in Wichita are really great people. They give the animals all the love and support they can.
The reason I bring this up tonight is I was writing about foreclosures earlier. What I found is that, like what happened in New Orleans, when people lose their homes, their pets lose their homes too. Many people just can’t afford to take their animals with them as they strike out into the cold and lonely world of homelessness. Even when taken in by relatives, friends or the Government, the pets generally aren’t welcome.
The alternative is “the pound”. While I’m sure many people would like to and may even plan to come back for them, most of the time it’s just not feasible. No one ever knows how long the bad times are going to last.
 The country has had an unprecedented number of foreclosures this year. That has left the homeless pet population growing immensely. The shelters are filling up quickly right at a time when the lost and homeless pet problem was nearing a solution.There is an actual plan, a goal, to not have to put animals down anymore sometime in the future and to get control of this problem.
The shelter and humane society will keep the animals for some time waiting for the owners. I’m not really sure what the policy is exactly, but the last time I was there interviewing some of the workers they showed me some dogs that were being “stored” while the owners were in jail or working out some other problems.
So if anyone has ever thought about getting a pet, a dog or a cat, please think about coming down to the shelter at hwy. 96 and Hillside. Come down and take a look around. There are so many different kinds of dogs and cats. Young and old. Playful and subdued. Small ones, big ones and even some Goldilocks ones (just right). Your sure to see one or two that you’ll just fall in love with, and you’ll find it’s easy for them to love you too.
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 Yesterday I was in a meeting and one of the Ladies noticed I was a Realtor. Her first response was “bad time to be your business.”
I looked at her in surprise and, yes, I said it, au contraire. Being a bit embarrassed by my response I quickly explained that no, it was actually a great time to be in the real estate business. The residential side anyway. Especially here in Wichita Kansas.
Seems all the Realtors I know are staying busy, quite busy considering the time of year  and the so called recession the country is in. Sure there is a lot of bad news and lots of foreclosures and short sales. People are shopping though. Investors are out in force picking up cheap properties in anticipation of the recovery.
While the unemployment situation is not good as it approaches 10% , that still leaves 90% employed, and their an active 90%.
As everyone knows interest rates are really good right now and inspiring people to buy. Of course the big Government tax incentive is helping immensely and prices are still affordable. All in all the market is doing well.
So I have to disagree, I think it’s a great time to be in the real estate business, to be a Realtor.
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 Are you still throwing your money away on rent? Really, think about it. Every month you write that check and give to the landlord, never to be seen again as it disappears into his pocket.
Being a land lord has got to be one of the easiest jobs there is. He buys a house, just like you could, then lets someone live there while he builds equity and makes profit. Sure once in while he may have to fix something, or paint or whatever, but overall it’s a very stress free and profitable existence.
I’m not suggesting you should become a landlord, although if you did you could be taking some other poor saps money, what I am suggesting is that you look into buying. Did you know that it’s very possible, likely even, that you could be laying out less cash every month on a Mortgage than on rent.
When you own a home you in essence have a place to live for free. Every month when you make a  payment on your house your building equity. Equity is money. That doesn’t even include the improvements you make. More money.
Then there’s the tax benefits. Every year when you file your tax returns for the money the Government has been holding for you, you can write off your house. Not the whole house of course, but things like mortgage interest and real estate taxes. There are write offs for making your home more energy efficient. First time home buyer write offs. In fact,this year, 2009, the Government will even give you $8000 to buy a house.
I have a story about a young man who used to work for me. He and his girlfriend rented. Every month throwing that money away, and every month complaining about it. Every month I told him “then stop it, go find a house to buy. It’s really not that difficult. Doesn’t have to be a dream house, just STOP paying rent! Later you can sell it when you want to move up, and make money instead of throwing it away!.”
 Well, he did. Him and the girlfriend went out, found a small house with a nice yard, went to the bank and now they are proud homeowners investing their money in their future rather than wasting it. He is so happy. When I see him now he’s bragging about his latest remodel project, or his garden or what he’s doing with the money he’s saving. It’s really nice to see him so happy as opposed to complaining about being broke all the time. The whole process took less than a month, and he even broke his old lease because the numbers worked in his favor.
Here is an open question posted by a renter on a real estate site that asked
“I pay $800/mo. for 1 bed apt., should I just find a home for rent and hope there’s an option to buy?”
Here is the answer,
“In all honesty you should try and buy a home and quit enriching your landlord, start building  some equity for yourself and become a proud home owner. Often times in that price range, $800, you will lay out less cash every month for a nicer place that is your own. It’s also a great way to hold on to your money and even grow it. Now is a good time too as economic indicators are pointing to an improvement in the economy which will mean higher prices and interest rates in the near future.”
 So why are you still renting?
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 The other day I drove past the entrance to a new subdivision in Wichita KS with a sign out front that begged, Buy builder direct and save money. I thought to myself, yeah, I'll bet he will.
Buying real estate without professional help is a mistake.
Two points here to make.
First, buying directly from a builder leaves you completely at his mercy. Everyone has heard horror stories about building a home. This is where those stories come from.
Unless you have some kind of back ground in construction a builder can pretty  much do anything he wants including cutting corners, eliminating promised items or charging incredible markups on change orders and explain it all to you in a way you have to accept.
To many future homeowners go into the building process with high expectations and blind trust. Buying “Builder Direct” means you don't have anyone watching out for your best interest. I can promise you that the builder will be watching out for his.
For you it's all about your dream home. For him or her it's all about the money!
Second point is that a Realtor can make sure you have a solid contract that best protects you. He or she can also negotiate on your behalf having had the experience in doing. He or she will make sure you are treated fairly when it comes to paying.
It would even be helpful if you could find a Realtor with some construction experience. Someone who would know how builders operate. Knowing how a home is actually built can help prevent corners being cut and ensuring that the homeowner receives a quality product.
Of course not all builders are dishonest or bad. I personally have worked for some really good ones in the past. I have also worked for some, and not for very long, that cared about nothing but the bottom line.
 A Realtor will have had some experience and inside knowledge that separates the good from the bad.
Building a home doesn't need to be a stressful and scary event in your life.
It should be a fun and positive experience. Something that you will look back on in the years to come and smile about.
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Unemployment was down today, which is good news, but so were existing home sales, which is not so good news for the real estate market. It was forecast by economists and other "experts" that sales would be up slightly from last month. They were down slightly instead. I emphasize slightly. Much ado about nothing in my opinion.
The thing is, we have to expect some drop in home sales as the first time buyer tax credit nears its end. The end being December 1st. There is still time for consumers to get in on the credit, but time is slipping away quickly. It is taking on average anywhere from 45 to 60 days to take a home purchase from contract to closing, and that's if it goes relatively smoothly. So, as I said, time is running out and buyers realize it  may be to late.
There are all sorts of bills running around Congress to extend the tax credit. That would be a good thing for the real estate industry and possibly even the economy. Lots of lobbyists are working overtime doing their part to make it happen. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is also at the party with a big push for an extension. You can find articles all over the internet about efforts to do so.
Some want to give everyone that buys a house a tax credit while others just want to extend the first time buyers opportunity.
If they do nothing and let it run out home sales are liable to drop drastically as that is what has been churning the market this past year. Better if they would not have done anything to begin with than let it go away.
 Let me explain. We have taken all the first time homebuyers of this year and two or three years into the future and forced them into the market early. That's why the market has been so busy lately. By taking all these sales now that leaves none for the near future. If the incentives are not there, there will be no more buyers. The economy, although improving in the Feds opinion, is not on its feet enough yet to support a robust housing market of its own volition.
In other words, by forcing the market we have used up all the buyers. I'm also sure that a lot of people have gotten into the real estate business as Realtors specifically to take advantage of all the extra buyers out there. That's going to leave us with no buyers and a lot of extra agents. This is just my theory.
Without an extension of the first time buyer tax credit, the housing market could just possibly be doomed. I'm hoping they have a plan. A plan that would let business slow down, thinking the credit was over, and then around the middle of November or so pass the bill. That would create a whole new rush of buyers wanting to get in while the getting was good. That would be a good thing.
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Date: Sep. 15, 2009
Tags: Kansas, Wichita, Fair, Cows, Goats, Chickens, Real Estate, Homes, Llamas, Livestock
 The Kansas State Fair is like a whole world unto itself. Just forty minutes west of Wichita on highway 96, the fair is close to the best little city in Kansas.
One can easily get lost in time and space while wandering around the 280 acres of buildings, rides, fairways and commercial vendors. There is so much to see and so much to do it all can't possibly be done in a single outing.
Get there first thing in the morning on the first weekend. That's the best time to see all the many different animals before or shortly after they are judged. There are cows of many different varieties. More than one breed of goat (my  personal favorite among the mammals), sheep, and many beautiful horses. Even llamas, or alpaca as the ones at the fair are, make an appearance.
After the buildings that are a temporary home to these mammals the birds have some real estate of their own. Inside the rabbit and bird complex you can find chickens of many different and quite interesting varieties. There are also ducks, geese and pigeons of lots of different sizes and shapes. You never knew there were so many different kinds of rabbits.
 The fairway is something that Kansas can be proud of. Full of rides  for all ages and tolerances. Tall scary ones, super fast spinning ones and slow easy rides for those more tame souls. There's Loads of games to win prizes at, cotton candy to eat, a fun house and much much more.
If Competition is your game you'll find plenty of that at The Kansas State Fair.
A building dedicated to the domestic arts is full of beautiful hand made quilts of every size, baked goods, knitting and even cooking demonstrations.
 There's the livestock competitions. The beasts are all groomed and pampered to look their best then paraded around in front of the judges and public to be admired. Who has the best looking cow, sheep, goat or even chicken gets the prize. There are some really beautiful animals are to seen here.
4-H is a big part of the Kansas State Fair. Young people  learning about ranching, farming and life. A really great program. Boy scouts and girl scouts make their presence known also.
 Kansas is a big agricultural state so there's plenty of vegetables and such to be judged. Can't forget about wheat in Kansas. You can learn all about wheat at the fair. Where it comes from, how it's harvested and what it's used for. Yep, wheat is a pretty big deal in Kansas. Not just wheat either, lot's of different crops are on display here and there's lots to learn about them.
When your hungry it's not hard to find a good place to eat something. Food vendors of all kinds are strategically placed about the fairgrounds to ensure no one goes hungry while enjoying the fun.
One thing you won't want to forget when you come to the Fair is a good pair of walking  shoes. There is so much to do and see you'll be on your feet all day racing from one cool thing to another. While there are plenty of places to sit in the shade and rest, you'll want to be sure not to miss any of the fun!
The Kansas State Fair is just one more great thing about Wichita Kansas.
You know ya wanna live here!!
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 Lisel and I spent last Saturday at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita Kansas. The Zoo here is quite possibly the coolest piece of real estate in Wichita. We love the Zoo. Opening in 1971, it's among the 20 largest Zoos in the country.
Out Zoo is nationally renowned and ranks among the best by visitors and visiting officials alike. This place is home to something like over 2500 different animals that reside in large (for the most part) and naturalistic exhibits. So much to do and see a full day could easily be spent at this Zoo. The admission fee is a great value for all the entertainment you get.
As you enter the Zoo right after the Cargill Learning Center you will happen upon a flock of brightly colored Pink Flamingos. One of which is no longer here but remains quite famous as it flew the coop and is spotted in different places around the country.
 The Zoo has everything from a domestic animal petting area with animals and themes from around the world to exotic animals to  places to dine and rest from all the walking you do.
It seems almost every year there are new and grand things being done at the Sedgwick County Zoo This year is the year of the tiger. A brand new and spectacular tiger exhibit opened up.
Some of the newer and really cool places include the Downing Gorilla forest, the  just recently opened and one of my favorites, The Penguin Cove and a habitat for the king of the jungle. The last exhibit you'll see on the way out is the Koch Orangutan and Chimpanzee Habitat housing, you guessed it, Orangutans and Chimpanzees.
The Zoo itself is divided into sections from around the world. Just about all the continents are represented by the animals that inhabit them. There's North America with Grizzly bears, otters and wolves. A South American jungle , Australia  and it's kangaroos and Asian animals. Africa is the biggest with the most large mammals. There are hippos, elephants, giraffes, rhinos and loads of others are to seen.
Birds, rodents and other small mammals are abundant  throughout the different exhibits. Lots of colorful parrots and little creatures scurrying about interact directly with visitors as you wander through their natural habitat. A good job has been done placing the animals in natural and roomy surroundings.
Other than all the great animals to be seen and learned from, the Zoo offers different programs too. Zoobilee is a concert and the biggest fund raising event of the year. It's also famous around these parts as the place to be and be seen. At Zoobilee there is lots of food and adult beverages to be had.
Around Halloween every year there is The Night Of The Living Zoo. A night to  celebrate Halloween in grand fashion. There are events around all the holidays, a creature feature night where a full length movie is shown in the Cargill Learning Center and many other special events throughout the year.
This Zoo is really something you should see. If your ever in town or even close by it's worth the trip. Our world class Sedgwick County Zoo is just one more of the many attributes for Wichita Kansas to be proud of.
You know ya wanna live here!!
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Date: Aug. 30, 2009
Tags: None
Final Friday for Wichita Kansas sounds like the title of a disaster or apocalyptic movie. It's no such thing  here in Wichita and several other cities across the country like Cincinnati, Dallas and Nelsonville, Ohio to name a few. It is in fact a celebration of arts and culture. An art gallery crawl where crowds of people stroll around downtown to the many different art and photography galleries.
Some of the galleries include the Mead Street Gallery, Gallery XII, Bruce Ward Photos, Mosaic gallery, and many others. The City Arts building in the Warren Theater Plaza has 3 floors of artists exhibiting there finest work.
 Often there are fun activities for the public to participate in at City arts. Last Friday they had their Apple macs out and were letting people play with software imaging. The fun was making pictures of yourself in different and unusal ways. You could then email them to yourself and have them to keep. City Arts also offers lots of different classes throughout the year.
Final Friday isn't just all about art. The many bars and restaurants downtown have live music, good food and other activities going on. There are coffee shops, like the espresso house that have live shows. This week there was a talented band playing Irish music at the back of the shop.
There's the Qline, a trolley, for riding around in if you don't like to walk and a  horse drawn carriage is also available for those out for a little romance.
In the plaza a drum circle meets every Final Friday and people are welcome to sit in and beat a little rhythm for awhilewith the drum masters. Across from the drum circle the fountains in the plaza provide a nice distraction for the kids who can be heard from blocks away "whoopin' it up" and laughing. A nice break for the parents to sit and enjoy.
Some of the popular shops are open late for those like to browse and buy.
There's ice cream to be had, activities for the kids and adults alike and lots of people. Chances are you'll run into some of your friends and on occasion old friends not seen in a long time.
Final Fridays in Wichita are well worth the trip down town once a month to get out and shake it up a little.
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Last weekend Lisel and I attended our first "Tweet up" with our Twitter friends at the Kechi Playhouse in, you guessed it, Kechi Kansas.
Kechi is basically a suburb of Wichita just minutes away from the city limits. Look at the red ball on the map. The town is a quaint little touristy place with antuiqe shops, restaurants and craft stores built directly into some of the older homes. Real estate for sale is hard to come by.
 It happens it was also the first time we had ever attended one of these little community theaters. I have to say it was a lot of fun!
The theater is a converted old Methodist church. The building itself was constructed in 1920 and Misty Maynard, a local theater talent, made it into the Kechi Playhouse in 1983 and has been putting on fine productions ever since. The church was a small one with about 14 pews sitting 7 to 8 persons apiece and the originals are still used today. Cozy is the best way to describe the atmosphere. Playing Saturday night, 8/22/200 , was "Tons Of Money". A comedy involving a scam to fake a death in the family in order to gain an inheritance. The plan goes awry from the beginning and the hapless couple end up having to fake two deaths and a live relative. When the real relative shows up it casts doubt on the whole plot from the lawyer in charge of distributing the money. It's very funny and had us laughing all night.
The show lasted about two hours and cost us a measly $10 each. Well worth it for the huge amount entertainment we got.
There's two more shows being put on before the season ends October 25. From September 3rd thru September 27, 2009 you can catch "Be My Baby".
The final production from October 1st thru October 25, 2009 is a brand new comedy, "You Take the Cake" that promises to make you laugh and feel good. As Misty herself puts it, "a fun, new play to finish out our 27th year of business".
You still have time to catch the fun at the Kechi Playhouse this year. Reservations are recommended. Maybe we'll see you there. We aren't going to miss the last two shows!
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 If you like and care about animals like I do, then you'll appreciate our new Humane society and animal shelter combination here in Wichita Kansas. The new state of the art building is modern, attractive and inviting, unlike the old animal shelter that was downright scary with it's twin smokestacks spewing what we hate to think about ominously into the sky.
The two are now combined in the same area to better care for lost and homeless pets. Best described as large, Clean and very accommodating with central heat and air. The animals are kept very comfortable indeed as they await their owners to claim them or to be adopted into a new home.
  
The animals themselves have it much better. The cats and kittens reside in what are affectionately referred to as "Kitty Condos". Roomy "homes" with lots of stuff to climb on and play with.
The dogs have large show rooms where potential owners can browse and interact with mans best friend. Their is always an experienced attendant on hand in case needed. It is even recommended to bring in any pets you already have to see if they'll get along with their new Friends
 
If you've ever been to an animal shelter before you will immediately recognize all the care and love that went into building this one. Truly one of a kind.
While the critters on the animal shelter side don't have it quite as good,  the area is kept clean and they are well fed and cared for. Many of these animals are claimed and taken home where they belong. A lot of the rest that aren't claimed are slated for transfer over to the humane society for adoption.
Unfortunately, mostly because of irresponsible people, some have to be killed. The way the professional and caring staff here handles it is much as if you were taking your pet to the vet to be "put to sleep". Kept comfortable and shown affection as a shot is administered puts the animal to sleep painlessly. No one  likes this part, but kudos to the staff for their caring attention to a bad problem.
In the back, out of the public eye are the dog runs where most of the animals are kept. Don't worry, not to hide them for any reason, they just need the room.
Up front in the viewing areas it's like a hotel at the Humane society, with glassed in rooms so you can easily see the array of lost animals to choose from, and there are a lot, way to many.
 The staff works hard caring for the lost pets, making them comfortable during their stay and getting them out to new homes as quick as they can. A surprisingly amount of these animals are taken home by families, but their are still way to many out on the streets. HUMAN society should take care and be more humane about having your animals spayed and nurtured.
Wichita is only one of a handful of cities in the country that has taken the initiative to build one of these modern facilities and develop programs to better care for homeless pets. The goal is, through education and community involvement, to sometime in the near future not to have to put any animals down.
Officials from the city and the humane society traveled around the country exploring some of the most cutting edge technologies in care and adoption techniques. Ours is modeled after the programs from Wisconsin and San Diego CA.
Wichita's new and greatly improved solution to the abandoned and stray pet problem is another example of how progressive a city Wichita is. Progressive and modern yet still down-home and friendly.
You wanta live here!!
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The National Baseball Congress is happening in Wichita this week for nonstop baseball action all day and all night. NBC world series is played in Wichita every year by competing semi-pro teams around this time much to the delight of area ball fans. Teams come from both coasts and everywhere in between to participate. Thirty six in all.
The stands are full of baseball fans continuously coming and going all week. Some hard core fans even set up tents and bring campers so as not to miss the slightest bit of action. On Saturday night I went with my Mother and Nephew. The last game started at 3am and lasted a couple hours.
Lot's of fathers and sons attend the games together along with Grandfathers and Grandsons all of the boys hoping to catch an errant foul ball. The scantly clad baseball groupies all sitting down in front waiting for a wink or a nod from their favorite player. A bit of a distraction to be sure. Eating ball park hot dogs and drinking sorta cold beer all day and night. A good time to had by all.
The first game, called the National Semi-Pro Baseball Congress Kansas State Tournament, was played way back in 1931 here in Wichita on a piece of real estate in the middle of the Arkansas river.
That park was shut down several  years later and the City built Lawrence Dumont Stadium specifically for the series. Lawrence Dumont is still used today.
None other than the great Satchel Page and his team from Bismark ND played in the first NBC tournament in 1935 to kick things off. It was a great success with fans coming from all around the area to watch. Back then the teams consisted of a lot of ex professional players and young hopefuls. Today it's mostly college kids and amateur athletes. If you like baseball and good times you won't want to miss the series next year. This year is almost over, and it looks like a Kansas team will be in the running for the big prize!!
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Date: Aug. 3, 2009
Tags: Real Estate, Wichita, Kansas, Buy, Sell, Homes, House, Tax, Credit, Government
If ever there was a good time to invest in real estate in Wichita, it's now. Seriously. We happen to believe the bottom is in. Regardless of whether it is or isn't there are several factors that bring we to the conclusion that it is time to buy your home now.
The first is that the banks need money. Banks are in trouble, they need money to survive. Not all banks of course. There are many regional banks that avoided this economic crisis we're in by following sound business practices and lending money to people that could pay it back. The problem is that the responsible banks will still pay for the greed and bad practices of the big major conglomerate banks and finance companies. The way banks make money is by charging interest rates for money they lend. OK, simple enough. This contraction the economy is in has put most of these big banks in the red. The best and easiest way for them to become profitable (and pay back all that money they owe us, the taxpayer) is to make more money, and they do this by raising interest rates. Credit companies are already doing it.
The Wichita Real Estate market fared better than most during the latest housing bubble. It slowed, like the rest of the country, but in comparison actually did very well. This shows how well this Wichita market holds it's value. Housing prices are on the rise though. People are buying, just not in droves yet. When the flood of buyers start, prices will react quickly. Builders and homeowners alike have been taking much lower prices than their homes warrant. Whether buying a home for the first time, buying a second or vacation home or just investing in Real Estate you will want to buy while prices and interest rates are low.
The last really bad inflation we had was in the 1970s and 80s. I remember my family paying 14% interest on the home we lived in. Back then it didn't bother me, that was my Dads problem. Now it will be mine. When the economy becomes inflated the Federal reserve is inclined to raise interest rates to try and tame it. Just as the Feds started to drastically reduced rates around 1999-2000 to stimulate the economy they will easily go the other way to slow it down. Inflation is coming. With all the money the Government and Fed have had to print and borrow in 2009, inflation will surely come around. Inflation happens when there is to much money supply. It reduces demand making money not so important, causing the price of goods and services to go up.
The Government has made available an $8000 dollar tax credit to first home buyers for this year only. That's the time period between January 1st to December 1st. This does not have to be repaid. It is a big incentive to get people to buy. There are many economists that believe the health of the recovery we are beginning to feel depends on the housing market. The Government is doing everything it can to promote this. Extraordinary measures are being taken. When the recovery comes, and it will come, home prices and interest rates will rise quickly. The Government will not be so generous as the next task will be to repay all the money that was borrowed and printed.
It's possible that the tax credit is what's driving this market. If that's the case, when it ends December 1st 2009, no one knows what will happen. The hope is that the market has built some momentum and keeps improving. A bill has been introduced in congress to extend the tax credit.
Now is the time to buy and this is the perfect market. A perfect storm of good news for investors and potential homeowners alike.
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Date: Jul. 30, 2009
Tags: Wichita, Real Estate, Home, Museum, Culture, Opera, Symphony, Cowtown, Sedgewick, Arkansas
Wow, the city I live and work in selling real estate was recently voted number one on Newsmax. Wichita holds the number one ranking of the "Top 25 Most uniquely American Cities and Towns." Not sure what that's worth, but what I found interesting, and I agree, was that we were rated a 9 on culture.
It must be the underground culture. Really, you would never believe it by the things you hear about Wichita. Nothing to do, flat, full of rednecks and then we had that little mini scandal where they tried to ban teaching evolution in the schools.
When you take off the blinders and look around though, it really is a nice place to live. It's quiet. Family values are held in high esteem. I think there may be more churches than liquor stores. (that's an exaggeration, but there are a lot of churches) The people are friendly, the business climate is good, taxes a little high, but we're working on that. The crime rate isn't bad and the hospitality is outstanding.
We have loads of museums to wander thru including a modern world class art museum.
 The Sedgewick County Historical Museum is a wonderful old building full of rich Kansas history. One of my favorites is a private museum, The Museum of World Treasures, owned by a Doctor here in town who has traveled the world collecting artifacts from full dinosaur skeletons to ancient Egyptian relics to military paraphernalia from across time and around the world.
The opera company is well known around the area for it's magnificent performances and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra rivals any in the world. Music theater of Wichita preforms stunning off Broadway shows that can easily compete with the real thing. On top of that the many playhouses and theater groups that dot the community are all fun and extraordinarily entertaining.
There's a living museum, Cowtown, that is an exact replica of a small Kansas town in the young frontier days of our country. We have an Indian center that celebrates the culture of the first Americans that were here before our forefathers immigrated over.
Exploration Place is a museum of sorts built  half in the Arkansas river for kids and adults alike. A really unique building design and a place to learn and play. Recently we had the world renown "Body: The Exhibit" on display.
Just getting finished up is the brand new arena that the people voted to have built downtown for concerts,  games and shows. If that's not enough venue, there's the coliseum right outside of town where there is everything from monster truck rallies to horse and dog shows. The Sedgewick county 4-H club uses the coliseum for all of it's major events too.
Am I forgetting anything? I'm sure I have. We have the Arkansas River that runs through downtown and hosts the River Festival every year, can't forget that.
 The town and surrounding area is full of lakes to fish in. If you like to hunt your own meat, the hunting in the area is famous for deer and turkey. Hunters come from around the country to bag their limits every year.
All in all there is more to do here than you can "shake a stick at". The really nice thing is the people. Friendly, down home, laid back and full of "culture".
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April 3rd, 2005, 3pm at Century Two concert hall at home here in Wichita KS I experienced my first opera. I have been hooked, some say obsessed, ever sense. It just happened that the performance was Puccini's La Boheme, one of the greatest all time Operas ever written, in my humble opinion.
I went with my Mother in Law at the time who was a big opera and symphony fan. What a show. Act one when Marcello and Rodolfo were burning pages of the book and...well, if you haven't seen it yet, you should.
Here in Wichita we have a very good opera company. Besides our super talented Resident artists, the artistic directer, Margaret Ann Penn, also brings in some really great and often times famous outside help. Names such as Hector Sandoval, Zvetelina Vassileva, Marcello Giordani and even Kansas own Samuel Ramsey. The list doesn't stop there either.
The performances over the years have included Carmen, The Magic Flute, Faust, La Traviata and Aida, just to name a few. The sets are professionally done, elaborate and beautiful designs. The costumes nothing short of stunning.
If you should ever call Wichita Home and are an opera fan, you have chosen the right place to live. If the WGO doesn't have something to your liking, or if you just want more opera, the Lyric in Kansas City, just 3 1/2 hours away also has a really nice program. Tulsa Oklahoma, believe it or not, is famous for their opera house. Again, just three hours away. There is more great opera around here than the biggest critic, or fan, could ever dream of.
So, are you an opera fan. If so, what's your favorite
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