Fort Smith Real Estate, Southfield Heights Market Report

Posted at 12:41 PM, Feb. 25, 2008

Fort Smith Real Estate Residential Sales have remained consistant with previous years sales.  I often receive questions about good New Construction Subdivisions.  Southfield Heights is a new subdivision located South Fort Smith with great location, great lot sizes, and quality builders.

The following is a list of homes that have Sold in Southfield Heights from 1/1/2008 to 2/17/2008.

The following is a list of homes Currently for Sale in Southfield Heights.

**Information herein is deemed accurate, but not guaranteed.  Listing information is deemed reliable at the time of this posting, but subject to change without notification, and should be verified through a licensed agent for accuracy.

When looking for a Realtor in this market; you need to be assured that your Realtor knows YOUR market!!!  Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895

**** Information herein is deemed accurate but not guaranteed.

Fort Smith Real Estate... Sellers use Logic Instead of Emotion

Posted at 12:37 PM, Feb. 25, 2008

The Fort Smith Real Estate Market can be complicated with up and down trends.  It's important to partner with your Real Estate Professional throughout your entire real estate transaction.

It's is also very important to use logic in comparison to your emotion.  It's understood you have a great emotional contact with your home.  Your home may be the BEST home in the neighborhood.  BUT, will it sell because you feel that way?

Today's Buyer is NOT concerned about the great memories in your home.  Today's Buyer is looking for a deal and in some cases a steal!  In Fort Smith Real Estate; all Seller's Aren't Desperate, but you need to be realistic.  Especially in this market.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Pricing:  The correct pricing of your home can make life good or bad for you.  The old saying, "Let's negotiate down."  Doesn't apply in this more competitive market.  You don't want to price your home higher than market value.
• Days on the Market:  If you home has been on the market longer than the other homes in your area, get ready for a lower offer.  It's not a guarantee, but Buyers see longer days on the market with desperation.
• Buyer Incentives:  Set yourself apart from your competition.  Helping with a buyers closing cost is a to gather some much needed attention to your home.  Fort Smith has a lot of programs ready to assist first time home buyers.
• Be Reasonable:  If your real estate professional suggests price adjustment, repairs, updates, and etc., LISTEN to them.   If you receive a low offer.  Please don't be insulted.  It's a sign of the times.

Keep the emotions in line and use the knowledge from your real estate professional to help you through a successful transaction.

When looking for a Realtor in this market; you need to be assured that your Realtor knows YOUR market!!!  Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895

**** Information herein is deemed accurate but not guarantee.

Fort Smith Real Estate... Let's Take a Ride Back in Time!

Posted at 12:32 PM, Feb. 25, 2008

Fort Smith Arkansas is an area that is rich with history, and people that love living in the area.  Many that visit the area find themselves not wanting to leave.

Don't miss the opportunity to take a ride on the Historic Fort Smith Trolley!!!  Street Cars were very popular in the 1920's and 1930's, and The Fort Smith Trolley Museum has a fully restored 1926 electric car that tours the very nice Fort Smith Downtown!!!

The Fort Smith Museum is located:  100 SOUTH FOURTH STREET, Fort Smith(479) 783-0205 or (479) 783-1237 

Ride tokens cost $2 per adult and $1 per child; available at the Fort Smith Museum of History and at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum.  Discount group tours by appointment, and the Trolley is Wheelchair accessible. 

When looking for a Realtor in this market; you need to be assured that your Realtor knows YOUR market!!!  Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895

**** Information herein is deemed accurate but not guaranteed.

Sebastian County, Arkansas Market Report 2007 vs. 2006

Posted at 7:37 PM, Feb. 11, 2008

Crawford County, Arkansas Market Report 2007 vs. 2006

Posted at 7:30 PM, Feb. 11, 2008

Crawford County has been a very stable market when it comes to real estate.  The city of Van Buren, Arkansas continues to grow.  We have seen an increase in people purchasing homes in Van Buren and Alma and taking the short 1 hour commute to NWA.

Van Buren and other Crawford County cities are just minutes from Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

Buying or Selling a home can be very complicated.  Make sure you have a Realtor that is Knowledgeable about your current market and market conditions.

Units Sold	858	781	-9.86%
Total Volume	$103,195,040	$96,793,550	-6.20%
Avg. Price Home	$120,274	$123,935	3.04%

Van Buren, Arkansas and surrounding cities in Crawford County saw a 6.20% slight decrease in total volume sales.  Total residential units sold were down slightly as well at 9.86%, but there's a slight increase in the Average Price Per Home at 3.04%.

When looking for a Realtor in this market; you need to be assured that your Realtor knows YOUR market!!!  Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895

**** Information herein is deemed accurate but not guarantee.

A Evening with David Copperfield in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Posted at 7:21 PM, Feb. 11, 2008

THOUSANDS HAVE DISAPPEARED LIVE ON STAGE!!!  ARE YOU NEXT?  You can enjoy An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion with David Copperfield in Fort Smith, Arkansas at the Fort Smith Convention Center February 25, 2008.  there will be two performances only!!!  5:30 and 8:30 P.M.  Tickets are on sale now, but Disappearing fast!  Call 800-585-3737 or http://www.startickets.com/ for reserved seating.

When looking for a Realtor in this market; you need to be assured that your Realtor knows YOUR market!!!  Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895

My Friend Max Said That House Isn't Worth That!

Posted at 7:30 AM, Feb. 2, 2008

I've been a Full-time Realtor for several years and there are few things that now shock or surprise me.  I've seen and heard almost everything.  Hearing from my clients what friends and family have to say about a property is almost a daily occurrence.  It's just part of the business.

I've found the client a property in the price range that they wanted and with the criteria that meets their needs.  I've showed them the comparable properties in the area.  I've completed their market analysis for them and given them the numbers so they can make a justifiable decision.  Then enters Max.

Conversation with Client:

Max says, "Offer them $25,000 less than listed price, and see what they say."

Ok, I will submit the offer. 

The following day.  They sellers rejected the offer.

What they didn't even counter?

No, I am sorry they didn't.  The agent said their sellers were insulted by the offer.

Insulted!  In this market they should be happy to get anything.

I understand where you are coming from, but houses in the area have sold for considerable more than what you offered.

My friend Max said that house isn't worth that.

I am sorry.  What does Max do for a living?

Max is retired and he has bought and sold a lot of properties in his day.

Is Max a Licensed Realtor?

No

Is Max a Licensed Appraiser?

No, but he knows what he's talking about.

Did Max give you some data that helped him come to his conclusion?

No, but Max has been my friend for years and he wouldn't lie to me.

I assure you.  As your Agent.  I have nothing, but Your best interest in mind.

Well, we will just let it sit on the market forever then.

Ok, I will inform the other agent.  Thank you for your business.

I work with Buyers and Sellers on a daily basis.  I stay up to date on the current Market Conditions.  This may be a difficult market now, but all Sellers are not desperate.  It's great to get feedback from family and friends, but remember to let your Professional do his or her job. 

Don't put the largest investment in your life in the hands of anyone. 

When looking for a Realtor in this market; you need to be assured that your Realtor knows YOUR market!!!  Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895

Fort Smith Chili Cookoff

Posted at 7:27 AM, Feb. 2, 2008

Saturday, Feb 2, 2008 the Belch Amateur Chili Cookoff begins and your's truly will be there as one of the judges.  You got that right!  Come out and see for yourself and hear great tunes from my friends "Smiley Died".  The Chili Cookoff will be held at The Oaks, 5400 Massard Rd., Ft. Smith, AR from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

I will be there tasting all the great food, taking pictures, and rockin with "Smiley Died."  They will probably have to roll my little round belly out of there in a cart!!!

Fort Smith Annual Home Show

Posted at 4:02 PM, Jan. 27, 2008

The 49th Annual Ft. Smith Home Show hits our area February 15, 16, & 17, 2008!!!  The Ft. Smith Convention Center will host the event that is located in Downtown Ft. Smith, Arkansas.  There are more that 5000 people expected to attend the event.  It is your opportunity to come out and see the latest and greatest in home technologies.

For nearly 50 years The Greater Fort Smith Association of Home Builders has followed a mission to promote quality, energy efficient, affordable housing for the communities they serve. Their members pledge to provide professional construction services and products to their customers at competitive prices backed by industry leading customer service after the sale.

Please make sure you honor the "NO PARKING SIGNS", as there will be plenty of parking available at the center's parking lot.

When looking for a Realtor in this market; you need to be assured that your Realtor knows YOUR market!!!  Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895

A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Posted at 3:41 PM, Jan. 27, 2008

I could not let this day pass without adding my own tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  It would not be right to forget the man and his efforts for the Human Race as a whole. There are so many that contributed to the civil rights movement that go unmentioned, but it was and is appreciated. I felt it necessary to share a beautiful I Have A Dream video with you.

Smiley Died Rocks Downtown Fort Smith Arkansas

Posted at 3:34 PM, Jan. 27, 2008

There are times to work and there are times to relax.  I had the great opportunity to relax last night and enjoy an Awesome performance by Smiley Died!!  I'm not a music critic, but I do know good music and good entertainment when I see it. 

Smiley Died performed last night at Old Town, which is located in the historic downtown of Ft. Smith, Arkansas.  It's great to see local entertainment return to the area and give us their best!!  With the lead vocals being kicked off by my man Matt Burris, Jim McCoy banging the drums and vocals, and Jay Jenkins picking the guitar and added vocals; they blew the roof off of Old Town last night.  Their new CD has just been released and if you have the opportunity to see these guys live; go do it and tell them that they come highly recommended by "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  Take a look at their website to see if they are playing near you!!!

Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895

New Wal-Mart Supercenter & City Officials Expect Additional Growth to Follow

Posted at 3:26 PM, Jan. 27, 2008

January 16, 2008 Wal-Mart opened a new Wal-Mart Supercenter at 2100 N. 62nd Street in Ft. Smith by Kelley Hwy.  This Supercenter replaces the Wal-Mart that was located on Midland Blvd. and was open for 25 years.  The new relocation added approximately 137,032 square feet to the store and several new additional services and products.  The new store also brought an additional 255 New Jobs to the area. 

"Wal-Mart brings in a significant amount of traffic and customers, and they are all captured in that location, so everyone wants to get a piece of that action." Fort Smith Planning spokesman Wally Bailey said.  McDonald's has already committed to additions in the area.  It's a very convenient location and the city has started work on the expansion of the Kelley Hwy bridge.  Please expect some traffic delays and congestion's. 

With the opening Wal-Mart also made $25,000 in donations to Local Charitable Organizations!!!

Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895

Whatever happened to "Thank You"? A Daily Best Practice.

Posted at 8:44 AM, Jan. 16, 2008

As children we are all taught a few simple principles:  Don't talk to strangers, If you can't say nothing good; don't say anything at all, Please, and Thank You.  Of course, we are taught much more, but these are some of the basic things that impact us and our business on a daily basis.

You ever go to the store or restaurant and purchase something and the cashier not greet you, and then when receiving your receipt or change they say, "Here ya go!" "There ya go!", and some even say nothing and wait for you to say Thank You.  What is up with that?

Thank you should be a part of our daily best practices!  Life is busy in general and too often we forget about the little things that could in fact brighten someones day.  For those of you like myself with a religious focal point we give thanks on a consistent basis to the Lord above.  We should, as professionals, thank our counterparts, assistants, brokers, agents, office staff, and clients daily. 

I've called clients and at the end of the conversation I say, "Thank you for the call".  One said to me, "Ray you called me and I should be thanking you."  Well, my reply was, "If it wasn't for YOU.  I wouldn't be in business!  So thank you for your business!"

Thank you is such a powerful phrase that some of us miss.  Try sending out Thank You cards and letters and see the response you receive.  Try ending every phone conversation with a simple Thank You.  Try telling that person thank you for opening the door.  You will begin to see more and more people appreciate you even more.  Those two words can go so far.  Implement, the power of "Thank You" into your best practices today!!!

I will end on this short note.  THANK YOU for reading this post!!!

Looking for Real Estate in the Ft. Smith, AR and River Valley Area.  Remember, "To Buy or Sell'um, Call Ray Nellum!"  479-414-1895