Using Pinterest to plan our new swimming pool deck

While we were removing the existing pool, I created a Pin Board in Pinterest so that Kay and I could share ideas about the deck designs we liked. During this time, everything was fair game. We would see a particular deck or even a particular feature and we would send it to our shared Pinboard. Kay and I created a shared Pinterest board with swimming pool deck ideas that we liked. This went on for several weeks and we would talk about what we liked and didn't like over our morning coffee. Pinterest was a great way to curate ideas and narrow down our design plans. We tagged deck … Continue reading...

Time to replace our old swimming pool and deck

Kay and I have lived in our current home for over 25 years. Right after we moved in, we installed an above-ground swimming pool and hired a contractor to build a deck around the pool. Fast forward two decades and it was time to replace our pool. We thought about an in-ground pool but decided the cost was prohibitive and we had been really pleased with the longevity and usefulness of our previous pool, so we decided to simply replace our existing pool with one just like it - a 28' round Doughboy pool from Leisure Time Pools and Spa's in OKC. Our prior Doughboy pool gave us a solid 20 years … Continue reading...

Looking for home renovation financing?

As the COVID pandemic drags on, more people are staying put in their home and choosing to renovate rather than upgrade to a bigger or updated home. Paying for renovations to your existing home, especially for homeowners without substantial equity in their home, is a challenge. The traditional method to finance renovations is to use a home equity line of credit. However, this requires a substantial amount of equity in your home to qualify for a loan. For example, if you owe $300,000 on a $400,000 home, traditional lenders will typically loan up to 80% of the equity of the home, meaning the … Continue reading...

Tips for keeping your lawn mower ready for spring mowing season

Kay and I live on 2.5 acres in north central Edmond. We love the large yard but that means mowing is VERY important to keeping our home and yard looking nice. When we first moved in I purchased a 61” Snapper commercial zero-turn mower and have used it every year in the 24 years we lived here. I have had to do a few minor repairs over the years such as replace a seat, replace a fuel pump, and sharpen blades, but for the most part it has been a very reliable, powerful mower that allows me to mow our yard in about an hour each week. Each year I pull my mower into my shop and use a grinder to … Continue reading...

Five common mistakes buyers make when searching for a home

Purchasing a home is typically the most expensive investment most people make. It is a big decision fraught with legal paperwork. A poor home choice can cost you big time - a house with hidden problems, paying more than you need to, problems with resale value later. Below are 5 common mistakes inexperienced home buyers make when choosing a real estate agent to help them with their home purchase: Below are 5 common mistakes home buyers make when searching for a new home. 1. Contact a friend or family member who you “heard” was an agent. This can be a hit or miss proposition. There … Continue reading...

Do Smart Thermostats really save you money?

Many new homes are being installed with smart thermostats - ones that connect to your in-home WIFI network, work with your smartphone, and learn your habits to better adjust your thermostat settings and supposedly save you money. And they CAN save you money in many - but not all - instances. Smart internet-connected thermostats are certainly cool and convenient, but will the energy savings at your home pay for the cost of these new thermostats? Like many tech questions, the answer is "it depends." If you are retrofitting your existing home with a smart thermostat, you will want to look … Continue reading...

Oklahoma-based lender Gateway Mortgage offers home buyer assistance programs

I talk to people all the time who think they may not be in a position to buy because their credit has a few dings or they have not been able to save up money for a down payment or closing costs. But at a recent meeting at our Edmond office, I learned that one lender in particular offers a wide array of home buyer assistance programs specifically tailored to Oklahoma homeowners. Brett Baldwin presented updated information about Gateway Mortgage’s many home buyer down payment and closing cost assistance programs at a recent RE/MAX Platinum office meeting. Many mortgage companies have some type … Continue reading...

Hosting Bicycle Riders from South Korea

James and I hosted two young men - Min Ho Park Jaewon Heo -  from South Korea who were riding bicycles this summer from Los Angeles to New York. They contacted us through Warmshowers.org, where we offer a room for bicycle riders to stay as they travel across America. They are following Route 66 from Amarillo to Edmond, then turning north to Stillwater and then Kansas City, before turning back east towards St. Louis. We had a chance to visit with them about their travels and below are a few tidbits of information we discovered: They both served in the Korean military. Every male serves two … Continue reading...

Edmond Spring Creek Trail now open

Edmond's newest bicycling and jogging trail is now open. Spring Creek Trail is a 3.1 mile paved trail that goes from I-35 to Spring Creek Campground on Lake Arcadia and 15th Street. It is free to the public and great for bicycling, strollers, jogging or just walking and bird watching. It is part of a bigger trail system and will eventually be connected to over 20 miles of trails around Arcadia Lake and into east Edmond. In addition, bicyclists and trail runners can use the Arcadia Lake Multi-Use trail. This is a dirt trail that goes from the Arcadia Lake Park Office near the dam, west towards … Continue reading...

Freddie Mac no longer offering low down payment loans

According to a story on NewsOK, home loan investor Freddie Mac recently announced they are no purchasing mortgages that require extremely low down payments. In the past, lenders could offer loan with zero or one percent down payments, and then "gift" the remaining down payment to the buyer. This "gift" was actually not a gift at all - the lender would charge a higher interest rate to the buyer, inflating the cost of the loan to cover this "gift" and then some. Freddie Mac was worried that this led buyers to pay higher rates without understanding actually what they were getting or paying for. … Continue reading...