Oconomowoc School District Links

As a parent I am very proud of our school system in Lake Country. I thought a few web-links would be helpful for those parents who have not found the OASD (Oconomowoc Area School District) site or for those of you who are thinking about moving into our area. Oconomowoc Schools Media presentation is a colorful look at the School District.

OAC Box Office is a great site to save to your favorites on your computer. From this site you can purchase tickets for events at the OAC (Oconomowoc Arts Center). Having attended quite a few of the "non-professional" presentations I honestly don't know why they are called non-professional, because the kids rock. The signing, dancing, choreography, set design are all professional! It is truly amazing to watch.

If your child desires to go beyond spanish as a language and comes home one day and says, "nǐ hǎo" or Good Morning in Mandarin Chinese, they can learn this exotic language right here at the Oconomowoc High School. Scroll down on the page and you will find more information about the International Baccalaureate program or IB for short.

Do you want to know a little more about your child's teacher? Well there is a link for that as well on the staff page . Here you can quickly save the email address for easy contact.

All the athletic information from schedules to opportunites are located on the easy-to-use site. As a parent you are connected to everything your child may want to involve themselves in.

Are you moving into the area and you would like to know what Elementary or Middle School area your new home is located in? The easy to locate district map will provide you with all the information you will need.

Here's hoping this helps!

Buying a Short Sale

In today's ever changing Real Estate market, as a buyer you will undoubtedly come across a "short sale". A short sale is a process that the seller's market value of the house will no longer satisfy the current indebtedness. The banks in some cases will forgive the debt. This process is called a short sale. As a buyer there are a few factors that you should be aware of before putting in an offer on a short sale. Here is a brief list of questions to consider:

1. How many mortgages are on the property? If the seller has more than two mortgages against this property then chances of you obtaining the property in a relatively short period of time are almost nill.
2. Are there any unpaid HOA (Home Owners Association) dues? If there are the listing agent should try and work with the seller to get those paid ASAP.
3. Has the seller sent in ALL of the information that the lender has requested? If the seller has not done this and included their hardship letter then move on to the next house. This is not going anywhere. You can determine much about the sellers cooperation if they have not submitted a complete packet. Partial packets to lenders are deal killers.
4. Find out who the lender or servicer is. Some lenders/servicers are slower than others. Your Realtor should be able to assist you with this.

Just because the property is in the short sale process does not mean you shouldn't think about submitting an offer, but a little extra information before the offer can make the process easier.

Good luck in your search for the perfect home. Feel free to check out my other blog at Lake Country Blog where I regularly comment on life in Lake Country.

You Want to Wait?

This article from the Washington Times on-line paper today states that soon the government will have to end its near total purchase of mortgages that have been generated so far this year. The extension of the first time home buyer credit will stabilize the already shaky real estate market, but only as long as the credit is available. With the eventual withdrawal from the market banks will have to pick up the slack with the mortgages. In a nutshell this means that rates will go up sometime in spring of 2010. Banks are in the business to make money and at 4.78% for a 30 year fixed note, banks generally are not too excited about these low rates. Many experts agree that rates will increase at least one percent to 6%. While this is still historically low, the increase in interest rate has a negative consequence to a buyers purchasing ability. This is what concerns most real estate experts and should most definitely concern soon-to-be home sellers. The old adage that "Spring" is the time to sell is gone in this market. If you are serious about selling NOW is the time to put your home on the market. Waiting could cost you thousands of dollars. If you would like to know more feel free to call me and we can talk, no strings attached, as to why this is the case. You can always reach me toll free at 1-888-HEY GLEN.

The Condos at Pabst Farms

Oconomowoc WI--

Centrally located the condos at Pabst Farms are a perfect addition to the single family homes. Of the 10 units that are constructed only 3 remain for sale. This aerial view shows the proximity to Summit Elementary School (on Valley Road) which is located at the top right of the picture. The homes on the bottom right comprise the western edge of Eastlake Village--a single family development. The condos blend in very well to the neighborhood feel of Pabst Farms. Everyone who attended the open house on Saturday and Sunday were impressed with the quality of construction in the units. Pella windows, tiled showers, Kohler fixtures, granite counters, underground sprinklers are just a few of the "standard" features of these very upscale condominium homes. As a Realtor holding open homes it is always interesting to hear what people think and say off the cuff. The other comment that comprised most of the attendee's was that these condos "don't feel like condos they feel like a home" That is due to the fantastic floor plans that this developement offers. So if you are in the area and want to see some outstanding condo-homes you should stop by on Saturday or Sunday from 1-2:30 or give me a call and I can set up a time for you to see these units at your leisure. You can reach me at 262-567-4349 or the Toll Free number 1-888-HEY GLEN. www.heyglen.com