Real Estate Information Archive

Are you at the point in your life where you are finding yourself thinking ‘less is more?’ If so, downsizing your current home may have crossed your mind a time or two. Maybe all the kids are (finally) out of the house, you find yourself not using all the space in your home, you want less bills each month or just want a smaller space to maintain. Whatever your reason, there are some things to consider before you pull the trigger on downsizing, and we are going to be discussing them below!

The first aspect to think about is your finances. Picture this: you have a large, spacious home in the Midwest and now want a smaller townhouse with an ocean view near the water somewhere. Even though the square feet may be smaller, the Oceanside townhouse may actually end up costing more than your large single-family home due to its location. You may find yourself not getting enough from the sale of your current home to pay for the new townhouse. So just because the space is smaller does not always mean that a smaller price tag will follow.

The next thing to think about is your family size. If you are wanting to downsize because your kids are all living on their own, you may want to stop and think about when they come to visit. Do you want to be able to host everyone and be under one roof for the holidays? It is possible to downsize when it comes to how many square feet your home is while still being able to host guests by finding a home with smaller rooms. Speaking of smaller square footage, if you move into a smaller house, your current furniture may not fit in your new pad. You will want to make arrangements and see what you want/are able to keep and what new items you will need to purchase. Knowing this ahead of time will allow you sufficient time to order furniture and plan out your new dream home prior to moving in.

What are your plans for the last weekend in July? (We can’t believe that August is right around the corner either!) If you are still looking for something fun to do with family and friends, look no further! We have listed below some fun activities happening throughout Omaha this weekend that we are sure you will enjoy. Everything from art exhibits and beer festivals, to farmer’s markets and concerts in the park are waiting for you! 

What: Caffeine Crawl: Route 2 at Hardy Coffee Co.

When: July 27th
Where: 6051 Maple St. Omaha, NE

What: Country Cruisin’ with the Belles
When: July 27th
Where: River City Star Riverboat | 151 Freedom Park Rd. Omaha, NE

What: ‘Taking Root’ Art Exhibit by Kristine Allphin
When: July 27th- 29th 
Where: Lauritzen Gardens | 100 Bancroft St. Omaha, NE

What: Plattsmouth 2018 Beer Fest: Taste of Brews

When: July 27th
Where: Main Street Plattsmouth, NE

What: Bridge Beats Summer Concert Series
When: July 27th
Where: 705 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE

What: Children’s China: Celebrating Culture, Character and Confucius 
When: July 27th – 29th
Where: Omaha Children’s Museum | 500 S 20th St. Omaha, NE

What: Sheila Pepe: Hot Mess Formalism
When: July 27th & 28th
Where: Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts | 724 S 12th St. Omaha, NE

What: Turner Park Night Market Festival

When: July 27th – 29th
Where: Midtown Crossing | 31st – 33rd and Farnam-Dodge Sts. 

What: Ribstock BBQ Festival 
When: July 28th
Where: 5710 S. 144th St. Omaha, NE

What: Art Ride Omaha
When: July 28th
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Bite of East Omaha Bus Tour
When: July 28th & 29th
Where: Omaha Culinary Tours | Various Locations 

What: Chalk Art Festival
When: July 28th & 29th
Where: Farnam Street in Midtown Crossing

What: Canoe the Great Marsh
When: July 27th – 29th 
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods | 1111 N Bellevue Blvd.

What: Live Jazz
When: July 27th & 28th
Where: Marks Bistro | 4916 Underwood Ave. Omaha, NE

What: Omaha Farmers Market: Old Market
When: July 28th
Where: 11th & Jackson Old Market Omaha, NE

What: Public Sightseeing Cruise
When: July 28th
Where: River City Star Riverboat

What: Saturday’s @ Stinson Concert Series
When: July 28th
Where: Aksarben Village | 67th and Center Sts. Omaha, NE

What: Village Pointe Farmers Market
When: July 28th
Where: Village Pointe Shopping Center | 17151 Davenport St. Omaha, NE

There are some that will say it’s just a bathroom, but to you, it’s a luxurious sanctuary that you can escape to. Well, at least that is what you are planning on turning it into! We understand that a bathroom renovation can be a large undertaking, but if it is done right, it can completely transform the room and in turn increase the home’s appeal to future buyers. And while there is a lot that goes into any DIY renovation, bathrooms in particular can quickly become an overbearing and quite expensive project. So to assist, we have listed below a few tips and tricks to help you successfully tackle your bathroom renovation this summer.

The first thing you will want to do is crunch the numbers. It doesn’t matter if it is a large or small expense, you want to ensure that you have everything budgeted out and that you know you can afford to proceed with the project. An average bathroom remodel costs around $10,000, but there are others that cost upwards of $22,000. So knowing exactly what you want to do with the bathroom, how much everything will cost and budgeting accordingly will help to keep everything on track. Next, you want to drum up some design inspiration through magazines or online websites such as Pinterest. Sure, you may not be able to afford the lavish luxury of some of the high end bathrooms you see, but you will be able to get a feel for what style and colors you are looking for. This will help keep you focused and able to make quick and efficient decisions when looking at materials and décor.

Our next tip for you is to have a back-up bathroom ready. This is especially true if your home only has one working bathroom or if you are planning on renovating multiple bathrooms in your home at once. It may not be a bad idea to arrange to use a neighbor’s bathroom for a few days if the need arises. Lastly, which can prove to be difficult for some, you will want to make sure to stick to the plan. This holds true especially for your budget, as it is always easy to go overboard with spending when it comes to home renovations. You may want to add one last minute thing here and there, and before you know it you are completely over budget. So setting a plan and a budget, and sticking to it, will help you have a successful renovation all around.

TGI (almost) F! With the weekend almost upon us, we wanted to take a quick second to bring you all the fun events and activities happening throughout Omaha this weekend! With summer in full swing, there are endless festivities for you, your family and your friends to dive into together. Test those vocal cords with some karaoke, check out some fun on the golf course, gather some fresh local produce at a farmer’s market or zen out with some yoga in the forest. Whatever it is you are looking to do, there is sure to be something for every age, interest and adventure level! 

What: Rockbrook Village Friday Night Concert Series 
When: July 20th 
Where: Rockbrook Village Shopping Center | 2800 S 110th Ct. Omaha, NE

What: Pioneer Craft, Antique and Gun Show 
When: July 20th
Where: 1751 Madison Ave.

What: A Night at the Dreamland Ballroom Exhibit
When: July 20th – 22nd
Where: Great Plains Black History Museum | 2221 N. 24th Street Omaha, NE

What: Bridge Beats Summer Concert Series
When: July 20th
Where: 705 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE

What: Karaoke Friday Nights
When: July 20th
Where: 510 N. 33rd St. Omaha, NE

What: Lewis and Clark Ranger Programs
When: July 20th – 22nd
Where: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Visitor Center | 601 River Dr. Omaha, NE

What: Live Jazz
When: July 20th & 21st
Where: Marks Bistro | 4916 Underwood Ave. Omaha, NE

What: Pinnacle Bank Golf Championship
When: July 20th – 22nd
Where: 3825 N. 202nd St.

What: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of the Sewer 
When: July 20th – 22nd
Where: Omaha Children’s Museum | 500 S. 20th St. Omaha, NE

What: Treasures of British Art 1400-2000: The Berger Collection
When: July 20th & 21st
Where: Joslyn Art Museum | 2200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE

What: RipRoar Youth Triathlon
When: July 21st
Where: 8901 S. 154th St. Omaha, NE

What: A Night at the Dreamland Ballroom Exhibit
When: July 20th – 22nd
Where: Great Plains Black History Museum | 2221 North 24th St. Omaha, NE

What: Art Ride Omaha
When: July 21st
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Omaha Farmers Market: Old Market
When: July 21st
Where: 11th & Jackson Old Market Omaha, NE

What: Urban Surf

When: July 21st
Where: Neighborhood Offshore Boutique & Board Shop

What: Village Pointe Farmers Market
When: July 21st
Where: Village Pointe Shopping Center | 17151 Davenport St. Omaha, NE

What: Highway 66 Concourse Classic
When: July 22nd
Where: Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum | 28210 West Park Hwy.

What: Omaha Farmers Market: Aksarben Village
When: July 22nd
Where: 67th and Center Omaha, NE

What: Yoga in the Forest
When: July 22nd
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods | 1111 N. Bellevue Blvd.

Have you been thinking of revamping your home and find yourself wondering what aspect to focus on? Whether you are remodeling to put your home on the market or just updating areas that are outdated, you always want to think about what you are improving, what you are spending your money on and how that will affect the salability of the home in the future. And while it is thought that kitchens and bathrooms should be prioritized when considering return on investment, what many people don’t realize is that paint color can have a large impact on how buyers see and judge the home. And yes, that is exactly what we are going to be talking about in today’s blog post!

Now you may be asking yourself exactly which paint colors will get you the most bang for your buck and will appeal the most to potential buyers in the future. In Zillow’s 2018 Paint Color Analysis, over 135,000 images of homes that were sold across the country were examined. These images were examined to see how colored walls affected selling price of the home compared to plain white walls, and the results are quite intriguing. It was found that homes in which feature black or charcoal gray doors sell for more than $6,200 than expected. And, as you may imagine, yellow exterior paint ranked on the lower end, and those homes sold for $3,400 less than what was expected. When it comes to living rooms, the color taupe with peach, tan or pink undertones tend to be more appealing and on average the home sells for over $2,700 than expected.

When it comes to kitchens, you want to be especially picky because home buyers see themselves spending a lot of time is that particular part of the house and therefore judge it more closely. It was found that the most popular color combination in kitchens is white cabinets paired with dark navy blue or black islands. Homes that features tuxedo cabinets, which refers to the lower and upper cabinets being a different color, sell at a $1,550 premium. And when it comes to bathrooms, using colors such as periwinkle blue or a light blue paint with a gray-blue tint can increase the home’s selling price by over $2,700. So if you are wanting to upgrade your house and put a little life back into it, putting a fresh coat of paint may be just the trick you need. And if you incorporate the information we talked about above, you have a good chance of not only increasing your home’s appeal to future buyers, but in turn get a higher selling price!

Can you believe we are already almost halfway through July?! While temperatures are still heating up, there are plenty of fun activities and festivities happening all throughout our beautiful city of Omaha this weekend. There are lively concerts, stunning art galleries, delicious farmer’s markets, exciting culinary tours and much more for you and your family to enjoy! 

What: Bridge Beats Summer Concert Series
When: July 13th
Where: 705 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE

What: American Solar Challenge – Display Day
When: July 13th 
Where: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Visitor Center | 601 Riverfront Dr. Omaha, NE

What: JK Thorsen Paintings at Lewis Art Gallery 
When: July 13th & 14th
Where: Lewis Art Gallery | 8600 Cass St. Omaha, NE

What: Prospect Hill Cemetery Guided Historical Walking Tour
When: July 13th
Where: Prospect Hill Cemetery | 3202 Parker St. Omaha, NE

What: Rockbrook Village Friday Night Concert Series
When: July 13th
Where: Rockbrook Village Shopping Center | 2800 S. 110th Ct. Omaha, NE

What: Comedy in Omaha at The Backline
When: July 13th & 14th 
Where: The Backline Comedy Theatre | 1618 Harney St. Omaha, NE

What: Live Jazz
When: July 13th & 14th
Where: Marks Bistro | 4916 Underwood Ave. Omaha, NE

What: Patriotic Perches Exhibit
When: July 13th – 15th
Where: Lauritzen Gardens | 100 Bancroft St. Omaha, NE

What: Treasures of British Art 1400 – 2000: The Berger Collection
When: July 13th & 14th
Where: Joslyn Art Museum | 2200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE

What: Relay for Life of Greater Omaha
When: July 14th
Where: Aksarben Village | 67th and Center Sts. Omaha, NE

What: ‘Another Bloomin’ Exhibit’ by Omaha Artists, Inc.
When: July 13th – 15th
Where: Lauritzen Gardens | 100 Bancroft St. Omaha, NE

What: Art Ride Omaha
When: July 14th
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S. 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Dance Chance Omaha Dancing Event
When: July 14th
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Omaha Farmers Market: Old Market
When: July 14th
Where: 11th & Jackson Old Market Omaha, NE

What: Playing with Fire Concert 
When: July 14th 
Where: 3110 Farnam St. Omaha, NE

What: Sweet Treats Bus Tour
When: July 14th & 15th
Where: Omaha Culinary Tours | Various Locations

What: African Cultural Festival in Omaha 
When: July 15th
Where: 2285 S 67th St. Omaha, NE

What: Write in the Forest with John Lacey
When: July 15th
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods

What: Omaha Farmers Market: Aksarben Village
When: July 15th
Where: 67th and Center Omaha, NE

What: Railroad Days 2018
When: July 14th & 15th
Where: Various Locations

In last Sunday’s blog post we talked about some different questions to ask before you hire on a moving company to assist you and your family on moving day. Staying on that same topic, today we are going to be discussing a few tips and tricks to help make your moving day a little less stressful. Because let’s face it, no matter how organized you are or how many hands you have helping, moving day is bound to be met with a little anxiety, hassle and stress. And with over forty million American’s moving each year (according to the U.S. Census Bureau), we know this blog post can be useful to many people around the county.

Our first tip for you is to declutter the items you don’t need or don’t use by throwing them out or donating them. Moving is a great excuse to purge your home of things you don’t need and will also give you less items to unpack later. Second, group items together that you know you will want to put away in the same space, such as kitchen items or bathroom supplies. This will allow you to stay organized and make the unpacking process seamless. Next, if you are going to be putting items in storage we suggest using a clear tote so they are easy to find in the future and have a lesser chance of being damaged. Nothing is worse than looking for something in storage that is triple wrapped in newspaper and at the bottom of a cardboard box.

We understand the financial stress that can also accompany the moving process, so our next tip is to find friends and/or family members that are willing to help you move to help you save some money if a moving company is not in your budget. This can also be a fun way to spend some quality time with people that are closest to you. Our fifth tip is to use a different colored label for each room’s boxes to help keep you organized and avoid having to shuffle boxes after they are moved into your new home. And lastly, you want to be sure to keep all of your important items with you during the moving process. This includes things such as expensive jewelry, family heirlooms and moving paperwork that you need to access quickly and easily. 

Even though the Forth of July celebrations are behind us, there are still plenty of activities and festivities happening throughout Omaha this coming weekend! Everything from concerts in the park and farmer’s markets, to art galleries, beer festivals, art rides and walking food tours are available for you and your family to enjoy. So keep the party going and get out to enjoy all that this beautiful city has to offer! 

What: Celebrate Summer! Family Night at the Museum
When: July 6th
Where: Union Pacific Railroad Museum | 200 Pearl St.

What: Rockbrook Village Friday Night Concert Series 
When: July 6th 
Where: Rockbrook Village Shopping Center | 2800 S 110th St. Omaha, NE

What: First Friday Old Market 
When: July 6th
Where: Old Market | Harney to Jackson Sts. And 10th to 13th Sts. Omaha, NE

What: JK Thorsen Paintings at Lewis Art Gallery 
When: July 6th and 7th
Where: Lewis Art Gallery | 8600 Cass St. Omaha, NE

What: A Night at the Dreamland Ballroom Exhibit 
When: July 6th – 8th
Where: Great Plains Black History Museum | 2221 S. 24th St. Omaha, NE

What: Bridge Beats Summer Concert Series
When: July 6th
Where: 705 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE

What: Arlene Shechet: More Than I Know 
When: July 6th & 8th 
Where: Joslyn Art Museum | 2200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE

What: Lewis and Clark Ranger Programs
When: July 6th – 8th
Where: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Visitor Center | 601 Riverfront Dr.

What: Karaoke Friday Nights 
When: July 6th
Where: 510 N. 33rd St. Omaha, NE

What: Omaha Beer Fest
When: July 6th & 7th
Where: Horsemen’s Park | 6303 Q Street Omaha, NE

What: RiverFest Celebration with Fireworks
When: July 6th & 7th 
Where: Haworth Park Bellevue, NE

What: Shakespeare on the Green: King John
When: July 6th – 8th
Where: Nebraska Shakespeare | Elmwood Park 60th & Dodge Sts.

What: Chalk Workshop
When: July 7th
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S. 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Art Ride Omaha
When: July 7th
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S. 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Old Market District Walking Food Tour
When: July 7th & 8th
Where: Omaha Culinary Tours | Various Locations

What: Village Pointe Farmers Market

When: July 7th
Where: Village Pointe Shopping Center | 17151 Davenport St. Omaha, NE

What: Yoga in the Forest
When: July 8th
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods | 1111 N Bellevue Blvd.

We understand how exciting it can be once your house sells and the closing documents on your new one are signed, sealed and delivered. We also understand how the excitement of moving, paired with the closing of one chapter and the beginning of the next, can easily be overshadowed by the stress, anxiety and annoyance that comes with moving day. And for these reasons, many homeowners choose to hire on a moving company so they can do all the heavy lifting for them, and it also allows the homeowner to keep a closer eye on the organization and schedule of the day. And since these companies literally do this all the time, movers are typically faster, more efficient and usually stronger than the average person, which is why what would normally take you and your family a span of several days to move, they can do within one day’s time. Is it worth the money? We absolutely think so!

But while hiring on movers can make your life a whole lot easier, you also want to make sure that your personal belongings are in good hands and therefore you do not just want to hire any company. A mediocre moving company runs a higher risk of breaking irreplaceable heirlooms, scratching furniture or damaging your delicate items. With that being said, the rest of this blog is dedicated to a few important questions to ask any moving company you are thinking of hiring. The first question you should ask is if the company has any references or a link to reviews of their business. This really applies to anyone you are looking to hire, as you want to make sure they are not only a legit company, but also that they are trustworthy and people have had good experiences with them.

Next, and one of the most important questions, you will want to ask if they will draw up an inventory of the items in your home that you are moving. It is important to understand that while moving ca be expensive, it is also one of the easiest ways to loose something because there are so many moving parts. You want a company that will create an organized and detailed list of the items from your home to ensure that they will arrive to your new home and that nothing is lost or left behind in the process. You will also want to ask if the company will do an in-home estimate so you can understand the breakdown of what the job will cost you, and you will want to make sure to get it in writing. This is a great way to compare the pricing of different companies to not only get the best deal, but to also ensure that it is in line with your budget.

Along those same lines, you will want to ask the moving company what specific services they offer. Prior to calling any company, make sure that you take inventory of exactly what you are needing and wanting the company to move so they can provide you with exact answers. Some companies will only come in to pack and lift smaller items and will not move larger items such as air hockey tables or a grand piano. So making sure that the company can provide all the services you are looking for prior to moving day is key. Lastly, it is very important to ask the company what happens if something is damaged in the moving process. Let’s face it, we are all human. Mistakes happen. Understanding what the company’s policy is for broken or damaged items, as well as if they offer optional coverage packages, is very important to understand prior to anyone touching your personal belongings.