Real Estate Information Archive

With the hot days of summer still in full swing in Omaha, many people retreat to the nearest pool to relax and cool off a bit. And while this luxury isn’t a reality for all, those who can’t get to the pool rely on staying indoors and cranking up the AC in hopes to find some relief and comfort from the heat. The only issue with turning up your AC are the massive energy bills that come your way each month during the summertime. And in case you didn’t know, about twelve percent of your home energy costs is attributed to your air conditioning (according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration). And while these costs can be significant, you don’t have to give up your AC just yet in order to save money! Below we have a few tips and tricks on how you can save on home energy costs this summer.

The first way you can save on home energy costs is to lessen the amount of direct sunlight that comes into your home. The more direct sunlight that comes into your house, the hotter your home will be. This means that your AC is forced to stay on and work to keep your home cooled, thus increasing your energy bills. The easiest way to keep direct sunlight out of your home is to cover the windows in your home by using things such as curtains, drapes and/or Venetian blinds. And if you want to go a mile further, you can plan trees and shrubs outside your home to block the sunlight from getting into your home through windows.

Another trick is to keep your ceiling fans on to circulate the air in the rooms. This simple hack has the potential to lower your summer air conditioning costs by 15-25 percent! And on days that are a little cooler, you may be able to turn your AC off completely, giving both your unit and wallet a break. Lastly, you want to make sure to keep your air filters clean as to not restrict the airflow to your air conditioning unit. Cleaning or replacing your air filters regularly (about every 90 days is the general rule of thumb) will allow your unit to work less and help to keep your energy costs low. And that is what we call a win-win!

What are your plans for the upcoming weekend? Are you looking for something fun to do outside the house with family and friends? Well, with sunshine and warm weather in the forecast for the coming days, it is the perfect time to enjoy all the activities and events our beautiful city has to offer. And as you may have guessed, we have listed a few below for you to check out! There is an outdoor concert series, a comedy show, live jazz music, a balloon and wine festival, a sightseeing cruise and much more right at your fingertips. We hope you enjoy! 

What: Rockbrook Village Friday Night Concert Series 
When: August 10th 
Where: Rockbrook Village Shopping Center | 2800 S. 110th Ct. Omaha, NE 

What: Bridge Beats Summer Concert Series
When: August 10th
Where: 705 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE

What: Billy McGuigan’s Rock Twist 
When: August 10th & 11th 
Where: Omaha Community Playhouse | 6915 Cass Street Omaha, NE

What: Comedy in Omaha at The Backline
When: August 10th & 11th
Where: The Backline Comedy Theatre | 1618 Harney St. Omaha, NE

What: Lewis and Clark Ranger Programs
When: August 10th – 12th 
Where: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Visitor Center 

What: Live Jazz
When: August 10th & 11th 
Where: Marks Bistro | 4916 Underwood Ave. Omaha, NE

What: Nebraska Balloon & Wine Festival
When: August 10th & 11th
Where: Leo Royal Park Omaha, NE

What: Sheila Pepe: Hot Mess Formalism

When: August 10th & 11th
Where: Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts | 724 S. 12th St. Omaha, NE

What: High Vibe Yoga Festival
When: August 11th
Where: 6706 Frances Omaha, NE

What: Treasures of British Art 1400-2000: The Berger Collection
When: August 10th & 11th

Where: Joslyn Art Museum | 2200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE

What: The Caterpillar’s Footprint
When: August 11th & 12th
Where: 1258 S. 13th Street Omaha, NE

What: Art Ride Omaha
When: August 11th
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Canoe the Great Marsh
When: August 10th – 12th 
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods | 1111 N. Bellevue Blvd.

What: Constellation Walk and Viewing
When: August 11th
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods | 14323 Edith Marie Ave. Omaha, NE

What: Forest Therapy Walk
When: August 11th- 12th
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods | 14323 Edith Marie Ave. Omaha, NE

What: Dance Chance Omaha Dancing Event
When: August 11th
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S. 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Nebraska Balloon & Wine Festival
When: August 10th & 11th

Where: Leo Royal Park Omaha, NE

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

What: Public Sightseeing Cruise
When: August 11th & 12th
Where: River City Star Riverboat | 151 Freedom Park Rd. 

What: Sweet Treats Bus Tour
When: August 11th & 12th
Where: Omaha Culinary Tours | Various Locations 

Is it time for a little face lift for the outside of your home? Are things starting to look a little worn down and dated? If so, today’s blog post is for you! We understand that the maintenance on the outside of your house can sometimes get pushed to the back burner, especially since you may only notice it in passing when coming/leaving. But with a few quick exterior updates, you can give your home a little curb appeal and have it back in tip-top shape in no time.

Dressing up the front door is a great place to start! If your front door is looking a little outdated, splashing a fresh coat of paint on it and adding a decorative wreath will do wonders. You can also incorporate some additional touches such as a welcome mat or festive doorbell cover. Next, if you think that people do not take notice of your mailbox you may want to think again. Sprucing up your mailbox with a fresh coat of paint and/or personalizing it with your last name is a fun and easy way to add a little life to the front of your house.

Another way to bring some flair to the exterior of your home is to add some window boxes underneath the windows in the front of your house. You can purchase a variety of colors and styles of window boxes, as well as plant vibrant flowers such as daises, petunias and marigolds within them. This is a wonderful way to incorporate natural beauty and color to the front of your home without breaking the bank. You also want to be sure to clean out the gutters on your house to make sure that excess water is able to flow away from your home. Spraying them down with a power washer will help to restore the gutters to their original color and make them look new again!

What are your plans for the first weekend of August? If you don’t have an arts festival, dinner cruise, summer concert, taco festival or yoga in the park on the agenda then good thing you found today’s blog! Below we listed some of the top events happening around the city this weekend. So grab your family and friends and bring in the first weekend of August the right way!

What: Chill: Family Night at the Museum
When: August 3rd
Where: Union Pacific Railroad Museum 

What: Dylan Scott Postgame Concert at Werner Park
When: August 3rd
Where: Storm Chasers | 12356 Ballpark Way

What: New American Arts Festival
When: August 3rd
Where: Military Ave and Maple St. Omaha, NE

What: River City Star Friday Evening Public Dinner Cruise
When: August 3rd 
Where: River City Star Riverboat | 151 Freedom Park Rd. Omaha, NE

What: Return of the Rat Pack

When: August 3rd
Where: il Palazzo | 5110 N. 132nd St. Omaha, NE

What: Rockbrook Village Friday Night Concert Series
When: August 3rd
Where: Rockbrook Village Shopping Center | 2800 S. 110th Ct. Omaha, NE

What: Billy McGuigan’s Rock Twist 
When: August 3rd & 4th
Where: Omaha Community Playhouse | 6915 Cass Street Omaha, NE

What: Bridge Beats Summer Concert Series
When: August 3rd
Where: 705 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE

What: First Friday Old Market
When: August 3rd
Where: Old Market | Harney to Jackson Sts. And 10th to 13th Sts. Omaha, NE

What: Sincerely, Mark Teague
When: August 3rd & 4th
Where: Joslyn Art Museum | 2200 Dodge Street Omaha, NE

What: Beer and Bacon Festival
When: August 4th

Where: The Old Mattress Factory Bar and Grill | 501 S 13th St. Omaha, NE

What: Daddy-Daughter Princess Night/Hawk Nelson Concert 
When: August 4th
Where: Storm Chasers | 12356 Ballpark Way

What: In the Market for Blues Festival
When: August 4th
Where: Old Market Omaha, NE

What: Healthy Family Field Day
When: August 4th
Where: 14000 Boys Town Hospital Rd.

What: Owl Bicycle Ride
When: August 4th
Where: 8th and Douglas Omaha, NE

What: River’s Edge Taco Fest
When: August 4th
Where: 4250 River’s Edge Parkway

What: Chalk Workshop
When: August 4th & 5th
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Public Sightseeing Cruise
When: August 4th & 5th
Where: River City Star Riverboat | 151 Freedom Park Rd. Omaha, NE

What: Bridal Expo
When: August 5th
Where: 11730 Peel Circle

What: Yoga in the Forest
When: August 5th
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods | 1111 N Bellevue Blvd. 

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