Real Estate Information

With summer quickly approaching and the days getting longer, you will probably be finding yourself spending more and more time outdoors soaking in all the fun and joy of this time of year.  We are sure there will be endless barbeques, s’more roasting and swimming in backyards around Omaha. But why let the fun stop when the sun goes down? Below are some fun and creative backyard lighting ideas to keep your summer night parties going (and lit) all night long.

Our first recommendation may just light a fire under you (literally!). A fire pit is a great addition to your backyard for not only light when the sun goes down, but is also a great gathering place for family and friends. Oh yeah, and it is also not too bad for roasting marshmallows! This solution does not require an electric outlet, and can prove to be a great centerpiece for your backyard. Our next idea is not just for Halloween time! Yes, we are talking about lanterns. They are a great way to light your outdoor area while not taking up too much space, and are pretty simple to set up – which is always a perk.

If you are looking to transform your backyard into a magical wonderland, string lighting may be your best bet! Not just used for the holidays, string lighting is a decorative and inexpensive way to light your backyard all year long. And the best part? Most string lighting will blend in with the trees and rest of your backyard during the day so it is not too big of an eye sore. Our next recommendation has been gaining popularity with homeowners over the last years and can actually be used both indoors and outdoors. LED lighting can light your way by being installed pointed up within a garden bed to reflect light off the walls and create a soothing and illuminated backyard.

With Memorial Day weekend nearing, many people are preparing to unwind and enjoy time with family and friends barbequing, swimming and relaxing. And while some may opt to stay home and relax, there are also many exciting and fun events happening around town (listed below) for those looking for a little adventure. Whatever you end up doing during this long holiday weekend, we hope it is filled with laughter, fun and lasting memories! 

What: Family Fishing Night in Papillion
When: Thursday, May 24th (6-8pm)
Where: Halleck Lake
*Free

What: Loessfest in Council Bluffs 
When: May 25th 
Where: River’s Edge Park

What: Starlight Movie Series 
When: May 25th 
Where: Sumtur Amphitheater
*Free 

What: 2018 Big Ten Baseball Tournament 
When: May 24th – 27th 
Where: TD Ameritrade Park Omaha | 1200 Mike Fahey St. Omaha, NE

What: Saturdays @ Stinson Concert Series
When: May 26th 
Where: Aksarben Village | 67th and Center Sts. Omaha, NE

What: Summer Reading Program Kick Off Parties
When: May 25th – 26th 
Where: Omaha Public Libraries 
*Free

What: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of the Sewer
When: May 26th 
Where: Omaha Children’s Museum | 500 S. 20th St. Omaha, NE  

What: 2018 Memorial Day Observance Program
When: May 28th 
Where: Forest Lawn Cemetery | 7909 Mormon Bridge Rd. Omaha, NE

What: Salute to Summer Festival 
When: May 24th – 27th
Where: La Vista

What: Take Aim at Summer
When: May 25th (4-8pm)
Where: Platte River State Park
*Free

What: Helicopter Day
When: May 26th (10am – 2pm)
Where: SAC Aerospace Museum 

There are also many waterparks, spray grounds and pools around Omaha that are opening this weekend for some fun in the sun for all ages! 

With summer right around the corner, you may be finding yourself starting the search for summer camps in the Omaha area for your children to attend. And we get it, the thought of your kiddos being home all day looking for you to entertain them can be quite overwhelming. But not to worry, we have you covered on that front! We have listed below some summer camps to check out to keep your children having fun all day long. Everything from academic and art camps, to sports camps, specialty camps and endless outdoor fun. There is something for every age and interest. Let the summer fun begin! 

Lauritzen Gardens Summer Adventure Camps | 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE
*For campers 4-12 years old 

Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Summer Camps | 3701 S. 10th Street, Omaha, NE

Smitty’s Performing Arts Center Summer Program 2018 “Explore” | 2410 S. 140th Circle, Omaha

Midland University Young Americans Summer Camp 2018 | 900 N Clarkson Fremont, NE

The Rose Theatre | 2001 Farnam Street, Omaha
*For campers 4-18 years old 

Summer Camps at the SAC Aerospace Museum | 2810 West Park Highway, Ashland, NE
*For campers in grades 1-6

Disney Dance Camp | 14505 California Street, Omaha, NE

Camp Shakespeare | 6001 Dodge St. Omaha, NE

Happy Feet Summer Camps | 4304 Ridgeway Rd. Omaha, NE

School of Hoops Summer Camp | 9855 South 140th St. Omaha, NE

Highland Stables Summer Camp | 23203 Dutch Hall Rd. Bennington, NE

Nike Golf Camp | 501 Eagle Hills Dr., Omaha, NE

College For Kids | 10407 State Street Omaha, NE

Camp Kindness | 8929 Fort St., Omaha, NE

Kidz Cook Summer Camps | 9207 Cady Ave., Omaha, NE

Camp Summergold | 1014 Boswell Ave., Crete, NE

Camp Invention | Multiple Locations 
*For campers in grades K-6

YMCA of Greater Omaha Summer Camps | Multiple Locations 

Omaha is filled with action packed fun this coming weekend! With many indoor and outdoor activities, there is fun for the whole family to enjoy. We have listed a few of these events below – we hope you enjoy! 

What: Omaha Food Truck Rodeo 
When: May 18th 
Where: 6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE

What: Shania Twain: NOW Tour
When: May 18th
Where: CenturyLink Center Omaha | 455 N 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Comedy in Omaha at The Backline
When: May 18th and 19th 
Where: The Backline Comedy Theatre | 1618 Harney St. Omaha, NE

What: Karaoke Friday Nights 
When: May 18th 
Where: 510 N 33rd Omaha, NE

What: The City in The City in The City
When: May 18th and 19th
Where: Blue Barn Theatre | 1106 S 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Wicked
When: May 18th and 19th
Where: Orpheum Theatre | 409 S 16th St. Omaha, NE

What: Mud Day in Partnership with Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquairum 
When: May 19th
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods | 1111 Bellevue Blvs. N.

What: Art Ride Omaha
When: May 19th 
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S. 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Omaha Farmers Market: Old Market
When: May 19th 
Where: Omaha Farmer’s Market | 11th and Jackson 

What: Saturdays @ Stinson Concert Series 
When: May 19th 
Where: Aksarben Village | 67th and Center Sts. Omaha, NE

What: Sweet Treats Bus Tour 
When: May 19th 
Where: Omaha Culinary Tours 

What: Yoga in the Aquairum
When: May 19th and 20th 
Where: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquairum | 3701 S 10th St. Omaha, NE

What: Midtown Crossing Annual Car Show
When: May 20th
Where: 3110 Farnam Street Omaha, NE 

What: Family Sundays at The Forest: Resident Reptiles
When: May 20th 
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods | 1111 Bellevue Blvd.

The warmer weather seems to have officially moved in and that means it is time to ditch the indoor projects and get outside! There are so many wonderful parks and playgrounds around Omaha that are perfect to let the kids burn off some energy and take in the natural beauty our wonderful state has to offer. Below we have listed the top playgrounds around Omaha that are sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face and leave your kids begging to go back. Enjoy the warm weather and fun time of year in the city! 

Stone Ridge Playground | N 163rd St. Omaha, NE 

Pacific Meadows Playground | W Papio Trl. Omaha, NE

Pepperwood Park | 152011 Hamilton St. Omaha, NE

Orchard Park | Cole Creek Park St. Omaha, NE

Maple Village Park | 3865 Parkview Dr. Omaha, NE

Towl Park | 9310 W Center Road. Omaha, NE

Roberts Park | 730 N 78th St. Omaha, NE

Zorinsky Lake Park | 3808 S 156th St. Omaha, NE

Seymour Smith Park | 6802 Harrison St.

Memorial Park | 5700 Dodge Street. Omaha, NE

Stinson Park | 2285 S 67th St. Omaha, NE

Elmwood Park | 802 S. 60th Street. Omaha, NE

Plum Creek Park | Gretna, NE

With Friday quickly approaching, that means the weekend fun is right around the corner! There are so many activities and things to do around the Omaha area, and we have listed a few below that we know will fun and adventures for all ages. So grab your family and friends and head out of the house to explore all Omaha has to offer during this wonderful time of year! 

What: Free National Public Gardens Day
When: May 11th 
Where: Lauritzen Gardens | 100 Bancroft St.

What: Spring into Summer!
When: May 11th 
Where: 7002 Military Ave. Omaha, NE

What: ‘Widespread Flowering” Art Exhibit by Ann Brugenhemke
When: May 9th – June 4th 
Where: Lauritzen Gardens | 100 Bancroft St. 

What: Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers Exhibit 
When: May 10th – June 30th 
Where: Great Plains Black History Museum 

What: Omaha Symphony Presents: The Planets
When: May 11th & May 12th 
Where: Holland Performing Arts Center | 1200 Douglas Street

What: Sip Nebraska Wine Festival
When: May 11th & 12th 
Where: 28500 W Park Hwy

What: Harry Potter Family Night
When: May 12th 
Where: Omaha Children’s Museum 

What: Spring Night Hike at the Wetlands
When: May 12th 
Where: Fontenelle Forest/Neale Woods
 
What: Art Ride Omaha
When: May 12th – October 20th 
Where: Bancroft Street Market | 2702 S 10th St. Omaha

What: Omaha Farmers Market: Old Market
When: May 12th – October 13th 
Where: Omaha Farmer’s Market | 11th & Jackson Old Market Omaha

With Spring in full bloom, many homeowners around Omaha are getting inspired and feeling an urge to head outdoors to begin gardening or tend to their already blossoming gardens. And while walking into your local flower or gardening shop can make you want to purchase everything in sight, today’s blog post will help to hone in those impulses and resist the urge to max out your credit card on containers, gadgets and plants. We have a few tips and tricks below to help your gardens bloom without breaking the bank. Enjoy!

The first thing you will want to do is make a list. You know how you are always told not to go grocery shopping when you are hungry because you will buy everything in every isle? The same goes with gardening shops. If you go in knowing exactly what you need you are less likely to buy everything that looks pretty or you THINK you need. Make a plan, write it down then head out. Trust us, this will save you a lot of time, frustration and cash. Our next tip is especially helpful if you have a lot of ground to cover in your garden. Rather than spending all your money on plants to fill the space, try incorporating things such as lilyturf, ferns and woodland phlox into your garden. Not only will weeds be less likely to flourish with these types of plants, but you will be saving money while covering more ground. And that is a win-win in gardening!

Lastly, if you want to spruce up your garden area try decorating terra cotta pots. Now we understand that traditional terra cotta pots are not exactly eye sores on their own, but these inexpensive gardening staples are the ideal blank canvas and the perfect opportunity for you to incorporate some serious design and color. They are also a great art project for the kids if you are not too picky about the artistic talent that goes into the design. Either way, splashing some color and art on terra cotta pots are a great and inexpensive way to spruce up and bring some life to an otherwise bland décor piece.

The weekend is almost here! And that means events, adventures, parades and endless fun waiting for you and your family. Below we have listed a few events happening throughout Omaha that are sure to be fun for the whole group – enjoy! 

What: Troops and Trains: Family Night
When: Friday, May 4th from 5-7pm
Where: Union Pacific Museum 

What: Union Pacific Railroad Museum’s Family Nights
When: Friday, May 4th from 5 – 7pm
Where: The Union Pacific Railroad Museum | 200 Pearl St.

What: Cinco de Mayo Parade 
When: Saturday, May 5th
Where: 24th Street (D to L)

What: Star Wars Family Storytime
When: Saturday, May 5th from 10:30-11:30am
Where: Benson Branch Library 

What: Star Wars Movie Time & Lightsaber Making
When: Saturday, May 5th from 1-2:30pm
Where: A.V. Sorensen Branch Library 

What: Cindo de Mayo at the Zoo
When: May 5th and 6th from 9am – 5pm
Where: Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium 

What: One Sky, One World Kite Festival
When: Sunday, May 6th 
Where: La Vista Soccer Complex

What: Kid’s Bicycle Rodeo 
When: Sunday, May 6th
Where: Bike Rack Omaha | 14510 Eagle Run Dr. Omaha, NE

What: Living History
When: May 5th and 6th 
Where: Fort Atkinson State Historical Park 

Who doesn’t love a good DIY project? There is something to be said about taking things into your own hands (literally) and completing home improvement projects so they turn out exactly how you envisioned. However, there are some DIY projects that you will want to put the hammer down for and call in the professionals to avoid costly and risky mistakes. In today’s post, we are going to be talking about three DIY projects that you want to avoid and call in the pros for.  

The first project we urge you to avoid are structural changes. Many people have a hard time deciphering which walls are load-bearing walls, and there can be large (and dangerous) consequences if the proper precautions are not met prior to the construction. Load-bearing walls act as support systems for areas in your home such as your roof, second story and attic and they are an important part of the structure of your home. Bringing in a professional contractor and/or engineer will allow you the peace of mind knowing that the structural integrity of your home is not being compromised because of a home DIY project you wanted to take on.  

The next DIY project to avoid is plumbing. Now while any plumbing mistakes you make are not necessarily life threatening to you and your family, but they can prove to be very timely and costly repairs if you have to bring someone in to fix what you did. Also, plumbing mistakes can leave your home unlivable until the problem is fixed, therefore putting you and your family at friends houses or at a hotel – and let’s face it, what is worse case scenario! Lastly, you want to avoid DIY electrical work. We know that many DIY project mishaps can be frustrating and annoying, but when it comes to electrical work mistakes, it can be downright dangerous for you and your family. If there is improper wiring for example, it can damage electronics in your home, as well as has the potential to cause a fire. It is always a good idea to call in the professionals for any large electrical work that you are thinking of doing to help avoid very costly and dangerous scenarios down the road.

There are so many fun events and adventures happening all throughout Omaha this weekend! Grab your family and friends and head out to explore all the area has to offer. We have listed a few events below that are great for all ages and are sure to keep the smiles and laughter going all weekend. Enjoy!  

What: Hip Hop Dance Tour (Breaking Workshop)
When: April 27th
Where: 1236 Royal Dr. Papillion, NE

What: Shakespeare in Love
When: April 25th till May 6th 
Where: Omaha Community Playhouse

What: Lanoha’s Spring Open House
When: April 28th till April 29th
Where: 19111 West Center Road Omaha, NE

What: Omaha Symphony Presents: Jurassic Park
When: April 28th 
Where: Holland Performing Arts Center 

What: Youth Triathlon
When: April 28th
Where: 10242 Mockingbird Dr. Omaha, NE

What: Nebraska Renaissance Faire & Midlands Pirate Fest
When: April 28th till April 29th
Where: Riverwest Park

What: Nebraska eSports Expo 2018 
When: April 27th till April 29th 
Where: 1000 Galvin Road South Bellevue, NE

What: Sweet Treats Bus Tour
When: April 28th till June 30th 
Where: Omaha Culinary Tours

What: The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner
When: April 28th
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Omaha Downtown 

What: ‘Widespread Flowering’ Art Exhibit by Ann Brugenhemke
When: April 25th till June 4th
Where: Lauritzen Gardens