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What is your 'Walk Score'?

In our neverending quest to be the information destination for real estate in Omaha, now each and every listing on the CBSHome.com website has a tab to calculate a property’s ‘Walk Score’. What is a ‘Walk Score’? You ask? Well, read on…

Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle—not how pretty the area is for walking.

Picture a walkable neighborhood. You lose weight each time you walk to the grocery store. You stumble home from last call without waiting for a cab. You spend less money on your car—or you don’t own a car. When you shop, you support your local economy. You talk to your neighbors.

What makes a neighborhood walkable?

· A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a discernable center, whether it’s a shopping district, a main street, or a public space.
· Density: The neighborhood is compact enough for local businesses to flourish and for public transportation to run frequently.
· Mixed income, mixed use: Housing is provided for everyone who works in the neighborhood: young and old, singles and families, rich and poor. Businesses and residences are located near each other.
· Parks and public space: There are plenty of public places to gather and play.
· Pedestrian-centric design: Buildings are placed close to the street to cater to foot traffic, with parking lots relegated to the back.
· Nearby schools and workplaces: Schools and workplaces are close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.

Want to know your walk score? Just go to www.WalkScore.com and type in any address in the U.S.

OK, I’ve typed in my address and gotten my ‘Walk Score’. What does my score mean?

Your Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100. Here are general guidelines for interpreting your score:
· 90–100 = Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
· 70–89 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.
· 50–69 = Somewhat Walkable: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
· 25–49 = Car-Dependent: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
· 0–24 = Car-Dependent (Driving Only): Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

There you have it! Everything you ever wanted to know about Walk Scores!

Bill Swanson is an agent with over 20 years experience at CBSHome Real Estate, an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway, in Omaha, Nebraska. For any and all of your real estate needs, email Bill at Bill.Swanson@cbshome.com or visit www.BillSwanson.com today.

On the news Sunday night they were interviewing a man who lives downtown in a tent.  He was really proud of his tent and its aero dynamic features, but I couldn’t help worry that aero dynamic or not a low temperature of below zero that night would be cold.  Waking the next morning, I was still thinking about the man braving the cold tempratures and then saw a news report about the Siena Francis House being short on coats, boots, hats and gloves, etc.  I went through my closets and drawers and didn’t come up with nearly enough, so I knew where to go.  Knowing that I work with the most generous and compassionate people, I sent out an email asking for donations for the very next day.  As usual, they stepped up to the plate and together we stuffed to capacity the back of an SUV. 

While delivering the items we received great thanks from the people working there, but what touched us the most were the smiles and even waves of thanks from the men and women who had just walked up the street to pick up a sandwich from the table placed outside. 

I got home that night feeling grateful to have the opportunity to work with such caring people and that together we could hopefully keep a few more people warm this winter.  The Siena Francis House wanted me to thank everyone at CBSHOME Real Estate.  THANK YOU!!

Find out how to help here…

Omaha Wooded Retreat on TODAY Show!

If you watched the TODAY show last Friday morning you may have been surprised to see a home here in Omaha was chosen as one of just a handful of properties shown on the recurring segment by Barbara Corcoran, “What Can You Buy for Under $500k”? In case you missed it, click the previous link to view.

This awesome wooded retreat is one of my listings and I am pleased to announce that the home is now Pending! The soon-to-be owners are thrilled with the exposure and have sent the link across the country to all of their out of town friends and family to see their new home on National TV!

Marketing a home in today’s market is vastly different than when I first got into the business many years ago. Our marketing used to consist of ‘putting a sign in the yard and an ad in the paper’. Then just hope for the best! In today’s marketplace, it takes a lot more than that to properly market a home.

My marketing plan consists of attacking all possible avenues to expose your home (properly) to anyone and everyone who may be interested in it. The TODAY show segment was about six weeks of work but definitely worth it!

While I certainly can’t guarantee national TV exposure, I can tell you that we can no longer just ‘put a house on the market’ and expect results. Contact Bill Swanson today if you are thinking of making a move in the near future for a no-cost analysis of your home!  Or feel free to answer a few brief questions and get an online market analysis too!

Don’t forget the changes and enhancements to the tax credit! Repeat Homeowners may be able to qualify for a $6,500 tax credit instead of only qualifying first time homebuyers who are still eligible for up to an $8,000 tax credit.

Bill Swanson is an agent with over 20 years of experience with CBSHome Real Estate, an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway.

Here are 13  facts about the infamous day:

1. The British Navy built a ship named Friday the 13th. On its maiden voyage, the vessel left dock on a Friday the 13th, and was never heard from again.

2. The ill-fated Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 CST on Apr. 11, 1970. The sum of the date’s digits (4-11-70) is 13 (as in 4+1+1+7+0 = 13). And the explosion that crippled the spacecraft occurred on April 13 (not a Friday). The crew did make it back to Earth safely, however.

3. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor.

4. Fear of Friday the 13th – one of the most popular myths in science – is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

5. Quarterback Dan Marino wore No. 13 throughout his career with the Miami Dolphins. Despite being a superb quarterback (some call him one of the best ever), he got to the Super Bowl just once, in 1985, and was trounced 38-16 by the San Francisco 49ers and Joe Montana (who wore No. 16 and won all four Super Bowls he played in).

6. Butch Cassidy, notorious American train and bank robber, was born on Friday, April 13, 1866.

7. Fidel Castro was born on Friday, Aug. 13, 1926.

8. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

9. Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

10. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. “It was bad luck,” Twain later told the friend. “They only had food for 12.”

11. Woodrow Wilson considered 13 his lucky number, though his experience didn’t support such faith. He arrived in Normandy, France on Friday, Dec. 13, 1918, for peace talks, only to return with a treaty he couldn’t get Congress to sign. (The ship’s crew wanted to dock the next day due to superstitions, Fernsler said.) He toured the United States to rally support for the treaty, and while traveling, suffered a near-fatal stroke.

12. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number – 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.

13. The seals on the back of a dollar bill include 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 stars above the eagle’s head, 13 war arrows in the eagle’s claw and 13 leaves on the olive branch. So far there’s been no evidence tying these long-ago design decisions to the present economic situation.

Would you like to learn more useless trivia? Sign up to be a follower of Bill’s Blog!

Omaha, NE   Growing up in Omaha we tend to forget all of the great amenities that Omaha has to offer it’s residents.  From our award winning Henry Doorly Zoo  to being home of the College World Series to great schools, affordable housing, shopping and entertainment, we really do have it all!  No wonder some of the world’s leading companies call Omaha home.  Omaha is home to such Fortune 500 as Berkshire Hathaway(#11), Union Pacific (#154), ConAgra Foods (#210), Peter Kiewit Sons’, Inc.  (#385) and many more.  Per the Greater Omaha Chamber of  Commerce, the top employment sectors include Financial Services, the Defense Industry, Transportation, Manufacturing, and Information Technology.  With all that Omaha has to offer, why not call it home for you, your family and your business?

If you’ve kept up with my posts on WallStreet Tower Omaha (www.WallStreetTowerOmaha.com), you already know the developers are committed to keeping this project moving forward.  Jason Townsend, the project’s developer, has obtained financing commitments on the project and is finalizing terms on the lending side.  Once things are finalized, construction can begin.  

WallStreet Tower Omaha will be constructed at 14th/Dodge Streets, which is the former site of Union Pacific’s headquarters.  Townsend purchased the old U.P. building and finished demolition of the asbestos filled structure in 2008, making way for WallStreet Tower Omaha; a 32-story community including retail, commercial, hotel, and 96 planned units of luxurious condominiums housed on the upper floors of the building.  While things came to a slow when the housing market slumped and the credit markets tightened, Townsend’s dedication to getting this project constructed never stopped.  Likewise, Omaha City Officials as well as the number of buyers who have already spoken for units at WallStreet Tower are also to be commended for their vision of this project, and their continued desire to see it happen.  It’s that dedication and vision from all levels that will get this project underway!

As I’ve said before, if you’re looking to buy a luxury condo in the downtown area and want an unmatched amenities package topped with panoramic views of Omaha, WallStreet Tower is where you want to be.  But if you think this is a sales pitch, come see for yourself.  Visit the sales and marketing center (located at 1207 Cass St), and tour all 5 of the standard models.  Even if you aren’t in the condo market, I encourage you to visit it anyway, it’s VERY impressive!

It is the last few days of this years Street of Dreams.  If you haven’t already gone, take an afternoon or early evening and enjoy a walk through 6 beautiful homes.  The homes are at the Silverleaf estates which are located 1 block north of W. Dodge and 192nd.  The homes shown have been built by Royal Development, L&L Custom Builders, Inc., Malibu Homes LLC, Quest Construction, Prairie Homes, Inc., and S&S Custom Homes LLC. 

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday.  Tickets are $12.00, $10.00 at local Hy-Vees, Children 6-12 are $6 and 5 and under are FREE.  Go Saturday night and watch the Huskers play at entry #6.  

So take a couple hours, enjoy, and see what these local builders have to offer!

Omaha, NE,   Visitors who are considering making the move to the Omaha-metro area will typically ask – so what does Omaha have to offer me?  Whether the move is due to a job transfer or for personal reasons, the response is – EVERYTHING! Omaha has received many accolades from various sources across the country.  Some of our most notable achievements are as follows:

• Omaha ranked first on the list of mid-sized “Best Cities for Relocating Families” by Primacy Relocation and Worldwide Employee Relocation Council in 2008.
• The Competitive Alternatives: Focus on Tax Study ranked Omaha as having the most favorable tax structure for businesses among cities with a population between 500,000 and 2 million – KPMG International 2008
• Kiplingers Personal Finance ranked Omaha third among the “Top 10 Best Cities in 2008.”
• The 2008 Salary Value Index ranked Omaha third among the “Best Cities to Build Personal Wealth”  – salary.com 2008.
• Omaha is eighth for “Best Places to Live for Affordable Housing ” – CNNMoney 2008
• Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo was selected as Nickelodeons 2008 Parents’ Pick “Best Day Camp for Big Kids”

To view the complete list of Omaha’s top rankings, view the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce for more information.  Its great to live, work and play in Omaha – come join the fun!

Save this date … February 21, 2010 … for 13th Annual Visiting Nurse Association’s “Art & Soup” event.  The VNA has a call out to the Greater Omaha artists to apply to be selected as an artist for this event.  There will be 50 artists and 25 restaurants coming together to help raise money to provide public health services to children and adults in local homeless shelters.  There will be beautiful art for sale for your new home or your office and delicious soups for the winter season.   Last year, more than $20,000 worth of artwork was sold.  For more information, here’s the link to the Visiting Nurse Association.  http://www.vnam.org/files/documents/ASfollowuppressrelease022108.pdf

Remember, if you don’t have any walls of your own to hang your art, I can help you find a beautiful home with plenty of walls.  Dedicated to excellence in real estate … Skeeter   402.290.3500

I usually don’t endorse promotions from local businesses, but this one will help your non-profit group.  Younkers stores will celebrate Community Day November 14th.  They are offering a way for you to make money for your non-profit organization.  Sell booklets for $5 and retain the entire $5 for your group.  Each booklet contains a $10 coupon (pay $5 and get $10) plus an additional 20%- 30% savings good on most merchandise purchased on Community Day.  Plus, buyers will get exclusive bonus offers available only on November 14th.  What a way to shop for the coming  holidays!  Younkers has raised more than $63 million for past participating organizations.  Click on event booklet for details & registration forms.

Let me know if you like receiving this type of notice.  As always, I appreciate your feedback and your real estate referrals on family or friends who may be looking for a home.  Skeeter  C:  402.290.3500

Once in a while we Realtors to take an evening to just enjoy our city.  If you love birds, this is an absolute  must-see!  Take your lawn chairs & go to 44th & Farnam Streets, turn south and park.  Every evening from now until about mid-September at around 8:00 pm, many thousands of Purple Martins are nesting in the trees.  This is the most spectacular natural phenomenon around & it’s free.  We took our grandchildren who were amazed.  In discussion with Justin Rink, an avid birder, he estimated that every evening approximately 10,000 to 25,000 Purple Martins arrive & nest in the few trees just west of Clarkson Hospital.  As they arrive high in the sky looking like little gnats at a campsite, they begin to gather from as far away as 50 miles.  Then they swirl and begin to drop from the sky.  They ALL nest in a few trees and the chatter gets louder as the population gets bigger.  In a few hours, the chatter dies down as they sleep.  In the morning, they leave their nests in small groups, only to return again in the evening.  The entire Purple Martin show only lasts about 45 minutes.  Take your family & friends and enjoy these lively, acrobatic birds.

There are many websites to learn about the Purple Martins.  I found an abundance of information on www.chuckspurplemartin.com.  Beyond this real estate for birds, call me if you’d like a (tree) house of your own.

Skeeter Gurzick, Realtor  M: 402.290.3500

Omaha and Lincoln websites now sharing listings.

With 87 percent of today’s home buyers using the Internet to search for homes, it’s important to choose a real estate agent and company with the most effective online marketing strategy.

We are teaming up with our sister companies, HOME Real Estate and Woods Bros Realty in Lincoln by sharing our property listings across the leading real estate web sites in Nebraska.

CBSHOME Real Estate is leveraging our HomeServices of America affiliation and strength for the benefit of our buyers and sellers in Nebraska. Our CBSHOME Omaha and Council Bluffs listings are now available on Lincoln, NE’s most popular real estate websites. And in turn, CBSHOME.com now displays Lincoln properties.

Find Lincoln Homes for Sale	Find Lincoln Homes for Sale
Now also Find Omaha Homes for sale on our sister company’s websites in Lincoln, NE.

How to Search for Listings on CBSHOME.com

• On the home page; click on “Find a Property”
• From the Map or Area Search tabs, you can select the Omaha, Iowa or Lincoln Market areas
• Now  add your search criteria and begin looking for that new home!

Where else do CBSHOME listings appear?  We syndicate to national real estate search website such as Truila, Zillow, and Google Base.  We also appear on local websites such as The Omaha World Herald.

Ellen Jacobsen would be willing to pay an extra $2 for each round of golf if it would save the Westwood Heights Golf Course.

The nine-hole course is compact and easy to get around, making it ideal for an older golfer such as Jacobsen.

“It’s a nice course that gets a lot of play,” she said. “There are not a lot of par-3 courses left, so I’d be very disappointed if they do close it.”

I agree 100%.  Personally, I have fond memories of playing golf with my son when he was in middle school.  It is a perfect course for the eager to learn and for practice. 

All of the four nine-hole courses seem to be down in rounds played and two of them more sharply than Westwood.  Why close a golf course when it is doing better than others similar to it?  Argument is,  if you are going to close a course let’s close one that has other courses nearby that the golfers could use instead and there isn’t a lot of options for golf  east of 72nd.  Why close any?  Raise the fees $2 and let’s see what happens.  If things don’t improve then go to more drastic measures.

Let’s let Mayor Suttle know how we feel.