Premiere Oklahoma Moving Company – 405-445-7637

The real estate blog Movoto recently published a study that identified the top redneck cities in the United States, and Oklahoma City was named as one of the locations. In fact, two Oklahoma cities were named in the top five! So what qualifies for a Movoto “redneck city?” In it’s listing description, it says that redneck cities are judged and ranked on a variety of factors, such as the amount of country music stations, the amount of Wal-Mart stores per capita, and the amount of gun & ammo stores, among other deciding factors.

The top five from the list are as follows:

1. Atlanta, GA

2. Kansas City, MO

3. Oklahoma City, OK

4. Nashville, TN

5. Tulsa, OK

The Oklahoma City movers have learned that other factors contributed to the findings, such as the high school dropout rate (which Cleveland came in #1 for), and the locations of NASCAR tracks. Well what do you think? Is Oklahoma City a “redneck city” or not?

A new real estate data report found that the Enid, Oklahoma region is lacking available housing options for potential buyers and those seeking to relocate to the area. There is a diminished amount of available housing that can stifle the growth potential for Enid this year, so the desire to resolve this problem is imminent to many. The Edmond movers have found that there were 27 permits for building single family homes in 2012, which is 8 permits higher than 2011. In 2010, however, there were 72 permits issued.

Available housing has dropped drastically in the past 14 months, and the market is strongly in favor of the seller. New home construction was severely cut about two years ago awaiting the impending “housing apocalypse,” though Enid was never truly affected. All areas of housing, from affordable housing options to single family homes need to be built in the coming months to allow for population growth and economic stimulation.

Real estate in the Oklahoma City area seems poised to succeed, but for some reason the recent numbers show that there has been a decrease in sales volume. So what gives? The Oklahoma City movers have decided to investigate and learn more about what the numbers really mean, and what the future hold for our metro. Breaking down the monthly stats, 1,189 homes were sold last month in Oklahoma City, which is down 2.9 percent from the month prior.

The interest rate for a mortgage was better for buyers, the average sales price was slightly higher, and houses sold in an average of 87 days. The number of listings dubbed as pending sales were about 26 percent higher than the five-year historical average. These pending sales are likely to blame for the lag in completed sales for March, so those inside the local real estate industry have shown little cause for concern.

As a whole, the real estate business in the metro area is 15 percent above activity this time last year.

The Oklahoma City area has seen a continual surge of new residents, and with that a dwindling of available inventory. According to industry experts in our area, the time is certainly good to list properties and take advantage of the lessening availability of homes. Oklahoma City realtors are hesitant to dub the current state a “seller’s market,” but the general consensus is that the local real estate market is headed that way. The length of time that homes sit on the market is shrinking, meaning that consumer confidence and local economic factors are strengthening.

Commercial properties are also available for quite competitive deals currently, something that could reverse at any given time. The time is right for listing properties, and the demand is apparent from investors, families, lenders, and builders looking to begin new projects upon low-to-no vacancy rates in existing areas. The Oklahoma City movers are anxious to see what steps the market takes and what growth is underway.

Oklahoma City has had a period in recent years with continual growth throughout its metro area. According to population data gathered by the Census Bureau, the growth spurt from the 2011 to 2012 was a large one, with 1.3 million more people living in the metro area. Oklahoma City wasn’t the only to city to see growth, as some parts of Western Oklahoma grew significantly as well.

The Edmond movers have learned that the most substantial gains were in the Oklahoma City area, with a growth rate of 1.6 percent from July 2011-July 2012, with an overall rate of 3.5 percent since 2010. Other areas such as Tulsa had a growth rate of 0.7, and most of the state had something in the 0.7-0.8 percentage rate of growth.

Tornadoes and strong winds are nothing new to the home builders and homeowners in Oklahoma, but there are some new developments in designing homes built to withstand strong winds. By testing homes built to the codes and standards that the state currently requires, it seems many homes are not sturdy enough to withstand strong gusts. The Oklahoma City movers have learned that the studies have been held as a means to learn what degree homes can withstand violent winds and then hopefully statutes and building codes can be instilled to ensure homes built from now on will be equipped to weather the weather.

Current building codes state that Oklahoma homes protect against 90 mph winds, which many researchers feel is not strong enough. Additionally, many Oklahoma residents live in mobile homes which withstand much less. With advancements available on the market, there are ways to seek out personal enhancements to your home meant to guard against 130 mph winds, costing the homeowner about $5000. You can read more here about enhancing your home’s ability to withstand bad weather.

January was a slow month in the Oklahoma City real estate market, which historically seems to be the case for the industry as a whole, despite varying reports of January 2013 being a strong and bustling month in metros around the country. For Oklahoma City, the numbers dropped off from December 2012, with sales down over 16 percent from the month prior. The Edmond movers have found that despite the drop from December, the sales for last month are still 12 percent higher than figures from January 2012.

Homes sold in about 81 days with the assistance of a realtor, which is 10 days shorter than average sales in 2012. In addition to slowing sales, the available inventory has been diminished by 10 percent less available homes on the market–something that likely plays a role in the dwindling sales. Low supply, low sales–makes sense, right? In some ways yes, though other areas are seeing homes sell at a rate where builders and sellers can’t keep up with demand, so it’s not a dead giveaway as a cause.

According to recent reports released by the Oklahoma State Treasurer, Ken Miller, Oklahoma is holding steady with a low unemployment rate and stable economy, topping the charts as one of the top five states in the country with unemployment kept at pre-recession levels. Nearby state residents are even relocating into Oklahoma to take advantage of how fruitful they have been, coming from states such as Texas to snap up available jobs. The Edmond movers know that our region in particular has jobs sprouting up in various industries, thanks to new developments like hotel chains opening new locations and also construction projects offering jobs for the construction industry–a group largely effected during the recession.

Other new construction projects such as a doctor’s office, a wellness center, and retail plazas will offer additional employment opportunities. Oklahoma’s unemployment should stay at (or dip below) the current 5.1 percent jobless rate. The treasurer credits the Oklahoma city council for actively pursuing ventures that benefit the community and keep job availability open.

The need for apartments has been a steady demand in Oklahoma City, according to recent data published by Consumer Reports. In fact, the demand has been so high for so long, there is a mixed situation of rising rents for existing units and a scramble to build new units to accommodate the demand. The Yukon movers are excited that our area has remained stable in the midst of other markets throughout the US that have shown struggle for extended periods of time. It is our hope, however, that the other US metros feel the wealth that we have been blessed with throughout the economic recession.

Average occupancy in the city is at 93 percent, and nearby Edmond has 96 percent occupancy in 2012–the highest since 2001. Rental rates are predicted to grow an additional 2.8 percent from existing figures throughout 2013. Current projects are predicting that 2,635 additional apartment units will be available for residents this year.

In the Oklahoma City metro area, home prices are skewing to the advantage of the buyer versus the renter. Despite the reasonable home prices, however, is the honest fact that many Oklahoma residents cannot afford to take on a mortgage. Here, it’s a sensible decision—but also a commitment both emotionally and financially. The Oklahoma movers have some data to share:

In Oklahoma City, the numbers don’t lie: it is 63 percent cheaper to buy than it is to rent. The average monthly cost for a mortgage in Oklahoma City is about $600—and to rent is about $1600. With a five month supply of homes for sale on the market, Oklahoma City is a booming real estate area, with no signs of slowing down. The energy industry keeps the unemployment at bay and job growth seems to be steady and stable. While some simply prefer the flexibility of renting, others are too strapped to even save an initial down payment to purchase.