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Since 1978, the Federal Aviation Administration data says that there have been seven out of 12 deer-airplane collisions reported in Oklahoma.

Apparently most of the collisions take place when landing and cause damage to the aircraft and usually kill the deer. The deer are being called “nuisances” for airports and “threats to pilots and planes” by aviation and wildlife experts, but the deer will do anything to get to the runways; including jumping over or squeezing under fences.

From 1990 to 2013 there were 1,088 deer-airplane collisions. White-tailed deer are the smallest of the North American deer family and cause the majority of collisions due to their rising population. White-tail deer numbers have gone from 350,000 in 1900 to over 28 million in 2010. Despite their small size, they are still big enough to wreck a plane, with most deer-airplane collisions occurring during mating season months of October and November.

Although most collisions involve small aircraft, large airliners have an occasional run-in with deer as well. In October 2010, a US Airways jet plowed through an entire herd of deer, catching one in the plane’s main landing gear. As a result, the entire runway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina had to be shut down in order to clean up the mess.

White-tail deer have caused $44 million in aircraft damage and 238,000 hours of lost flying time in 24 years.

Oklahoma is no stranger to animals wandering onto airport runways, according to FAA data, 10 skunks, 5 coyotes, 4 turtles, 1 opossum, 1 armadillo, and 1 cow have also been involved in aircraft collisions.

When considering making a move to Oklahoma City, be sure that you and your family will love and enjoy the occasional wildlife encounter and watch out for deer!

Administrator and four-year Associate Vice President for International Diversity at Oklahoma State University Jason F. Kirksey has been awarded a five-year grant of $3.4 million from the National Science Foundation in efforts to increase the amount of minority student involvement in higher education.

While serving as Associate Vice President for International Diversity at OSU, Kirksey has implemented a number of innovative programs and has made important strides in the university’s diversity efforts.

Kirksey is the principal investigator for the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and will utilize the money for a program that aims to increase minority students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

The Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation is a group of 11 universities across the state that the grant will help, providing undergraduate minority students with more opportunities to engage in research with mentors and prepare for graduate school.

Former OSU President Burns Hargis said that, “For more than a century, Oklahoma State University has placed great value on the differences and varied talents of its people. Jason is the right person to help empower all of us at OSU to think and act in ways that will embrace and promote a more inclusive world.”

In hopes of continuing to increase minority enrollment, Kirksey and OSU look forward to attracting and seeing more minorities move to Oklahoma City in order to attend their school and diversify the campus.

Kirksey has a Bachelors in both Political Science and Economics from OSU and a Masters in Political Science also from OSU. In 1997, Kirksey earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of New Orleans and specializes in the area of minority politics, race, voting and elections, and public policy.

The real estate site Zillow has released a report that shows two Oklahoma locations are among the best places to turn a home into a rental investment property. Some people looking to move are opting to rent out their homes as opposed to selling. Though doing so could be perilous, renting out a house could be profitable in some markets, and Oklahoma City is one of them.

Thinking of buying an investment home or moving to Oklahoma City? The choice would be wise. In fact, Oklahoma City and Tulsa grabbed the first and third spots on the list. The area that wedged in between these two cities is the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area.

Rental property owners in the Oklahoma City metro area can expect to profit $536 per month on the median home when comparing anticipated rental income versus their assumed monthly mortgage payment.

The greatest returns are actually in markets like San Jose and San Francisco where there are significant short-term monthly losses, but the long-term earned equity makes them the best markets to invest in. When looking at rental income, tax benefits and accumulated home equity (thanks to rapid home value appreciation), landlords in San Jose, California, make the most money: $8,927 per month, or $107,122 per year.

It’s been an interesting ride for the Oklahoma City housing market. With a robust local economy, Oklahoma City employment among the highest in the nation and mortgage lending rates still at historic low rates, the ingredients are all in place for a successful and fruitful real estate market. And while sales are strong, inventory is dropping and new construction is seemingly at a halt.

In fact, at the end of July new home starts in the Oklahoma City area were down 8.9 percent compared to this time last year across Oklahoma City, Edmond, Midwest City, Moore and Norman, according to the number of building permits issued by each city. The cities issued a combined 2,867 permits the first seven months of 2014. The only area to see growth in permits is Moore, which had permits up 17.8 percent.

According to some, the biggest problem for people looking to move to Oklahoma City and build a home is that lack of developed land ready for new neighborhoods. This problem is likely only going to escalate further. The supply of preowned housing is melting away, dropping to 4.2 months by July 31. Inventory is lowest in the middle and lower-middle price ranges where most people live: a 3.3-month supply for houses priced $125,001-$200,000, and a 3.4-month supply for those priced $75,001-$125,000.

As Oklahoma City continues to grow and evolve, some new specific changes are coming to the downtown Oklahoma City area. Specific areas targeted by city officials include buildings that have become old and decrepit in the downtown area which are due for updates and remodeling.

A while back, 20 years in fact, there were many more upgrades made throughout that area thanks to MAPS, which was a five year 1 cent sales tax in Oklahoma City that was dedicated to downtown remodeling. Without the investment, Oklahoma City would not have the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, the Bricktown Canal, the Chesapeake Energy Arena, a modern downtown library, a revived Oklahoma River, or a robust convention center, music hall or fairgrounds.
And for that matter, the city would not have the NBA Thunder or the River Sports Park that has developed along the river.

Now, a new mid-rise tower is coming to the area known as the Arts District, as well as new high-rise towers in the Central Business District.

Thinking of moving to Oklahoma City? There are plenty of new projects headed for our area. Research and check out what each building has to offer and you’ll be likely to find the perfect place for you here in Oklahoma City.

While it might seem like new healthy crazes are everywhere, there are a few areas still transitioning into health related trends. One of these recent areas to become health focused includes real estate development. Oklahoma City is not an area known for being exceptionally healthy or active, but the real estate trend is spreading here too.

With scary statistics like 1 in 3 Americans diagnosed as obese, and that’s a huge jump in the previous statistic of 1 in 8 adults are diagnosed as obese in 1970. Americans are receiving less and less physical activity is also shortening their lifespans, and one way to combat this is with housing that is more conducive to exercise.

Health components from the right living environments can range from pedestrian infrastructure, physical activity, social engagement, and more. Thinking of moving to Oklahoma City and want a place that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle, then you are in luck. As health focused building becomes more prevalent, Oklahoma City will have residential options for prospective residents looking for an active community.

Home sales involving Realtors — excluding those sold directly by owners or builders — fell 4.07 percent last month compared with April 2013, to 1,698, according to the Oklahoma City Metro Association of Realtors. Pending sales, however, rose 20.57 percent, to 2,321. So while homebuilding and sales are down from this time last year and prices stumbled into spring, Realtors and builders aren’t blaming the market alone. So what’s causing this stifling of the local real estate market?

1. Tighter lending standards. In the aftermath of the housing crisis, lenders are extra cautious about approving mortgage applications.

2. Low credit scores. Critics point out that minimum credit scores for loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Affairs are higher now than before the financial crisis and recession — and higher than should be expected considering the still-struggling national economy.

3. Rising prices. Though April prices were higher than May of this year, the year over year costs compared to 2013 are showing that prices are rising.

4. Competing with cash buyers. Aside from difficulties in financing, there is another problem for people even if they are approved for a mortgage—trying to snag a desired home over an all-cash buyer is a difficult problem many people looking to move to Oklahoma, as well as other areas, are experiencing.

5. Slow construction from the recession recovery has slowed not only new projects, but also limited the available inventory for interested buyers.

Recently, the financial site NerdWallet ranked the best places in Oklahoma to own a home. Researchers looked at cities across the state that are within driving distance to Oklahoma City or Tulsa and saw population growth. Also, homeowners on the list spent less than 30 percent of their income on mortgage and utilities. If you are looking to move to Oklahoma and want to know the best place to raise a family, check out this list of the best places to live in the state of Oklahoma. The list is as follows:

Piedmont
Jenks
Owasso
Newcastle
Bixby
Glenpool
Mustang
Blanchard
Choctaw
Broken Arrow

Of these, the closest ones to Oklahoma City are Choctaw, Blanchard, Mustang, Newcastle, and Piedmont. The rest are commuter areas for Tulsa.

Foreclosure filings – such as default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 898 properties in Oklahoma City in the first four months of this year (January to April 2014), which marks a decrease of 19 percent compared to the first four months of last year (the previous year January to April 2013) prior to the tornado that hit Moore one year ago. For the four months following the tornado, there was a 58 percent spike in foreclosures and the annual median sale price dropped in Oklahoma City. As of Q1 2014, 11 percent of the 1,267 properties classified as Oklahoma City foreclosures had been vacated by the owner — compared 21 percent of all foreclosures that are vacant nationwide. Vacant foreclosures are susceptible to falling into severe dilapidation and further property value decline. Vacant homes like these are not only eyesores within neighborhoods, but they bring down the overall value of the city’s real estate. <p>
<p>The Oklahoma City market continues to show improvement with more equity rich homes than seriously underwater homes. Out of all properties with loans 14 percent are equity rich while 10 percent are considered seriously underwater. Moving to Oklahoma City is still a wise decision for many people as properties are still plentiful and the economy continues to strengthen. <p>

In Oklahoma, tornadoes are no secret when it comes to natural disasters that hit the state. There’s been a lot of rebuilding in Moore in the past year due to weather, with an estimated 1,200 homes that were lost in the Moore area. But, things are set to change. Many of those homes are now being built to one of the toughest building codes in the nation. The City of Moore put the new codes into place April 17 and there have been 29 building permits issued since the new codes were put into effect. They mandate, among other things, OSB board on all the exterior walls, a special reinforced garage door, special nailing patterns and thousands of hurricane clips to secure the roof on the home. <p>
<p>Living in Oklahoma City and other areas throughout the state means that tornados and other intense weather are a very real threat and problem that residents and homeowners alike must deal with. The main change is that homes are to be built in a more connected format, so that the home is essentially one large piece that doesn’t come apart. In hopes of the builders, city officials, and homeowners, the new regulations will mean a significant decrease in home repairs in the coming year. <p>