Real Estate magazine/guide?

[Wyo_Poke]

Hello everyone,

My wife and I are looking at your area to possibly relocate our family from Wyoming. Your area looks so promising for jobs, activities, weather, etc. Much better than here. I can't believe what we could afford for a house compared with here. Unreal. Especially Yukon, Guthrie, Moore, Mustang, Piedmont.

Anyway, we are taking a trip to OKC in May and are going to do some neighborhood searching. The problem is, I don't exactly know where to look. I have been trying to find a real estate guide for the OKC metro area? We have one here in Cheyenne that is put out monthly and is nearly 200 pages thick.

I requested and received a "Homes and Land" of OKC, but it was only about 20 pages and was a huge disappointment. Is there a good real estate magazine available so we can learn more about new and existing subdivisions?

Thank you!

[writerranger]

Hello everyone,

My wife and I are looking at your area to possibly relocate our family from Wyoming. Your area looks so promising for jobs, activities, weather, etc. Much better than here. I can't believe what we could afford for a house compared with here. Unreal. Especially Yukon, Guthrie, Moore, Mustang, Piedmont.

Anyway, we are taking a trip to OKC in May and are going to do some neighborhood searching. The problem is, I don't exactly know where to look. I have been trying to find a real estate guide for the OKC metro area? We have one here in Cheyenne that is put out monthly and is nearly 200 pages thick.

I requested and received a "Homes and Land" of OKC, but it was only about 20 pages and was a huge disappointment. Is there a good real estate magazine available so we can learn more about new and existing subdivisions?

Thank you!

Glad you're coming to check us out! As for the magazines, I don't know the names but there are literally a dozen or more. Some are small, some are pretty thick. You can pick them up at most of the big chain grocery stores. Also, WalMart always seems to have them all at their entrance.

Piedmont is really growing and is a place where you can still have that small-town feel. Yukon is still booming, I think Mustang is as well. Actually, there are good buys all over the metro - even Edmond when you compare it to most places in the country. To actually see all of the city, you'll have to just do some driving. It's definitely a market where the buyer has the upper hand. Good luck and enjoy! Check back and let us know when you're here - there's a lot of people who would be happy to help when you get here.

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[CMSturgeon]

Somebody with large envelopes needs to help this guy out and mail him some....!

[Wyo_Poke]

LOL, big envelopes would be a plus.

Thanks for the advice, folks.

If anyone could provide the actual names of the magazines/guides it would be much appreciated so I could contact them directly.

I could probably ask a real estate agent, but I would rather be on my own for now. I don't want to be continually mobbed, you know?

[Karried]

Magazines are nice but online listings are good especially if you can see a Virtual Tour.

Try Realtor.com

or OpenhouseOK.com

openhouseOK.com - Providing Online Home Tours for Real Estate Properties across Oklahoma

[Millie]

Our newspaper has a real estate section, homesok.com. They've got a link to a few real estate magazines that you can view online:
HomesOK.com | Powered by The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com
(sorry if the links don't work- I'm kind of new to posting)

[CMSturgeon]

All I have to say is MLSGateway.com

[Karried]

The problem is, I don't exactly know where to look.

You mentioned relocating family. If you have school age children..... One word. Schools

Check out GreatSchools.net .. not perfect but a good reference.

Yes, you can get a great price on a home in some of the areas that you mentioned. But aside from price, there might be other things to consider.

You can always fix up a not so great home in a good neighborhood.. but you usually can't fix a neighborhood, no matter how much money you put into a home. Get the worst home in the best neighborhood.. old, but prudent advice.

Think about proximity to conveniences. Commute times, Shopping, Hospitals, Restaurants, Entertainment, Lifestyle? etc, etc... they all play a part in choosing an area.

We moved here a few years ago from CA. I know the feeling of not knowing the area and not knowing what to look for. It can be stressful and scary. But, I researched areas and schools for months and we settled on Edmond. We love it here, the schools are wonderful and the people are great.

Anyway, good luck in your search.

[Wyo_Poke]

Thank you all so much!

Magazines are nice but online listings are good especially if you can see a Virtual Tour.

Try Realtor.com

or OpenhouseOK.com

openhouseOK.com - Providing Online Home Tours for Real Estate Properties across Oklahoma

Very cool website I hadn't seen before. Thank you!

Our newspaper has a real estate section, homesok.com. They've got a link to a few real estate magazines that you can view online:
HomesOK.com | Powered by The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com
(sorry if the links don't work- I'm kind of new to posting)

That is EXACTLY what I was after. Thank you so much. I've searched all over for new home communities, but it's tough to find them if you don't know the names. LOL.

All I have to say is MLSGateway.com

Oh yeah, great site. I've checked out many houses there. It's why we started seriously looking at OKC (well, that and my wife has a friend in Edmond and the cost of living according to many online calculators is 9% CHEAPER than this stupid place.

You mentioned relocating family. If you have school age children..... One word. Schools

Check out GreatSchools.net .. not perfect but a good reference.

Yes, you can get a great price on a home in some of the areas that you mentioned. But aside from price, there might be other things to consider.

You can always fix up a not so great home in a good neighborhood.. but you usually can't fix a neighborhood, no matter how much money you put into a home. Get the worst home in the best neighborhood.. old, but prudent advice.

Think about proximity to conveniences. Commute times, Shopping, Hospitals, Restaurants, Entertainment, Lifestyle? etc, etc... they all play a part in choosing an area.

We moved here a few years ago from CA. I know the feeling of not knowing the area and not knowing what to look for. It can be stressful and scary. But, I researched areas and schools for months and we settled on Edmond. We love it here, the schools are wonderful and the people are great.

Anyway, good luck in your search.

Thank you very much for your advice about the old home/best neighborhood thing. I appreciate it.

Want to see something depressing? Type "Laramie County School district 1" on that Great Schools website. You will understand why we are breaking out of here. Horrible.

Pretty much any school district in the outer OKC area is better than here. That info was very sobering.

Thank you all again. If people in Oklahoma are as friendly and helpful as you all are, we will love it there.

[Karried]

You are very welcome!

Let us know if there is anything you need or have any other questions.. we're happy to help.

[writerranger]

Seriously, PM me your mailing address and I will gather up a bunch of those real estate magazines and send them your way. The online resources are great, but if you want those, I'll be glad to send them for you. Postage is no big deal.

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[dismayed]

In addition to the websites already mentioned, check out:

openhouseOK.com - Providing Online Home Tours for Real Estate Properties across Oklahoma

REALTOR.com: Real estate listings & homes for sale


Both have many listings in the metro area.

[writerranger]

dismayed, See Post #5 by Karrie.

I know -- it's getting late.

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[merryfim]

The only site i did not see listed which will have a good inventory of of homes is okchomebuilders.com which is the central oklahoma home builders association website. If you decide to look out in the Mustang area my father is a medium size builder in this area and has several homes avilable for showing right now if you want to see them they are on openhouseok.com. Let me know if you would like specifics and I can provide you with the info. my email is merryfim@msn.com

[metro]

Yeah, glad to hear your considering OKC as your moving destination!! As some have said there are more than a dozen real estate publications that you can pick up at a local grocery store or Wal-Mart. Online listings are good or you could set up an appointment with a Realtor for some showings. Karried on this board is a good realtor, I'm sure you could tell her what your looking for and she could set some appointments up for when you get here, etc. Depending on your lifestyle will be the biggest factor in which part of the city or outside the city you want to live. Welcome!

[Wyo_Poke]

You are very welcome!

Let us know if there is anything you need or have any other questions.. we're happy to help.

Thanks! You have all been very helpful.

The only site i did not see listed which will have a good inventory of of homes is okchomebuilders.com which is the central oklahoma home builders association website. If you decide to look out in the Mustang area my father is a medium size builder in this area and has several homes avilable for showing right now if you want to see them they are on openhouseok.com. Let me know if you would like specifics and I can provide you with the info. my email is merryfim@msn.com

Thank you, I checked it out and it was helpful.

Yeah, glad to hear your considering OKC as your moving destination!! As some have said there are more than a dozen real estate publications that you can pick up at a local grocery store or Wal-Mart. Online listings are good or you could set up an appointment with a Realtor for some showings. Karried on this board is a good realtor, I'm sure you could tell her what your looking for and she could set some appointments up for when you get here, etc. Depending on your lifestyle will be the biggest factor in which part of the city or outside the city you want to live. Welcome!

I figured there were a lot out there, I just couldn't find them. I have been scouring the net for info, but wanted something to write notes on, highlight, plan etc. with my wife for our visit in...wow, exactly a month.
Cool.

Thank you all again!

[Wyo_Poke]

Seriously, PM me your mailing address and I will gather up a bunch of those real estate magazines and send them your way. The online resources are great, but if you want those, I'll be glad to send them for you. Postage is no big deal.

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Hmmm. I don't think I have the ability to do that yet.

That is very generous of you, but I couldn't ask someone to do that for me. I'll get a realtor or two to send it.

Of course, you may be a realtor, then I guess it would be ok.

[merryfim]

Email me your email address to merryfim@msn.com and I will send you some pics, florrplans, and prices of some of the homes we have in Mustang.

[HOT ROD]

Yes indeed. Welcome to Oklahoma City!!

It is a great city and metropolis and has a wonderful future. The people are wonderful and there is much to do. If you can handle the weather (I can't thats why I live in Seattle), I think OKC is one of those hidden gems that doesn't get enough credit among the other big metro areas.

As Karried mentioned, you may want to consider school districts in your choice for a home, but I should also mention that even in the inner city you can find great choices and wonderful urban schools. And the inner city Oklahoma City Public School district is improving as well, as a result of our school improvement initiative called Maps for Kids. So honestly, unless you chose to live in our many ghetto's or something (which I'd assume you wouldn't) - Oklahoma City as a whole is a great find.

Some areas I like are - NW Oklahoma City near Lake Hefner (Putnam City Schools [I graduated from PC North]), central city neighbourhoods near Oklahoma City University (OCU)/Asia District/Paseo (OKC Schools, but very very diverse and lots of urban amenities if you like that), downtown (obviously, our recent hot spot with new schools on the way; lots to do), Southside has several nice areas and is very diverse with a hispanic populous (seems like mexico in many areas), Northside (Edmond School district).

Moore is a very interesting and growing suburb due south of Oklahoma City. It is developing its downtown and has great access to the big city and wonderful schools as well. Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma, is our largest suburb in population and is quite cosmopolitan.

If you're into rural living, there are a number of suburbs and exurbs to consider. You mentioned Yukon, then there's nearby El Reno, Mustang (great schools), and Piedmont. Piedmont is very close to the Putnam City area of NW Oklahoma City - lots of convenience. In the SE there's Shawnee, Midwest City offers a more urban experience while not being too urban. In the NE Oklahoma County, there's many rural towns like Jones, Luther, Choctaw (housing boom there), Harrah, etc - these communities offer a forested look if trees are of heavy importance to you. To the North is the suburb of Guthrie, Edmond (which you already know about) and the Exurb of Stillwater - home to Oklahoma State University.

The point of this, no matter what you like or want - the Oklahoma City region can provide it for you.

Once again, congratulations on your choice of Oklahoma City and welcome to our renaissance. Notice that I still say "our" even tho I reside in Seattle. You'll find many expats like me who have a fondness for OKC!

[Millie]

I know there's quite a northside/Edmond bias on this board, but... "seems like Mexico in many areas"??? Yes, there are a few Hispanic neighborhoods. There are also very wealthy areas, areas with Asian populations, working class areas-- about the same mix you can find anywhere in the metro, if you look hard enough.
I'm not trying to hijack this thread to start a north/south argument or anything, but... come on.

[Spartan]

Anyone who comes to live in OKC might easily be caught off guard by the north side vs. south side argument. Northsiders think they are superior by divine right .... because they live north of I-40.

[writerranger]

Anyone who comes to live in OKC might easily be caught off guard by the north side vs. south side argument. Northsiders think they are superior by divine right .... because they live north of I-40.

Flame-bait.

I live on the northside and do not feel superior to anyone.

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[PUGalicious]

Northsiders think they are superior by divine right ....

Only because we are

[Wyo_Poke]

Email me your email address to merryfim@msn.com and I will send you some pics, florrplans, and prices of some of the homes we have in Mustang.

Done, thanks!

Yes indeed. Welcome to Oklahoma City!!

It is a great city and metropolis and has a wonderful future. The people are wonderful and there is much to do. If you can handle the weather (I can't thats why I live in Seattle), I think OKC is one of those hidden gems that doesn't get enough credit among the other big metro areas.

- It seems like it. The weather is obviously a concern being from Wyoming where we don't get above the low to mid 90's during the main heat of summer...and of course the tornados are a worry. How prevalent are tornado shelters in houses? I've seen some online house listings that will specify "storm shelter" or "safe room" but was curious if it is more of a luxury or a standard feature?

As Karried mentioned, you may want to consider school districts in your choice for a home, but I should also mention that even in the inner city you can find great choices and wonderful urban schools. And the inner city Oklahoma City Public School district is improving as well, as a result of our school improvement initiative called Maps for Kids. So honestly, unless you chose to live in our many ghetto's or something (which I'd assume you wouldn't) - Oklahoma City as a whole is a great find.

-The sad part is, your "bad" school districts seem to test better on that Greatschools website than our good ones.

Some areas I like are - NW Oklahoma City near Lake Hefner (Putnam City Schools [I graduated from PC North]), central city neighbourhoods near Oklahoma City University (OCU)/Asia District/Paseo (OKC Schools, but very very diverse and lots of urban amenities if you like that), downtown (obviously, our recent hot spot with new schools on the way; lots to do), Southside has several nice areas and is very diverse with a hispanic populous (seems like mexico in many areas), Northside (Edmond School district).

- The main area a lady that my wife knows (who lives in the Dear Creek area) says to avoid is Midwest City. Other than that, I really don't know of any other places to avoid. Where is most of your crime centered around?
Thanks for the info.

Moore is a very interesting and growing suburb due south of Oklahoma City. It is developing its downtown and has great access to the big city and wonderful schools as well. Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma, is our largest suburb in population and is quite cosmopolitan.

We've seen quite a few houses we like in Moore and are very interested in it. It would be great to hear from more Moore residents.

If you're into rural living, there are a number of suburbs and exurbs to consider. You mentioned Yukon, then there's nearby El Reno, Mustang (great schools), and Piedmont. Piedmont is very close to the Putnam City area of NW Oklahoma City - lots of convenience. In the SE there's Shawnee, Midwest City offers a more urban experience while not being too urban. In the NE Oklahoma County, there's many rural towns like Jones, Luther, Choctaw (housing boom there), Harrah, etc - these communities offer a forested look if trees are of heavy importance to you. To the North is the suburb of Guthrie, Edmond (which you already know about) and the Exurb of Stillwater - home to Oklahoma State University.

This is great info! We saw a development called "Triple Crown Meadows" that is located around the Seward area. It looked promising and in our price range (up to 180k). How are the commutes from say Guthrie, Jones, Piedmont, Yukon, etc.?

The point of this, no matter what you like or want - the Oklahoma City region can provide it for you.

Once again, congratulations on your choice of Oklahoma City and welcome to our renaissance. Notice that I still say "our" even tho I reside in Seattle. You'll find many expats like me who have a fondness for OKC!

Thanks, I appreciate it.

I know there's quite a northside/Edmond bias on this board, but... "seems like Mexico in many areas"??? Yes, there are a few Hispanic neighborhoods. There are also very wealthy areas, areas with Asian populations, working class areas-- about the same mix you can find anywhere in the metro, if you look hard enough.
I'm not trying to hijack this thread to start a north/south argument or anything, but... come on.

I'm not really too concerned with a race bias UNLESS there is a "anti-white" area that would have a problem with us. I could care less what race someone is, but sadly that is not the case with everyone. For example, my hometown in Colorado is exploding with a Hispanic population and while I just try to go about my business when we visit, it really seems as though I am treated like "an outsider" and we are acted pretty rudely too. Kind of a "what do you think you're doing here" attitude.

Trash comes in every color from what i've seen. Heck, Wyoming is VERY white, but there are a ton of jerks, trash, rednecks, etc. here.

Anyone who comes to live in OKC might easily be caught off guard by the north side vs. south side argument. Northsiders think they are superior by divine right .... because they live north of I-40.

I'll admit, most of the places we have been steered toward are North of I-40 with the exceptions of Mustang and Moore. Are there some other great 'burbs that we are missing in the South?

Thanks again to everyone. I'm so glad I found this website and message board. As things get closer and the search narrows, I might run some neighborhoods by you guys to get your input.

Thanks again.

[Millie]

There are a few communities that are southwest of the city- Blanchard and Newcastle- that may be worth checking out. They're communities with more of a rural, friendly personality but are a reasonable commute to anywhere in the metro.