Its time to vote for Cabinets at LetsDesignAHouse.com!  (Vote #2)

Its time to vote on your cabinet choice at LetsDesignAHouse.com.  Custom Woods Products (CWP) of St Marys, KS was chosen to design this custom home kitchen. CWP is excited to bring you three beautiful custom kitchen choices. Assisting Ronnebaum Construction in this process is designer Allen Wessel who will oversee the kitchen design, cabinet construction, and installation. Each of these three kitchen options offers unique features designed exclusively for this home.  Unique features such as wood types and finishes as well as step up kitchen bars, cubbies and granite counter tops are all possible selections.

And that’s not all, if you’ve been following along at LetsDesignAHouse.com, you will see we have completed the framing stage of construction.  The framers enjoyed their work with 70 degrees temperatures in late January.  General Contractor, Terry Ronnebaum, feels that it is very important to apply house wrap to the homes that he builds.  A good house wrap helps to prevent outside water from entering the walls and helps to seal the home to keep outside air where it belongs. Homeowners enjoy reduced energy bills because homes stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter and most importantly dry all year round.  Another healthy house benefit of using house wrap is that harmful vapors are allowed to escape the wall cavity. This helps prevent mold and mildew and other water related damages.

Heavy equipment was used to lift the Pella windows to be easily positioned into their proper place.  Window Tape, a self-adhering, self-sealing waterproofing tape was applied around windows to prevent damage caused by water penetration.  Ray Anderson Pella Windows was chosen for this house because of their outstanding quality, energy-efficiency and warranty program.   The future homeowner will enjoy the wall of windows soaking the warmth of the sun while enjoying the views over-looking a water feature behind the home.

Carol Ronnebaum created a blog, LetsDesignAHouse.com, to inform followers of the step-by-step process of construction during which choices of décor and products may be voted on by the public.  At the end of the voting period the selection will be revealed and incorporated into the home.  This home, located at 4428 SW Shenandoah, is expected for completion Mid-Spring.   Carol, a licensed REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Griffith and Blair American Home and co-owner of Terry Ronnebaum Construction, Inc. stated, “The Let’s Design A House program is intended to increase interest while educating the public in new home construction in our community, show home buyers the many benefits of a new home and encourage community and small business involvement.”  Ronnebaums have co-sponsored this project with more than 20 contractors and local area businesses.  Some of these co-sponsors and vendors with show rooms will have on display the pre-selected voting options that its business is providing for the construction of the home.

Terry Ronnebaum Construction, Inc. has designed and built 100’s of homes in Topeka, Shawnee County and surrounding areas over the past 30 years. Carol noted, “We feel that this is a great opportunity to not only provide Topeka with a custom-style new home but to also help to promote the building industry in our local area. “

(Photos and Additional Information may be obtained by contacting any of the contact numbers on this Release)
Additional Contact information:
Carol and Terry Ronnebaum:  785.640.2685
REALTOR® of Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair American Home and Owner of Terry Ronnebaum Construction, Inc.
Ronnebaum Construction and Terry and Carol Ronnebaum reserve the right to coordinate choices over the selection process.

This past weekend at the Topeka Area Association of Realtors Annual Awards Banquet Deb McFarland was named Sales Person of the Year for 2011.

The Sales Person of the Year award (the SPOTY) is awarded by the Association to one REALTOR® each year that demonstrates Strong Spirit, adherence to the Code of Ethics, time and effort spent furthering the principles of good real estate practice among other REALTORS® and the general public as well as someone whom has shown strong leadership and continued education and attendance.  Designations achieved, Civic Affair participation and true dedicated service to the Association also contributes to the honor.  This year, it is our pleasure to Congratulate Deb McFarland as the 2011 Salesperson of the Year.  Besides her dedication to the Association, Deb is active with her Church and a strong member of organizations such as Washburn University Alumni Association and the American Cancer Society.  In 2008 she was ranked #46 in the Nationally known Wall Street Journal’s Lore Magazine as “The Real Estate Top 200 Professionals” and has remained on the list thereafter.  Deb’s Realtor Spirit was expressed best by a former client, “Deb is the world standard of perfection and professionalism and the best Ambassador the profession could have…Her follow-up and follow-thru are second to none.  My discomfort was soon replaced by confidence in Deb’s judgment, control and coordination of a myriad of details.  She was our advocate, our voice, and always had our best interests at heart.”

Rebecca Meier and Carol Holthaus were accepted to the 2012 Right Track Academy, the prestigious leadership program of the Kansas Association of REALTORS®.  Holthaus and Meier and 13 other Kansas REALTORS® are part of the tenth annual class of the Right Track Leadership Academy from the Association.  Through the Right Track, the Kansas Association of REALTORS® seeks to identify and equip REALTOR® leaders for future leadership positions in their communities, as well as in the Association. Participation in the program is limited each year to provide REALTORS® with hands-on leadership development experience.

­­Carol Holthaus recently joined the Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair Team in Topeka, though Carol has been in the Real Estate industry for 17 years.  When asked about what Carol was most looking forward to in the Right Track program, her response was noted “I am looking forward to learning how to be a better leader and making a great new resource center of knowledge for myself to help me better service my clients.”  Rebecca Meier has been licensed with Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair in Topeka since 2007.  Rebecca stated, “For me The Right Track program is building a closer network, its offering me the skills to be a better leader so I can contribute more to the association.”

Carol and Terry Ronnebaum are pleased to present a fresh marketing idea for Topeka’s home building industry.  Our local community will soon be able to follow along in the on-going construction of a new home built in Topeka’s very own Lauren’s Bay Subdivision.  Terry Ronnebaum Construction, Inc.  recently broke ground on this exciting project.   Throughout the construction process the public will have the opportunity to virtually monitor and view the building progress online.

Carol created a blog,LetsDesignAHouse.com, to inform followers of the step-by-step process of construction during which choices of décor and products may be voted on by the public.  At the end of the voting period the selection will be revealed and incorporated into the home.

Elements for Voter Participation:

• Exterior paint and stone
• Cabinets, Granite tops and Hardware
• Flooring – Hardwood, Carpet, Tile Design
• Bath Design – Shower Tile design, Vanities designs and faucets
• Door handles, Lighting and Window Treatments
• Interior Paint Colors

This home, located at 4428 SW Shenandoah, is expected for completion Mid-Spring.   Carol, a licensed REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Griffith and Blair American Home and co-owner of Terry Ronnebaum Construction, Inc. stated, “The Let’s Design A House program is intended to increase interest while educating the public in new home construction in our community, show home buyers the many benefits of a new home and encourage community and small business involvement.”  Ronnebaums have co-sponsored this project with more than 20 contractors and local area businesses.  Some of these co-sponsors and vendors with show rooms will have on display the pre-selected voting options that its business is providing for the construction of the home.

Terry Ronnebaum Construction, Inc. has designed and built 100’s of homes in Topeka, Shawnee County and surrounding areas over the past 30 years. Carol noted, “We feel that this is a great opportunity to not only provide Topeka with a custom style new home but to also help to promote the building industry in our local area. “

Visit the Site today at LetsDesignAHouse.com or visit Coldwell Banker Griffith and Blair American Home at cbkansas.com.

Ronnebaum Construction and Terry and Carol Ronnebaum reserve the right to coordinate choices over the selection process.

Approximately twenty agents from Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair of Topeka and Lawrence joined over 600 Kansas REALTORS® at the 90th Annual Kansas Association of REALTORS® Convention in Wichita last week.

“This unusual real estate market requires REALTORS® to have the best and most current information available about everything from technology and social media to negotiation techniques,” said 2011 Kansas Association of REALTORS® President Jamie Holt of Wichita.  “The Annual Convention is a great place for REALTORS® from across the state to exchange information and ideas on how best to serve their clients.

“I’d like to commend the REALTORS® who attended this three-day event.  They have shown their commitment to quality service and professionalism by making the effort to come to Wichita to these extraordinary sessions,” Holt said.

“We sell the ‘American Dream’ every day when we help people find a home or a business location,” 2012 KAR President John Brocker of Iola said.  “But we also are lucky enough to live the American Dream by being entrepreneurs and small business owners.  While we each have our own challenges in the marketplace, we come together with the power of 7,000 members in order to advance the cause of home ownership and housing opportunities in Kansas.”

REALTORS® attended classes including “Microsoft Outlook for Real Estate” and “Reading the Signs of the Times” during the annual meeting.  The Kansas Association of REALTORS® handed out top awards at the Annual Convention, including the REALTOR® of the Year, Salesperson of the Year, and the Distinguished Service Award.

For more than 90 years, the Kansas Association of REALTORS® has been “The Voice for Real Estate” in Kansas.  The Association is a statewide community of professionals dedicated to education, research and information exchange.

New Flood Insurance Rate Maps issued by FEMA went into effect for Shawnee County on October 1, 2011. Some property owners with federally insured loans will be
getting notices from their lenders that they must obtain flood insurance or be in violation of the terms of their mortgage. There are probably about three people who actually read their mortgage when they bought or refinanced their home, but believe me, the requirement to obtain flood insurance if the property is in the flood zone is really in there.

A number of areas are new to the flood zone as of October 1 and you can check whether your property is included at snmapmod.snco.us. In an unrelated FEMA
determination, however, FEMA has ruled that the levee system protecting areas north of the Kansas River in Topeka is deficient, and since the levees were not upgraded to Post-Katrina FEMA standards by October 1, 2011, areas north of the river will be included in the high-risk flood area the next time FEMA prepares a new Flood Insurance Rate Map for Shawnee County. According to an article in the Topeka Capital-Journal on October 20, 2011, the map will not be redrawn until funds are available for such a project; and when money IS available, the process with be a 2 ½ to three-year project to complete.

What does this mean?

1. Unless the levee system is upgraded, there is an unknown area north of the Kansas River that will be included in the flood zone the next time the maps are drawn, so property owners with mortgages will be required by their lender to purchase flood insurance. (I’m guessing this area will roughly include property which was flooded in 1951.)

2. FEMA currently considers these properties to be at risk, but since the flood maps were just issued without this declaration, flood insurance will not be required by lenders.

3. But if FEMA considers the property to be at risk, shouldn’t owners have flood insurance for their own protection?

4. Flood insurance for properties not in flood zones on the map is relatively inexpensive.

5. Only government agencies can create such ridiculous circumstances.

6. Buy flood insurance if your property was under water in the 1951 flood; and if your property is in the flood zone hazard areas in the new map, buy flood insurance even if you don’t have a lender.

Sometimes I think home sellers look at the fourth quarter of the year as a hopeless time to accomplish their objective. Don’t let these fears be a self-fulfilling prophesy. I’ve looked at our company’s history of sales over the eight year period before 2010. (I ignored 2010 because the impact of the tax credit for homebuyers altered the normal proportions of home sales throughout the year.)

For those eight years, the average closed transactions in October, November and December equaled 22% of the years’ total sales. The average contracts written during the fourth quarter of those years was 18% of the total years’ written contracts. So, fourth quarter home sales are not the downer you might suspect.

Here’s one more thing to consider. Many of the home buyers in fourth quarter are moving to Topeka from outside our six-county trade area. In all likelihood, those buyers are moving here because of a job change. Last year, 12% of our company’s
fourth quarter buyers were from out of town. So, while the number of people looking for homes to buy might be less than other times of the year, they are serious buyers. Before you decide to wait until spring to put your house on the market, consider the serious buyers you might be missing, and the affordability that the current historic low interest rates produces.

Bryon Schlosser – Owner
Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair

Coldwell Banker Griffith & Blair American Home CEO Bryon Schlosser announced the implementation of an online transaction management system effective for all company transactions closing on or after September 12, 2011. The system, known as “My Transaction™” is licensed through MarketLinx, the real estate information technology division of Core Logic, LLC.

Through a password protected login system, agents and clients will be able to immediately transmit and view documents, inspections and communications impacting their purchase or sale of property. “This is more than just a digital storage file,” said John Ringgold, the company’s Fairlawn office Supervising Broker and technology consultant. “Home owners will be able to access their records for years after their purchase and upload new documents to maintain a permanent file cabinet for their home. If they put on a new roof or install a new furnace, they can upload the invoices and warranties. Major repairs or improvements could also be recorded online. This would be a valuable resource tool for investors as well as home owners.”

The system is marketed by Real Estate Business Resources (REBR), a division of the Kansas Association of REALTORS®. Karen France, President of REBR, has worked with Barbara Rodgers, Transaction Coordinator at Coldwell Banker, since February to enter the agent, client and vendor data necessary to implement the system. “Last month, we hosted an education session for other brokers, lenders, title companies, surveyors and inspectors who will benefit from the system,” said France. “We had very positive responses from the community, and
Barb’s work, along with that of the other Transaction Coordinators at Coldwell Banker, will make this program an immediate success in the community.”

“Transaction management software has been around for years,” acknowledged Schlosser, “but figuring out who would host the data and pay for the maintenance of the systems always stood in the way of utilizing the technology. Now that we can use ‘the cloud’ for storage, we concluded that this was a level of service that we needed to provide to our agents and clients to take advantage of other technologies in communication and data management.”

Even though the long-awaited September 30 date is almost here and Shawnee County’s new FEMA flood zone maps will soon be in effect, uncertainty still persists for new buyers of homes in flood zone areas.

First, the Senate has yet to extend the authority of the National Flood Insurance Program to underwrite flood insurance policies after September 30, 2011. The US House of Representatives has extended the program for five years, but still no action in the Senate. Last year a one-year extension was approved after 60 days of no authority. Thousands of home sales were delayed or cancelled because the buyers had no affordable market to buy the flood insurance required by their lender, so it looks like we could be in for the same political embarrassment again.

A new political battle will be harming residents of North Topeka after September 30th…this time a battle between federal agencies. FEMA has declared the levees protecting North Topeka in need of repair and has set September 30th as the date the work must be accomplished by the City of Topeka and the Corps of Engineers. The City has saved up its $9 million share of the cost, but the Corps doesn’t have its share of the renovation cost. FEMA is unwilling to extend the date for repairs to be complete, so effective October 1, the residents of some undefined area North of the Kansas River are officially ineffectively protected from the dangers of flooding.

So, I thought these areas would be required by the terms of their mortgages to obtain flood insurance on October 1, 2011. (Kind of ironic since Congress has yet to extend the authority of the National Flood Insurance Program.) However, FEMA commented last week that the Flood Insurance Rate Maps are what controls that requirement, so those residents north of the river can rely on the new map to avoid the requirement to obtain coverage. (They didn’t comment on the wisdom to self-insure against the risk of flooding.) They asserted it would take at least two years for new flood zone maps to be drawn and approved, so they think they aren’t doing any harm.

Well the harm is the uncertainty. Won’t all home sellers have to disclose that flood damage is likely without improved levees? Won’t all appraisers have to take into consideration that FEMA believes the area to be at risk? Won’t all home buyers have to be made aware of the risk that some day flood insurance might be required by their lender…or by common sense? And, what area north of the river is really at risk? I’m guessing it wouldn’t be any more than the land area that was covered in the 1951 flood, but there is no map from FEMA to tell us. Maybe we could get another government agency to help us.

Shawnee County and Topeka property owners will be experiencing some new flood zone
issues as of September 30th this year.

Issue # 1: After decades, FEMA has finalized new flood zone maps for the
county which will become effective September 30, 2011. Some new areas are included
in the high risk areas (notably areas along the Shunganunga Creek watershed) and some
areas have been removed (mainly areas which are newly developed where terrain was
raised or otherwise protected.) Structures in the flood zone areas are usually always
required to have flood insurance by the terms of their mortgages. Flood insurance may
also be purchased by homeowners who have no mortgages or whose properties are
outside the high risk area, and that might be a great subject to discuss with an insurance
agent.

Issue # 2: Flood insurance is underwritten by a federally backed program known
as the National Flood Insurance Program. The authority of this program to underwrite
flood insurance expires September 30 and must be extended by Congress in order for
flood insurance policies to be purchased. The House has passed a five-year extension for
NFIP, but the Senate has yet to vote on that bill. So, any flood insurance needed after
September 30 will have to wait for enabling legislation. Last year, Congress delayed
action for 60 days past the program’s expiration. With no flood insurance available, no
sales could take place where flood insurance was required until the legislation was signed
into law. It looks like we might be heading for that situation again.

Issue # 3: Areas north of the Kansas River (notably Oakland and other Topeka
properties flooded in 1951) are excluded from the high risk flood zone only because they
are protected by a system of levees and pumping stations. FEMA has declared these
levees to be in need of renovation and has warned Topeka and the US Corps of Engineers
that the flood zone exclusion for these areas will end on September 30 if renovations are
not complete. The Corps has agreed to pay 65% of the cost, but is without funding to
honor its grant. The City has its share of the funds in reserve, but can’t start without the
Corps of Engineer’s share of the estimated $24 million project. Without another
extension of time to perform from FEMA, many homeowners in North Topeka will be
getting a letter from their lender requiring flood insurance protection effective September
30.

So, would it be too much to ask for our government to act rationally?