Jonesboro - Economic Advancement

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Total Sales Tax Receipts by Month for Craighead County
(1% County Sales Tax)

110 new business licenses were issued by the City of Jonesboro in the 3rd Quarter.

WORK FORCE

Within a one hour drive of Jonesboro, there is a total population of over 395,000.





CONSTRUCTION

Total Value of Commercial Building Permits Year to date: January - September

HOUSING

Source Jonesboro Board of Realtors

Jan 2010 - Sep 2010

Sheila Conkling sold 60% of new homes $300,000 & above

Jan.2010-Sept 2010

Sheila Conkling sold 25% of existing homes $400,000 & above

50% of existing homes $500,000 & above

COST OF LIVING

ACCRA Cost of Living Index



The ACCRA Cost of Living Index measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating places, both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan, equals 100, and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.

Sources:

Craighead County Treasurer's Office

U.S. Census Bureau 2009 Estimates

Arkansas Department of Workforce

City of Jonesboro Building Inspections Department

Jonesboro Board of Realtors

The Council for Community and Economic Research ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Jonesboro Unlimited

Shopping Fun In Jonesboro

I went shopping this past weekend in search for the final piece needed for my one year old son's room, a mirror. After searching for several months, I finally found the "right one" at Pier One. They had a new shipment of mirrors come in and I was so excited that my exhausting hunt was over. After bringing it home and placing it in Heath's room, I felt the time and wait was well worth it.

After scoring the mirror, I headed over to Baby Gap at Turtle Creek Mall to save 45% with a special coupon I received via email.  Looked like the local economy was doing good. The mall was bustling with people and shoppers were buying.  For my profession, signs of a good economy makes for a delightful view.

My last stop was at WEEKENDS by Gamble Home Furnishings.  After visiting their website and blog, I've been wanting to stop in their store and check it out for a while.  My buyer clients' often ask me what local furniture stores I recommend, so I like to check out all the stores in Jonesboro.  Plus, furniture and home accessories are my two favorite things to shop for.  Upon entering, I knew I was in trouble.  I immediately spotted several pieces I liked and some I knew a few friends would like as well.  I sell a lot of European style homes and this place is a great find for imported "old world" flair items.  They also carry modern, chic and shabby!  From pottery to imported cabinets, rugs to abstract paintings, elegant dining to stylish bedroom furniture, or casual living items to exotic outdoor pieces, you'll find a treasure(s) here for sure.  Prices are great too...always a plus!!!  I'm so glad I stopped in and the retail clerks were very friendly and helpful.  When I left, I didn't leave empty handed and neither will you.  It's almost a guarantee you'll find something you just have to have.

WEEKENDS by Gamble Home Furnishings is located at 5301 HWY 49 between Jonesboro and Brookland.  Coming from Jonesboro, they'll be on the right.  They are open for business Friday, Saturday and Sunday.   Expansion plans are underway too.  They are expanding their store by adding an additional 10,000 more sq. ft. to their showroom.  To find out more about WEEKENDS by Gamble Home Furnishings, you can visit their website at www.weekendsgamble.com/  Even though it's a nice site, the photos do not paint a true picture of their showroom items.  You truly have to see and shop in person.

Below are some pics I snapped with my phone for a friend who was looking for old world pieces and outdoor pottery.

Happy Shopping!







Two New Restaurants Coming to Jonesboro

If you don't already know, Red Lobster and Longhorn Steakhouse is coming to Jonesboro. 

Darden Restaurants announced the locations of the two new restaurants.  Red Lobster will build a 7,091 square foot restaurant that will seat 244 and LongHorn Steakhouse will build a 5,545 square foot restaurant that will seat 204.   Both will be located in the 2600 block of Stadium Blvd.

Red Lobster, owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc., is the world's largest casual dining seafood restaurant, with nearly 700 locations in the United States and Canada, about 60,000 employees and total sales of $2.5 billion. The iconic brand introduced fresh, delicious seafood to America. (according to Gray New York)
You can read all about Red Lobster plus view their menu and nutrition information on their website.

Red Lobster Website

According to their website, LongHorn Steakhouse, also owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc., operates more than 330 restaurants in 32 states.

Known for its passion for grillling inspired by the American West, LongHorn Steakhouse serves steaks, chicken and fish.  They have been in business for almost 28 years. 

I personally have never ate at a LongHorn Steakhouse, but am glad to see another steakhouse come to Jonesboro and will certainly give it a try.  You can read all about LongHorn Steakhouse, view their menu, and get grilling tips and recipes by visiting their website.

LongHorn Steakhouse Website

Glamour Shot Stars Not Wanted: Buyers And Sellers Want Service, Not Agent Ego.

Even if you’re not already, imagine you want to look for and purchase a home in Jonesboro or the surrounding area.

How do you start the process?

Do you get online and think, “First, I must find the agent with the nicest pictures of him/herself, because I think that person will help me find my "perfect" home and at the right price.” No?

Do you think, “I'm not really interested in a home, I am looking for a real estate ‘Team.’ I want the biggest team, with the most impressive self promotion, or maybe the best looking team.  That’s who I want to work in finding my home.”

Of course not.  Most likely, you want to know how’s the market, what is for sale, current interest rates, school information, and what factors that are specific to Jonesboro that you should consider.

What about sellers of Jonesboro property?

Do sellers think, “I want the agent that will do the absolute minimum to promote my home, but the maximum to promote him/herself?” No?

Or what about, “I want to provide a team the perfect opportunity to put flyers all over my home and have ads all over the place that emphasizes the benefits of ‘the team,‘ and not my home.” Of course not.

We now live in the information age.  Today’s buyers and sellers of real estate in Jonesboro (and around the nation) are not interested in agents’ egos. They are interested in real estate and work with agents only to the extent that they help them meet their goals.

How can you tell the difference?  All agents will tell you how specialized their marketing is for each home. Really?

Study the agent’s current listings to see if there is any difference. How many photos do they take? Are they quality photos or poor quality photos (dark photos, grainy photos, etc) that actually turn away buyers?  Like people, every home is different.   Do they highlight each home’s selling points, whatever those may be?

What about online tours or a custom website of each listing? Is it truly a tour, or is it just a slide show, a repeat of their pictures, with no explanation, set to elevator music?

I'm big on marketing real estate.  I practice what I preach. Just one example of the many ways I customize is my creation of >a custom website, designed for each listed home, with descriptions, overviews, to highlight selling features.  I also take high quality photos and use an add on wide angle lens to capture the entire room.  Before placing them online, I spend an hour to two hours editing the photos in photoshop to ensure crisp, bright, and clear photos.  I do this for my listed properties and for buyers looking at them. 

I do understand the importance of why we Realtors need to brand ourselves and our business, but not at the expense of our buyers and sellers.  No, you won’t have to stare at my Glamour Shot during the tour or hear how wonderful I am.  Again, I keep the focus on the property, and away from ego.

This approach works for both buyers and sellers and creates an experience that gets me on my clients’ party and Christmas card lists, instead of the list of people they avoid when they spot them out in public.

Jonesboro buyers and sellers – let’s meet and talk about how I can serve you.

Sheila

WINNERS FROM HOME HUNTER'S WEEKEND

Congratulations to the winners of the drawings from the Home Hunter's Weekend.

$2,000 Of Landscaping From SARTINS
David Cook
Cherry Valley, AR

$2,000 Couch from SWANK
Cheryl Goad
Jonesboro AR

ARE BED BUGS IN JONESBORO, AR?

Stories about bed bugs seem to be everyplace lately.   I can’t seem to pick up a newspaper or listen to the news without seeing or hearing about another bed bug story.  There was even a recent Bed Bug Summit in Illinois, the event was completely sold out.   One article I read said that “a survey of pest managers by the University of Sydney Department of Medical Entomology shows the bed bug infestations have increased 5000 percent since 2000″.   Another article was about how many department stores are having a problem, due to clothes being imported from other countries.  The article recommended drying any new clothing items before bringing them into your home.  Cheez!

At one point bed bugs were mostly eradicated after World War II from most developed nations with the use of DDT. But this pesticide has since been banned because it’s so toxic to the environment.

With their recent increase, there seems to be many different thoughts on how to get rid of them; ranging from freezing them to roasting them.  The best suggestion seems to be to contact a licensed exterminator; as they are the experts.   Also, it’s important to remember that even though they can bite and cause red welts; experts say they don’t carry any type of disease.  Like this makes me feel better.  Just the thought of sleeping with bugs, who only come out at night, and bite and suck your blood, gives me the heebie jeebies.

From everything I've read, it's best to avoid them getting into your home.  Bed bugs don't care if they live in a runned down shack deep in the woods, or a luxurious multi-million estate.  Once in your home, it's a nightmare (no pun intended) and turns into a real war zone.   Here’s a couple of tips to help avoid them:

• Be vigilant when acquiring used furnishings, especially beds and couches.
• Curbside items should be avoided, and secondhand articles should be examined closely before being brought into the home, and perhaps laundered or placed in a dryer.
• It may be prudent upon returning home from a trip (before unpacking) to place all clothing in disposable plastic bags and directly into the washer and/or dryer.
• Check out your hotel bed for signs of bed bugs and place your luggage in bathroom with light on.

There is even a website, called Bed Bug Registry, where you can search by state (type in abbreviation, inex: AR)  and will show you the names of places that have been reported to have bed bugs.  Be sure to check out their resources page for information on how to check a hotel room for signs of bed bugs.  (includes pics)

Hope this helps to keep all of us bed bug "free"!  I'm itching just writing about it.

Sheila

STATS FOR OCTOBER, 2010

Average Price of Active Listings:
September 2009: $124,837
September 2010: $132,582

Number of Active Listings:
September 2009: 853
September 2010: 991

Number of Listings Sold:
September 2009: 125
September 2010: 104

Average Price of Sold Listings:
September 2009: $119,498
September 2010: $126,024

MLS Sold Volume (YTD):
January 1, 2009—September 30, 2009
$153,169,892
January 1, 2010—September 30, 2010
$168,853,217

Closed over a million in residential transactions for the month of September.  Thank you to each of my clients for helping to make September another successful month!  I appreciate you and your business!

Sheila

Personal Property and Real Estate Taxes Deadline

Received an email from Arkansas.gov and wanted to share the following information.

The October Personal Property and Real Estate tax deadline is midnight October the 12th. Make your payment now and avoid delinquent fees.

Most Arkansas County Collectors offer Arkansas residents additional methods to pay personal property and real estate taxes

• online at >http://www.arkansas.gov/
• through a mobile smartphone device with Internet access at >http://www.mobile.ar.gov/

Many collectors offer over-the-counter credit card payments on site. Check the full listing of counties and deadlines available at >http://www.arkansas.gov/

You can now pay your Personal Property and Real Estate tax payments online, mobile or by phone. Currently, 35 Arkansas counties offer secure, convenient payment options using Visa, MasterCard, Discover and eChecks.

26 counties now offer a mobile (Smartphone) solution allowing partial or total tax balance payments when using a credit card. Check to see if your county is providing this service.

To access the online, mobile (Smartphone) or phone payment options, go to our >Tax Center to find your county link and available services.

Information courtesy of Arkansas.gov

Sheila

5 Reasons to Buy a Home TODAY!

"5 Reasons to Buy a Home TODAY!" Below are the top 5 reasons any renter should look at the opportunity of home ownership today in the Jonesboro, AR area:

1. Real Estate is a Great Long Term Investment.

Mike Mandel, former Chief Economist at BusinessWeek said "We've just had the biggest boom and bust in recent history. Nevertheless, real estate has still greatly outperformed the stock market over the past 10 years."



2. A Home is a Better Place to Raise a Family.

When Fannie Mae asked current renters for the major reason to buy a house in their National Housing Survey 2010, these were the answers renters gave (they could pick multiple answers):

•78% said it was a good place to raise children

•75% said because they would feel safe

•70% said because you have control of your own space

3. A Home Creates a Sense of Community

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York just published a paper The Homeownership Gap. The paper explained:
"Because owners have a financial interest in their property, they have incentives to take measures that will maintain or increase the value of that property. Some of these measures-such as fixing a leaky roof-are closely related to the house itself. Others, such as investing resources in the betterment of the neighborhood and the community, have broader beneficial effects on the local area, creating what economists call 'positive externalities'."

4. It is Cheaper to Own Than Rent in Many Parts of the Country (It is in Jonesboro, AR)

Housing Wire just reported on a Credit Suisse study:
"While a segment of the renting population continues to rent, many are looking to dip their toes in the homeownership waters. Credit Suisse said the percentage of median household income needed to pay the mortgage on a median priced home is at a 30-year low... Low mortgage rates and property values makes homeownership more attractive than renting for many. In many markets - including Washington DC, California's Inland Empire, Las Vegas and Phoenix - paying for a mortgage is less expensive than renting."

5. The People Who Do Buy a Home Don't Regret It

Probably the best people to ask if buying a home makes sense are the people who currently own homes. A recent national poll commissioned by Bankrate.com found:
"Ninety percent of homeowners say they don't regret buying their home despite a nationwide tsunami of foreclosures, short sales and loan modifications."

Sheila

Jonesboro Newcomers' Club

As a Realtor, I have sold many homes to families who have transferred to Jonesboro from another area or state. I have found for some women this can be very stressful and a lonely time. They miss their friends back home, involvement in the community, and just miss "girl" companionship.   I have spent many lunches and hours on the phone sympathizing with such women who all became friends of mine.   I just found out and am excited about The Jonesboro Newcomers' Club.  I love the concept! It is to help ease womens transition into Jonesboro. They have a monthly meeting with a short program, snacks and visiting. The group also has activities during the month for members, such as, Bunko, Bridge, Play Group, Lunch Bunch.   They always meet the 1st Thursday of the month at the Jonesboro Library Round Room at 7 pm. You can visit their facebook page for upcoming programs and further information.  In the future, I will suggest this group to every woman who is a newcomer to Jonesboro. 

"> Visit their facebook page by clicking here

Sheila