January 2012

Jansen's Journal graphic

A newsletter with market trends, fun facts and helpful hints.

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! We hope you were able to spend time with family and friends over the holidays.


This new year is looking up. Existing-home sales rose again in November and remain above a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors®. And, according to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 3.99 percent in November from 4.07 percent in October; the rate was 4.30 percent in November 2010.

This continues to be a buyer's market. Now is a great time to buy a new home. Whether you're looking for a new home, or thinking of selling your current home, The Jansen Team can assist you. Feel free to contact us (402-330-5954) with any questions you have or to discuss how the current market affects you.

We will be posting a new Jansen's Journal each month, with articles, tips, Community News, Company News, and more. If you have suggestions, please let us know. We appreciate your feedback. Happy New Year!

Sincerely,
The Jansen Team
 

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Community News & Events

ReTree Midtown 
The Midtown Neighborhood Alliance received a $6,000 Trees For Nebraska Towns grant from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. The grant will help pay for 33 new trees for the Dundee-Memorial Park Association. The alliance will generate matching funds through its ReTree Midtown initiative. The alliance website, MidtownOmaha.org, has a map of the recent plantings.

Christmas Tree Recycling
You can recycle your Christmas tree during daylight hours through Jan. 10 at these Omaha metro area locations:

  • Tranquility Park, 120th Street & West Maple Road.
  • Brown Park, U Street between 15th and 18th Streets.
  • Orchard Park, 66th Street north of Hartman Avenue.
  • F Street Football Field, F Street east of 156th Street.
  • Ta Ha Zouka Park, 20801 Elkhorn Drive.
  • Kelly West Park, 87th Street & Park View Boulevard, La Vista.
  • Wehrspann Lake, Nebraska Highway 370 between Interstate 80 and 168th Street.
  • Old Sarpy County Landfill, 8902 Cedar Island Road, Bellevue.
  • Papillion Senior Center, 1001 Limerick Road in Papillion.
  • Papio Bay, 815 East Halleck St. in Papillion.
  • La Vista Sports Complex, 66th Street two blocks south of Harrison Street in La Vista.
  • Hughes Mulch Products, 3211 Keystone Drive. Open 8 am to 5 pm Monday - Saturday only.
Volunteers from the Rotary Clubs of Omaha and the Douglas/Sarpy Master Gardeners will staff the sites and help unload trees from 10 am to 4 pm Dec. 31 and Jan. 7-8. For more information, visit wasteline.org.

Habitat ReStore
To help fund the Habitat for Humanity projects and home building, they operate ReStore, a retail store for building supplies and household items. If you’re remodeling, consider donating your replaced or unused items. You can schedule a free Omaha clothing donation or building supply pick-up all over Douglas County, to help support the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Stores. 

Visit Habitat for Humanity for more information and to check pick-up times.

 

FREE Omaha Area Activities

Union Pacific Museum
Visitors to the Union Pacific Railroad Museum have the chance to take advantage of Union Pacific’s upcoming 150th anniversary with guided tours featuring exhibits and photographs on the second Saturday of each month, at 11 am and 2 pm, now through Mar 10, 2012.

For more information, visit the Union Pacific Museum site.

Joslyn Art Museum
As Nebraska’s largest and most distinguished art museum, Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha has served as the premier center for visual art since opening in 1931. Joslyn's collection features work from antiquity to the present, with an emphasis on 19th- and 20th-century European and American art. 

FREE: The general public is admitted free on Saturdays, 10 am to noon, funded by a grant from the Peter Kiewit Foundation.

Whole Foods
Whole Foods has several FREE events throughout the month of January. These include: Intro to Health, Homeopathy Empowerment for Acute and Chronic Disease, Sweet Experiment, Resolve to Lose Weight, and more. They also offer cooking classes for both children and adults, for a small fee.

For more information, visit Whole Food Calender.

Omaha Public Libraries
The Omaha Public Library holds frequents activities daily at all locations. These include reading groups and crafts for toddlers and pre-schoolers, for children and teenagers. They also have book discussion groups for adults, as well as other activities.

To view their calendar, go to Omaha Public Library Calendar.

Kids Eat FREE

  • Paradise Bakery, Village Pointe and Regency locations. Monday-Friday after 4PM: one FREE kid's meal per adult entree purchase.
  • Genji Japanese Steakhouse, 14529 West Center. Wednesday 5-9PM: one FREE kid's meal per adult entree purchase.
  • PepperJax Grill, 2429 S. 132nd street. Wednesday 5-9PM: TWO FREE kids meals per adult entree purchase.
  • Fuddruckers, 7059 Dodge. Mondays. One FREE kids meal with each adult meal.
  • Denny's, all Omaha locations. 4PM - 10PM. Days of offer may vary. Call ahead to confirm.
For more Kids Eat FREE locations, visit KidsEatFor.com and KidsMealDeals.com

 

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Featured Home

This well designed custom ranch has been recently renovated by Capstone Construction. Like new, this open plan has beautiful tile flooring, 9 and 12 foot ceilings, fresh paint inside and out, new carpet, flooring, new lighting, fixtures and more! You will appreciate the attention to detail here! The gorgeous kitchen has wood flooring, new granite counters, a spacious pantry, tiled backsplash lots of cabinets and storage space and a bright, open dining area. Another great feature is the stunning formal dining room. The kitchen overlooks the large great room with fireplace. Enjoy the formal dining room,The welcoming master suite offers a walk in closet and full bath with a whirlpool tub, separate shower and dual sinks. A full bath, 2nd bedroom and 3rd bedroom (or office) completes the main floor. This floor plan is ideal for entertaining or simply enjoying your surroundings. This gorgeous ranch also has a spacious 3 car garage and sits on a corner lot. The lower level has been sheet rocked and is ready for your finishes. This popular Bellevue location is just moments to Offutt Air Force Base, shopping, dining and freeway access. Make this your new home today!
Take a look at everything this house has to offer.		 Tulip Lane, Bellevue, Nebraska (NE)
2512 Tulip Lane
Bellevue, NE
$189,900

Market Trends

Each new Market Trends report comes out mid-month. Look for it in your email.



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ServiceOne Tip of the Month


Did you know that ServiceOne offers an extensive "Do-It-Yourself" repair library?A simple, easy to use resource library on how to fix common household problems.

And, if the problem is something you cannot solve, ServiceOne is always here for you.

Visit ServiceOne for information on their extensive services.

 Service One

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Congratulations and Welcome to...


We are excited for Aaron Billings, who purchased his new home on December 1st. Jansen Team member, Mike Horacek.


Welcome home Klayton & Stephanie Kopecky who completed their purchase of new construction home on December 13th, with Jansen Team agent Vickie Taylor.

Congrats to Michael Orange, who purchased his new home on December 21st doing a special FHA loan product to purchase a HUD home to fix up. Great Job Ken Jansen!

Congrats to Dibar Enterprises, whose motto is “Home of the World’s Best Tenants.” Lisa Jansen sold him another investment property. If you are looking for a great rental opportunity in the mid-town location, give them a call!

December was quite a month. We'd like to congratulate all of you on your purchases. And, thank you for letting The Jansen Team be a part of your home buying and selling process!!

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 Ken Did It Again, Jansen Team Real Estate


Lisa Jansen Bartholow, Mike Horacek, Ken Jansen, 
Vickie Taylor, Karen Kisickie, Pat Jansen, Bridget Jansen

Happy Clients

Vickie,
Thank you so much for being awesome! You made buying our first home fun. I appreciate all of the long hours, gas, time & patience you had for us. If I had a million dollars, I would give it to you:) You're the best! Have a great day!
Kristina, Josh
& Charlie

Read more Jansen Team Testimonials

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Featured Article

Tax Returns: Organization & Record Keeping
by Tricia Riggins, CPA, Tax Partner – Frankel Zacharia LLC

 

Being organized and keeping good records are essential for accurately preparing your tax return. This is especially important for those who are “self-employed,” as these returns require additional receipts and documentation. If you haven’t been as organized as you’d like in the past, it is time to start the year off fresh with an organized tax file.

Here are four tips which will make tax filing an easier and less stressful process:

  • Gather your tax documents. You should receive most of your 2011 documents, such as 1099’s, W-2’s, mortgage statements (1098’s), etc. by February 15, 2012. If you think you are missing a document, much of this information can be found online.
  • Collect and organize your receipts. Organize your box of receipts into categories of expenses. If you have a small business, keep these receipts separate from your personal expenses. Don’t forget to add up your mileage for both business and charity.
  • Know your filing options. First you need to decide if you want to prepare your own return or hire a professional. If you choose to prepare your own return, and your income is less than $58,000, you can file your federal return for free on the IRS website. A fee may be charged for state returns. However, if your return is more complex, my last tip is:
  • Find a reliable tax preparer. With the complexity of tax law increasing every year, it is more difficult for an individual to prepare his/her own return.

To contact Tricia, visit Frankel Zacharia, LLC.

Happy New Year and best wishes for a stress-free tax filing!

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Joe Iaccheri Regent Financial  30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage
  Matches All-Time Record Low!



For the first time ever, the average cost of homeownership has dipped below the average cost of renting. If ever there was a good time to buy a home, THAT TIME IS NOW. Prices are ideal, rates have never been better... what are you waiting for? Call Joe Iaccheri at Regent Financial Group, the preferred lending coordinator for The Jansen Team and get the ball rolling today!

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real estate cartoon

 Jansen's Journal

We will be emailing and posting a Newsletter each month. We appreciate any feedback you'd like to give, questions and comments, and suggestions for future issues. If you do not currently receive notification of new issues, please sign up.

 

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If you would like to discuss selling or buying a home, have questions or feedback, please contact The Jansen Team at 402-330-5954,
or contact us via email.

 


for news, updates 
and postings of new listings.

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