Did You know:

That you're not supposed to just throw old electronics in the trash!  They apparently can contain products such as mercury, lead, flame retardants, and more, which can leak out, causing problems for many plants, animals, and of course - us human types!  It may even be contributing to some cancers!  

What the heck is electronic waste?

Items with electronic pieces, of course.  This would be things such as cell phones, computers, video game consoles, TV's, pagers, etc.  This does NOT include big items such as fridges and stoves, though a select few might have parts that are electronic.  

So what are you supposed to do with this Electronic Waste?  

Duh! Recycle it!

Let me expand that a bit - First, you should always try to reuse items.  Is there another purpose you can put it to?  Can you sell it to someone else who needs it?  Can you donate it?  Can you even just give it away (check your local freecycle!)?  

Then you should consider recycling!  There are many places that take various types of this waste for you.  Here's a list of who will take what:  HERE  It's so much easier though to find one place and ditch it all!  So pay attention, because here is how you do just that:

See if you can repurpose your electronics before then, but if not, clean out the clutter and head down to the Coliseum to ditch it safely, and free!


Until Next Time!

~Sheree~

Foreclosures Foreclosures!

They're all over the news and they are all the latest rage for those out home-shopping.  Realtors, newscasters, and others toss out those terms REO, HUD, and more like they're just another piece of the alphabet.  But what do they really mean??

There's basically 3 types of foreclosures - REO, HUD, and VA.  Then you have Short Sales - which is a pre-foreclosure type.  

1. HUD - Housing and Urban Development owned - these homes were originally bought by someone with FHA financing, who then defaulted on the loan.  They are basically government owned at this point.  HUD homes generally come on the market with an initial bid period ending on a Sunday.  Offers are put in by real estate brokers online and the winners notified so that paperwork can be completed.  HUD's offer a couple of nice advantages in that they provide an up-front inspection that should identify some issues (of course, your own more thorough inspection is highly recommended) and they note whether a home is FHA insurable or an escrow amount for FHA insurability.  
2. VA - Veteran's Administration owned - these homes were originally bought with a VA loan (military) and were then defaulted on.  Generally you see fewer of these, at least in our area. 
3. REO - Real Estate Owned by the bank - these homes were bought the usual way through any number of methods, banks, lenders, trusts, etc.  The buyers of these homes defaulted on their loan and the lending bank took the home back and is now trying to sell it.  REO's can have a myriad of different owners, procedures, requirements, or more, based on the wants/needs of the owner bank. 

Those are the three types of foreclosures for sale.  This takes a various timeframe depending on the lender who repossessed the bank, area it's in, etc.  Sometimes these homes sit empty for months at a time while all the paperwork is filed and gets to the right place before it finally goes on the market.  

And then there's the popular catch-phrase of today's real estate world - short sale!

• A Short Sale is not yet foreclosed.  These are sales being made in which the market value of the home is now less than what is owed on the home, leaving the owner in a negative equity situation.  The mortgage company for the owner has to approve a loss on the home, or a short of what is owed them.  Most times it is also a case where the seller has stopped paying and is iminent danger of foreclosure, but not all cases are this way.  Compared to bank-owned, they are generally in better shape and still lived in (at least here they are!).  Many can just be moved right into with only a little work.  The worst part of a short sale is that there's no guarantee the bank will allow the loss to happen and they generally take a long time to decide, sometimes as long as 6-8 months.  Some are faster than others. 

There you go!  A brief rundown on what all the lovely foreclosed acronyms mean.  I'd be happy to take you out looking - bring your flashlight!

Often overlooked in the prepping your home for sale arena - Carpet cleaning!  

I know we mention that your home should be clean, ditch the stains, but for some reason most people jump straight to the "I don't want to replace the carpet!" response!   Folks, you'd be amazed at what a good carpet cleaner can do for your carpets!

For the Wichita area, I personally have tried oh, about 8 carpet cleaners.  

And have finally discovered the one I will be sticking with.  

Let me preface this with the fact that I have 3 kids, 2 being rowdy boys who spill everything, and the 3rd being of the drooling, bottle dropping variety.  I also have 2 dogs, 1 large to get the majority of the carpet dirty, and a small one to reach the spots that the bigger one can't fit into!  So needless to say, my carpets get filthy quick and need cleaning often.  Popsicles, milk, candy, mud, potty accidents, you name it, it's probably been in my carpet!  

So I'd get them cleaned every few months. Sometimes it'd stay sticky afterwards - YUCK!!! Sometimes the old stains would be back, albeit lighter, within the month!  Then I got lucky and met Andrew Armstrong, owner of City Steam Clean.  At that point, I'm skeptical of carpet cleaner claims.  But gave it a whirl.  He came over and cleaned my living room, hall, and 1 bedroom.  Then he sat there and talked to me about how to take care of carpets, what damages them, what damage looks like, life expectancy and how to maintain it, and more!  The good part - he was actually one of the cheaper ones I used!  The best part - no stains came back, the carpets weren't sticky, and they smelled wonderful for quite a while!!

He is now my exclusive carpet cleaner, and I've also had him do a few of my listings too!  Everyone has been thrilled!

If you're thinking of putting your home on the market, and you've got sticky stains, don't think you need to replace the carpet!  Call City Steam Clean and see what a wonderful job Andrew can do for you!  If you're not selling but looking for a good carpet cleaner, he has my hearty recommendation!  

Give him a call at 316-641-4784 !! You won't regret it!  And tell him that Sheree sent you!

Need more tips to get your home ready to sell?  Schedule a walk-through today!  I'll preview your home and leave you with a honey-do list to get ready!  

 

 

 

I love kitty cats!

I've had cats since I was oh.... born.  We've never been without a cat in my household until recently when I married my severely allergic husband.  We're working on that....

But I'm extremely fond of them and you'll find me lingering at most any listing that has its own feline inhabitant.  I have even adopted the neighborhood Tom cat and he has a dish in my garage!

So I'd like to think that I knew quite a bit about cats and how to take care of them, having spent the last couple of decades with kitties! 

I found this site: http://www.yourspecialcat.com/  and learned several things I didn't know!

For instance, did you know that kitties are lactose intolerant and should not drink milk?  But they do sell a special variety of milk on Amazon just for poor little kitties to drink. Check out Four Common Foods your cat should avoid for a couple of more surprises! 

The site even has a health section helping you ease your cat's symptoms when they too get the common cold or become the never-ending hairball machine. 

All in all, it was a neat site and had a few surprises for me, so I wanted to pass that on to the kitty lovers in my life!

 

Meow!

~Sheree

As we start out 2009, I'd like to trot out my current selection of stunning homes designed to tempt you to move all your new Christmas goodies somewhere you'll enjoy more!

Like this gorgeous, superbly maintained 4 bedroom quad home in SE Wichita near Harry and Woodlawn/Rock.

 This home is tucked up between two parks with lots of areas for kids to play, but on a quiet dead-end street!  You'll enjoy the lush new lawn and sprinkler system on your fenced-in lot, as well as a brand new patio area where you can sit out and enjoy the day.   Inside you'll find a large living room, formal dining with built-ins, gorgeous wood-beamed family room with wood-burning brick fireplace, large game room with wet bar, basement workshop, and a home that has been loved and well taken care of.   The price has been reduced and we'll even throw in moving truck rentals to get you settled!  
Only $134,500, plus get a free flat screen tv!




Or maybe you'd like to get away from it all, by moving outside the Big City?  

Then check out this beauty by the Suppesville Golf Course!  Near to Milton, Norwich, and Cheney, and just 25 minutes from Wichita, you'll enjoy peace and quiet out here!  1 acre lot provides ample parking in addition to the brand new 2 car garage!    This sweet home will have you sunning in the large living room with arched window, or reading by the gorgeous fireplace.  Or perhaps you'll be cooking up good memories in the huge open kitchen, or putting together the latest scrapbook in the nearby hobby room.  With 3 bedrooms upstairs PLUS the office, there's room for you all!  The full basement has one room finished but is ready for you to do more!  
A bargain at $84,900 (qualifies for KHRC grant money!)



Want to earn some sweat equity or just going easy on the pocketbook?  

You should try this home, conveniently located near the river, with its beautiful walking paths and entertainment!  You'll find character and charm from the outside in!  Living room and 2 main floor bedrooms have hardwoods under carpet.  Master has walk-in closet and sliders to side porch.  The garage may look like a 1 car, but is 2 cars deep with drive-thru garage doors!  And check out the huge family room add-on, with fireplace, built-in shelving, skylight, and sliders to the patio.  PLUS a finished basement with "bed"room, full bath, and laundry! All you need is some love and care to take over maintenance on this one -  one good weekend will fix most of her ills.  Would be a lovely first home or make a swell rental!
Priced $5,000 under appraisal in light of needed repairs!  Steal this one for $76,900!

Thinking about building with style in a cool East-side Neighborhood?

Then you'll definitely want to drive by this lot and check it out! One of the few remaining half acre cul-de-sac lots left in the Bellagio of Belle Terre South, with its gorgeous landscaping, walking paths, stone bridge, and more!  Graded for a full walk-out basement, this lot has low specials remaining and a great location!  Beat inflation, pay what they paid when they bought it!  

A great deal at just $19,999!



For more homes that might float your boat, visit my website at www.kansashomebuzz.com or just click below:


Make an Offer on any of the above homes!  

Call/Email/Text:

Sheree Wilkerson

316.461.0575
sheree@rwwichita.com

Some of these should be no-brainers, but I can't tell you how many times I have shown a home and seen things I shouldn't have.  Everything from a foreclosure notice on the counter to court papers.   Not only are these private things that may give info you don't want about items such as your social security, phone number, spouse's location, etc.  But it could also give away your selling motives and perceived level of desperation. 

Some excellent advice follows!

Don't just Toss that Tree in the Trash - Recyle it!

There are 19 locations in the Wichita and Sedgwick County area that are accepting trees for recycling.  They take the tress and chip them into mulch.  The mulch is free to anyone who wants it!   They do ask that you remove all decorations, of course, before dropping it off.  

They are open until January 23!

Here's some locations for you:

Boston Park - 6655 E. Zimmerly
College Hill United Methodist Church - First/Erie Street
Edgemoor park - 5815 E. Ninth St
Great Plains Nature Center - 6232 E. 29th St N.

Buffalo Park - 10209 Hardtner (near Central/Maize)
Extension Center - 7001 W. 21st St (21st/Ridge)
Old Cowtown Museum - 1865 Museum Blvd
Osage Park - 2121 W. 31st St South
Linwood Park - Hydraulic/Mt Vernon

Cheney - East South Ave/Garfield

Clearwater - Aquatic Center Parking Lot

Colwich - 115 S. Third St

Garden Plain - 23rd St/Main

Kechi - 107 Sioux St

Maize - 12000 W. 29th St N

Mt Hope - 400 S. St Thomas

Mulvane - 117 E. Main St

Park City - 6801 N. Hydraulic

Valley Center - The City Park near the Railroad tracks

Turn those poor trees into something useful, even after the glitz and lights are gone!  And hey, maybe you need some mulch too!

Have a wonderful New Year!

~Sheree ~

 Autism Product Review - Time Teller Clock

One of our big problems with our autistic son is his lack of understanding of verbal instructions or non-visual information in general.  The concept of time was very difficult to get across to him, resulting in tons of frustrated meltdowns when changes came sooner or later than he wanted them to.  The largest issue with this came when he started school.  Without any understanding of how much time he had to complete a task, he kept his perfectionist ways going until he ran out of time, then would meltdown when the activities changed, because he wasn't finished with the task at hand.  Despite numerous warnings on how long was left, attempts to help with his work, and lessening how much work he had, he continued to meltdown (which for him involves screaming, running, throwing, hitting, etc).  

I started searching for some visual way to show him how long he had left for tasks or how long until a change was coming, and I stumbled across these clocks.  As with many special needs products, you just have to suck up and buy it and see if it works for your kid.   So I ordered it and two weeks later, had this:

I demo'd it for his teacher and she put it into use immediately.  Within two days of implementing this clock, meltdowns lessened and he began focusing more on getting done because he could tell how long he had left.  It also curbed his incessant whining about when they'd get to do another activity and helped him through the ones he hated by being able to see how long till it was over with.    Within weeks, ALL the kids in the class would ask to see how much time was left till lunch on Emerson's clock!  

The school ordered their own, and ours is now back at home helping him.   If you have a child with autism or problems relating verbally, I highly recommend this product.  It was everything we hoped it would be and more, unlike some useless special needs things we have laying around now! Well worth the money!

They have various sizes, those with noises at the 0 mark too in addition to the visual.  I got one without the dinger since he is also sensitive to noises.  I also got the 8 inch clock, which is a nice good size to setup on the Entertainment Center or table and still be clearly visible.  

Check them out at:  
www.timetimer.com

 

 

~  Sheree ~

I found this post to be very informative and helpful!  All of us have that dream house we've built up in our minds, and it's hard to shake that ideal when looking.  Sometimes we ignore a perfect gem because there just might be a better one out there.  Just like we can't find a husband that does what we want 100% of the time, but we're happy all the same, we can find homes that meet almost all of our needs and be perfectly happy with them!

Or we can keep searching for House Charming, and wind up never moving!

Here in Kansas, we are Fireplace Addicts!

Every buyer I run into wants a fireplace or somewhere they can put a fireplace!  The newest and latest in that is the Direct-Vent Fireplace, which doesn't require a chimney so can be put most anywhere as it vents straight outside.   Often overlooked is the safety factor of the exterior portion.  I have run into this many times, so wanted to share my friend Russel's wisdom on this!

~Sheree

It's time for another episode of:

Captain Jamie!

A rousing escapade of bold daring and cunning adventures by a 3 year old boy!

After performing wrestling moves that should have won me an Olympic Gold medal, I have finally gotten my 3yo dressed.  Knowing the acrobatics needed, I have yet to do my makeup and hair, so I leave Jamie happily playing with toys in the living room as I sneak off to brush my hair and apply my face-cover that lets me pretend I've slept lately. 

A mere 7 minutes later, I stroll out with my laptop, ready to pack my briefcase and load the car, when I hear my husband scream.  Dashing into the kitchen, I round the corner and see:

My husband is holding aloft the offending weapon, moaning "Permanent, it says Permanent marker, permanent!"  Jamie has dashed off to hide somewhere, knowing he's about to lose all toys to pay for a countertop. 

Now on the one hand, I want new countertops, and I am proud of his good lettering (he spells very very well for 3, although he does like to make up words like wielwxe and he has excellent handwriting!), the other side of me is banging my head into the wall.  The laminate floor incident was one thing, but this! This says Permanent!

Remembering the last adventure, I whipped out a Magic Eraser, recommended by many readers.  That gets a good bit off, but you can still read the letters.  Hmmmm.....

So I brought out my gold standard - the good ole Soft Scrub with Bleach.  Yes, the same soft scrub that removed the hi-liter from the white laminate tiles.  I apply to a paper towel, close my eyes and scrub a bit.  Peeking an eyelid open, scared of seeing the definition of Permanent, I almost screeched to see an 'e' nicely erased! 

Soon my boring blah countertops were back to their usual, my 3yo was saved from having his Christmas presents garnished, and my husband's heart medication was able to kick in.   Yay!

The end of another adventure of Captain Jamie!

Now.... to figure out where that marker came from.... kiddie contraband????

Adios!

 

Sheree

 

Previous Episode:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/419200/Hi-liters-and-Laminate-Flooring

 

What can I get in Wichita for that much $$$?

Many times I find folks coming here from areas are surprised by how much home they can get for their money here.  I thought it'd be fun to do a quick review and show you some of what you can get in various price ranges here in Wichita!

What can I get for $50,000?
 You could get this 1920's starter home in South-East Wichita,
  where all appliances are included, even washer and dryer.  
 
 * 2 beds
 * 1 bath
 * 784 sq ft
 * 1 car detached garage
 * Basement

 

 

What about $100,000?
Or this 1994 Ranch, with vaulted ceilings, fenced yard, and
extra storage shed:

 *3 beds
 * 2 baths
 * 1474 sq ft
 * 2 car attached garage
 * Full finished basement

 

 

 

Wow, how about $200,000?
 Try a 1992 West-side  split-level that's been updated and is
move-in ready!
 
 *4 beds
 *3 baths
 *2840 sq ft
 *3 car attached garage
 *Finished basement
 *Fireplace

 

 

Well, what if I've got $300,000 to spend?
 Or maybe a 1996 built home on 9 acres in North-East Wichita
where horses are allowed!

 *5 beds
 *4 1/2 baths
 *3002 sq ft
 *2 car attached garage
 *Full Finished Basement
 *Fireplace

 

 

Let's go hog wild, here's a $500,000 home for sale in Wichita!
  Check out this 2004 built custom home in South-East Wichita!

 *5 beds
 *3 1/2 baths
 *4021 Sq Ft
 * 2 car attached garage
 *Inground pool with pool house
 *3+ Fireplaces
 *Granite countertops

 

 

And for grins, here's what you can get for a cool $1,000,000 in Wichita, KS!

A gorgeous 1986 built home with luxury and upgrades in beautiful
Vickridge area of North-East Wichita!

 *4 beds
 *5 baths
 *8,379 sq ft
 *Inground pool with pool house
 *3+ fireplaces
 *Wine Cellar, Exercise room with ballet bar, 2 sub-zeros, Sauna, His & Hers bathrooms, marble shower, marble floors, granite counters, the list goes on and on.  

 

 

For easy searching, click on any of the photos above and you'll go to a page where you can click an area of town and instantly view homes in set price ranges without messing with setting search parameters at all.  Quick easy way to compare various areas of town and what you can get for your bucks!

Ready to shop for some of these homes? Drop me a line and we can get started!

Sheree Wilkerson
316.461.0575
sheree@ksgreathomes.com
Realty World Alliance

www.kansashomebuzz.com

Ready for another exciting journey into our life??

Our latest bit, surgery aside, is the theory that our autistic child suffers from food-related problems.  Surprisingly a visit to a doctor specializing in this stuff revealed that it may not be just my son, as he nailed many of my symptoms without asking me how I felt!  

So as he recouperates, we are beginning some big switch-a-roo's around here. 

First step: No Dairy.  Yup. No milk, of which he drinks roughly a half gallon a day. No cheese, which he could care less, no butter, no ice cream (uh oh!), etc.  You get the picture. 

What is he going to drink/eat, you ask??

If you haven't explored the world of milk alternatives, it's a scary place!! So far we haven't hit upon a winner.  His options are: Rice Milk, Almond Milk, Soy Milk, Potato milk, and Hemp Milk.  Yes, Hemp.

In the past, we have tried all of the above with no success.  But now that a doc has said it's time, we're going for it.  Currently, he's resisting straight almond milk heavily but hasn't noticed regular milk moderately spiked with chocolate almond milk.   Hemp milk has some of the best nutritional benefits, so will be what we push him towards the most, once I can get out to the store to get some!

The next step is waiting for his gluten allergy test to come back.  Once that happens, boy will his world go nuts.  We all live off bread at our house, so that will be a major undertaking.   Hopefully we'll have the milk issue settled by then!

 

Here's my biggest problem - I CAN'T COOK!  

Everything I cook comes from a box, bag, can, or is frozen in a box.   Or we eat out, which we do a lot.

Anyone out there familiar with dairy-free and gluten-free - I am going to need your help!  Here's what I need:

Simple recipes any dummy can follow

Places where I can buy ingredients without these products

Reviews on pre-made dairy/gluten free items that don't taste like cardboard

Ideas on where we can eat out and what we can eat there

 

I'm sure we'll figure some of this out, but if you can share any knowledge to help jump-start our system, it'd help!  In the meantime, I'll raise a glass of hempmilk in your honor as we push our way through the maze of pre-processed, hormone added, sugared up foods in search of more honest, safer foods for our family!

Post your tips in the comments, or email to sheree@ksgreathomes.com

Thanks for your help!

It's 10:00pm, do you know what your house looks like?

Home maintenance isn't fun, most of the time.  It can quickly become tedious and annoying.  But it's oh-so important to maintaining the health of your home and preserving your investment!  And becomes very important when it's time to sell.  

Now most of us, except for perhaps for those of us who are home inspectors, are not in the habit of really inspecting our house for troubled areas.  I mean, come on, when was the last time you walked around your entire house and ogled every piece of siding, right?  

There are a lot of problems with a home that come from simple things not being caught early enough.  Sometimes these little things lead to huge issues like structural damage, infestations, mold, rot, etc.   Much better to find out about these while they are still a cheap fix, rather than a humongous ordeal.

Here are just a few things to keep an eye on, before they become worse.  Yes, there's many more, but these items frequently pop up at sale time and are things homeowners generally are quite unaware of!

• Siding damage - Every now and then, walk around your house and look at every wall, corner, soffit, and particularly the lowest portions, window trims, and door frames.  You're looking for peeled paint, buckled siding, "mushy" looking areas, etc.  Catching these early can mean the difference between touch-up paint or replacing lots of siding and cleaning mold from the backing!  It can also head off things like termite infestations and dry rot. 
• Electrical panel - Woah. Now I think I looked at mine when I bought the house, but haven't since.  Most of us wouldn't know what we were looking at anyway!  You might get this checked out every now and then to make sure it doesn't need to be upgraded based on your electricity usage or current codes.  If you notice power fluctuations in the home, sparks at plugs, or your breakers tripping, you probably want to do this sooner, rather than later. 
• Attics and crawl spaces - Yes, they're not pretty.  They are hot, cold and itchy.  But you should know what's going on up there or down below.  You could have a leak, water intrusion, a colony of bats, and never know it!  Make time to peek up there every now and then and make sure nothing's hiding out, growing, or that you didn't just obtain an inground pool!
  
• Fireplaces - If you don't use yours, you may not notice issues with the fireplace until it's time to sell and that home inspector brings it up!  Have it checked out, and make sure it gets cleaned yearly at least.  
• Basements - I have met folks who have literally not set foot in their basements in years.  If you don't go there regularly, make time to check it out.  Look at the walls and floors and check for moisture, mildew/mold growths, cracks, drafts, etc.  Also look up at the flooring above you if it's exposed and check for leaking under the bathrooms and kitchen above you.  

Basically, be aware of your home.  It's one of your most important assets, and generally your biggest investment.  Keep it safe so that it keeps you safe and earns you more money.  

Schedule at least one day a year, at the very least, and do a walk-through of your home, from the outside to the inside.  Check outlets for function, check cracks, run sinks, dishwashers, tubs, and check for leaking.  Look at the siding and basement, peek in the attic and crawl spaces, even the roof if you dare (be careful!)

I highly recommend that everyone budget in a home inspection every so often.  It will save you the time of giving your home the onceover, gives you someone with more experience and knowledge looking at it, and is good insurance to help you catch problems early on, before they cause mega $$$ worth of damage.  A home inspector also does not have the incentive to find something wrong that a contractor might, so is unlikely to "make up" or recommend un-necessary repairs just to make a buck.  Besides, you'd have to call so many different systems people, a home inspection would be cheaper anyway!  

Protect that home!  When you're ready to move on to a new one, give me a shout and I'll be happy to do my own walk-through and give you tips about getting the place ready to sell!

Sheree Wilkerson
316.461.0575
sheree@rwwichita.com

What's my home worth?  Check now with our immediate Insta-Compare! www.kansashomebuzz.com

Do you need free money to help get into a home?

There are very few programs left that help you with down payments since the October dismissal of the Down Payment Assistance Plans.  But there are still a couple.  One of the newer ones to come to light recently is the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. 

This progam is a grant designed to help first-time homebuyers get into a rural area home.  
Don't be scared by the rural part, this is not as strict as the USDA Rural guidelines!

Here's the rules:

• You must be a first time homebuyer or have not owned in the last three years (There are a few exceptions, for example a divorce where a custodial parent did not receive the home)
• The home cannot be in Wichita city limits, but unlike USDA, it can be in Derby, Park City, Valley Center, etc.  
• It must be your primary home, not a rental or vacation home.  It can be a single family home, twin-home, condo, modular, manufactured, or new build.
• The home must be under $150,000 but in good shape, conforming to Section 8 type guidelines for safety, security, and stability of the home. 
• Your income must meet certain guidelines based on annual income and the number of people in the family.  There are 2 levels of assistance based on how you fall on the income guidelines. 

How it works:

• You do have to have 2% of your own funds into the transaction (or $500, whichver is greater),  less than FHA's 3-3.5%
• The grant will gift you 15-20% of the purchase price, but only up to $20,000.
• Half the gift will act as a silent second mortgage, and is forgiven proportionately over the next 60-120 months.
• Half the gift will act as an interest-free portion, which must be paid back in full if the home is sold within 10 years. 
• After 10 years, all those liens and encumbrances will be gone. 

The benefit is that if you plan to be in a home for 10 years, you will have received 20% equity in your home for free.  Not to mention the equity that you'll have also paid down in that time.  By having that extra put down, your actual loan amount won't need to be as high, thereby allowing you a lower monthly payment.  

If you think you might qualify or are interested in a rural home and want to see if you and the home may qualify, contact me and let's see if we can get you some free money!


Sheree Wilkerson                  316.461.0575                   sheree@rwwichita.com
www.kansashomebuzz.com

Winter Break in Wichita, KS- What do I do with these kids??

It's here again! The Winter Break!  Kids come screaming out of school this week, the 19th for Wichita Public Schools, and they are home-free until January 5th!  Unless you have vacation plans, endless patience, or own a toy store, chances are you may be looking for something to keep the little angels busy and make their holidays a little more special this year!  

Here's a few activities you might keep in mind!


Exploration Place - Tons of exhibits for kids to enjoy, and grown-ups too! This unique Wichita building brings some of the most educational, entertaining, interactive, and just plain awesome activities to town.  Currently running exhibits include Our Body: The Universe Within (you know, the one where you get to look into people's real bodies?), The Scoop on Poop, and Exploring Chimpanzees, among others. Poop, monkeys, and dead people - what more could kids want?  Actually a very neat time for the older children, I'd say roughly 7/8 and older! There's so much to do here, this could really take up their entire break!

Ice Skating - It's cold outside already, so they won't notice a little more ice!  Get that excessive energy out by sending them to the Ice Center.  They can do public skating sessions, get lessons, play broomball, or even work on their merit badges!  Nominal fee to get in, many open skating days.  Check out their site for the calendar!

Malls - I think I have posted this previously!  Of course, the malls will likely be packed!  But there's lots of fun to be had there as well.  Watch the crazy holiday shoppers, do some shopping yourself, or visit the many other activities. Towne West has a carousel, kiddie train ride, cotton candy, Santa, and more!  

Art - Let them get their creative juices flowing and put those busy little hands to work.  The Wichita Center for the Arts offers kids lessons in watercolors, pottery, photography, and more!  A preschool exhibition will be running soon as well as the Great 8 Watercolor exhibition.  Classes start back on the 19th, so not in time for Winter Break, but if the exhibits get them interested, maybe your little Picasso can get signed up!

Children's theater and dance - This group offers participatory entertainment for children ages 2-8, and parents too!  You can choose between just doing the show or doing the show and pizza.  They have evenings, lunch matinees, and special Pajama performances as well!  Seating is on the floor around the actors, so its an informal time that everyone enjoys!  There's one coming up that first weekend after the kids get out, check the schedule here:  

Dec 19, Fri	6:15 – Dinner Show (Pizza & P.J.’s)
Dec 20, Sat	11:30 – Lunch Show (12:00 – Show Only)

That's just a few of the activities, but maybe those few will help us all survive until they get back into school!  And maybe, just maybe, you'll have a good time too!  After all, they're only young once, ya know?  

~Sheree

www.kansashomebuzz.com
Realty World Alliance
316-461-0575

10 reasons I have the Best Broker on Earth!

1. He is absolutely honest - you never feel greasy after talking with him!
2. He really believes his job is to support his agents!
3. He listens to ideas, researches their feasibility, invites input, and will act on good ones!
4. He works his tail off - he's there before any of us, leaves when we do, and is there most weekends!
5. He's brilliant - he breathes SEO terms and eats html for breakfast!
6. He's cute - Hey, that always helps!
7. He helps us stay up to speed - he is continually doing market research and sharing his stats with the office.
8. He hands out leads like candy! And who doesn't want free leads!
9. He shares his chocolate and often buys us lunch! 
10. When he firmly believes a tool will help, he helps us achieve it - like paying startup fees for a website service he swears by!

All in all, I am so very very glad that we moved over to Realty World Alliance!  I have been jaded by team leaders and brokers and owners who are slimy lying scumballs, who promise and never deliver, or never promise, who hoard sales for themselves and their favorites, who make you feel like you have to fight for everything.  

It is most wonderful to find a broker who actually works to make us better agents.  He values our advice and opinions.  He says he's going to remodel the bathroom, we show up on Monday and it's done!  He says he's getting new signs in, boom they're there! When one office was involved in a fire, he had a virtual office setup, moved servers, and the agents were back to work the next morning.  2 days later, he had another office started!  He makes us want to work harder and better and help him out, because he is just so very good to us!

So this Christmas, I am thankful for an awesome Broker, a wonderfully talented team leader, and an office well on its way to being gorgeous!

Hats off to Greg Fox - My vote for Broker of the Year!

Your biggest fan
~Sheree

A BioMedical Approach to Life


In our quest to find more answers and information regarding our son's autism diagnosis, we have of course investigated and studied the Defeat Autism Now (DAN) literature.  In an effort to pursue this, we found ourselves trapped by a lack of understanding in our area and a lack of practitioners who believed it had any meaning whatsoever.  

Then we started seeing a Play Therapist, who suggested a Dr. Donald James, right here in Wichita.  Now Dr. James is an MD, listed as an Ear, Nose, Throat specialist, but also is a holistic doctor.  Yesterday we got in (imagine a doctor related to autism without a year waiting list!).

The appointment was amazing!  Here are some of the principles he believes:

• Currently, medical practitioners are taught 3 things - how to diagnose a disease based on tests or symptoms, how to use medications to treat disease states, and how to categorize diseases.   (Caveat - he's not down on doctors, he is a doctor, his son's a doctor, his brother's a doctor, he just believes their training is limited). 
• He believes in the approach of finding the root cause, not just treating the symptoms. 
• He believes heavily that God created a beautiful and mighty piece of machinery, designed to run off God's created fuel.  
• He believes that society no longer runs off of that fuel and that is why we're seeing such a large increase in health concerns. 

The interesting part of our visit was that he looked at me and based off of what he saw in my face, told me that I was probably also experiencing this, this, this, and that.  All of which were absolutely true.  He guessed,  correctly, that every doctor I saw couldn't find a thing wrong with me and blamed it on stress, pms, hypochondria, or depression. He also bet that my problems had gotten worse as I'd gotten older and that I probably never had a problem in youth, and likely that they'd gotten worse faster in the last few years.  All true.  Even though we were there for my son, and he spent a great deal of time discussing him as well, he took the time to address what he saw in me as well.    

He spent over an hour with us.  I am so used to doctors pushing us out the door in 5 minutes with a prescription, this was amazing to me!

He is investigating my son, and myself, for food related allergies and problems processing today's foods.  My hope is that once he has us straightened out, many of my son's autistic symptoms may go away.  For myself - I hope to be living without pain, fatigue, and nausea every day.

If you haven't looked into biomedical approaches to medicine, you should just read up on it.  It makes sense, in one of the most common sense ways, which medicine usually doesn't use!  Food and chemicals put into our body affects the way our body works.  Put bad oil and gas in a car, it'll work for a while, then will start pinging and knocking, then breaks down.  Same thing for us.  

Think about what you are putting in your body.  Most of our great-grandparents didn't have the food we do today.  They lived without pills and were generally healthy people working on the farm till they died in their sleep peacefully.

It's an interesting concept.  I'll be trying it out.  First off, we're killing yeast overgrowth in our systems, as well as adding cod liver oil, B vitamin complex, and multi-vitamins to get our body the food it needs for now.  Then we're going to work on the food issues.  

Wish me luck! I am the queen of cooking from a box or can.  Organic will be a whole new lifestyle for me!

-Sheree and Emerson