Joan's Blog

How do you counsel sellers in today's stagnant market?  They've done everything HGTV suggests to make their home appealing to the drive-bys.  They have cleaned or replaced worn carpeting, painted purple walls  shades, put cookies in the oven, turned on the lights and disappeared for showings.  Yet still no offers in Shell Knob, MO.

Worse yet, after 6 or 7 months on the market, and all the big ads in Homes Magazines, personal web pages, etc

..ZERO SHOWINGS!..........ZERO SHOWINGS!

In our SW Missouri area our MLS has 1,712 single family homes for sale.  Of that number, there are 457 properties priced over $300,000.

I have shown a few homes this Fall over $300,000, but my buyers stayed under that number when they purchased.

What do you say to the $598,000 seller?  Cut the price in half to get into the current market?  Dropping the price by $50 or $100,000, still won't make it that much more appealing to the budget minded.

This may not sound like a serious problem to individuals facing loss of their home, or bankruptcy, but to the elder seller with  health problems, it is every bit as serious.

Should we keep it on the market over the winter, or  wait and renew the listing in the spring?  We currently have 10 beautiful waterfront homes available in Shell Knob, MO for sale and priced $500,000+.

Call Joan for all your real estate needs in Shell Knob or Table Rock Lake area.  417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors 417-846-3344

The Housing Market continues to inch along in our portion of the Ozarks -  Shell Knob, MO -  leaving many real estate agents looking for supplemental income.

Here in Shell Knob, MO, we repeated our previous month's sales, for a total of 3 homes sold each month.  The average sales price was down to $75,633 in October.

 There were also 6 pieces of land sold for an average sale price of $23,500.

Shell Knob is a recreational or lake oriented community, attracting many second home clients and retirement or families looking to retire. It is known as the quiet end of the lake.  This is our normal start of 'Off' Season, but not normally 34% off.

My broker, Tri-Lakes Realtors, has four offices surrounding Table Rock Lake, and we continue to hold our position of Number One company in our MLS Board with 14.49% of board sales last month.

Call Joan for all your real estate needs in Shell Knob or around Table Rock Lake.  417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors  417-858-3344

One of  Shell Knob's best kept secrets, due to it's out of the way location, is a favorite spot I enjoy taking clients. 

It's called Icy Mae's - don't ask me why - the owners are Mike and Vickie Mertens.  Icy Mae's is located on the third floor of the main building in Timberock Village, and serves some of the best food available in the Ozarks.

Most of Shell Knob is laid back casual..... no dress code - after all, this IS the Ozarks, right?  So this restaurant sits over the dental, attorney and a home health care offices.  Once inside, first time diners  look surprised at the pleasant decor and great views of Table Rock Lake from a wall of windows.

Their eyes widen seeing the menu offers much more than burgers and fries, which makes decisions on ordering extremely difficult.

Mike opens at 7 a.m. for local businessmen and visiting anglers. 

How about some Belgian Waffles, Austrian Crepes, Quiche or Seven Cheese Strata?  Basics are also offered: BRITTANY SPHERES (2 eggs, sausage patties, etc) or THREE SMILES FOR SISTER SARA (3 Smiling Cakes & Sausage).  In other words, name your favorite breakfast, and it is yours.  Newbies should be warned about the Biscuits & Gravy however; serving portions tend to be large.  It is a rare diner who can finish a full order - priced at only $3.25

A Shell Knob lunch at Icy Mae's should be considered a main meal by customers.  The Chicken Walnut Salad, served in a sweet coconut dressing with fruit garnish has chunks of chicken breast (a big favorite in my office) for only $6.25.   What might normally be called a Club Sandwich, is labeled FLEX AND BONES, and challenges most eaters who try to look in control while getting their mouth around something 3 inches high.

There are at least 14 menu choices for lunch, without throwing in the breakfast menu, also continued to be offered.  The bad news?  The restaurant is only open until 2 p.m.

Call Joan for local Shell Knob or real estate information  417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors  417-858-3344                                                      

Dangerous Hogs

It is open season 12 months a year in Missouri on feral hogs.  Hunters are urged to shoot and kill them on sight.

There have always been feral hogs, but they were kept under control by normal hunting until the 1990's when they were sought as sport.  European or Russian boar were introduced and they have mixed with the domestic hogs.

It is not unusual to see a 300 or 400 pound boar, with some reaching records of 600 pounds!

These hogs do damage agriculturally as they root  for food.  They are not particular about what they eat and consume acorns - which deer and other small animals need. 

They are prolific breeders and the population has grown rapidly.  The Ozark hills provide them with a comfortable habitat.

Shooting, trapping and baiting are encouraged by the conservation department.

Not too long after becoming a Shell Knob/Table Rock Lake resident, I smelled something different in the air.   It was neither a pleasant or unpleasant smell - just  'different'.  I mentioned it to my husband, and he gave me the usual rolling of his eyes.  I then had to ask a neighbor about that strange smell in the air, and was told it was just Table Rock Lake turning over???

The lake turning over?  Like sure - that makes alot of sense. 

The same as turning over in bed?  Come on.... wouldn't I have heard something if this huge body of water had actually turned over? 

Don't they send out alerts or something?  Sounds dangerous.  I've lived on lakes before, but had never heard of one 'Turning Over'.

Google didn't exist and there wasn't much of what we now call internet, when I first experienced this, so I just came to accept that  at some time in the spring and again in the fall, I would smell this  rather fishy scent

around Table Rock Lake. 

I have since read that this actually is a common occurance in large and small lakes, where there are  four seasons and large temperature changes.

Table Rock has 857 miles of shoreline and covers 52,300 acres.  That's over 1.1 trillion gallons of water held  and alot of water to turn over! 

Seasonal temperature changes are what get the job done.  The colder water gets, the heavier it becomes so it sinks to the bottom of the lake, causing the water on the bottom to roll-over to the top. This is a simplistic explanation of a very interesting and detailed process involving thermocline and oxygen, which I wish I had learned more of earlier in life.

When the lake has turned over, it is cloudy for a few days, and most anglers  take a few days off from fishing and head to Bass Pro Shop.  Chances of catching the big lunker at this time are fairly low.

Call Joan for all your Shell Knob Real Estate Needs   417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors  417-846-3344

Most of the hummingbirds have done their Fall migration, so it must be time for Table Rock Lakes' Fall Bass tournaments to start in Shell Knob.

A Shell Knob Fall tradition is the Annual Homer Sloan Buddy Bass Tournament.  It will be held on Table Rock Lake on Saturday October 4th.

The Buddy Bass Tournament can be entered any time up to the take-off time of 7:30 a.m. on 10/4.  Campbell Point and Kings River Marinas are both take-off points.  Weigh-in is at Campbell point only at 4 p.m.

Six bass is the total allowed for weigh-in by a two person boat.  Cash prizes for the heaviest total weights and the largest individual bass will be given.

A full dinner will be served to entrants, following the weigh-in, at the Shell Knob CCC Camp.

Check out the shellknob.com/events.htm web site for rules and an application.

Call Joan for all your Table Rock Lake and Shell Knob Real Estate Needs  417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors  417-858-3344                                                                                           

Lifestyles of the rich and famous usually include a home on the water.  Why should they be the only ones to enjoy the lure and luxury of a home at the lake?

Check out the newest Gated Community in Shell Knob, MO - EAGLES POINT, and this nicely wooded lakefront lot.

100' of lakefront on a small cove with a view of the main channel on Table Rock Lake in Shell Knob, Missouri.

Priced at $84,900, it includes a 10 x 24 boat slip in a Community Boat Dock with a swim platform.

MLS# 330271

Call Joan for all your real estate needs in Shell Knob or around Table Rock Lake  417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors  417-858-3344                                   

Don't you feel good when  finding the right house for your buyers?  The pleasure of seeing the joy and excitement is almost as good as getting paid.

In the midst of the appraisal, bank and money problems, good sales still occur. Doing the walk- through of their new Shell Knob lakefront home last week, with my perfect buyers, I discovered there are still perfect sellers out there too!  Earth Angels!

The sellers left the house immaculate. The appliances looked like they had never been used, and even the garage was clean!

They left a coffee maker, with coffee and a note next to it for the buyers to enjoy a coffee break  while moving in.

They provided a bound book with all the receipts and contact info for work done on the house, as well as manufacturers information on products in the house - a complete history for the new owners.

The buyers had purchased some of the furniture, which included a bedroom set. The sellers  spent the previous night there, but washed, folded and left the linens ,  plus soap at various sinks and in the laundry.

 Knowing how exhausting moving can be, this thoughtful pair went above and beyond. Guess this is a good example of "passing it on" to new Shell Knob residents.

Call Joan for all your real estate needs  417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes REALTORS  417-858-3344