The Shangri La Country Club on Monkey Island at Grand Lake is coming right along. The pictures above show the lumber starting to come up on the new club house. The two new golf course holes are same as finished, again see the picture above. The Shangri La Country Club is and will continue to have a wonderful economic effect on Grand Lake and Monkey Island in particular property values and help the bottom line of many local businesses.

You can still join the country club without an sign on fee that will be added later. This is a great time to get in for the price of monthly dues for the best golf club in NE Oklahoma.

We have several Grand Lake MLS listed homes on or very near the golf course. You can find homes from $50,000 to 1.5 million dollars. Aaron Hughes and Joe Neill are the Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake in Grove. We work the entire Grand Lake area and can be reached as follows: Aaron 918 801-5645 or aaronhughes@remax.net. Joe at 918 640-3300 or jneill@remax.net. We know the Grand Lake area and the Grand Lake MLS listings as well as carrying several nice listings of our own. We can make your search for a lake home on Grand Lake more inclusive, less stressful, and fun.

The new Shangri La Country Club on Grand Lake’s Monkey Island continues to work tirelessly with the new golf course improvements and the construction of the new Club House. The two new holes to replace the two being vacated for the new Club House are nearly finished. (see picture above) Tree trimmers have worked for days shaping the trees on the golf course. Concrete is being poured for the footings and slab of the Club House. It is a real buzz of activity on Monkey Island with everyone so excited to see this positive development taking shape. The Club is still offering no upfront fee to join, which will change without notice sometime during the next few months. This is a great opportunity to join by just paying the monthly dues.

Homes in additions on the golf course or very close have new buyers looking at the ones for sale. Some homes previously listed are now off the market as owners want to be where the action is. However there are still homes available at very reasonable prices in the Shangri La Estates, The Chateaus, Shangri La Place, Pointe Marin, and The Villas. You truly can enjoy 4 seasons on Grand Lake with a golf and lake lifestyle now on Grand Lake’s Monkey Island.

For information on homes for sale on Monkey Island at Grand Lake contact the Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake in Grove, OK. Aaron Hughes can be reached at 918 801-5645 or aaronhughes@remax.net. Joe Neill can be reached at 918 640-3300 or jneill@remax.net. We have some nice homes, both waterfront and golf course listed. We also have access to all Grand Lake MLS listings and will work hard to find you just the right place for your needs and desires. We hope to hear from you soon.

Grand Lake in NE Oklahoma is the place to be if you like fun and inexpensive activities. Today, Saturday August 14, 2010 is just one example of the many fun things to do in the Grand Lake area. As I drove to the office this morning and came over Sailboat Bridge coming into Grove, OK I could see boats by the zillion at 8 AM. What were they doing out so early? Waiting for the Grand Lake Bobber Drop, which is a helicopter dropping fishing bobbers in the lake with marked numbers relating to prizes given away to the person who finds the bobber. Grand Prize is a trip to Cozumel, Mexico with other prizes of all sorts including a baby calf. This is the second annual time for this event that was revived last year after a several year’s absense.

Later today in Jay, OK is the Cruise Nite with activities starting shortly afternoon and going until about 11 tonite. Cruise Nite will draw over 300 classic, custom, and hot rod cars and trucks. It will include a parade, several vendor booths, and a great time for all.

Tonite in Grove, the Humane Society is hosting a barbaque hoe down with dinner and band at the Civic Center in downtown.

Later this month is the Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo in Vinita and World’s Largest Calf Fry Festival. September brings the Pelican Festival to Grove.

These are just a few of the activities that bring enjoyment to families and friends in the Grand Lake area. Go to the web site for the Grand Lake Association for a calendar of events. You will find events all year to enjoy in the Grand Lake area. Of course we always enjoy boating, sailing, sea-dooing, fishing and other water sports as well as golf.

You may find you like the area so well that you would like to have a second home on the lake or perhaps a retirement home on Grand Lake or Grove, OK where family and friends can gather for special holidays and get to gathers. For information on real estate in the Grand Lake/Grove OK area contact The Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake in Grove, OK. For Aaron Hughes call 918 801-5645 or aaronhughes@remax.net or Joe Neill at 918 640-3300 or jneill@remax.net. We hope to hear from you soon.

Wherever you wish to own a Grand Lake area home or a nice subdivision home in Grove, OK August is simply the white sale time of the year. Sellers often think the season is about over and are anxious to sell lake property when in fact September and October are great selling and buying seasons for Grand Lake.

Interest rates are at all time lows and cannot remain here forever. You can now get a 15 year loan well under 4% and a 30 year loan in the 4.5% area. Prices are great and selection is wonderful. It all adds up to a window of time that makes for a great deal on a lake home. Builders are not building spec homes because of the national real estate slump so our great selection now will start dwindling as each home sells that is now on the market. Sometime in the next few months or a year we could see interest rates rise 1-3% easily. When fall's cooler weather comes there will be more buyers and less opportunity to get a deal from that scared seller.

Add it all up and August is the time to buy. Our Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake knows the lake area, the Grand Lake MLS listings, and will work hard to find you just the right place for your needs and desires. Call Aaron Hughes and Joe Neill today to make your buying experience less stressful, more fun, and more inclusive of home choices. Call Aaron at 918 801-5645 or aaronhughes@remax.net or Joe at 918 640-3300 or jneill@remax.net We hope to hear from you soon.

Just in from CNBC web site, New Home Sales Surge in June with Inventory at 42 Year Low!!! This is per new government data over the country as a whole just released July 26, 2010. May was a record low after the tax credits for homes expired and no one expected June sales to come roaring back.

On Grand Lake in NE Oklahoma we have not seen the June surge but we can say the quality and choice of inventory available for sale in many price ranges are getting less plentiful. We still have great selection but each time a home is sold it is not being replaced. Very few new spec homes are being built. Now is the time to buy while selection is good, interest rates are at record lows, and today is the first day of the rest of your life so why not enjoy it with a new home on Grand Lake.

Also on the CNBC website is the list of all states for cost of living. Oklahoma is ranked number one in lowest cost of living amoung all fifty states. If you are looking for a great place to retire think Grand Lake with things to do year round, great health care with a new 58 million dollar hospital in Grove, great homes to choose from at low prices, and a moderate four season climate. You can enjoy lake sports and golf while finding new friends who have moved here from locations all across the country. We have waterfront homes, golf course homes, and city subdivision homes with excellent choices in all types of real estate.

For a retirement home or a second home on Grand Lake call The Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake in Grove, OK. For Aaron Hughes call 918 801-5645 or email at aaronhughes@remax.net. For Joe Neill call 918 640-3300 or email at jneill@remax.net. We hope to hear from you soon.

Grand Lake real estate prices are stable. Waterfront homes on the average have held their value very well thru our national real estate free fall. Of course, there are sales that were out of line and just plain too high that would lose money if sold today but waterfront Grand Lake homes bought on the market have held well. Off the water, subdivision homes have dropped in price from a 2006/2007 high on the average about 10%. Homes purchased in 2009 are steady to in instances slightly higher in 2010.

Interest rates are at all time lows which makes for buying a home great now. I do not see how rates can stay this low very much longer.

There are not many foreclosures in the Grand Lake area but we can find some deals once in awhile where someone really needs to sell a home because of financial problems, job transfer, divorce, or death in family.

Stock prices go up and down. Real estate went wild in some areas of the country and has soured some people’s desire to own and invest in real estate. However, if you look at the Midwest and Oklahoma in particular we did not see prices go sky high and have not seen them come down. We should be poised to see moderate price increases over the next several years as the economy improves. We believe the low prices are here now.

If you are thinking retirement, Oklahoma offers some of the lowest cost of living in the nation. Grand Lake offers moderate four season climate. Grove, the largest city on Grand Lake offers big city health care at the new Integris Grove Hospital, a 58 million dollar facility with wonderful health care providers. There are a number of civic clubs and churches to get involved with and enjoy. You can enjoy fishing, boating, hunting, gardening clubs, investment clubs, and many other activities. Patricia Island Estates in Grove offers golf course living with a special accent on the lake lifestyle. What a combination. On South Grand Lake, The Coves and The Points offer gated upscale living. The Coves features planned activities, golf, clubhouse, swimming pool, tennis, and a small fitness center.

Weekenders can enjoy second homes on Grand Lake. Monkey Island is home to many gated communities with ammenties, lawn care, and other things that make owning a second home carefree. You will enjoy homes in the moderate priced Newport Village, Brighton Bay, St Andrews, St. James, and The Estates. Upscale living in The Chateaus offers a golf and lake lifestyle. The new Shangri La Golf Club is coming along very nice and it is big asset to the Monkey Island area.

If you have your own financial house in order, now is a good time to help yourself with a great moneytary investment as well as a wonderful investment in family and friends by spending special time with them on Grand Lake. If you are looking for that retirement home, you need to check out the Grand Lake area.

Aaron Hughes and Joe Neill are the Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake in Grove, OK. We know the Grand Lake MLS and can make your experience thinking and buying Grand Lake less stressful, more inclusive, and fun. Aaron can be reached at 918 801-5645 or aaronhughes@remax.net. Joe can be reached at 918 640-3300 or jneill@remax.net. We would love to hear from you and share Grand Lake with you.

The New Shangri La Country Club on Monkey Island at Grand Lake is moving right along. The two new holes for the golf course have the heavy equipment work done and the irrigation lines are laid out and being buried now. It will soon be ready for sod and white sand. The location of the new clubhouse is now having dirt work prep for building done. I am told the clubhouse will be 12000 sq ft. Workers have resodded and put in new white sand on two holes south of the clubhouse location. Demolition of the old Shangri La is done and the hauling away of materials is almost complete.

It is so exciting to see new work at the Shangri La being done. At least six pieces of heavy equipment have been in use at all times. Work is also being done on the Gold Course which has been shut down. Rumor has it that a 9 hole course may be built now in that location. We are waiting for final word on what action is being done on the Gold Course.

Shangri La is the hub of Monkey Island on Grand Lake. It will increase property values for the home additions close by. Again a great golf and lake retreat can be had on Monkey Island. You can still get some good buys in The Estates starting at $175,000 and up, joining the course location and having beautiful lakeviews. The Chateaus on the Gold Course with wonderful lakeviews and larger homes from $500,000 to 3 million are located here. St Andrews Harbor is also just a hop and skip from the golf course and offers lakeview and lakefront homes in a $250,000 to $600,000 price range. You can also find homes from $700,000 to 1.5 million in Pointe Marin and The Villas close by. Shangri La Place has nice homes from $350,000 also next to the country club.

When thinking weekend second home or retirement home think Monkey Island on Grand Lake and be on or near the Shangri La Country Club for a truly great life experience.

For more information on real estate close by or on Monkey Island to enjoy 4 season, 12 month golf and lake lifestyle contact the Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake in Grove. For Aaron Hughes call 918 801-5645 or aaronhughes@remax.net. For Joe Neill call 918 640-3300 or jneill@remax.net We hope to hear from you soon.

We have listed a nice 6 unit retail strip center on Monkey Island at Grand Lake. There are 6 rental spaces with 5 leased and the 6th used by owners as a self service laundry. The property sits on 1.88 Acres m/l and also includes 25 storage units of various sizes and 90% rented with owner using balance of units. All laundry equipment is included in sale. Property is in great condition.

You can say good bye to low interest rates and poor stock returns and hello to your own commercial property on Grand Lake, just past the entrance to Monkey Island. Monkey Island is a buzz location for many people to enjoy Grand Lake from. Nearby this commercial center are other businesses including a bank, grocery store, 2 cafes, sporting goods store, convenience store, minor emergency health care center with fitness center, and a liquor store.

Invest here and with only a small amount of work to maintain laundry you can sit back and clip coupons from your rental and service income. This Grand Lake MLS number 10-1539 can be bought for $642,000. Present owners will show you how to run operation. They will also show qualified buyers financials on property.

Call Aaron Hughes at 918 801-5645 or aaronhughes@remax.net or Joe Neill at 918 640-3300 or jneill@remax.net for more information. We are the Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake in Grove, OK.

I look forward to reading Smart Money magazine and Wallstreet Journal writer, James Stewart’s column each Wednesday when it comes out in the Journal. The June 30, 2010 column had some very good comments on home ownership and buying a home.

Mr. Stewart talked quite abit about people with means to pay walking away from their mortgage just because the value of the house had declined. That is a point of discussion for some other time but in talking about this he says “walking away from a mortgage now is like selling at the bottom of the market”. He went on to say “houses that are underwater now may not be for long once housing starts to appreciate. And despite a recent slump in the number of home sales, home prices are rising in most areas and have been for the past year.” He also says “home ownership is a long term committment and people that are going to move in a year or so should rent instead.” The last thought I liked was “anyone forced to sell at a loss now, may also buy another home in a depressed market at lower prices unless they are moving from Las Vegas to Manhattan.”

Now my thoughts, the Grand Lake real estate market peaked in 2007. We have not seen the huge price drops in home prices that other areas of the country did. We have seen prices lower in 2009 than 2007 and 2010 has been a mixed bag. Lately we have sold two homes for a few thousand dollars more than was paid in 2009 for the homes. One was a waterfront home in the $800,000 plus range and the other was a rural home on a few acres. Grand Lake waterfront homes have held their value very well. We have more inventory of unsold upper end waterfront homes than we have had in several years, prices are flat, you might get a deal, interest rates are low, and now should be a time to buy with what looks like a nation wide bottom in home prices. Grove subdivision homes off the water have lost about ten percent of value on average from the 2007 peak. If you did not buy at the peak you probably still have price appreciation but the ones that did buy at the peak are suffering just like stock market losses but just not as bad. We have some nice selection of off water homes in Grove with great prices. Again, now should be the time to buy at the bottom. We have not seen but a very few new spec homes being built and the inventory is a long ways from the peak. We still have several nice homes to pick from but as one sells, it is one less on the market. If you are thinking of buying a retirement home on Grand Lake and the Grove, OK area, I would not tarry. This is sale time with low borrowing rates. Neither will last long.

You can search the Grand Lake / Grove area MLS at the button above. For personalized service call the Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake in Grove. Call Aaron Hughes at 918 801-5645 or aaronhughes@remax.net or Joe Neill at 918 640-3300 or jneill@remax.net. We hope to hear from you soon.

Grand Lake real estate sales have had a nice spring, not robost, but several nice sales. Our Grand Lake Team had 7 properties ready for closing at one time a short time ago. We have closed these seven out including an $800,000 plus Buffalo Shores South waterfront home yesterday. We now have two new homes awaiting closing, one in the gated Monkey Island community of Newport Village and the other in a small subdivision just outside Grove, Rainbow Bend. Properties priced right, not at give away prices but on the market, in good shape with odds and end repairs done, and home decluttered so people can look at the home and not the owner’s stuff will sell in good time. On the other hand properties priced too high, not show ready, or full of stuff seem to just set and never sell. This should tell seller/owner’s something.

Sometimes we see deals on homes priced too high to begin with and they will see huge price reductions of maybe $100,000 on a $600,000 home but in reality the home was overpriced by a $100,000 to begin with. Moral of this story is do your homework and let your realtor give you comp sales in an area you are interested in so that you can buy a home at market value and not a home with a $75,000 price reduction and still $25,000 too high.

Now is a good time to buy. Interest rates at all time lows, a good selection of properties in most price ranges, and you might find a deal if someone has to sell right now. You can see all the Grand Lake MLS listings at our MLS button above. Our featured listings are at a button above also.

For assistance in buying or selling Grand Lake waterfront homes, Grove subdivision homes, retirement homes at the lake, commercial property on Grand Lake, or any other real estate need call the Grand Lake Team at RE/MAX Grand Lake in Grove, OK. Aaron Hughes can be reached at 918 801-5645 or aaronhughes@remax.net or Joe Neill can be reached at 918 640-3300 or jneill@remax.net. We hope to hear from you soon.