What To Do Tonight

Bring your favorite little black cats and spooky bats for a fun and safe night for trick-or-treating from 6 - 8 p.m. at Penn Square Mall, 1901 Northwest Expressway, 73118. Children can come in costume to scour the mall and its retailers for candy. Trick-or-Treating is free and open to the public.

The Family Theatre Group presents a Night of Mystery featuring a performance of “Clue the Musical” at 8 p.m. Also enjoy prizes, contests, candy and a live clue game. For tickets, visit OKCTickets.com. For more information, visit http://www.familytheatrewarehouse.com/.

In recognition of Halloween, Lyric theatre presents The Rocky Horror Show in the “Lyric at the Plaza” series at midnight at 1725 N.W. 16th Street, Oklahoma City. Oklahoma audiences are encouraged to get into the intended spirit of the show by dressing up and participating in all of the talk-back and extracurricular activities that make Rocky Horror such a wild theatrical experience. Audience participation packages will be available for purchase at the theatre. Tickets cost $40. For more information, visit www.lyrictheatreokc.com or call 524-9312.

Regional leaders in Central Oklahoma have recommended Oct. 31 as the night for Trick-or-Treat activities in the metropolitan area this year. The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments Board of Directors, comprised of local elected officials, endorses one Trick-or-Treat night in the region to keep a uniform date for children, families and public safety officials.

The residents of Edmond Health Care Center, 39 E. 33rd Street, invite you and your family to Trick-or-Treat with us from 6-8 p.m. Those spooky sounds of hysterical laughter on the Oklahoma City University campus aren’t because it’s Halloween. Nor are they caused by homecoming weekend.Oklahoma City University will host a silent auction, pumpkin carving contest and departmental Halloween decorating contest at 2:30 p.m. to raise money for United Way.

Halloween Bass Pro Style will be from 4-7 p.m. at Bass Pro Shop downton. Enjoy trick or treating throughout the store, pumpkin painting, bobbing for apples and more.*

*Tips from the Edmond Sun.

Fabulous Home on Firewheel

Great home in Hidden Prairie with granite counters, beautiful woodwork, neutral carpet and upstairs bonus room! With 2, 482 sq. ft., 3 beds, 2.5 baths, 3 living areas and one dining area this home is perfect and is in a great neighborhood so close to everything!

It's Almost Halloween!

I can't believe that it's almost Halloween again! We're having a party at our house and I've been trying to decide on something fun to make for dessert. I found this cake online at pennlive.com. This is an easy way to make any bundt cake really festive. Just bake any flavor bundt cake that you like, I suggest the Duncan Hines carrot cake, it's sooo good and has real carrots and raisins that you add to the mix. Then bake and frost with orange frosting. Add the candy corn and you're ready for your party! What a cute cake. Photo courtesy of Nordic WareA Candy Corn Halloween Bundt Cake was created by Sharon Gretzula of Zephyrhills, Fla., one of 10 finalists in the "Bundts Across America" contest.
If you love entertaining and having dinner parties, be sure to look at our Turner and Son Homes that we have available. They have great open floor plans and a really great flow to them, perfect for parties! Almost all of them have a kitchen/club layout which keeps the host in touch with everyone enjoying the party! Please call us at 330-3636 and ask for The Atchley Group if you have any real estate questions about the Oklahoma City metro area. We also specialize in Edmond, Deer Creek, Piedmont and Yukon. We hope your Halloween is a real "treat"!

A Great Place to Come Home To!

Welcome to paradise! This 7.48 acre horse lover’s property is close enough for a quick commute, but far enough away from the hustle and bustle to provide a daily vacation. This ~2,360 sq. ft. (mol) home has a one bedroom suite upstairs with kitchen and dinette and a one bedroom suite downstairs with kitchen, dining area and so much charm! This property includes extensive horse facilities such as an insulated lighted arena, 4 barn horse stall with office and living quarters and loafing sheds with automatic waterers. This amazing home also offers an amazing 360° view of gorgeous trees and natural landscape.

The red barn was built in the late 1800’s as the original horse barn on the family farm and was converted into the main home in the 1980’s. The home still contains the original barns doors and the dinner bell! Call us today at 330-2626 and ask for the Atchley Group to get more information on this amazing acreage! We're the real estate experts in Edmond, Oklahoma City, Yukon, Piedmont and the metro! Go here for a virtual tour of this home with lots of pictures!

Pop's Soda Shop

We went to Pop's last weekend and if you haven't been yet, you HAVE to go! It's a great stop on the historic Route 66. It's just a short drive from Edmond/OKC in the Arcadia area and so close to the Arcadia Round Barn, another Route 66 icon. Other than the great real estate options you have it's another great thing about living in Oklahoma. Pops is actually a gas station, but inside is a great restaurant with thousands of different flavors of pop lining the walls. The building is so unique because it looks like something from the future! There are so many different flavors of pop to choose from and it's so much fun! After dinner we went just down the road to pass by the Round Barn. It's so interesting to see in person. So for a nice weekend activity, first call our buyer's specialist Heidi Rose (405-274-9210) if you want to go looking for a house, then have dinner at pops. What a great way to spend your day!

Like New in Ash Grove!

From the moment you enter the peaceful cul-de-sac of this 2007 beauty, you see landscaping that forms an interesting panorama from every angle and begins to tell the story about this home’s exquisite sense of style.
Within Edmond’s intimate Ash Grove at Coffee Creek neighborhood, this masterpiece of three beds, two and a half baths, two living, one dining and a three-car garage is a spacious 2,225 sq. ft. (MOL). Click here to see a virtual tour of this fabulous home!

5 Acre Paradise!

Fabulous family home in Yukon. With 3,000 sq. ft. (mol), this versatile plan has lots of living space—3 beds, a cozy family room and second floor bonus room and upstairs study. Features include: 5 acres, romantic wrap around porch, 2 car garage, shop with office and full bathroom, outstanding kitchen and so much more!

New Home in Lone Oak Creek!

Super Turner and Son home and just completed! What a value in Lone Oak Creek. This home has a gameroom up for that extra room for a growing family. Compare this va lue on any other home in the Lone Oak area. Beautiful granite counter tops and very open plan accent this homes ammenities. Deer Creek Schools.

Amazing Home in Auburn Meadows

This dynamic Edmond home is a must see with gorgeous wall treatments, designer kitchen, stylishly painted woodwork and large backyard with covered patio. The 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2 living, 2 dining home was built in 2004 with all the fineries including wood floors in the study, granite in the kitchen, an upstairs bonus room and much more.

Showing your home with kids around!

I have a 10 month old and I can't for the life of me figure out how to get the whole house clean at the same time! I get one room finished and by the time I get to the next room, she's destroyed the room I just finished! So, if your house is on the market, and you can have a showing at a moment's notice, how do you get it clean in a hurry? I know that my house is cluttered with "baby stuff." The swing, the bouncy seat, the walker...they're all over the place! Here are a few suggestions to help out with this problem:


1. Try to keep the baby stuff in the baby's room, even if you have to move them several times a day.
2. Have decorative baskets in the family room or other living areas that you can throw the toys into in a pinch.
3. Keep out only what you truly need to have out. Store away the things that aren't used often.
4. Dump the diaper pail before the showing, just a good idea no matter what!
5. Don't forget to clean the bathtub area, I know that right now there are bath toys, washcloths and a big duck bath in my tub.
6. Make sure that when the photographer comes to move the toys completely out of the picture. Put them in the closet or just out of view.
7. If anything folds up to make it smaller, be sure to do that, any extra space in the home helps!

I know it won't be easy to keep things perfect, but hopefully it will be just for a little while! If you need help selling your home, please leave a comment on the blog or call us at 405-330-2626 and ask for the Atchley Group. We sell homes in the Oklahoma City, Edmond, Deer Creek and Piedmont areas!

Trends in Kitchen Design

I get to see a lot of beautiful kitchens with my job. I'm the photographer for The Atchley Group and one of my favorite things is taking pictures of the kitchen. They're interesting, cozy, smell nice and they're all different! However, I am seeing some kitchen trends that really catch my eye and stand out above others, it's when you mix things up a bit. I really like when there is a mixture of painted and stained woodwork, great wall colors and even different types of countertops. We worked out of a model home in Cumberland Crossing where the counters were one type of granite and the center island was a different color. I loved it! So, if you're looking for a way to spice up your kitchen, try to mix it up! If you ever decide to sell your home in the future, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in making a decision about buying. Here's a list of the latest trends in kitchen design, taken from http://www.raftertales.com/:

Trend #1 - A Kitchen for the Entire Family

More open kitchen designs with adjoining dining and great room or family room spaces.

Designed to accommodate more than one person working in the kitchen, today’s kitchen design must be more fluid in terms of traffic patterns and space planning, whereas older, smaller kitchens were often designed to be most efficient for a single chef.

Trend # 2 - Cabinetry that Looks Like Fine Furniture
Furniture-style cabinets continue to be a hot kitchen design trend, according to data published by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).
Kitchen islands in particular no longer have to blend in with other cabinets; they may have legs, feet, decorative moldings, unique drawer and cabinet pulls and other design elements that make them more pieces of fine furniture than mere kitchen cabinets.

Trend #3 - More Stylish Professional Grade Appliances

As we have become more contentious about eating healthy and preparing ever more exotic cuisine at home, the trend toward commercial or professional grade appliances has continued.
However, these days the built-in Sub Zero fridge will be more likely to feature custom door fronts to blend in with the rest of the cabinetry than to sport a huge face of stainless steel!

In a more modern kitchen design, where stainless steel fits in nicely, a splash of highlight color can be nice in your over-the-range hood, dishwasher or other appliances.

Trend #4 - Kitchen Storage and Organization
Pull outs, tilt outs, rotating racks, you name it; kitchen organization is a huge part of kitchen design these days. For people who love to cook, utensils and specialty cooking items need to be easily accessible and easy to locate. So setting up separate stations for prep, baking, etc. is the best way to organize the kitchen for efficiency. Cabinet and drawer dividers keep things in their place. Racks to hang pots and pans from, a tilt out spice rack will be near the range and another for sponges and scrubbers by the sink.

Trend #5 - Unique Kitchen Sink and Faucet Applications
Under-mounted sinks are very fashionable these days, featuring a smoother, cleaner look that blends especially well in a modern design decor. The bowl is installed underneath the counter top, with no rim showing above. Cleaning the counter top is much easier since there is no lip to collect food crumbs and grime.
Various sink shapes are available these days. Using an asymmetrical, oval or rounded sink can make a very unique look, some with a large main bowl and adjoining smaller bowl for rinsing fruits or vegetables. In many cases, a second sink will be installed for this purpose at the prep station.

So, if you're looking to sell your home or buy one with a better kitchen, call us, we're real estate experts! Just call 405-330-2626 and ask for The Atchley Group! We're located in Edmond, Oklahoma but we also specialize in Oklahoma City metro, Piedmont, Deer Creek and Yukon!

Spice up your life!

Ah, it's finally the time when 7-11 has the pumpkin spice cappuccino! I stopped in today and got one on my way to work, it's like Thanksgiving in a cup! There's nothing I love more than the smell of pumpkin candles also. I use them all year round because they smell so good and they're not overwhelming. Lighting a nice candle or putting out a soft air freshener is a great thing to do when your home is on the market, but sometimes a candle isn't enough. Have a friend come over and honestly tell you if your home has an odor. Sometimes you can't smell it if you live there, it's true! Here are some useful tips* for getting your home smelling great for showings!

• 1. Take out the trash before showing. That simple.


• 2. Tell the children to keep stinky shoes in the garage.


• 3. Sprinkle baking powder on the carpet before vacuuming.


• 4. Vinegar - your new best friend. Use vinegar to clean floors, countertops, and bathrooms. (1/2 cup to one gallon of hot water.) A stronger vinegar mix dissolves hard-water scum on shower tile and glass enclosures.


• 5. Add essential oil drops to final rinse for floors.


• 6. Use essential oils in a diffuser instead of artificial sprays that some home shoppers may find offensive; they may think you're trying to mask a bigger problem like mildew, or even worse, they may be allergic to the artificial product and think your house makes them teary-eyed and sneezy.


• 7. Keep up with the laundry. Wash sneakers with a half-cup of added vinegar.


• 8. Wash all bed linens, even blankets, which hold odors. Use non-allergic scented fabric softener.


• 9. Check window coverings for musty smells.


• 10. Run a grapefruit or orange skin through your garbage disposal for a refreshing clean smell a few minutes before showing.

*Tips by Jeanette J. Fisher.

For more home staging tips, call the Atchley Group at 405-330-2626. We would love to talk to you about your Oklahoma City, Edmond, Piedmont and Deer Creek Real Estate needs!

Cleaning the Garage

This weekend my husband and I cleaned out our garage. Well, we did the best we could! We still can't actually park cars in there, but after a trip to the dump and a garage sale, it's going to happen!

What a mess garages are, they hold so many things, but usually not cars! I think that garages are one thing that home sellers can forget to take care of when staging and preparing the home for sale. That's where all the junk that was in the house went anyway! However, if a potential buyer steps into a junkpile in the garage, it's a huge turnoff. Get organized, sweep, buy some plastic tubs, hang your rakes, shovels and brooms on the wall. Whatever you do, get the stuff off the floor and be sure that you're able to actually park in there.

As for the garage sale, I've never actually held one, but it's a great way to get rid of the things that you can no longer use or may not need anymore. I looked it up and the city of Edmond does not require you to have a permit to hold a garage sale. Now that the weather is cooler it's so much more comfortable to spend some time in the garage going through things and deciding if there's enough for a sale. It also can make you some extra money, and that doesn't hurt! For more information about Edmond Real Estate, call us at 405-330-2626 and ask for the Atchley Group, we'll be glad to help you! Oh, and feel free to come to my garage sale!

Fun Friday Activities

If you haven't been to the Paseo area in Oklahoma City, you're missing out! The Historic Paseo Arts District, built in 1929, has served as Oklahoma City’s artist community since the 1970s. There's a big event going on this weekend if you love art! Information below was found on the Paseo website.

AN AUTUMN EVENT ON PASEO - This Fall event is scheduled for Friday, October 3rd from 6-10pm and Saturday, October 4th from 8am - 5:30pm. The North block of Paseo will be closed Friday evening and all-day Saturday. Most galleries on Paseo will feature a fine craft artist; on Saturday, the restaurants will have brown bag lunches for sale and a beer garden, all the while artists will be painting, sculpting, photographing and more, LIVE on the street. Music, and crafts for children will round out this beautiful fall day on Paseo. Artists are invited, free of charge, to paint, sculpt, wood carve, photograph, or throw pottery on the Paseo, Saturday, October 4 starting at 8am. There will be prizes, a quick draw contest, an auction and more.

OKC Is The Best!

In an article in Forbes magazine, Oklahoma City ranked number one as America's most recession proof city!

"Nationally, home prices are falling, unemployment is on the rise and the economy is expected to grow slowly--or even contract--in the first half of the year. But some cities are doing just fine. Take Oklahoma City, Okla. With falling unemployment, one of the country's strongest housing markets, and solid growth in agriculture, energy and manufacturing, it looks best positioned among the nation's largest metropolitan areas to ride out the current crisis."

So even if the ecomony scares you, be glad that you're in Oklahoma City, it's a great place to live.

The article also says, "Did someone say something about a recession? With one of the strongest housing markets in the country, Oklahoma City might not have received the recession memo, and it looks best positioned of the nation's metropolitan areas to ride out the current crisis."

Mortgage News

The following is information from the Atchley Group on-line October newsletter at -- http://realtytimes.com/nlprint/frame119/DebAtchley --to learn more about what's happening in the real estate world visit this hyperlink.

Rates Tick Up In Freddie Mac's results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.09% for the week ending September 25, 2008, up from the previous week when it averaged 5.78%. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.42%. "Mortgage rates followed Treasury bond yields higher this week amid market uncertainty over the current state of the economy," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. U.S. averages as of September 25, 2008: 30 yr. fixed: 6.09%15 yr. fixed: 5.77%1 yr. adj: 5.16% And while up, interest rates for 30-year FRMs are still more than 0.5 percentage points below this year's peak of 6.63 percent set the week of July 24th.

To learn more about Edmond, Oklahoma City, Deer Creek, Piedmont and Yukon home prices and local mortgage rates during this ever changing market, please call the Atchley Group at 330-2626. To check our current listings of homes for sale go to --http://www.atchleygroup.com/myhomes.asp?filter=yes&type=ALL.