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    Omaha Real Estate company utilizes new 6D technology amid pandemic

    POSTED ON FRIDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2020 8:28am

    Author: Sharon Chen, WOWT

    Link to Original Article w/ Video

    OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – For one Omaha couple, they never thought they would be able to sell their home in the middle of the pandemic. Thanks to new technology, they were able to.

    Most of us have bought our homes by looking at pictures printed on paper or on your computer screen. But now you can take it a step beyond, tour the home of your dreams and not even step foot into it.

    Brett Clarke may look like he’s playing a video game…

    “Here we are in the hunting lodge,” said Clarke.

    But he’s touring a home.

    It’s virtual reality and it’s this technology that sold the Clarke’s home.

    “I didn’t really want people in our house walking around, I didn’t know where they’d been,” said Annie Clarke.

    In the midst of a pandemic the Clarke’s wanted to sell their home, but they didn’t exactly want people in it.

    “I’m sure there are families out there with that may have underlying conditions and things like that… there’s no way we would do it.”> So that’s when they turned to Jeff Cohn and his tech-driven real estate firm K.W. Elite.

    “Not every consumer wants to have buyers in their house every single day,” said Cohn.

    It’s this idea that drove K.W. Elite to partner up with VRLY, virtual reality technology, taking the 3D technology we all know to the next level of 6D.

    “Where they can tour the home much like a video game and be able to fly through the entire house see all the sightlines and everything’s interactive,” said Cohn.

    “For example, look at this door, I can open the door go right up to this washer machine and look at all the details, in fact, this dryer says 2 hours and 50 minutes to dry this load of laundry. Now that’s a slow dryer,” said Cohn.

    “So, they can open doors, they can look under countertops and really make sure before pulling the trigger on their largest investment ever that they’re making the right decision.”

    The 6D technology even allows a potential buyer to visualize future changes, maybe different paint or new fixtures.

    “We figured in the three months we weren’t going to see anybody and or be able to have buyers at that time,” said Cohn.

    Not only did the Clarkes find a buyer, but it was also the technology that sealed the deal.

    “They were able to take that virtual reality to their families, show them exactly what the house looked like, and get their blessing on the home that they were going to buy,” said Cohn.

    In addition to the virtual reality, Cohn’s office in west Omaha even has loans, insurance, mortgage services, and more. It’s essentially a one-stop-shop for everything real estate.

    Copyright 2020 WOWT. All rights reserved.

    Home buying and selling made easier with 6D virtual technology

    POSTED ON THURSDAY, 01 OCTOBER 2020 10:32am

    Author: Danielle Davis, KMTV

    Link to Original Article

    OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Buying a home can be a time-consuming process but technology is making it easier.

    Keller Williams, now kwELITE, has a new state of the art, hybrid, tech-powered office to assist home buyers and sellers. They say when the pandemic hit, while other businesses were scrambling to catch up to the digital world, they were in the final stages of building their new tech-friendly officers.

    With the use of technology when searching for a home, it can save time, money and eliminate some of the hassles of having to set up appointments and driving from house to house.

    “You don’t have to physically come to our space to receive all of the benefits of working with a residential agent,” said Jeff Cohn, Founder, kwELITE. “We can do a lot of the functions, if not all of the functions, of buying a property or selling a property virtually or in person.”

    All of the offices come equipped with virtual conference room capabilities. Along with residential and commercial real estate assistance, you can get help with mortgages, titles, insurance policies and financial planning. For those looking to build a home, their technology hub has that covered as well.

    “We can help create an entire virtual walk through of a home before the house has ever been built,” said Cohn. “We can take that blueprint and create all design elements…including finishes, fixtures and equipment inside this virtual render. Someone can physically walk inside in 6D…you can literally look under cabinets, look under countertops and explore the space as if you are actually, physically in it before you ever spend the money digging a hole or constructing the property.”

    You can also view drone footage of the outside of the house as well as the surrounding neighborhood. The video can be viewed on the cell phone as well.

    The Future of Real Estate in a Quarantined World

    WRITTEN BY JEFF COHN

    POSTED ON MONDAY, 06 APRIL 2020 05:00

    Link to Original Article – https://realtytimes.com/agentnews/agentadvice/item/1037483

    The Future of Real Estate in a Quarantined World

    It’s definitely not business as usual- especially in real estate while most of the world is in quarantine. That doesn’t mean that your business can’t shift to a virtual business model to keep serving clients. Being forward-thinking – blending virtual with in-person interaction models – safeguards your business from the unexpected.

    Living in a virtual world

    I’ve been telling people for years that I believe agents and consumers will demand a virtual office solution going into this next decade- that is now becoming a reality.  For the past five years, my team has been able to do everything virtually and physically at my brokerage in Omaha. We are now operating 100% virtually during the quarantine. Since we are and have been, a paperless company, the current situation hasn’t impacted the function of our business as hard as most during the COVID-19 outbreak.

    COVID-19 impacts on real estate

    The current pandemic will affect real estate in a few ways. We are going to see fewer listings while people quarantine so the supply will go way down and the demand will continue to go up. Despite the fact we’re in a recession you will see a buyers market- due to a lack of inventory. With interest rates at an all-time record low buyer demand will be just as great if not greater than before COVID-19. I think that home prices will stay stable or go up because of this and closings will take longer. Wet signatures may also be a thing of the past with updated policies making virtual signing legal in many states for buying a home online.

    So how can you and your business adapt during this unprecedented period? I have five tips that can help your team continue to serve customers and grow their skills personally- all virtually from home.

    5 Tips for Shifting to a Virtual Business Model

    1. Keep your employees current with continual training. My business conducts weekly virtual training sessions using the virtual platform Zoom. Agents have the option to interact live with their instructor or access training videos at their convenience.

    2. Maintain accountability. Agents participate in weekly check-ins to ensure they are on track to achieve their professional goals by meeting key performance indicators.

    3. Implement a comprehensive transaction management system. There are a lot of moving parts in a real estate closing. Keep track of all the vendors and their respective deadlines with a digital transaction management tool such as Dotloop. Or, work collaboratively and organize your workflow with online platforms like Trello.

    4. Make sure your products can be viewed virtually. There’s a reason Amazon is such a booming success. Customers want to see what they are purchasing. Every one of my team’s listings has a custom virtual VRLY landing page offering drone fly-overs, HD photos, and 3-D Matterport walkthroughs. We are the only local brokerage that requires this next level of service.

    5. Create a digital workplace. Staying connected to the consumer is important. So is fostering communication and relationships among your employees. Metrics tracking platforms, such as Sisu, allow you to track key performance indicators while celebrating listing sales successes and spark friendly competition via gamification and leaderboards.

    Utilizing technology to add value

    Technology and innovation have to be a priority moving forward. My new office we are building out now will feature a virtual reality room for agents to do VR tours of homes with Oculus goggles, along with platforms and portals that utilize AI to predict ways to save customers money. These and other tools will not only revolutionize real estate but ultimately add more value to customers. My brokerage’s goal, like most in real estate, is to always serve the consumer in the highest order. It’s also important not to forget to serve your agents through coaching, accountability, and business mastery. We are an example of a real estate company that can operate 100% virtually and I hope that these tips and tools can help your business through this unprecedented time too.

    Continuing to Grow and Learn: Mueller’s Office Joins kwELITE

    March 21st, 2020

    Link to Original Article – https://columbustelegram.com/business/local/continuing-to-grow-and-learn-mueller-s-office-joins-kwelite/article_c6554ee0-1de0-5a30-80d4-082d80c1573e.html#tracking-source=home-trending

    Partners

    Some changes have come to the Parkway Plaza building in north Columbus, but it was always part of the larger plan.

    Broker/Owner Renee Mueller recently transitioned her real estate office from Berkshire Hathaway to Keller Williams (kwELITE), the world’s largest real estate company when it comes to agents and sales volume. It comes after she partnered with an Omaha office and owner of Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group, Jeff Cohn, who also transitioned to the same company, with Mueller to form one massive agency that serves Columbus and Omaha, as well as other parts of Northeast Nebraska and Western Iowa.

    Mueller is the broker for all offices under the partnership. The partnership has brought even more agents to the team in recent weeks, and much added technology. This is going to be crucial for keeping the agent at the center of the transaction and giving more opportunities to the consumers they serve, she said.

    “We all align very well and this was the perfect joint venture,” Mueller said, noting Cohn is also the owner of coaching company Elite Real Estate Systems that offers the annual Team Building Summit, monthly workshop and weekly coaching calls. “People have asked why I am bringing Omaha to Columbus, and I tell them we’re not, We’re bringing Columbus to Omaha. This was in the works for the last few years and it’s all finally coming to fruition.”
    Mueller’s agents are undoubtedly pleased with the change. Realtor Shalynn Spitz said the transition has been going well and that everyone is excited about the added businesses and opportunities within the organization.

    “It’s been great, fantastic. There are a lot more opportunities for clients and agents,” she said. “We help one another get through all our struggles with the new technology … We’re in it together for sure.”

    Even though the switch to kwELITE (Keller Williams) is new, it has been a goal of Mueller’s for several years that she knew would take some time to get all of the moving parts and pieces together.

    “In 2017-’18 I traveled around Nebraska and surrounding states, visiting top Brokerages and teams to see what the best fit was. I knew then that Keller Williams was the way I wanted to go,” she said. “But timing is everything and it did not happen as fast as I had wanted.”

    At work

    Despite the change and expansion, Mueller’s commitment to her hometown remains strong as ever. She has been part of several residential subdivisions here in town with plans to do even more. She constructed the Parkway Plaza building off Lost Creek Parkway that now features not only her business, but Applied Connective Technologies, Charter Title & Escrow, All Makes and, of course, Big Apple Bagels. She is a co-owner of the local franchise that opened up about a month ago. Great Plains State Bank purchased the land adjacent to the Plaza and it is anticipated that they will be done building in the fall of 2020.

    “I’ve been part of Columbus’ growth for 20-plus years, and I’m fully invested in it,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere. I think change can be good, sometimes it’ s necessary for growth and we could not be more excited about how quickly just that is happening.

    “If you stop learning and growing, you might as well give up. I believe you have to always be learning and growing.”

    Next up, Mueller is in the process of getting a virtual reality room setup in the Parkway Plaza building for clients. The idea is for people to be able to get a feel for what their finished home will be like once the construction is done while it’s being built.

    “This type of technology will be just a small piece of what sets us apart, and at the same time I want to help bring the community together in any way possible,” Mueller said. “I’m very excited. Now it’s just looking forward to the continued expansion.”

    Keller Williams Announces New High Tech Market Center, KW Elite

    ON 

    Original Article: https://strictlybusinessomaha.com/news/business/keller-williams-announces-new-high-tech-market-center-kw-elite/

    On December 10, it was announced at the FutureCon Tech Conference in Las Vegas that Keller Williams (kw.com) is preparing to open KW Elite, a new Market Center in West Omaha. Jeff Cohn, a native of Omaha and founder of Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group, will lead the new venture with his team of 35 agents. The 10,000-square-foot campus was built to be modern and consumer-friendly. KW Elite is located in the Advent Building at 17838 Burke St.

    The high-tech office will be a one-stop destination to aid buyers and sellers in numerous areas of the buying and selling process, such as acquiring a mortgage, title, insurance services, and more. New technology features are planned to be included as well, such as virtual reality rooms for touring homes, a state-of-the-art training facility, and artificial intelligence. The new building is anticipated to create nearly 250 jobs for the Omaha area.

    Austin, Texas-based Keller Williams, the world’s largest real estate technology franchise by agent count, has more than 1,000 offices and 180,000 associates. The franchise is also #1 in units and sales volume in the United States. In 2019, Fast Company named Keller Williams the #1 “Most Innovative Company” in real estate. In 2015, the company began its evolution into a technology company, now building the real estate platform that agents’ buyers and sellers prefer. Since 1983, the company has cultivated an agent-centric, technology-driven and education-based culture that rewards agents as stakeholders. For more information, visit kw.com.

    Gary Keller walks into Berkshire Hathaway’s backyard and takes its top team

    Jeff Cohn sold 615+ homes last year

    TRD NATIONAL /
    December 10, 2019 02:12 PM
    By E.B. Solomont
    From left: Jeff Cohn and Gary Keller

    Berkshire Hathaway’s residential brokerage just lost one of its biggest stars to its chief rival Keller Williams. In its own stomping grounds of Omaha, Nebraska, no less.

    Jeff Cohn and his 35-person team, Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group, plan to join Keller Williams in January, the company said. Cohn’s team is No. 1 at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, with 617.5 transactions last year, according to research firm RealTrends. Those deals were valued at more than $100 million.

    Before readers write off this top agent in Nebraska, consider this: With a population of 466,000, Omaha’s median sales price last year was $179,000 last year, up 5.3 percent year-over-year, according to Zillow. And the market is heating up. The median price among 2,300 homes currently listed for sale is $237,900.

    Jeff Cohn and Josh Team, president of KW, on/stage at futuRE

    Jeff Cohn and Josh Team, president of KW, on stage at futuRE

    According to Keller Williams — the massive franchise that is fighting to retain its stronghold in an increasingly-competitive field — Cohn plans to launch 100 “expansion teams,” or teams that will report back to him from other cities. “Keller Williams captures what my vision of a team looks like,” Cohn said in a statement. “Other big brokerages just can’t seem to make expansion work with their model.”

    Austin-based Keller Williams says it is the largest brokerage franchise with 185,000 agents worldwide. During the third quarter, it reported $101.7 billion in sales in the U.S. and Canada, up 8.8 percent year-over-year. But amid competition, Keller’s agent count dropped 4.5 percent year-over-year.

    To counter industry headwinds, Keller Williams is betting heavily on technology. The firm is also partnering with Offerpad to expand its instant home-buying program.

    Warren Buffett loses his top agent to Keller Williams

    Jeff Cohn will oversee new “tech-driven” KW office near Buffett’s home in Omaha

    Original Article: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/warren-buffett-loses-his-top-agent-to-keller-williams/

    Warren Buffett, the world’s most famous investor, got some mud kicked in his face this week. His real estate brokerage, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, lost one of its top producers to rival Keller Williams in Buffett’s own backyard: Omaha, Nebraska.

    Jeff Cohn and his 35-person team, Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group, will be moving to a new technology-driven Keller Williams “Market Center” in West Omaha, the company said this week. The new office is a 15-minute drive from Buffett’s five-bedroom home on Farnam Street, on the west side of the city.

    Buffett bought his Omaha home for $31,500 in 1958. It’s now valued by Zillow at about $1 million. Buffett often refers to it as the “third-best investment” he’s ever made, after the wedding rings he purchased for his first wife, who died in 2004, and for his second wife, for their 2006 marriage. Forbes puts Buffett’s net worth this month at about $88 billion.

    “We’re excited to announce that we’re going to be officially launching a Keller Williams franchise in West Omaha on Jan. 1,” Cohn said in a Facebook video he posted on Tuesday. “We believe having a one-stop solution for the consumer is the future, and going into this next decade, it’s imperative that we’re serving our clients at the highest level.”

    In an interview, Cohn said one of the main reasons he decided to move to Keller Williams is its emphasis on tech. In the last three days, he’s gotten calls from over 30 agents who want to join the new office from other companies, he said.

    “For real estate companies to continue to exist they are going to have to have a huge emphasis on technology while keeping the agent at the center of the transaction,” Cohn told HousingWire. “Otherwise, what happened to Blockbuster will happen to the real estate industry.”

    Cohn’s team was No. 1 at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in 2018, according to RealTrends. It’s on track to be No. 1 for 2019, said Cohn, who hosts the Team Building Podcast on iTunes. For the last six years, Cohn’s team has been No. 1 in Nebraska.

    A year ago, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices lost its 2017 top producer when Mike McCann, “the real estate man,” jumped ship for Keller Williams in Philadelphia.

    KW Elite to debut Omaha Market Center in 2020

    Posted: 11:09 AM, Dec 19, 2019
    Updated: 4:50 PM, Dec 19, 2019
    By: Sydney Gray

    OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – — One of the largest home buying companies in the country will expand in a major way in Omaha next year.

    Its main goal is to modernize the home buying process.

    Jeff Cohn, who’s now the CEO of kwElite, says he’s working to create a real estate office of the future.

    “The focus of the new Keller Williams office is to be centered on the consumer and give the agent a tech-empowered office so they can give the consumer the best experience possible,” he said.

    Cohn tells us they’ll be using virtual reality, which will allow home buyers to see their home potential home before stepping a foot inside.

    “Inside of our office we’re going to have tech rooms including virtual reality rooms that allow a consumer to look at properties that both exist and are in the construction phase that don’t exist yet, he said. “All in a virtual world with Oculus goggles.”

    He says the technology will revolutionize home buying.

    The advancement of technology will facilitate the buying process and the selling process in that it empowers the consumer the ability to look at properties from their home and narrow down their search to maybe their top 3,” he said. “Which saves them time and money.”

    Cohn says he the new 10,000 square foot market center will provide more then 250 jobs.

    “It will serve as the hub to expand into 100 different cities across the United States to help bring them this tech-empowered strategy while also offering their consumers and their agents ancillary businesses like mortgage insurance and investing,” Cohn said.

    The new market center will also include a state-of-the-art training facility, and Artificial Intelligence to better serve customers and agents.

    Berkshire’s Buffett loses top real estate agent to huge rival

    ‘Have to have a huge emphasis on technology’

    Original Article – https://www.foxbusiness.com/real-estate/berkshires-buffett-loses-top-real-estate-agent-to-top-rival

    Less than one month after missing out on the $5 billion acquisition of a tech company, Warren Buffett got more bad news.

    Buffett’s real estate brokerage, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, lost one of its biggest stars to rival Keller Williams Realty — in its own backyard. The new office for the departing CEO of Omaha’s Real Estate Group, Jeff Cohn, and his 35-person team is just a 15-minute drive from Buffett’s five-bedroom home in Omaha, Nebraska, according to HousingWire.

    “We believe that having a one-stop-shop solution for the consumer is the future, and going into this next decade, it’s imperative that we’re serving our clients at the highest level,” Cohn said in a Facebook video. “Within our office, you’re going to have access to mortgages, title insurance, along with other amenities to make your experience the best possible.”

    Cohn and his 35-person team plan to join Keller Williams in January, he said. Last year, Cohn’s team was No. 1 at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, with more than 617 transactions (worth a combined $100 million), according to research firm RealTrends.

    Cohn told Housingwire that one of the main reasons for the switch is Keller Williams’ emphasis on tech. Already, he’s received calls from about 30 agents who are interested in joining the new office from different companies, he said.

    “For real estate companies to continue to exist they are going to have to have a huge emphasis on technology while keeping the agent at the center of the transaction,” he said, noting the fate of video-rental chains that burgeoned in the 1980s and 1990s. “Otherwise, what happened to Blockbuster will happen to the real estate industry.”

    In March, Buffett’s HomeServices became the country’s largest residential brokerage firm, according to a ranking from Real Trends. The Minneapolis-based company had 44,363 agents across 919 offices.

    With a population just below 467,000, Omaha’s housing market is beginning to heat up. According to Zillow, which ranked the city’s market as “very hot,” the median home sales price last year was $179,000, up 5.3 percent from the year-ago period. Prices are expected to rise another 3.4 percent within the next year.

    Currently, the median price of homes listed is $237,900.

     

    Cutting-edge tech to drive new real estate center near 180th, West Dodge that hopes to create 250 jobs

    By Cindy Gonzalez / World-Herald staff writer

    Updated 

     

    Original Article – https://www.omaha.com/money/real-estate-market-center-near-th-and-west-dodge-foresees/article_44d5a6a0-f49d-5a4e-9cb0-309ff24ecdb5.html

    A new Omaha real estate operation is set to move into a 10,000-square-foot campus near 180th Street and West Dodge Road and has hopes of creating more than 250 new jobs.

    The Keller Williams franchise, led by Omahan Jeff Cohn, is to launch at the start of the year and be called KW Elite.

    Cohn’s existing team of 35 agents and support staff members previously worked under the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate flag, where it was a top producer known as Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group.

    The group is in a temporary location until the franchise headquarters, which they call a market center, is completed in the Advent Building at 17838 Burke St.

    Cohn describes the campus as a one-stop destination that will help consumers buy and sell homes and also give them mortgage, title, insurance and investment services.

    It is to be driven by cutting-edge technology and tools, he said. Clients looking for homes, for example, will have access to special headsets that give them virtual reality tours of houses. Agents will have access to production studios to record informational podcasts and to process videos of for-sale homes.

    Cohn said the technology focus of Keller Williams drew him to switch teams. He foresees new employment opportunities for more than 250 people, many of them residential real estate agents but also experts in the ancillary services that could extend their business to Keller Williams teams across the nation.

    “I believe the agent and consumer demand a virtual office solution going into this next decade,” said Cohn, who said his team over the past 13 years had nearly 5,000 transactions. “This hybrid model allows them to complete almost every task virtually, while still providing them with a physical footprint.”

     

    Jeff Cohn to Lead New Keller Williams Market Center Coming to Omaha, Along with New Jobs in 2020

    (OMAHA, NEB. December 10, 2019)- It was announced today at the FutureCon.Tech Conference in Las Vegas that Keller Williams will be launching a new Market Center in West Omaha – KW ELITE – in January 2020. Native Omahan Jeff Cohn, founder of Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group, will lead the new venture. He and his team of 35 agents and staff, who are currently the nation’s #1 selling residential team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate, will be making the transition in January 2020 and launching a technology-driven office.

    A modern and consumer-friendly design is underway for their 10,000 square foot campus at the Advent Building at 17838 Burke Street. The high-tech office will be a one-stop destination to aid buyers and sellers, not only in their home buying and selling process, but with acquiring mortgage, title, insurance services and more. This means employment opportunities for the area as Cohn estimates 250 new jobs. The launch of the Market Center will be accompanied by new innovation as well.

    Keller Williams has invested millions of dollars into Technology and innovation. The Omaha office will feature a myriad of tech solutions that will revolutionize the industry nationally and improve the consumer experience locally. Some examples include: Virtual Reality rooms for touring homes, a state-of-the-art training facility, and Artificial Intelligence. All empowering the agent at the center of the transaction to provide an exceptional customer service experience.

    “I believe the agent and consumer demand a virtual office solution going into this next decade,” said Cohn. “This hybrid model allows them to complete almost every task virtually, while still providing them with a physical footprint. My focus in real estate has always been two-fold: first, serving the agent through coaching, accountability, and business mastery. Second, serving the consumer by saving them money, time, and hassle! It’s a winning combination and I’m all in!”

    “We’re excited to welcome Jeff Cohn to the Keller Williams family,” said Gary Keller, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Keller Williams. “At Keller Williams we believe in succeeding through people and having Jeff on our team is a huge win for us.”

    For more information about Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group and the upcoming Market Center Launch, KW Elite, visit kwELITEomaha.com.

     

    Charity Drive- Back-to-School Backpack Drive

    CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE WITH VIDEO

    OMAHA, NE —
    It’s the last leg of the annual 7 Can Help Kids Back-to-School Backpack drive with The Salvation Army. So far, more than 6,000 backpacks have been donated by the Omaha community, and stuffed by volunteers.

    Organizers say volunteers are working hard as donations continue to flow in.

    For example, dozens of backpacks and supplies were collected by Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group and dropped off Thursday morning.

    “We kind of came to the game a little bit late, but we really felt like our team was excited about the project. A lot of us have kids and so we know the cost of school supplies,” said Melissa Boldt with Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group.

    Workers from 2 Men And A Truck volunteered their time as well, loading boxes full of already-stuffed backpacks.

    “People are going to get colored pencils, crayons, notebooks, pens, erasers. Everything they need so that when they show up, they’re ready,” said Curt Vincentini, of The Salvation Army.

    Ensuring that every child, no matter their circumstance, is prepared to learn when they step into class.

    “I think the worst thing that could happen is a child comes to school and not have what they need while their peers and classmates show up with the things that they need,” Vincentini said.

    The Salvation Army said community members can still drop off donations at their campus near 36th and Cuming Streets.

    Backpacks will be distributed at The Salvation Army’s Kroc Center near 30th and Y Streets and at the North Corps Center at 24th and Pratt Streets, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

    On Saturday, additional backpacks will be distributed at the Millard branch of the Omaha Public Library from 9 a.m. to noon.

    To get a backpack, parents or guardians must bring a photo I.D, proof of address and proof of school registration for the child.

     

    Charity Drive- Water Bottle Drive

    Caleb Sherman, 11, of Gretna, just wanted to collect some bottles of water to give to the homeless.

    “They always have like a really hard time, and people are really mean to them,” Caleb said.

    So between the camps and baseball games this summer, this soon-to-be sixth-grader set out to collect bottled water all though the month of June for the Open Door Mission — for a second time.

    Last year, he collected about 800 bottles of water. To boost his donations this time around, Caleb reached out to his community for help.

    “This year, I asked some baseball teams and the neighborhood,” he said.

    According to his mom, Tammy, it was a big step.

    “He’s typically reserved, shy. That is not something you’d normally see out of him,” she said.

    It worked better than Caleb expected.

    “The cool thing was, teams we didn’t even talk to — like one of the teams that was playing this other team — they mentioned it, and those guys event brought water,” Caleb said.

    And he didn’t stop there.

    “One of my friends’ dads works for a company,” Caleb said. “They donated a bunch of water.”

    So far this June, Caleb has collected a lot more bottles of water than he did last year: 7,500 bottles were sitting in the family’s garage Friday as his mom tried to figure out how to get them all over to the mission.

    “We’re still working on that,” Tammy said. “We don’t have anything in place yet.”

    But the community responded. Quickly.

    Mary Mueller, an Omaha realtor, donated use of a truck to help Caleb get his water to the mission.

    “It was so inspiring, what you guys are doing,” Mueller said to the family. “We wanted to help you guys.”

    Housing Market

    The Omaha Metro’s housing market is booming compared to the recent past. In fact, home sales are up 13% compared to just this same time last year. It’s easy to see that 2015 is off to a strong start. That’s good for sellers, good for buyers, and good for Omaha’s local economy. We’re seeing that interest rates are continuing to stay lower and therefore keeping buyers in the market. That leads to a low housing inventory in the area. And from there, it’s simple Economics 101: Supply & Demand. With a low supply of homes and a large demand from buyers, we’re seeing a fantastic trend for sellers.

    With houses “flying off the shelves”, as Jeff Cohn- owner of Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate, puts it, sellers are getting great prices for their homes. On average, sellers can expect to get around 98-99% of their asking prices if a home is in a desirable location, in great condition, and priced appropriately. Cohn also goes on to say that Omaha’s sweet spot are homes priced in the $150-250,000 price range. How long is it taking to sell these kinds of homes? Months? Weeks? Try days and even hours.

    “I don’t think we’ve seen inventory this low in over eight or nine years, our group has sold over 200 properties already in 2015 alone.”, said Cohn. He then went on to say, “A lot of the houses we list, literally we’ll put a sign in the yard and have multiple offers within 24 hours.”

    Omaha’s economic health can be largely judged by how the local housing market is trending. With so many companies and jobs tied to real estate, it’s a great indicator that the metro economy is on the right path.

    Real estate experts are focused particularly on the “Millennial” Generation right now. Economists are finding that this generation is now entering the housing market with full force. Many people that fall within the age range of this generation are hitting a stride in their careers, thus giving them more income to put towards things like purchasing homes. It’s forecasted that the Millennials will be the driving force of real estate sales for the foreseeable future, much like the “Baby Boomer” Generation has in the last several decades.

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