Dan Sells the Lake

There never seems to be enough time in a day to accomplish all of the tasks that you would like to get done. Well, this year we're all in luck, because the fact that it's a leap year means we get one whole extra day to work with. If you are looking to buy a house at the Lake of the Ozarks , you've got 24 bonus hours to house-hunt, go over contracts, or whatever other tasks that you have been trying to find the time to finish.  Leap Year Facts Have you ever wondered why we add an extra day to the calendar? Apparently, it takes slightly longer than 365 days to make a full orbit around the sun. Actually, it takes closer to 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, & 45 seconds to make that trip. Adding a leap day nearly every 4 years lets our calendar compensate for the extra time. The first leap year happened around 46 B.C. because Julius Caesar ordered his astrologer to simplify their calendar. It had 355 days a year with an extra 22-day month added every 2 years. That ent

When you decide to buy a home , there are a few things that you can do before getting into the home loan process to increase your chances of getting the loan that you want. These are simple steps that only require a bit of preparation. A good real estate agent at the Lake of the Ozarks will point you in the right direction to get started.  Here is a great way to get the ball rolling.      Check your credit scores. You should get a good look at your credit scores before the bank begins looking into them.  Federal law allows you to receive a free copy of your credit report once a year from each of the three credit reporting companies:  Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.  This allows you to check it for any inaccuracies that need to be corrected. Mistakes do happen, and you will want to give yourself 3-6 months before applying for a home loan to file a dispute and correct any problems you may find.   You will want to have at least three credit tradelines open.  These are a

This Sunday is the national holiday in honor of love and romance, Valentine's Day. Many take this to heart and go all out to show the one that they love exactly how special they are.   In case you were curious, here are a few interesting facts straight from the office of Dan Sells the Lake for you to use when you are stumped for something to talk about this Valentine's Day.  I bet your Valentine doesn't know these fun facts!     1. The first box of chocolates specifically for Valentine's Day was produced in the late 1800's by Richard Cadbury.   2.  If you buy chocolates for your Valentine, you're not alone.  Over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of candy are sold for Valentine's Day.  I wonder if that includes the half-price boxes sold the next day? 3. On average, men spend double what the ladies spend on Valentine's Day, yet women purchase 85% of all valentines cards.     4.  In Japan, women are expected to give gifts to the men on Valenti

February is Library Lovers Month , and living at the Lake of the Ozarks puts you in close proximity to some very impressive libraries.  When you buy a home that children will be living in, the school district is a very important factor in that decision.  Having a great library nearby can enhance their learning experience, plus offer many opportunities to get out of the house and enjoy the programs offered.  Camden County Library District The Camden County Library District serves a large portion of the Lake of the Ozarks Area.  It contains six branches. Camdenton Climax Springs Macks Creek Osage Beach  Stoutland Sunrise Beach  Every branch offers computers and WiFi to the public.  The Osage Beach and Camdenton branches have meeting rooms, and the Camdenton branch even provides computer classes and genealogy classes.  Library cards are available to more than just Camden County residents.  If you have a vacation home at the Lake of the Ozarks and pay property taxes wi