Dan Sells the Lake

Missouri is one of the leading states to spot our national bird, the bald eagle. Owning a home at the Lake of the Ozarks gives you some wonderful opportunities to go bird watching for these magnificent creatures.  If you would like to see a few up close and personal, then you should make plans to attend the 16th Annual Lake of the Ozarks Eagle Days .  It will take place January 9 & 10, 2016 at various locations.      This is a free event that proves living at the Lake of the Ozarks can be just as much fun in the winter as it is in the summer.  There is always something going on to keep lake life interesting.  Eagles make nests wherever they can find plenty of food and open water.  These factors are what makes the lake so attractive to these birds.    The very first Eagle Days at the Lake had 651 participants, and in 2015 it had grown to over 3,700 in attendance.  This year the weekend will feature many activities, inc...

FSBO is short for "For Sale By Owner."  This is when a homeowner decides to sell their house without any assistance from a real estate agency.  It may sound simpler to take care of everything by yourself, but there is a lot more involved in selling a home at the Lake of the Ozarks than one might realize.  Here are a few of the reasons that hiring a real estate agent to sell your home will actually make it a lot easier for you.   1.  It's difficult to reach everyone looking to buy.  These days, more and more people are taking to the internet to find their new home.  Research has been done that found about 89% of buyers search online compared to only 20% using newspapers to find a house.  Only putting up a sign in your yard makes it even harder to reach the people that you need to see your property.  Only about 9% of homes sold are the result of a yard sign.   My Dan Sells the Lake website is set up to feature my listings, and...

Mid-Missouri is known for its unpredictable weather, so when you own a home at the Lake of the Ozarks , you need to be prepared for just about anything at anytime.  The Lake area's weather has turned out to be unseasonably warm for this time of year, but winter will eventually show up.  Now is a great time to check a few things around your Lake of the Ozarks real estate to make sure that you are ready for the cold and snow.   Inspect your roof. Take a good look at both the inside and the outside of your roof.   Check closely for any damage that needs to be repaired.   Damage here can let both cold temperatures and melting snow leak into your home.  While you are outside, clear the gutters so that ice and snow do not get trapped.  Trim any overhanging branches that could fall onto the house too.  Back inside, upgrade any insulation that is looking thin.   Drain pipes. Water left in any pipes in  Lake of the Ozarks second h...

As a Lake of the Ozarks realtor for the Gattermeir-Davidson team, I have access to the very best houses for sale at the Lake of the Ozarks .  This is a beautiful place to call home, and equally as wonderful to make your second home.  This month I would like to feature this roomy 3-bedroom lakefront property.  17633 Morning Sun Drive  Gravois Mills, MO 65037 Old Address: O-Road $250,000 This beautiful home enjoys an Eastern exposure with a view of the main channel of the Lake of the Ozarks.  It has a large, partially covered deck and a 2-well dock with a swim platform on a deep water, protected cove.  There is plenty of room for the entire family or a group of weekend visitors with its four bedrooms and three bathrooms.     FACTS: Built sometime between 1970-1977 Morgan County, Versailles school district Apx. 1,870 sq. ft. 2-story 4 bedrooms 3 full bathrooms FEATURES: Interio...

Many people believe that the Lake area shuts down in the winter (which is not true!) so they also think that real estate at the Lake of the Ozarks shuts down too. This is also not true.  A very large portion of buying and selling goes on during the months of December, January, and February.  Winter is an excellent time to get your house on the market.   Studies show that selling a home at the Lake of the Ozarks in the winter is more likely to get your asking price than in the summer months.  The following points are most likely a big part of the reason for this.   Fewer houses on the market. Since most people believe that best time to put their house on the market is in the spring, there is less competition for sellers in the winter.  With fewer houses for buyers to look at, the more attention that your house will get.   Demand is strong. In the past eight months, between March 1, 2014 and October 31, 2015, only about 1/3 of ...

Whether you live in the area part-time or year-round, buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks gives you many reasons to be thankful.  This is an incredible place to call home for lots of different reasons.  This Lake of the Ozarks realtor would like to share a few of them with you.  The beauty. Everyone is partial to the place that they live, but I firmly believe that mid-Missouri is one of the most beautiful places anywhere, especially the Lake of the Ozarks area.  The seasons play a large part in that.  Beautiful blossoms in the spring, green trees everywhere that you look all summer, every color imaginable in the fall, and the gorgeous scenes of snow covering the hilly landscape in the winter.  If you are lucky enough to own a waterfront home at the Lake of the Ozarks, then you have the most amazing view to wake up to on a daily basis. Everywhere that you look around here is simply gorgeous.     The location. This is t...

Thanksgiving is almost here.  A time for gathering with those that you love and being thankful for all of the good things in your life.  Once you recover from the food coma that often accompanies this holiday, you really should get out and do something to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season.   Living at the Lake of the Ozarks offers residents a wide variety of incredible things to do.   December will bring even more holiday excitement, but Thanksgiving weekend is already filled with a full list of fun things to do in the Lake area.  Whether you own a home at the Lake of the Ozarks full-time or live here part-time, there are plenty of things going on for you to join in.  Gather together your family and friends and enjoy as many of these as you possibly can.    OSAGE BEACH Deck the Docks Holiday Light Cruise:  Nov. 27 - Dec. 30 This is the 5th year that the Celebration cruise ship has offered this evening cruise to be...

It's that time of year when the gorgeous leaves of the season that we admired for the past few weeks are scattered all over the place.  They don't seem so pretty when they are covering every inch of your yard.  Your home at the Lake of the Ozarks looks much nicer when all of that leaf clutter is cleaned up. Here are a few tips for taking care of this task. Mow them over If there is a thin layer of leaves over the grass in your yard, use the lawnmower on them.  The leaves used nutrients that came out of the soil while they were growing, and using them as mulch for your yard returns some of these nutrients back to where they came from.  Most mowers today come with a bag to attach and collect the leaves.  Spread this beneath shrubs and in flower beds to benefit the soil in these spots too.   Rake them up Raking the leaves takes a little more work, but may be necessary once the leaves begin piling up.  There are a few things that you can do to ma...

Too many people let misunderstandings and fear about buying a home scare them away from doing it. It's actually a lot easier than you would expect. Most of the concerns that are brought up to many Lake of the Ozarks real estate agents are myths rather than truths. I am here to help you learn fact from fiction and get you into that home of your dreams. Here are few of those misconceptions straightened out. It's too hard to get approved for a loan.   You will have to fill out the paperwork and meet qualifications, but many of them are not as stringent as you might assume.  This Lake of the Ozarks real estate agent is here to help you through all of that.   According to the latest statistics, 71% of loan applications were approved in the Fall of 2015.  That puts the odds greatly in your favor.    My credit score isn't high enough to get a loan.   You don't have to have what is considered an "excellent" credit score in order to qualify...

A very helpful room to have in any house, especially one with kids and pets, is a mudroom. This is a small room or entryway where shoes, coats, backpacks, and much more can be easily dropped of when you enter the house, and easily picked up when you leave.  Any house for sale at the Lake of the Ozarks should have this practical room to offer.  It's nice to have a spot to contain everything. Plus, w ith all of the lake activities and changes in weather in this area,  it's the perfect addition so that you don't have to undress outside after a messy day.   Growing families especially love seeing a mudroom in a potential home, but they are very useful for anyone.   A small, side room near the garage or entryway is the best spot to place a mudroom if possible.  This keeps you from trekking through multiple rooms with all of your stuff.   Don't worry if you don't have a room especially for this.  You can use an empty wall in an entryway to creat...