Fall Block Party in The Oaks!

We had a wonderufl block party last weekend in The Oaks! We had close to 150 people out who enjoyed buffalo burgers and buffalo hot dogs! The weather was gorgeous. Slightly overcast but a perfect 70 degrees! We were very thankful the rain held off just long enough for us to have a good time! In addtion to our block party we also had the grand opening for The Bella Sicily! This is one of the smaller homes in Oak Pointe but very charming! Coming in at 1866 sq.ft. this home offers just the right amount of space for a 3 bed, 2 bath home but it is loaded with all of The Oaks Development signature extras and amenties. Furthermore, the living room fetures an open floor plan plus tall 12 foot ceilings creating a space that feels larger than it is! Everyone had a great time and we got rave reviews on The Bella Sicily. If you did'nt get a chance to make it stop by and we will give you a personal tour!

Neighborhood Watch @ National Night Out

Our local police department hosted Lawton’s first ever “National Night Out” on Tuesday at Shepler Park. This was an event with fun filled activities for the entire family and a chance to promote safety within the community. Several neighborhood watch groups including ours set up booths. We had a great time promoting Brentwood / The Oaks neighborhood watch and most of all handing out cookies to all the kids! The kids flocked to our table like it was Halloween! Our neighborhood watch group is something I can very thankful for. We meet hold monthly meetings where we are all able to catch up and interact with our local police. We also have patrollers who drive through the neighborhood at various hours of the day and night to keep an eye on things. We are very fortunate to live in a beautiful and quiet corner of the city. All of our neighbors know each other and we all keep an eye on our neighborhood. I often tell people that when I leave The Oaks I feel like I am entering paradise when I return. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!

Bring On The Rain in July!!

It's been a beautiful July in The Oaks! We started the month off with unseasonably cool temps and recently enjoyed almost a week straight of rain! The Fourth of July was so cool I almost needed a jacket after the sun went down, that was a first! We spent Independence Day enjoying a nice BBQ with family then took in the view of fireworks from our backyard. Our neighborhood sits at one of the highest elevations in the city offering a terrific 360 degree view across the entire city. The Fouth of July is one of my favorite holidays and a great time to reflect on our blessing of freedom as a nation. Our course, I made my annual flag cake which I have made every year since I was 12. It's a tradition that I can't bring myself to break!

This past week we received a tremendous amount of rain, which we were all very thankful for. My rain gauge in my backyard recorded 4.5 inches of rain in 4 days! Considering our average July rainfall total is about 2.26 inches for the entire month this was pretty good! In Oak Ridge, we have a small portion of the dam completed on the new lake so we were able to catch a little bit of the run off water from all the showers. It was a beautiful sight to see!  The buffalo also highly enjoyed these days as they love cooler weather and rain!

We've also been hearing wonderful news in the national real estate market this month. New home sales and builder confidence continues to rise to some of the highest levels in five years.   I read an article in Builder Magazine stating that new home prices in many markets are predicted to rise 11 to 13 percent in 2013. The price of existing homes is expected to rise 7 to 8 percent. This is good news for everyone but what it also means is that if you're waiting to invest in a new home you're going to miss the boat. Now is the time, new homes are appreciating significantly faster than existing homes. Its a fact that new home prices will rise and rates will increase. Right now, interest rates are still wonderful! The longer you wait, the more its going to cost you to get into that beautiful home you've always dreamed of! In The Oaks we still have 9 homes ready to move into immediately. Come out, look around and talk to us about how we can make that dream become a reality sooner than you might think!

We would also like to welcome our newest resident, Dr. Le, to The Oaks. Dr. Le is a general surgeon at Southwestern Medical Center. Its great to be adding so many wonderful new faces to the neighborhood.



Happy Summer from The Oaks!

Things have been rolling along here in The Oaks this summer. Homes have sold, construction continues and we are finishing up work on our Lake in Oak Ridge.


Earlier this week we had a nice visit from the renowned TV celebrity chef, Dean Fearing who is known as the "father of Southwestern Cuisine". He came to do a photo shoot at The Ranch at Oak Ridge for his upcoming book. Chef Dean is the owner of Fearing's at the Ritz-Carlton in Dallas. Fearing's was named the best new restaurant in America by Esquire Magazine and their signature dish is our buffalo tenderloin.

We started June off by heading up to Tulsa to serve as judges for the Tulsa Parade of Homes. This is an incredible event featuring more than 150 new homes around the Tulsa metro ranging from $100K to $1 Million +. We were able to meet some very sharp people from the home building industry and view some beautiful homes and communities. We were very inspired upon returning home.

One of the things that stuck with me from our trip to Tulsa were some of the stunningly beautiful communities that we visited. These were communities filled with lakes, sidewalks and timeless, cohesive architecture. Some of these neighborhoods truly stirred my soul and made me feel right at home. It occurred to me that Lawton only has one community that even comes close to these and it is The Oaks. There are certainly some other nice neighborhoods but non that compared to what I saw in these communities. From the scale of our lakes, to the fountain, to the gazebo, to the sidewalks, to the timeless architecture, The Oaks is the only community anywhere in Lawton that even comes close to the best of what I saw.

Another dynamic is that our lakes are designed in such a way that all residents of our community can see and enjoy the beauty of the water, not just the residents whose homes back up to the lake. This is also what I saw in some of the communities in Tulsa. Oak Pointe Lake is open for everyone who lives in our neighborhoods to enjoy by fishing or simply enjoying a break from an evening walk at the gazebo. Furthermore, Oak Ridge Lake will come all the way up to 67th street and span 3/4 of a mile long. When complete it will be the largest lake in the city limits of Lawton. From the gazebo on Majestic Oak Blvd. everyone will be able to enjoy the expansive view all the way down Oak Ridge Lake.

Someone asked me a few days ago if the overall vision of "The Oaks" was my idea. I had to be honest and admit that it was not, The Oaks is the tangible dream of my Dad. My Dad began development of The Oaks neighborhoods just before I graduated from The University of Oklahoma and began construction on the first homes in Oak Pointe right when I came back to join the company full time. He is extremely creative and I am continually impressed with his vision. Now that I have joined the team I am involved with the design of each home but I must give my Dad credit for the overall vision of the community!

Pictured below is the first stage of our sunken fire pit on the center island of Oak Ridge Lake. I can envision the canopy of Oak Trees overhanging the island! I'm already dreaming of a block party for the entire neighborhood where we will give everyone rides by boat out to the islands which will be accessible by water from the homes on the lake.

I am very proud of my Dad for bringing his vision to Lawton and creating a timeless community on par with with what you will find in the larger metropolitan areas. Stay tuned for more details and come out sometime for a tour of some of our Open Houses. Homes are open for viewing every day. Head south on 67th St, 1 mile past Lee Blvd!

Big Brother's Big Sister's of Oklahoma Fundraising Event- May 18 at The Grand Bellissimo

RSVP:   Audrey Dolar Tejada

              tejadayu@gmail.com
              580.531.4654

               OR

               Whitney Nance Perry
               wnance@ronnance.com
               580.917.2706

Join us for a signature event on behalf of BBBSOK on May 18, 2013 in The Oaks!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma (BBBSOK) wants to help children in Lawton who need us most. With 27,000 Oklahoma children that have one or both parents in prison, the likelihood of them following in their footsteps is staggering. There is hope! Your support helps us place a caring, adult role model in their lives that has significant impact:

94 percent of Adult Littles said their Big provided stability when they needed it

81 percent said their Big changed their perspective on what was possible in life

77 percent said they set higher goals and did better in school because of their Big

65 percent said their Big helped them reach a higher level of education than they thought possible

BBBSOK is actively working to open an office in Lawton by engaging the community's support. We thank Audrey Dolar Tejada for helping us spread the word by organizing this fundraiser. All proceeds will be specifically earmarked for our expansion into Lawton. Thank you for starting something in Lawton and helping a children reach their potential. For more info about BBBSOK, please visit www.bbbsok.org

Saturday, May 18, 2013
12:00 pm -3:00 pm
6310 SW Oakmont Blvd., Oak Ridge Addition

Experience Arbonne Session I: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm. Plant based products and remedies are the wave of the future. We'll have the anti-aging, skin and body care, cosmetics, health and wellness, and aromatherapy lines represented, all botanically based and Vegan-certified using no petrochemicals or animal by-products. Proceeds will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma for its expansion into Lawton.

Business Builders Workshop Session II: 2:00 pm-2:30pm. Arbonne is an innovative business model for the 21st century. Featuring Arbonne Health and Wellness Consultant MariaElena G. Rubio, MA, HBCE, former Harvard University Administrative Fellow at teh Harvard School of Public Health.

Fundraisers Workshop Session III: 2:30 pm -3:00 pm. Learn how to fundriase more effectively with a 35% profit margin, no financial outlay or inventory, and time leveraging. We can customize a plan based on your organization's needs and priorities. Virtual guests can participate from around the world. The Arbonne Foundation is a national sponsor of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Homeownership... The American Dream! Now More Attainable Than It Has Ever Been Before!

I bet if you told people 30 years ago that mortgage interest rates would someday drop below 3%, they would not believe you. Furthermore, I bet that most of those people would tell you, if interest rates drop below 3%, I'll buy every house I can! Well, here we are, 30 years later and mortgage interest rates are below 3%!

The chart below shows the history of mortgage interest rates since 1970. As you can see, what goes down, always comes back up. Right now, rates are as low as they have ever been. There is no where to go but back up.

When I graduated from college in 2008 and entered the real estate industry, I remember people getting excited over rates dipping below 6%. It didn't mean much to me back then. That was before I realized the history of where rate had been and where they were about to go. That was a time when I could sleep until noon on the weekends without a care in the world! Graduating college and entering the real workforce was eye opening, to say the least! I was fortunate to have the opportunity to enter the family business and with that came the personal desire to see an already thriving company continue to grow. Thus, my awakening and realization of the housing market around me!

My Dad tells a story about when he and my Mom first got married and purchased a home on a 12.5% interest rate loan in the early 1980's. That was right after rates had skyrocketed to 21.5%! When given the opportunity to assume a VA interest rate at 12.5%, they thought they were in heaven! Their mortgage payment was $1,206 on a $90K loan. It was a basic, 1,800 square foot home with 8 foot popcorn ceilings, linoleum flooring and Formica countertops. To put that into perspective, that would be like at $3,400 payment today if you adjust their payment amount by the CPI. For $3,400 today we could build a luxury dream home three times the size with 20 foot ceilings, home theater, travertine flooring, granite countertops, outdoor kitchen and so much more! Pictured here is The Cypress Villa, the home they live in now. For what they paid back then they could live in the house they do today! 

Now, here we are, 30 years later, looking at 30 year fixed rate mortgages around 3%. I even got an email for a 30 year adjustable rate starting at 2.35% and increasing to no more than 2.75%. WOW......to think about that makes me realize what a unique moment in history we are living in right now! Why would anyone want to do anything less than invest in as nice a home as they possibly can right now?

At 27, I have purchased 4 homes and recently upgraded to a home that will suite my lifestyle for many years to come. My last home was beautiful, don't get me wrong. It was less than 4 years old and had a stunning backyard oasis with a magnificent pool, 5 waterfalls and spa. My decision to move came from the fact that interest rates are unbelievably low right now and I knew that now is the time to upgrade to as nice a home as I could, because in a few years its not going to be nearly as affordable as it is today.  In fact, I truly believe that in 10 years mortgage payments on the same price house will easily be 3 times as much . Plus, with continually rising construction costs total payments could easily be 6 times as much for the same quality house.  

 Ask yourself this, where do you see yourself in 10 more years? Does your current home meet the lifestyle needs you foresee having in 10 years? Will you want a larger home? Will you want a smaller but nicer home with less maintenance? These are the questions that I encourage EVERYONE I meet today to ask themselves. In 10 years I believe we will all look back and say... "WOW... that was such a great time to buy a house!", "I'm glad we did" OR "I wish we had"......

We have open houses in The Oaks everyday. Come out sometime and take a look or check our Home Listings Page on our website. There will never be a better time to invest in the American Dream!

Congratulations EHS for Being Named Nationial Math and Science Initiave School of the Year!

This week was an exciting week for Eisenhower High School! On Wednesday Eienhower was recognized at the Oklahoma state capitol as the National Math and Science Initiative school of the year. Eisenhower was recognized because of its success in its first year of the Advanced Placement program. As a 2004 graduate of Eisenhower this news makes me very proud of my alma mater! I am also thankful that our neighborhood is located in the Eisenhower School district so all kids living in our school district can have the opportunity to attend Eisenhower. I am a strong believer that Eisenhower provides one of the best educations in the region for the student willing to work hard and excel academically.

See the full story on the Lawton Constitution website... happy reading!

Lawton Constitution: Eisenhower Named National Math and Science Initiative School of the Year

Spring is in the Air!

Spring is in the air... and is always one of my favorite times of year! Just about the time I forget about the bulbs panted in the Fall the first signs of life begin to emerge from the soil! A lot of exciting things are happening in The Oaks right now. Our crown jewel, Oak Ridge Lake, is continuing to take shape. The magnitude of the size of this lake is becoming evident. Oak Ridge Lake will be the largest lake inside the city limits of Lawton at 3/4 mile long and over twice the size of Lake Helen at Elmer Thomas park. Our crew has been working sunrise to sunset to bring this beauty to life!

Just this week, the outline of one of 3 islands that will grace the water began to take shape. I can already envision the canopy of Oak trees overhanging the islands. Million dollar and up residential estates will sit on a bluff on the south side of the lake overlooking the water. Our beautiful bison will continue to inhabit the land on the north side of the lake. Spanning all the way to 67th street this lake will be something all residents of The Oaks get to enjoy. From the gazebo at Oak Pointe Lake neighbors will be able to enjoy the splendor of Oak Ridge Lake as well!

With the weather warming up many Oaks neighbors are getting out and enjoying the fresh air in our peaceful neighborhood. My husband Adam and I love to take our dogs for walks, especially on a nice day. Bailey, our oldest is a 5 year old Havenese and Franklin, our baby, is a two year old Havanese / Maltese mix. The middle child (our cat Edward) stays home during our walks. We took him for a  walk on a leash once but that didn't go over so well! I guess there's a reason you don't see people walking their cats very often.


This week one of our prized Oak Pointe beauties went under contract, The Grand Lexington Escape. This was our last available home in Oak Pointe with a home theater. This magnificent home is a one of a kind and will make a great retreat for our soon to be new neighbors. We only have 8 homes remaining in Oak Pointe and 2 in Oak Ridge. Right now is a great time to pick something out. Interest rates are at historic lows. Twenty five years ago when rates went up to 21% I be no one would believe they'd be below 4 % today!


When you have some time stop by and tour our Open Houses. We have homes open in Oak Pointe every day until 6:00! Hope to see you soon!

The Grand Chateau Escape

Interest Rate History Since 1970

Superior Performance of Schools in The Oaks School District

www.TheOaksDevelopmentCo.com

School District: Lawton Public Schools

High School: Eisenhower High School

Middle School: Eisenhower Middle School

Elementary: Almor West Elementary

Introduction


The Oaks Development Company is located in a wonderful school district with student performance well above local and state averages. We are located in the district for Eisenhower High School (EHS), Eisenhower Middle School and Almor West Elementary. This report looks at school report card grades, the superior Advanced Placement program at Eisenhower High School, honor roll achievement beyond high school and National Merit Scholars from Eisenhower High School.



A-F School Report Cards

Each year the Oklahoma State Department of Education releases an “A-F School Report Card” to assess the performance of each school on an individual basis. The 2012 Lawton district report card was assessed a letter grade B. Superintendent of Lawton Public Schools, Barry Beauchamp, tells The Lawton Constitution that “75% of our schools have A’s and B’s. No one has less than a C.”

School report card grades change on a yearly basis depending on the performance of the school each year. Scores depend on a variety of factors ranging from parent involvement to the scores of special needs students being factored into the overall school report card. These factors often pull down the overall report card grades at certain schools with special needs programs.

Because of these outlying factors, report card grades alone should not determine the quality of a school. In this report we look at advanced learning opportunities and the academic success of students beyond the high school level.



Two Factors Indicating Quality Education at Area High Schools

There are several factors which indicate the quality of education students receive at different schools throughout the region. First, we look at student’s performance on advanced placement exams. Second, we examine the percentage of students that go on to the honor roll at nearby universities.



1. High School Advanced Placement:

Advanced Placement courses are designed to challenge the high school student who desires an education that will help them excel beyond the high school level. [The Advanced Placement (AP) Program is a cooperative educational endeavor between the College Board, secondary schools, and colleges and universities. It allows high school students to undertake college-level academic learning, and gives them the opportunity to show they have mastered the advanced material by taking AP exams. Students can receive credit, advanced placement, or both from thousands of colleges and universities that participate in the Advanced Placement Program.] (Oklahoma State Department of Education).

Students at Eisenhower High School rank top in the region in the area of Advanced Placement participation, course offerings and exam performance.

Advanced Coursework Participation:

1. Eisenhower           56%

2. Lawton High         47%

3. Elgin                        47%

4. MacArthur            44%

5. Cache                      42%

*Source: A-F School Report Card 2012


Advanced Placement Exam Performance

1. Eisenhower         61%

2. MacArthur          46%

3. Lawton High       38%

4. Cache                    25%

5. Elgin                      21%

*Source: A-F School Report Card 2012


Number of AP Class Offerings:

1. Eisenhower          16

2. MacArthur            9

3. Lawton High         9

4. Elgin                        6

5. Cache                      2

*Source: AP Course Ledger



EHS Advanced Placement Partnership with Northrop Grumman

Thanks to defense contractor Northrop Grumman and the National Math+Science Initiative, Eisenhower High School's advanced placement program received a grant which facilitates and rewards successful participation in AP classes. The grant from Northrop is a major reason EHS has almost twice as many AP course offerings as the other two Lawton High Schools and eight times as many AP courses as Cache High School.

The grant is valued at approximately $250,000-$300,000 for a 3 year time period according to a press release from the National Math +Science Initiative. Money from the grant provides $10,000 per year worth of equipment and material for the school, financial incentives paid to both student and teachers for qualifying exam scores and extensive teacher and student training. The grant rewards students with $100 for each MSE exam passed and rewards teachers with $100 per student passing grade. Throughout the semester students attend 3 Saturday sessions with renowned instructors presenting workshops on the course subject.

Northrop chose EHS for the grant as part of the Initiative for Military Families, which is a major project of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. Three schools in the entire country were chosen to be recipients of this grant, Eisenhower being one of them. The others are Carl Albert High School in Midwest City and Howard High School in Macon, Georgia.



2. College Honor Roll Achievement

Every Fall and Spring the University of Oklahoma publishes a list of students who have excelled academically by earning a position on the school honor roll. According to the OU Spring 2012 honor roll there were 2 students from Cache High School, 2 students from Elgin High School and 60 students from Lawton. Based upon total school enrollment the percentage breaks down as follows:

Percentage of OU Honor Roll Students*

 
1. Lawton Public Schools     5.6%

2. Cache Public Schools       1.6%

3. Elgin Public Schools          1.4%

These findings conclude that the students from Lawton Public Schools are well equipped and prepared to excel at the university level. A contributing factor may be a broader selection of curriculum and greater choice of Advanced Placement courses offered in Lawton Public Schools than the smaller surrounding communities. Students receive a rich education that equips them for life beyond high school.



National Merit Scholars

The mission statement of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation is to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States. The national merit program recognizes students who display success academically and is often regarded as the most prestigious award that can be given to high school seniors. Eisenhower high school has a longstanding reputation for producing National Merit Scholars. In 2012 there were two semifinalists for national merit scholarships from Eisenhower, one each from the other two Lawton High schools and zero from Cache or Elgin High Schools. “Less than one percent of the 1.3 million students who compete for the award make the semi final round” (Lawton Public Schools).

National Merit Scholars have a wide range of opportunities available beyond high school. The University of Oklahoma takes great pride in its National Merit Scholars and is number one among all public universities in the nation in the number of freshman National Merit Scholars enrolled. Many Eisenhower National Merit scholars choose to attend OU and take advantage of the many benefits offered to them as national merit scholars.

Conclusion:

For the student that desires to work hard and gain a broad education to prepare themselves for life beyond high school, all of the schools in The Oaks Development school district provide a wonderfully rich education. For the high school student that desires to be challenged at the college level, Eisenhower provides a great pool of resources. Each of the schools in The Oaks school district offers distinguished faculty, a wide range of curriculum and a myriad of clubs and extracurricular activities. From special needs to gifted and talented, Lawton Public Schools provides excellent resources to students with all backgrounds. In The Oaks Development you can invest in beautiful new luxury home as well as an outstanding school district.


Resources:

The Lawton Constitution. “State bumps LPS up one letter grade”. Jan. 10, 2013.

Oklahoma State Department of Education. “Annual Report on Oklahoma’s Advanced Placement

Incentives Program”. Janet Barresi, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

FY 2012

AP Course Ledger. Oklahoma State Department of Education. January 14, 2013.

https://apcourseaudit.epiconline.org/ledger/

2012 A-F Report Card. https://sdeweb01.sde.ok.gov/Transparency/ReportCards/

National Math + Science Initiative. “Northrop-Grumman Grant Benefits Eisenhower High School

Student’s”. March 3, 2012. Northrop-Grumman Grant Benefits Eisenhower High School Students
National Math and Science Initiative

News OK. “Oklahoma Students are named National Merit Semifinalists”. Sept. 22, 2012

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-students-are-named-national-merit-semifinalists/article/3711939

National Merit Scholarship Corporation. http://www.nationalmerit.org/mission.php

Lawton Public Schools. “News and Happenings Around the District”. Nov. 20,2012

http://www.lawtonps.org/news.shtm


Note:

* According to the total school enrollment figures from the 2012 school report card there were approximately 141 students per grade at Elgin High School, 129 students per grade at Cache High School and 1071 students per grade at the three Lawton high schools combined. The number of honor roll students from each city divided by the approximate class size gives us our approximate percentage of honor roll students from each school.