As many of you may know, Prudential Ambassador has been a strong supporter of the Sunshine Kids cancer charity for many, many years.  

Created in 1982, the Sunshine Kids organization provides events and emotional help to young children with cancer and their families.  Support goes to children all over the country, including Omaha's own Children's Hospital and UNMC.  

Prudential offices throughout the United States support this wonderful organization and one of the ways our Omaha office raises funds is through our annual Sunshine Kids Charity Event.  This year's event will be held April 25th starting at 5:30 pm at our Prudential Ambassador building on California Street.

Click the links above to learn more about the Sunshine Kids organization or

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Most homeowners are aware of the tax breaks home owning provides (reminders in tomorrow’s post) but I wanted to take a minute to mention the Nebraska Homestead Exemption.  The Homestead exemption reduces property taxes for qualified homeowners by exempting all or a part of the home value from taxation.  The amount of the tax break is based on income level and home value. 

To qualify for the exemption you must be in one of the following groups:

• Senior: 65 or older before January 1st of the application year.
• Qualified disabled individuals
• Qualified disabled veteran or widow(er)

The Nebraska State Guide of Home Exemption can be found here.

Nebraska Crossing Redevelopment

The Gretna City Council has just approved the Nebraska Crossing Redevelopment Plan.  This approval has moved the redevelopment project one step closer to reality.  The next step is to complete a detailed agreement with the developers.  When that agreement is approved, the $112 million dollar project can begin.

Developers say they already have 25 committed tenants out of a probable 60 when the project is complete.  Gap, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers and White House Black Market are among the future tenants.  The monetary return on investment should be a boon for the City of Gretna.   

Omaha Children's Museum

Huge congratulations to The Omaha Children’s Museum and Omaha Public Library!  Both institutions have been named as Finalists for a National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services!  This award recognizes the services provided to a community and celebrates the difference these kinds of wonderful destinations make in a community. 

When I meet people from outside the city looking at real estate in the Omaha area, I am often asked what there is to do in Omaha.  The list is long.  We are so fortunate to have people supporting such a wide variety of award winning, affordable family activities in the metro area.  In addition to great schools and affordable real estate, we can add these great institutions to the list

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Omaha Home Values On the Rise

The Omaha World Herald recently published an article highlighting a trend realtors have been noticing for a while: It’s becoming a Seller’s market in the Omaha area. 

Simply put, the number of homes for sale in Omaha is declining so buyers are competing for that shrinking supply.  Considering the laws of supply and demand, we can expect home prices to keep rising.  That’s good news for home owners who have seen their home prices drop but means home buyers may be facing more competition for available homes and have to pay more for them.

On average, homes in the Omaha area are staying on the market just 72 days.  Homes spent 83 days on the market last year.  The fastest sales appear to be in the $150,000 price range.  

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Change is coming to the Crossroads Mall

Ah... 72nd and Dodge... a trip from one side of Omaha to the other usually takes me, and I'm guessing many of you, through that intersection.  I'm excited to learn that there are big plans afoot for a major redevelopment of what city planners call the Crossroads Economic Developement Zone.

New stores, a public park, a hotel, a transit hub, maybe even a new branch of the Omaha Public Library.  If things go as planned, spring of 2015 will bring us a new go-to destination in the heart of the city!

It's been a long time coming but the Omaha World Herald reports that Shamrock Development and the city are making progress on an awesome new project downtown at 10th and Capital.  A new hotel, 300 new apartments, office and retail space!   Shamrock Development has built and renovated condos and apartments all over the city.  Looking forward to seeing the new living spaces they bring to the Omaha real estate market.

Though it won't come as a surprise to those of us fortunate enough to live here, MSN has let the rest of the world know that Omaha is cool!  Cited in the 10 Coolest Cities in the Midwest slideshow were the usual mentions of steak and corn but they also highlighted the fact that we are awash in foods of all different kinds and our up and coming fashion scene.  I'm sure they simply ran out of space to include all the cool things about the place we call home... our friendly people, our fantastic schools and, of course, our adundant real estate options!

Introduction to Papillion, Nebraska

 Anyone looking for a great place to live near Omaha will definitely want to take a look at the lovely community of Papillion, Nebraska.  Located just south of Omaha it is close enough to the big city to have easy access to all its amenities, but far enough away to be able to enjoy the quiet suburb life many people love.  The community of Papillion is quite vibrant with a variety of different activities available to keep everyone busy and entertained. 

 One of the things many people love most about Papillion today is the fact that their economy is growing at a much faster pace than the rest of the state or even the country.  The city proudly features both business and technology parks in public ownership which

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Attractions in Omaha, Nebraska

 When people think about Omaha, Nebraska they probably think of steak and the College World Series.  Fortunately, Omaha has a lot more to offer than just beef and baseball! 

 For instance, Omaha houses the “Henry Doorly Zoo.”  The Henry Doorly Zoo is one of the most interactive zoos not only in the country, but in the entire world.   They have the biggest indoor desert on the planet, plenty of interesting animals (such as huge sea turtles and sharks!) and numerous other exhibits and activities. 

 For the avid golfers of the family, Omaha offers 17 public and semi-public courses.  With pretty rolling hills and beautiful tree lined fairways, there’s something for every skill level available and plenty of different

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