When Pat Vredevoogd-Combs, a former president of the National Association of REALTORS, was asked to testify before a U.S. Congressional committee looking into industry commissions, she put together a list of how a Realtor helps sellers sell their homes.

The list is 184 items long, and details all of the tasks that a Realtor performs for a seller in a typical transaction. She broke her list down into 11 categories with a number of specific tasks and their descriptions for each category. This includes Pre-Listing Activities (20 tasks), Listing Appointment Presentation (13 tasks), After Listing Agreement is Signed (44 tasks), Entering Property in MLS Database (6 tasks), Marketing the Listing (26 tasks), The Offer and the Contract (21 tasks), Tracking the Loan Process (5 tasks), Home Inspection (7 tasks), The Appraisal (5 tasks), Closing Preparations and Duties (24 tasks), and Follow Up After Closing (3 tasks).

Vredevoogd-Combs admitted that most people really have no idea what real estate professionals do because, she explains, “most of the important services are performed behind the scenes.”

An “Act of God” is legally defined as “an event that directly and exclusively results from the occurrence of natural causes that could not have been prevented by the exercise of foresight or caution,” or in other words, an inevitable accident.

Acts of God include harsh windstorms, snowstorms, hail, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods. Homeowners’ insurance policies can exclude damage caused by some Acts of God.

But what is considered an Act of God isn’t always crystal clear. Fires are one example: An accidental home fire is not considered an Act of God, but a fire caused by a lightning strike is.

So is your home covered by Acts of God? The answer is: It depends. The policy you purchased will show specifically what’s covered and what’s excluded. Your policy will likely refer to risks as “perils” and not Acts of God. Your best bet is to meet with your insurance rep and ask, because unless you have additional riders, damage from floods or earthquakes, for example, won’t be covered.

Fall brings change: Leaves fall, apples ripen, and the air gets crisp. Home sellers need to stay aware of changes and avoid these three fall mistakes:

Price too high: When the real estate market in the summer is hot, but begins to cool in the fall, sellers make a mistake when they don’t adapt and keep their prices high.

Selling alone: Watching homes sell fast in the summer may tempt a seller to go at it alone. But that could be a big mistake. Studies show FSBO homes are on the market longer and sell for as much as 20% less.

Leaving the leaves: If you have a lot of fall foliage, make sure you keep your landscaping clear of debris. You don’t want to telegraph all the yard work a buyer will have to do each fall.

Century Sales & Management is pleased to announce the opening of Brookside Apartments at Fallbrook, a new construction luxury apartment community in the Fallbrook neighborhood!

Studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floor plans are scheduled to be available for move in’s in June 2016. The apartments feature quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, hard surface flooring in living areas, a provided washer and dryer, and much more!

Additional information is available at the community’s website, www.brooksidelincoln.com. Interested parties may also call (402)875-6096 to schedule a tour!

Fallbrook is pleased to announce SchillingBridge Cork & Tap House is open in the Fallbrook Town Center. SchillingBridge Cork & Tap House is an innovative craft beer and wine inspired gastropub.

Built on the SchillingBridge brand established in 2005, SchillingBridge Cork & Tap House is a unique destination that straddles the lines between bar & restaurant and brewery & tasting room. The Cork & Tap House features it’s own house brands of craft beer, their award-winning handcrafted wines produced at SchillingBridge Winery in Pawnee City and a small selection of craft beers and wine produced by other brewers and vineyards. The food menu is designed around SchillingBridge’s beverage products infusing the food in creative and imaginative ways. Recipes blend European flavors with modern day flavor profiles.

The Cork & Tap house features an outdoor patio area where guests can enjoy their meal and drink around a fire table or stone fire pits.

SchillingBridge Cork & Tap House is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11 am-11 pm and Friday and Saturday from 11 am -12 am.

The Cattle National Bank and Trust Company celebrated the opening of their new Fallbrook office at Highway 34 and Fallbrook Boulevard with a free autograph session with former Nebraska Cornhusker football standout and current Cincinnati Bengal Rex Burkhead. The Grand Opening event and autograph session was held on Saturday, June 14th. Joining Rex was 8-year old, Jack Hoffman, recipient of the 2013 ESPY Award for ‘Best Moment.’

During the Saturday morning grand opening event, the bank conducted a free will offering to support the Team Jack Foundation, a foundation established to fund research for pediatric brain cancer. In addition, the Abel Foundation along with the bank provided financial support to the Foundation.

According to Ryne Seaman, President and CEO of The Cattle National Bank & Trust Company, “We are excited to be part of the Fallbrook MarketPlace and look forward to becoming the neighborhood community bank for Northwest Lincoln. In addition, we are pleased to have former Husker great Rex Burkhead and Jack Hoffman join us for this grand opening event to help raise money for this important cause.”

John W. Cattle, Jr., Chairman of the Board and a member of the Cattle family indicated, “2014 marks the 141st year of existence for The Cattle National Bank and we are pleased to expand our services with a third location in Lincoln and bring our brand of customer-focused financial services to the Fallbrook MarketPlace. Furthermore, we are anxious to work with the Abel family, the owners of the Fallbrook development, to bring additional residential, commercial and retail development to the area.”

The 7,000 square foot full-service banking facility features prairie-style architecture. “This facility provides convenient banking services including extended hours, a drive-up ATM, drive-thru services and mobile and internet banking services to our customer base commuting from Seward County and customers living in northwest Lincoln and Lancaster County,” Seaman said. “We also provide a full-line of trust services to our growing trust department clientele,” he added.

Chartered in 1873, The Cattle National Bank & Trust Company is a $215 million, locally-owned and operated, community bank with locations in Seward and Lincoln. The bank provides a complete line of financial services including commercial, agricultural and retail deposit and lending services, trust and wealth management services, eight ATM locations and online and mobile banking services. The Cattle National Bank is an equal housing lender and member of the FDIC. The Fallbrook branch will open for regular business the following Monday, June 16th at 7:30 AM.

For more information visit www.cattlebank.com or call 402.643.3636.

Sapa is a full service nail salon with services including artificial nails, manicures, pedicures and shellac/gelish nails in all colors. The new Fallbrook Town Center tenant offers a luxurious salon with a friendly staff of certified technicians. “Our mission is to bring customers to a state of relaxation in a caring, upscale and professional environment” says owner and technician Kayla Pham.

Sapa is named after the most breathtaking hill stations in Vietnam which reflect signatures of French architecture and colorful hill tribal cultures. Sapa is home to stunning mountain landscapes, verdant rice terraces and unique villages.

Sapa Nail Spa is open seven days a week welcomes appointments and walk-in traffic. Sapa is located at 575 Fallbrook Boulevard, Suite 108, in Lincoln, Neb.

Union Bank & Trust has opened it’s newest branch located inside the Fallbrook Super Saver in northwest Lincoln. The Fallbrook branch is the seventeenth Lincoln branch; more locations than any other financial institution.

In addition to lobby and teller services, the Fallbrook branch offers a drive-up lane and ATM services. “This is a growing area of Lincoln that will serve as a retail destination for Lincoln and western Lancaster County. We also have a large number of customers that live in the area and we look forward to providing them additional convenience,” said Alan Fosler, Senior Vice President.

The new Union Bank branch is designed by Sinclair Hille Architects and was built by Sampson Construction. Union Bank & Trust Company offers complete banking, lending, investment and trust services.

A brighter, more open look will greet shoppers as they visit the Super Saver store at Lincoln’s Fallbrook MarketPlace development. The new store, which opens at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6, is located near the intersection of Nebraska Highway 34 and Fallbrook Boulevard in the Fallbrook MarketPlace retail development. With the opening, parent company B&R Stores, Inc. of Lincoln will operate five Super Saver locations in the city.

The 61,000-square-foot store includes a bakery, full-service floral department, delicatessen, expanded spirits department and Wall of Values. Shoppers can earn discounts on gas and enjoy the convenience of an in-store bank and drive-up pharmacy window.

B&R Stores, Inc. president Pat Raybould said the Super Saver at Fallbrook MarketPlace will serve a large and growing area of Lincoln as well as nearby communities. “We’re glad to offer our new neighbors a supermarket of their own,” Raybould said.  “Our newest store combines our longtime commitment to low prices and high quality with a fresh approach to store design and energy efficiency.”

Customers can register for exciting prize giveaways at the Fallbrook Super Saver in the coming weeks.  Visit the Super Saver website for more details.

Grand Opening
Wed., February 6   –   Doors Open at 8:00 a.m.

840 Fallbrook Blvd.
Lincoln, NE 68521
Store: 402.438.8880
Pharmacy:  402.438.8870
Floral:  402.438.8883

The Cattle National Bank and Trust Company, headquartered in Seward, announced plans for a full service branch location in the Fallbrook MarketPlace in northwest Lincoln. The location of the branch will be just north of the Highway 34 and Fallbrook Boulevard entrance into the development and just east of the grocery store currently being constructed within the MarketPlace. This will be the third branch location of the bank in Lincoln and will make five branches in all for the organization, with the main bank headquarters and a drive-thru Motor Bank located in Seward.

According to Ryne Seaman, President and CEO of the bank, “We are excited to be part of the Fallbrook MarketPlace and look forward to becoming the neighborhood, community bank for Northwest Lincoln. In addition, this location will allow us to provide more convenient banking services including extended hours, a drive-up ATM and drive-thru services to our large commuter customer base from Seward County and locations north and west of Fallbrook”.

Plans are to begin construction of the facility in the spring of 2013 with opening targeted for late 2013 or early 2014. John W. Cattle, Jr., Chairman of the Board of the bank indicated, “Next year, 2013, will mark the 140th year of existence and continuous family ownership of the bank and we are pleased to bring our brand of customer-focused financial services to the MarketPlace. The Abel family and representatives from NEBCO have done an outstanding job of bringing together a healthy combination of residential, commercial and retail development within Fallbrook that allows residents the ability to live, work and play within the area and we are excited to become part of the local landscape”.

According to Phil Wenta, Real Estate Manager for NEBCO, Inc., “We are excited to welcome Cattle National Bank and Trust to the Fallbrook MarketPlace. This project is another critical component within the Fallbrook development in accomplishing our vision of a vibrant commercial development at the MarketPlace and the people at Cattle National Bank and Trust share our commitment to a sustainable community and great architecture”.

Fallbrook

Fallbrook is the Midwest’s Premier Mixed-Use Sustainable Community. The almost 800 acre development in Northwest Lincoln blends the focus of Natural Resource Stewardship, Economic Development and Social Networks to create a Sustainable Community. Fallbrook affords residents and customers the convenient lifestyle opportunity of living, working, shopping, dining and playing in their own neighborhood.

The Cattle National Bank and Trust Company

Chartered in 1873, The Cattle National Bank & Trust Company is a $200 million, community bank with locations in Seward and Lincoln. The bank provides a complete line of financial service offerings including commercial, agricultural and retail deposit and lending services, traditional trust and wealth management services, seven ATM locations and online banking services. For more information visit www.cattlebank.com or call 402.643.3636.