August 23, 2024. I am thrilled to announce that STR24, this organization’s annual international conference, will be held at UCO in a couple weeks and counterterrorism experts from US, UK, Europe, Australia, and Africa will be speaking at the conference covering a broad range of topics on protecting people and places.

August 15, 2024. While taking these road trips across the U.S. one can’t help but notice the vast amount of land available for development between our cities and even vacant land inside our towns and cities. It occurred to me that within this vacant land may lie a solution to American’s housing shortage and affordability issues.

August 8, 2024. As I am writing this column, I am watching a home being moved. I have sold several homes in my real estate career that have been moved. I have even contemplated moving several myself but have never had the courage.

August 1, 2024. I have just come back from a journey on Amtrak from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas. It was ideal since I had to collect a car that was being repaired in Fort Worth.

July 24, 2024. Before President Bidon dropped out of the presidential race, he announced his intention to propose rent control in the United States.

July 19, 2024. It’s difficult to spend four years in a policy-making role in a municipality where the average new home sells for more than $400,000 and not worry about housing affordability.

July 12, 2024. Probably my favorite thing about the real estate industry is the diversity of people and projects that necessitate involvement and engagement.

July 5, 2024. In celebratory fashion, we host barbeques, eat watermelon, visit parks, lakes, beaches, attend parades, and shoot fireworks.

June 27, 2024. I am a lake guy. I don’t care for the sand, don’t love salt water, and have no desire to meet sharks, so the sea is not my place.

June 20, 2024. The survey was commissioned by Bankrate and found that 47% of those who recently purchased a home have regrets on their purchase.

June 13, 2024. The pandemic brought about an unpredictable situation. All those inconvenient, irritating little nuances in our homes suddenly made us consider a remodel or even a move to a more suitable home.

June 5, 2024. Our city’s relationship with women’s college softball dates back to 1964 when local civic leaders competed to become a permanent home to the Women’s College Softball Hall of Fame.

May 30, 2024. Research has shown that the amount of time one spends in a location is more important than the number of people passing by the location, also known as foot traffic.

May 24, 2024. The 2024 UCO Study Tour was made even more special this year because we were accompanied by UCO President Todd G. Lamb and First Lady Monica Lamb.

May 17, 2024. Our research is looking at how better planning, urban design, and construction could specifically enhance the health and well-being of children and young people, while also benefiting the population as a whole.

May 10, 2024. For last two weeks, Coventry University researchers’ Dr. Bianca Slocombe and Dr. Matthew Francis have been in Oklahoma kicking off a new international research study with the UCO Real Estate Program called Protecting Local Elected Officials.

May 2, 2024. As we entered Oklahoma, we saw signs stating that the interstate had been closed due to storm damage. The road had been closed due to an EF-4 Tornado that ravaged Marietta, OK, as well as several other cities in Oklahoma.

April 26, 2024. I am writing this week’s column while in New Orleans at the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) Mid-year Conference.

April 19, 2024. Saturday, April 13, 2024, was significant for a couple reasons. The first, and the reason I missed the second, is my son, and real estate professional, Ryan Chapman, CCIM, married Morgan Fick on that day. It was a great day, and we are happy to welcome Morgan to the Chapman family.

April 12, 2024. A growing list of communities nationwide are starting to adopt pre-approved building plan programs to address the issue. Pre-approved building plans, sometimes called “pattern zones” if they are used in a specific area of the city, allow a city to greatly expedite permitting for a set group of designs—which often are based on the city’s current codes.