Why Omaha Isn't Building Starter Homes Anymore
Omaha Market · Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty · 2026 A buyer with $280,000 to spend cannot buy a new house in Omaha. Not a small one, not a plain one, not out on the edge where the land is cheapest. I've gone looking. In 1960, a buyer in this same metro could get a brand-new two-bedroom house fo
Nebraska Property Tax Relief Needs a Scalpel, Not a Sledgehammer
Opinion · Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty · 2026 A note before I start: this one's an opinion piece. These are my views as an Omaha homeowner and an independent voter, not my brokerage's. I should also tell you I'm a Realtor and I own rental property, which means I have money riding on some of wh
Your Omaha Property Tax Bill, Explained Line by Line
Homeowner Resources · Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty · 2026 Your Douglas County property tax bill is one page with about ten line items on it, and if you're like most homeowners I talk to, you've never read past the number at the bottom. I don't blame you. It's got a "consolidated levy" printed
Is It Worth Hiring a Real Estate Agent in Omaha? (2026)
Buyers & Sellers · Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty · 2026 If you've ever Googled "is it worth paying for a real estate agent," you're in good company. Between Zillow, Redfin, and a year of headlines about lawsuits and commission changes, it's fair to wonder whether hiring an agent still makes sen
How to Appeal Your Douglas County Property Tax Assessment (2026 Step-by-Step)
Home Ownership · Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty · 2026 Every January, Douglas County mails out preliminary valuation postcards — and every year, some homeowners flip theirs over, see the assessed value jumped $30,000, and think: that can't be right. If that's you, you have options. There's an
Omaha Home Inspection Guide: What Every Buyer Needs to Know
Home Buying · Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty · 2026 You’ve got an accepted offer and a 14-day clock ticking. The home inspection is the phase where buyers either gain confidence or start losing sleep — and in Omaha, there are a handful of local realities that make it unlike inspections anywhere
What Omaha Buyers Actually Pay at Closing in 2026
Buyer Resources · Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty · 2026 Quick answer: Home buyers in the Omaha metro typically pay 2%–5% of the purchase price in closing costs — roughly $8,500–$21,250 on a $425,000 home. Most buyers using a conventional loan land closer to 2.5%–3.5% ($10,600–$14,900) once lende
Nebraska Seller Closing Costs: The Complete Line-Item Breakdown (Omaha Metro)
Sellers · Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty · 2026 Quick answer: Home sellers in the Omaha metro typically pay 6%–10% of the sale price in total closing costs — roughly $26,000–$43,000 on a $425,000 home — with real estate commissions making up the largest share. Your exact number depends on your c
How to Buy Before You Sell in Omaha: Bridge Loans, HELOCs & Contingent Offers
Buying & Selling · Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty · 2026 You've found the house. Maybe it's in Elkhorn, maybe it's a bigger yard out in Papillion, maybe it's the ranch in Bennington you've been watching for months. There's just one problem: your equity is sitting inside the home you haven't sold