Every real estate season brings its own challenges in Cincinnati. Fall in particular it is an opporunity to make small improvements and efforts that will go a long way in the spring. It takes a lot of vision to know that you are going to want to list you house in the spring, and if you know now you can start to prepare!
Lowe’s has some great tips on Fall maintenance-
1. Clean out the gutters – after the leaves are all done falling clean out the gutters so that when the winter snows melt and the spring rains come that water will have somewhere to go aside from into your attic!
2. Move your Potted plants and Potters – Bring in your smaller potted plants so they do not freeze over the winter and make sure that any empty potter are moved into the garage or somewhere they will not freeze and crack.
3. Rake your leaves – because if they sit on your lawn they will leave unsightly brown patches. They block the sun damage the grass underneath them. If you have a mulching mower you can also mow the leaves a number of times to chop them up very fine and the material will compost into your yard. Just make sure they are dry when you do it!
4. Weed and Feed – your lawn will rebound faster if you feed it in the late fall. Also take the opportunity to pull out the crabgrass and spray the dandelions that are still hanging around.
If you take care of these things in the fall your lawn and home will look its best in the spring!
Offered at $239,900
Own one of the largest & most updated homes in Claiborne! 2ft bumpout adds additional square footage to the entire home. Enjoy the space of 9ft ceilings, built-in book cases, and rich hardwood floors. The entire kitchen is updated, and the large master bedroom had vaulted ceilings. The is a spacious family room a1st floor laundry, finished basement! Newer A/C, roof, furnace, water heater and an expansive back yard and deck!
Cincinnati Realtors Comey and Shepherd were voted number one in the greater Cincinnati area by the local Community Press. As a Comey agent I continue to provide my clients with the exceptional customer service that made the agency #1.
As an agency we have the highest sales average in the city and consistently hire full time professional and experienced agents. I am proud to be affiliated with Comey and Shepherd because of the public recognitions we receive for the level of service we deliver to our clients.
The Cincinnati based American Sign Museum is actively making a push to further develop research and understating of American Sign language. The plan calls for moving the museum into a new larger space in January 2012. Tod Swormstedt is the museum director and founder and thinks that with the city’s push to become a national center of innovation for CPG marketing, branding, and digital design Sign Language has a role to play.
Thanks to Urban Cincy for the coverage.
Over the past two years numerous Cincinnati developers defaulted on subdivisions and stranded homeowners with 1/2 finished communities. The primary cause is the slowed pace of new construction growth and the tightening of credit.
Cincinnati.com highlights a common practice that allows land developers to form LLC corporations to protect their interests so that in the case that the development fails they can still walk away without major financial loss.
Meanwhile the initial homeowners who purchased the first homes have to live in a partially finished subdivision with little prospect of seeing the remaining lots developed into homes. Vacant overgrown lots, they say, are having a negative impact on their home values making it difficult to sell their homes. One consideration when purchasing a home is how many open lots are there? This fact can have an impact on your home value for years to come if it is not built on.
Local Cincinnati mortgage rates are rising while the rest of the nation’s rates are falling, according to Cincinnati.com. At the end of July the average rate for 30-year fixed loans was 4.54 percent nationally while in Cincinnati the average 30-year rate was 4.76 percent.
The article give no clear reason for the difference in rates, aside from the fact that rates change on a daily basis – even a hourly basis because of a number of market pressures and activities. The most important thing in getting a loan is making sure that you have found a mortgage lender who you trust. I have listed a few lenders in my Cincinnati Mortgage Resources page if you are looking for brokers to contact.
Offered at $145,000
This an immaculate move-in ready townhome in Mason, Ohio. It features both a 1st & 2nd floor master suites with attached baths. There are hardwood floor, an upgraded eat-in kitchen with maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances & ceramic tile floor. There is also an Attached 1-car garage and a private patio. Click here for more details on 5592 Waterside Drive.
I have arranged a special 10% Luxe Home Swap membership discount for my readers. Luxe home swap allows it members to exchange homes with other members temporarily. Luxe Home Swap member have access to luxury accommodations, staying luxury homes and condos for one low annual fee that is less than the cost of one hotel room night.
Use this link to find out more and save 10% on your membership. www.luxehomeswap.com/amoss10
The Cincinnati Real Estate market is regaining some of it value according to an article in the Cincinnati Business Journal. The local market ranked #14 out of 50 national metropolitan areas based on value increases over the second quarter. Nationally home values are up almost 8% in the second quarter vs the first quarter. However Cincinnati gained 10%. As a region the Midwest has seen the strongest price increases in real estate compared to last year.
The challenge continues to be that all real estate is local. Some desirable areas of Cincinnati actually appreciated as the housing bubble burst and continue to hold their value. This situation speak volumes about the strength of our community and our local market
Effective June 1, 2010 Fannie Mae is mandating a number of additional qualifications for each mortgage application. These additional mandates are intended to ensure that the information collected from buyers when they apply for a mortgage are the same as when they go to close. Fannie Mae is requiring lenders to re-verify a number of pieces of buyer data including their credit scores, employment, and making sure the borrowers are not on the ‘un-approved’ list maintained by the General Services Administration.
As a Cincinnati real estate agent I have a responsibility to guide buyers through the application process, ensuring that they provide accurate information on all of the documents. Because the lenders are re-checking the information if any of it changes it could cause the loan to go through another round of underwriting. To protect my buyers I am advising them to work very closely with their lenders to keep their information current.
