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!
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!
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.
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.
The outdoor kitchen is becoming a gathering spot for family and friends especially in a city like Cincinnati that tends to have good weather 8 months a year. The trend picks up where the back yard grill leaves off. The stand alone grill is getting replaced by a fully functioning kitchen complete with all of the comforts and appliances found inside.
The centerpiece of any outdoor kitchen is the grill. RSI media says that the one place to stretch your budget is on making sure you have a durable, and great performing grill. Gas, wood, or charcoal – doesn’t matter. Other appliances that are common are sinks, refrigerators, and in some cases keg taps, wine chillers, and even ice makers. In some instances homeowners are replacing the grill with a pizza oven!
When designing your outdoor kitchen consider the utilities, including water, gas, and electricity. Placing the kitchen near the home will give you better access. In addition consider the materials carefully. Color is important but also consider how hot your counters get in the sun, and how slick the flooring is if you spill BBQ sauce on it.
Outdoor kitchens help increase a home’s overall appeal to buyers. When you install you remember not to over-personalize it. Aim for a balance between function and pure aesthetics. remember to
Whenever I work with buyer one questions always comes up – “Can you tell me about the schools?” I always answer them back with a question- “What part of the schools?”
School systems are dynamic and vary so greatly it is hard to give a quantitative answer about one district over the other. Instead of giving an answer I help my clients find research on districts and allow them to help me refine our search.
I absolutely encourage people to look at my Cincinnati School Resources page for contact information and websites for most all of the greater Cincinnati School systems.
Here are a few good resources for school research:
If you had invested $100,000 in the stock market in the 1st quarter of 2000 (10 years ago), what would your investment be valued at today? Of course the answer would depend on what the specific stock or stocks you bought, but consider this:
The Dow went from 10,921 on January 3, 2000 to 10,583 as of Jan 3, 2010 — and at this writing it’s hovering around 10,186. So, $100,000 invested in a DJIA-like stock portfolio ten years ago would now be worth less than $100,000. See the DJIA information for reference.
By comparison, the average house purchased for $100,000 in the Cincinnati-Middletown-OH-KY-IN MSA during the 1st Quarter 2000 would have been worth $122,438 in the 1st Quarter of this year. Click here for FHA data. Of course, all real estate is local and just as stock appreciation depends on the particular stock, real estate appreciation depends on the particular property.
So, which was a better investment? You be the judge. Besides, everybody has to live somewhere!
The Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District proudly announces the opening of the Cincinnati 2010 computer/TV recycling program. In an effort to properly and safely dispose of TVs and and computers Hamilton County is setting up drop-off days for its residents.
The program will begin Tuesday, June 1 and run through Wednesday, June 30th.
Hours are Monday – Friday, 9 am – 4 pm, and on Saturday, June 19th from 9 am – 2 pm.
As a reminder, this program is for Hamilton County, Ohio residents only. If you have any questions contact Susan Schumacher the Assistant Solid Waste Specialist at the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District at 513-946-7734.
Recently the artist Shepard Fairey launched an extensive art show in Cincinnati and as part of the exhibition he created murals on the sides of some buildings in and around Cincinnati. One of the murals was recently painted over because the property owner was upset by the images contained in the “Duality of Humanity 4 Pike Street”.
I wanted to offer some insight and opinion on murals and property values. Frankly – it depends. It depends on the neighborhood, it depends on the mural content. There are some instances where murals ad tremendous beauty and value to neighborhoods and showcase the diversity and vibrance of the culture. In some cases murals can be a distraction. If you or your community are planning a mural hire a professional and make sure you have buy in from the entire community and especially the building owner!
If you are looking for volunteer opportunities this May 2nd then you must look into the Cincinnati Give A Day program. There are 18 different volunteer projects taking place all over the city. They cover urban renewal projects, mural painting, volunteering for the Flying Pig, and working with the elderly.
Take a few moments to learn more about the projects and sign up and volunteer. It is a great way to give back to the community. Already there are over 300 participants and so many projects still need more hands so get involved and make a difference. Help out Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, the Peaslee Center, Starfire and many more worthy organizations. Click on Cincinnati Give A Day for more information.
Recently I have had the pleasure of working with a number of clients relocating into Cincinnati. What my relocating clients found out was the real estate transaction process is different in every state and every city.
For example, when purchasing real estate in New York and other states you are required to have a lawyer draft the contract.
In Cleveland the home seller pays for the buyer’s home owner’s title insurance policy.
In Cincinnati the seller pays both the Selling agent and Buying agent commissions. In addition it is becoming more common for sellers to pay for the buyer’s title insurance policy. Locally most real estate contracts have standard language that is reviewed and approved by real estate lawyers, so there is no need to retain a separate lawyer in most situation.
If you are relocating to Cincinnati and have questions about the local real estate customs and processes please send me an e-mail or give em a phone call 513-518-1140 , I’d be happy to help.
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