My Thoughts on Real Estate and Real Life in Greater Cincinnati
November 20, 2008 at 8:39 am · Filed under Buying a Home, First Time Homebuyer, Real Estate Advice and tagged: multiple offers, Real Estate Advice
So it might seem with the news you are hearing about the market that multiple offers are a thing of the past. Not so. In fact I am seeing an increase in the number of times that my clients are finding themselves competing against another buyer for the house they want. How can that be?
I think the explanation is this. Buyers are out there and they want the perfect house at a great price. And when they find it, so have 1 or 2 or even more other buyers- all looking for the same thing. So what can you do to make sure that your dream house actually becomes your home. Here are two things I’ve used successfully in the past to win in a multiple offer situation. Read the rest of this entry »
November 11, 2008 at 5:01 pm · Filed under Buying a Home, First Time Homebuyer, Local Housing Stats, Real Estate Advice and tagged: Buying a Home, Cincinnati Real Estate
That seems to be the question and concern on everyone’s mind as of late. Here is what I know, YES YOU CAN! So far I have not had a single transaction fall apart because the buyer would not qualify for financing or because the bank wasn’t lending. The truth is, if you have a job and some money in the bank, you can buy a house. And why wouldn’t you- interest rates are low (6.5% on a 30 year conventional and FHA as of today), inventory is high (meaning lots of great choices for you), and sellers are ready to work with you. Stop waiting and start buying, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
October 25, 2008 at 8:01 am · Filed under Buying a Home, Local Housing Stats, Real Estate Advice and tagged: Cincinnati Real Estate, Local Housing Stats
I received a press release from the Cincinnati Board of Realtors and wanted to pass it along. Things aren’t perfect but there are buyers out there buying (1,637 last month to be exact), so if you are thinking about putting your house on the market- don’t despair. You need to be sure to be priced right and staged well, and you can sell your house. The gap between year over year sales has improved, meaning in August of this year were off over 18% from last August but in September we were down only 4.4% from last September. Buyers know interest rates are low and great houses are out there, if you need to sell, make sure your is one of them!
For the full press release see below.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 17, 2008 at 11:58 am · Filed under Rehabbing Adventures and tagged: Rehabbing Adventures
So one of my guilt pleasures is checking on the blog over at hookedonhouses.net and today is a Hooked on Friday’s blog party where bloggers share what we are hooked on.
As you can see from some of my previous posts, I am still in the middle of our remodel and so most of my current obsessions revolve around the idea of actually finishing the work and enjoying the peace and quiet. Next week we are expecting a major project to start- new windows and siding. I am definitely hooked on that right now.
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October 13, 2008 at 9:41 am · Filed under Financing, Real Estate Advice and tagged: Real Estate Financing, Downpayment assistance
Just received this email from OFHA. This will not affect you if you already have a loan being processed with their downpayment assistance but if you are currently house hunting and were planning on using this program- call your lender immediately to find out what your options are- and start saving some money!
See the memo below.
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October 13, 2008 at 9:37 am · Filed under Oakley, Uncategorized and tagged: Oakley, Fatburger
Fatbuger officially opened its doors late last week. I went there on Friday and quite enjoyed it. The line was out the door but it was pretty quick. The sheer amount of people trying to get food meant hey were out of ice and things were a bit chaotic but my burger was tasty and the milkshake and onion rings made me happy. Another fun place to head to in Oakley. Hope you enjoy it too!
October 9, 2008 at 1:49 pm · Filed under Architectural Styles and tagged: Cincinnati Architecture, Swiss Chalet
The Swiss Chalet is a very cool housing style which had some popularity in the Cincinnati area- this particular house is in East Walnut Hills and there are others in Hyde Park and Oakley. This style was built from 1885- 1910.
The Swiss Chalet is typically rectangular in style and 2 and a half stories tall. They have low pitched roofs with front gables and wide eaves with decorative brackets.
This style also features lots of decorative carvings and profiles. You will sometimes see exposed construction beams, or the appearance of them. Many homes were constructed entirely of wood though you do see brick, stone or stucco with wood upper floors. Many of the later examples also feature front porches and are usually a bit less elaborate.
October 3, 2008 at 9:47 am · Filed under Buying a Home, First Time Homebuyer, Real Estate Advice and tagged: Cincinnati Open House, Open House
Sunday is the big Super Open House- right now the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors says over 1900 homes are scheduled to be held open all over the area.
Looking for some motivation? Here are 3 great reasons to buy:
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October 2, 2008 at 3:30 pm · Filed under Buying a Home, Real Estate Advice and tagged: Cincinnati Real Estate, Mortgage
Just received this email from Sibcy Cline Mortgage about the current state of affairs and thought I would pass it on you those of you out there concerned about getting a loan. See below to find out what SCMS has to say about the state of affairs.
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