2012 was a great year for Cleveland!

Click on the link to see why 2012 was a fantastic year for Cleveland!

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/13-reasons-2012-was-clevelands-best-year-ever/Content?oid=3119706

Good news for the holidays - US housing sales jump!

Housing is recovering... click on the link to read about it!

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/money/business_news/us-home-sales-jump-to-highest-level-in-3-years#ixzz2FbsU1fUy

How NOT to ruin your mortgage application!

If you are purchasing property with a mortgage here are some great tips to follow before closing to avoid having that mortgage fall through!

http://activerain.com/blogsview/3560444/the-10-commandments-for-buyers-who-need-to-get-a-mortgage

Buying can be cheaper than renting!

Check out this article from Trulia.com.  If you have avoided buying a home this may change your mind!

http://pro.truliablog.com/industry-2/rent-vs-buy-q3-2012/?ecampaign=tnews&eurl=pro.truliablog.com%2Findustry-2%2Frent-vs-buy-q3-2012

Update on Cleveland's real estate numbers...(applause, please!)

Nat’l Assoc. of Realtors

Housing Affordability Index- up to a record high of 205.9 for the spring quarter (100 means median-income family can afford median-priced home with 20% down and 25% of income devoted to principal and interest payments)

Bureau of Labor Statistics (July 2012)

Unemployment in the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor area dropped from 8% the previous quarter to 7.3%

U.S. Census Bureau (July 2012)

Nationally, sales of single family homes rose 3.6% over June and 25.3% over July of 2011

Rental and Home vacancies drop from 8.8% the first quarter of 2012 to 8.6% the second quarter (Rentals- down from 8.8% to 8.6%, homes- down from 2.2% to 2.1%)

Northern Ohio Regional Listing Service – changes from 2011 to 2012

All Property Types

New Listings  -4.1%

Sold Listings +16.8%

Dollar amount, sold listings  +22.3%

Average Sale Price  +4.7%

Case/Schiller Index for Cleveland  +.9%

Bureau of Labor Statistics – Unemployment

2011      8%

2012      7.3%

National Association of Home Builders – Builders Confidence Index

(50 or higher means builders are confident about the housing market)

Up from 29 to 37.  Not great, but moving in the right direction.

In summary, listed homes are down, sales are up, prices are up, unemployment has come down, and builder confidence is improving, so the real estate market has definitely lifted off its bottom and is moving up.

All information is deemed correct but not guaranteed.

Selling your home? Here are some suggestions to make it look great!

If you go out on a date you try to look your best.  If you are selling your home you are, in essence, trying to get a buyer to "marry" your home.  Here are some basic suggestions on tidying things up to make it look more attractive to a buyer!

Perfect House for a Buyer with a Green Thumb!

Come see this special 3 Bedroom 1.5 Bath green-thumber's colonial! Wonderful heated greenhouse attached to the back of the house (2002)! Beautiful Thermal Industries wood casement windows and hardwood floors in Living Room & Dining Room. Built-in wood shelving in Living Room, stone mantel fireplace w/gas wall furnace insert. Bright kitchen with ceramic floors, Jenn-Air dual fuel oven and eat-in area. The luxury master bath is a must-see with white ceramic tile, whirlpool tub, heated towel bars, over sized glamor medicine cabinet. Finished basement with an office area & built-in desk and shelving for your home office. New concrete driveway and 2-car garage in 2011!! New roof in 2006. Many plantings in backyard. Deck. Available immediately!   Click on the link for pictures and more information:

http://1164plainfieldrd.howardhanna.com/

Cleveland Heights 4 Bedroom Colonial

Enjoy the improvements in this charming 4 Bedroom, 2 bath colonial on one of Cleveland Hts. most popular streets! 3 Bedroom on 2nd floor, 4th Bedroom plus full bath on 3rd. Enjoy the spacious living room and then go through the French doors to access the screened- in side porch, which makes a lovely place for summer dinners. Delightful sunroom with all new windows on 1st makes a great space for home office or family room. Eat-in kitchen has been updated w/new countertops and offers plenty of cupboard space. Fenced-in yard terrific for children or pets. New fence and high-efficiency furnace - 2005, roof- 2010, New kitchen flooring, Corian counters, and re-surfaced cabinets- 2012, new 1st floor windows- 2003, and B-Dry waterproofing - 2012 This home is ready for a buyer and is Cleveland Hts. compliant.

Click on the link for more information:  http://3037corydonrd.howardhanna.com/

Great Tips for "Staging" your home for sale....

If you are thinking of selling your home,  here are some simple tips on how to prepare it to appeal to the greatest number of buyers.  This is a great article from http://www.inman.com/

Cleveland is Rockin'!

Check out this story about the rebirth of downtown Cleveland as the place to be.  This is about the solution and not the problem!

Ohio Unemployment drops- good for the housing market

Ohio is one of the fortunate states that has had a substantial drop in unemployment.  Read this article from the Ohio Association of Realtors Daily Buzz.

Things to remember if you want to sell your home...

Here some important suggestions to keep in mind if you want to list your home for sale, from LinkedIn.

"Trash Mob" in Cleveland Heights!

Grant Deming's Forest Hill District in Cleveland Heights will host a "Trash Mob" on Aprill 22nd to help pick up trash and have some fun. See you there!

Price reduced on this University Hts. home!

The price on this lovely University Heights 4 bedroom home has been to reduced to $148,000!  Click here to see pictures of this nice home!

Beautiful 4 Bedroom Colonial in University Heights!

Check out 2452 Saybrook.  This 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath brick colonial in University Heights is really pretty and has been painted throughout, so it's ready for a buyer to just move in.  Nothing to do!!

Cleveland Realtors surprisingly busy during traditionally slow months!

Cleveland real estate agents got a pleasant surprise during the traditionally slow time between Thanksgiving and now.  Read about the good news in this article from Cleveland.com.

Selling Your Home? Don't give potential buyers the idea that you are a cheapskate!

The brass lighting fixtures that you buy at most box stores scream out "CHEAP".  See what I mean in this article from Inman News:

Good tips on how much to spend on a kitchen!

Here's an article from Realty Times that gives guidance on how much to spend on a kitchen when preparing your home for sale.  You don't have to spend a fortune!