Looking for a fun afternoon in the park?

Saturday, June 21st from 11-5 take some time and visit the Village Green Fine Arts Fair. 

The Village Green area once again transforms itself into a showplace where the community can enjoy fine arts as well as see their neighbors.

If you need more information or would like direction to Village Green (or any where else in Fairfield) email or call me- 513-300-4090.

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Suburban or Urban?

Not sure if you want to move into the city and save some gas money commuting everyday? 

You have 2 options:

1. This weekend is the easiest way to wander around urban properties.  The Urban Tour is showcasing 21 properties which are Open Saturday and Sunday from 12-5.
2. And/or- give me a call (513-300-4090) and set up a personal tour of city properties (both new and resale).

Either way take a few hours to enjoy what city living has to offer.

Be sure to let me know which property you liked and why.

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Here I am trying to drive to an appointment- dead stop- just idling in the express lane on eastbound  I-275  - going nowhere.  A thought crossed my mind about how many of today’s sellers must feel the same way when they try to sell their house.  They whip the property into good shape, complete the paperwork,  sign is in the yard, lock box on the door and…….nothing.  Dead stop, no activity- nada.  Just like the traffic problems on the freeway, you want to move  forward but you have no idea what is causing the stalled traffic.  What’s happening?

A reality check of today’s market reflects many sellers gravitating toward the slow lane when they first enter the real estate market and never get up enough speed reach their desired destination.

Imagine you just listed your property-and you’re merging into the slow lane on the real estate freeway.  It is slow moving,  crowded with grossly and moderately overpriced properties and you cannot get enough speed to merge to another lane.  Slow lane sellers want to “ask a higher price for a period of time”.  They put their property on cruise control pricing because of a need to “net” a  certain dollar amount from the sale or the mistaken belief that house is worth more than competing properties.  Often the slow lane listings have skipped the “car wash” “detailing” and the “body shop” and they are not in tip top shape.

Slow lane listings are passed up by buyers who are doing comparative shopping and know neighborhoods and values. 

They don’t honk or wave at your listing- they just zoom down the road to the next property.  You are stuck in the lane and you have no idea why nothing is happening.

The middle lane offers a bit of a compromise for sellers…assuming they are priced  close to the competition, they can ease their way into the middle lane knowing that somebody will slow down to look at their property. 

Middle lane houses may be priced slightly higher than competition- but look great on the internet and have curb appeal. 

However, there are no guarantees- if the inside does not match up to expectations, the buyers will back out at full speed and drive on.  Odors, chipped paint, general messiness will not work in the middle lane of real estate.  Also the longer you are in either the slow or middle lanes, the less likely you are to reach your desired destination - a sale.

Zooming along the real estate freeway some sellers merge directly into the best lane of all, the high speed lane.  Skill and planning are required in order to merge into this lane without an accident or other problems. 

Sellers in the high speed lane are priced at or a hair below market.

The property is in picture perfect condition (for the price) and the seller has ensured all systems are go by fixing or replacing damaged parts.  Properties in this lane sell quickly and, even in this slower market, may get multiple offers.

Is your property in the slow, middle or high speed real estate lane?

Before you list your property for sale, pick the the right real estate lane for a quick, profitable sale.  Be honest with yourself and listen to professional advice.   The real estate freeway is full of pot holes and construction zones and drivers cannot keep switching lanes with the hope of reaching their destination without incurring the price of wear and tear.

Call for the help mapping out the successful route to the real estate express lane.  513-300-4090 or send an email.

Related Articles:  New York Times, F.F.T.H.B., 3 Key Words in Real Estate

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If you buy or sell a property in the State of Ohio, the Residential Property Disclosure Form is mandatory

The 4 page form requires seller disclosure about a myriad of items.  Buyers need to carefully review and sign the form as part of the purchase process. (Click here for detailed information)  It is a win/win for both buyers and sellers.

However this morning, as I ran from one end of the house to the other trying to get reception on my crackerberry (somebody moved my signal!) it dawned on me- what if you purchased a home and your cell phone didn’t work.

Can you imagine the horror of moving into your new home or condo - about which the property disclosure and home inspection stated everything was functioning-only to miss a phone call from the moving van because your cell phone only works facing out the 2nd floor window of the baby’s nursery?  This could be a problem for people who no longer install hard wired phones.

So now in our PC (politically correct) environment, I think cell phone/crackerberry email reception capabilities should added to the disclosure form.

But why stop there?  In the past I have had clients who carried a leveler and checked every room for “tilt”.  One that kicked the outside of the foundation on all 4 corners. (Never did figure out what the intended result of this test). These potential problems would have been reflected in the disclosure or an inspection report.

But there are “things” that seem important to the new owners that are not disclosed anywhere.  So I emailed several past clients and coworkers asking for suggestions about updating the form and was surprised by the volume of return mail.  Listed below are just some of the items on their wish list for the updated residential property disclosure form:

• What day is trash pick-up
• Trash day and recycling on same day
• Names of good baby sitters
• Neighborhood lawn cutting service
• Which neighbor can I trust with a spare key
• Handyman
• How are neighborhood block parties handled
• Names of responsible kids for pet walking
• Direct TV or cable

As you can see there are a lot of things that would enhance the real estate experience -so why not inform the buyers about all the things they want to know!

If you have additional critical items that our lawmakers should consider adding to State of Ohio Residential Property Disclosure Form- please add your comments below.

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Data from Greater Cincinnati Multiple Listing Service

Slight dips in prices, slow sales indicate further market correction needed in Fairfield real estate prices.

To see last month’s numbers click here. 

Unlike neighboring school districts (Lakota and Mason) Active Listings are down and  pending sales, in the Fairfield School District,  went up by 2 for single family homes and by 4 for condos.

Given the total inventory, Fairfield/Fairfield Twp. currently has about a 9 month supply of single family homes and a 20 month supply of condos.

Pricing is critical for sellers located in the Fairfield/Fairfield Twp market.

Keeping yourself in the real estate loop is the easiest way to know what is going on in the area. Need more detailed information, call 513-300-4090, email or subscribe today.

Related Topics:  Lakota, Mason

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