Homeowners beware!

This summer, while not as dry as last summer, is starting to cause foundation problems for some homeowners.

To keep your house from shifting/settling- take some time to “water the foundation” during the next few weeks.

Nothing complicated.  If you are watering the your lawn aim the sprinkler to “water the foundation” at the same time.

Currently in the Cincinnati area we are experiencing lower than normal rainfall for this time of the year.  As the ground dries out it pulls away from the poured foundation.  Once the foundation has some space- it may shift- causing anything from minor foundation cracks and sticking doors….to major foundation issues and cracked basement floors. 

Homeowners usually don’t notice the problem until water comes through the basement walls or floor and/or windows and doors cannot be opened or closed.

So the next time you water your grass- aim the water at your house and help stabilize your foundation.

If you still have questions or comments-call or email.

Sleeping Beauties exhausted from house hunting?

Shopping for real estate in West Chester, Cincinnati or Fairfield Ohio can be exhausting for adults too!  Add younger children into the mix and you may have sabotaged your house hunting for the entire day.

Best advice- get a babysitter until you have narrowed down your choices to 1 or 2 properties.

If babysitting is not an option – don’t schedule appointments around nap time.  Sleeping children (see above) cannot just be left in a car sitting on the driveway.  Obviously an adult needs to stay with them- which often looks like a fire-drill as the agent and/or each of the parents takes a turn going through the house.

Children, of every age, need to stay with their parents while walking through the property. 

You would be amazed at the number of adults who allow their children to forage through toys, closets or cupboards.

Bring something to keep them amused- (hint- play-doh is not a good idea).

Sounds pretty basic, however a lot of buyers forget to plan ahead when it comes to kids and house-hunting. 

If everybody is on the same page- shopping for real estate with kids can go smoothly.

Related Articles:  How to Make House Hunting with Children Easier

While looking at a very nice home a few weeks ago, a very wise buyer requested that I drive my “sissy size” SUV into the garage- just to see how it fit.

As I barely squeaked in and just missed knocking off the passenger side mirror- reality hit- their full size SUV was never going to fit through the garage door.   The problem – a 3 car garage with 3 single sized doors.

Buyers with unique or over-sized vehicles are always on the lookout for garage height and width issues when looking at real estate- but most buyers don’t even think about “pulling into the garage” prior to making an offer.

It seems the trend lately is to build homes with multiple single size garage doors in lieu of a double door.  And for the majority of buyers, garage door size is a non issue…but take a moment to make sure your carriage fits into you new palace before you write an offer.

So if you are house hunting in Cincinnati, Fairfield or West Chester, make sure that all your “stuff ” will fit into your next home.

It is the fall nesting season in our home….the time of year when I have decided to “spiff up” by removing tons of wallpaper and repainting several rooms.

“Spiffing up” the nest is great for real estate.

The problem is how to select the correct …not quite white color…that meets my needs.

How do you figure out the future of several highly visible walls by looking at a 1″ x 2.5″ strip?  The other occupant in the nest is not much help since he has changed his favorite color strip 7 times in 2 days.

“Walk the talk” seems to be a popular saying these days and believe me I totally understand how some sellers can muddle over paint colors for weeks before making a selection- while other sellers have the work completed in 2 days.

Sellers in Cincinnati, West Chester and Fairfield can reduce their stress by getting their property in top shape before it hits the market.

Take some time to compile a complete list of “to do’s” and lay out a rational schedule to either do the work yourself or hiring a contractor.

“Fire, Ready Aim” is not the right way to sell - so do yourself (and the buyers) a favor by completing work prior to listing the property.

Hopefully I will follow my own advice and select a color before the painter starts painting…..

Beckett Ridge Real Estate Trends-the Butler County Auditor is reappraising your property!

Home owners need to have a thorough understanding of real estate sales Beckett Ridge in order to challenge (or accept) the new assessed value of your property.

Using the Multiple Listing Service of Greater Cincinnati, I have included a 10 year “look” at sales of Single Family Homes in Beckett Ridge.

As you can see the “average” sales price has dipped (slightly), however with the new Federal Housing Tax Credit incentive and the increase in FHA (Federal Housing Authority) mortgage limits- more buyers are circling our area looking to purchase.

Need more information about your neighborhood or subdivision- just let me know by phone or email.