Cincinnati Ohio

How the West was Won…in Cincinnati Real Estate

March 5th, 2012 categories: Cincinnati Ohio, Sales

The article last week the the average sale prices in random markets on the east side of Cincinnati sparked some emails…the west side numbers will probably prompt even more questions. The I-75 divide impacts not only social functions in and around town (don’t ask- if you don’t live here it’s hard to explain) but the west side seems to be feeling the impact of the housing slump more than our neighbors on the east side.

According to the Multiple Listing Service of Greater Cincinnati the average sale price for single family homes (random neighborhoods): If you need more detailed information or don’t see your area- call or email for update.

Posted by Kathy Koops | Discussion: Comments Off

Don’t Take it for Granite!

March 3rd, 2012 categories: Cincinnati Ohio, For Buyers

A commonly heard request from today’s home buyers in greater Cincinnati- it (“it” being a home or a condo) must have granite counter tops, 3 car garage, wooded lot and at least 4 bedrooms and not cost more than $250,000.

Really?

Real Estate buyers are so totally under the influence of television shows touting the do’s and don’ts of “getting a deal”….that they often don’t even look at the best properties.

It’s time for a quick lesson in the art of buying real estate…some items on your list are “fixables” and some are not. So using the requirements above -only 7 properties listed in the 4 county area priced between $230,000-$260,000. Not much for somebody thinking they need to look at 50 properties before making a decision. However if you remove the requirement for granite counter tops- something I refer to as a fixable- the inventory almost doubles to 13 properties.

It’s true money can fix anything but realistically when shopping for real estate, items such as carpet, paint, counter tops, decking material and fixtures are easily personalized.

It’s much more costly to add the space to a garage, increase the number of bedrooms or plant enough trees to cover a treeless lot.

As buyers in today’s greater Cincinnati real estate market learn how to leverage your buying power by adjusting, not lowering, your requirements. You may be surprised at how many more properties pop up on your viewing list.

Bottom line don’t get taken for granted by restricting your real estate options to “must haves” and be willing to look at “fixables”.

Still not sure- call and I will be glad to help.

Posted by Kathy Koops | Discussion: Comments Off

This Weekend in Greater Cincinnati!

March 2nd, 2012 categories: Cincinnati Ohio, Entertainment

Bockfest March 2-4 in Over-the-Rhine or the final weekend of the Cincinnati Home and Garden Show at Duke Center.

Looking for something more- try eventful-Cincinnati.

Have a great weekend.

Posted by Kathy Koops | Discussion: Comments Off

East is East in Greater Cincinnati Real Estate

March 1st, 2012 categories: Cincinnati Ohio, Sales

And west is west-and we take the I-75 very seriously….but today I’m covering real estate on the east side of greater Cincinnati. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal questions when will the housing market hit bottom?

So how is the “local” Cincinnati real estate market doing?

Remember real estate really is local and in reviewing just a few communities listed in the Multiple Listing Service of Greater Cincinnati to compare the average sales price for single family homes from 2006 thru today looks a lot like a roller coaster ride. Cincinnati, Madeira and Mason appear to be on the road to recovery while other areas bounce up and down. The good news for us is that the local Cincinnati market never experienced wild appreciation- so while nobody likes lower home values we haven’t lost value like many of the surrounding cities and states.

West side information is coming but if your east side area is not shown below call or email me for detailed information.

In alphabetical order: