November 4, 2011
By
Dick Baker
and a chill is in the air – all telltale signs that the seasons are changing on us!
So what’s a homeowner to do? Plenty! Some tasks are for do-it-yourselfers and weekend warriors; others are for pros.
Many homeowners in the northeast just got a cruel reminder of one task that is often overlooked. Take a look at the trees and branches overhanging your home and power lines. We are as likely to get a wet snow or ice while leaves remain on trees as they were in New England, and that can lead to major headaches (and power outages). Summertime shade is nice, but trees providing that shade should be kept away from the house. They can do damage to your roof or other structures in a storm; they fill the gutters with leaves and pine needles; they can even provide a convenient pathway for varmints to gain access to cozy areas of your home for the coming season. So trim back, and use good judgment in determining whether this is a job you can safely handle or whether you should whistle in a reputable, insured professional.
Another sometimes forgotten detail: what to do with unused lawn chemicals. Fertilizers can still be spread, but Roundup, dandelion killer, insect controls and others can still be found in my garage. I’ll gather them up and store them in the basement so they don’t freeze in the garage, but if you have old chemicals, why not get rid of them, properly. If you live in Lucas County, here is a resource: Links to Solid Waste Management Related Sites
There are loads of other suggestions that can be found on Internet checklists, particularly dealing with issues of water intrusion, chimneys, and roofing issues. Oh, one more suggestion that doesn’t make most lists – clean and store your golf clubs in a climate-controlled area. OK, I added that one. ‘Tis the season, let’s button up for the winter!
June 3, 2011
By
Danielle Powers
Renter Beware!
It’s incredible how much the Internet has grown and how much information is out there now! It has made looking for homes and even rental properties a breeze. It only takes a second and when it is all done you can kick up your heels and relax. However, keep the phrase “buyer beware” in mind.
There have been some properties going on sites such as Craigslist that are not legitimate. Sites like Craigslist can be a great tool in finding what you need but you should always use caution. If you see a home that is for rent or for sale you always want to make sure that you speak with either the real estate agent or the homeowner. This might take a slight bit of research. County Auditor websites make the research painless. CLICK HERE for a link to Areis for Lucas County. You can get all the information you might need so you can breathe easier!
May 12, 2011
By
Dick Baker
The media’s damage to confidence, psychology…
Has anyone been able to listen to an entire newscast lately without hearing that “One-fourth of homeowners are underwater!” Think about that term. “Underwater” conjures up an image in my head of someone going down for the last time, gasping their last breath. It almost implies that the mortgages of such families instantly become due and payable and they’re going to lose their homes. In fact, most of them are current on their payments and aren’t even trying to sell their homes. Is it a great surprise that in a declining market, so many people who bought their homes a few years ago with no downpayment or perhaps 3% down now owe more than their home is worth? Why does the media have such a negative bias about the real estate market? When stocks plunged a few years ago, I don’t recall hearing that “investors are underwater on their investments!”
It’s probably inappropriate to paint “The Media” with such a broad brush. Some are better than others in this respect. Consider these two headlines, printed within a day of each other. Our newspaper’s headline was “Toledo home prices fall at 3 times national rate in first quarter.” It was factual, median sale prices dropped 12.5% in the quarter, largely because of our unusual activity in lower end investor and foreclosure properties. That is not the same as saying that your home declined in value by 12.5% in the quarter, just that those particular units that sold in the first quarter compared with different units that sold in the first quarter of 2010 were lower priced. The statistics do not compare the same homes year-to-year! Therefore, perhaps market activity, not median prices, should be the focus. Example: with nearly the same quarterly decrease in prices (9%), the headline in Sarasota was “Southwest Florida home sales up 11% from 2010.” They somehow focused on the positive, a significant improvement in unit sales, while here we read about the negative number, which was actually better than many other Ohio cities . . .
Markets are markets, they go up and they go down. We have every expectation that like the stock market, the real estate market will recover, unless we allow the media to convince us that the sky has fallen on one of this country’s greatest foundations.
Epilogue: After posting this opinion came the inane cartoon in the Blade’s 5/12/11 Pages of Opinion which essentially suggested you are crazy to consider buying a house. What on earth can be the motivation for their campaign against home ownership?
May 6, 2011
By
Danielle Powers
Front view of 624 Brysen Toledo, Ohio 43609
Nicole Zawacki presents this home at 624 Brysen Toledo, Ohio 43609.
Kitchen of 624 Brysen Toledo, Ohio 43609
This 1-story traditional home at 624 Brysen Toledo, Ohio is located close to expressways, University of Toledo Medical Center, and Swan Creek Preserve Metropark. This home is completely remodeled: new kitchen, new flooring, new paint, security system, new windows, surround sound, giant backyard, and a new 6′ privacy fence. There is a shed for extra storage and all appliances stay! Priced at $39,900, this home is priced under Market Value!
Backyard with 6' privacy fence at 624 Brysen Toledo, Ohio 43609
For more information on this property or to reach Nicole Zawacki visit http://624brysen.danberry.com/
March 31, 2011
By
Dick Baker
Are you facing foreclosure, or know someone who is?
Never before have so many homeowners faced the specter of foreclosure, and thanks in part to media hype, there are many misunderstandings about the options and consequences they face. It is important that those who are behind in their payments understand that their lender is not Snidely Whiplash, lurking in the wings hoping to take your home away. Foreclosed homes become a burden for them, so they would prefer to work with you to find a better solution for everyone.
Snidely Whiplash
Freddie Mac has produced articles and You Tube videos in an effort to dispel several common myths associated with foreclosure. The link below offers great basic advice on avoiding foreclosure. Help is available to those facing the loss of their home, however only a small percentage of them reach out to these resources.
Foreclosures can be a nightmare for families, but they are harmful to lenders and even the neighborhoods in which they are located. So let’s spread the word, there may be some better solutions suggested here: http://www.freddiemac.com/avoidforeclosure/
February 17, 2011
By
kathyjaworski
If you’ve ever participated in the purchase or sale of a home here in the Toledo Real Estate Market or anywhere in the U.S., you’ve probably heard some of those terms. If you’re anything like most other home buyers or sellers in the country, you may have been a bit overwhelmed by those same terms. Have no fear! The National Association of Realtors has created a Glossary of Common Real Estate Terms that can help you through the process of buying or selling a home; what is undoubtedly one of the most important transactions of your life! Here at Danberry, we also recognize that these situations can be stressful, and we want to do everything we can to help ease that stress. Contact one of our Danberry REALTORS® today. We’re happy to help!
January 28, 2011
By
Dick Baker
We must begin with the obvious disclaimer that economic forecasting is more inexact than weather forecasting, but we will take our best guess at what lies ahead of us in the coming year. We follow many analysts, remembering however that conventional wisdom told us one year ago that mortgage interest rates would rise by July when in fact they declined to historically low levels and stayed there.
Pending home sale numbers have risen for 5 consecutive months nationwide, and there is reason for optimism regarding sales within our region as well. Unemployment numbers, while still very high, have improved. No matter how you feel about the recent elections, it appears that the result is pro-business, less tax, which logically should improve private sector job creation through 2012. The American Dream of home ownership is alive and well, and demographics suggest increased demand in the future. There is reason for improved consumer confidence. With these factors at work, prices should begin to rise slowly again, especially as unsold inventories decrease.
Two factors may work against the improving market, at least in the very near term. We cannot ignore the seasonality of the market. Winter months are routinely the least active of the year. And mortgage rates have crept upward from their lows. However, many of us contrarians feel that this interest rate movement may actually convince reluctant buyers to get off the fence, the worst is behind us and it’s time to buy their home while rates are still extremely attractive from a historical viewpoint.
My conclusion: we hit bottom, but without much of a bounce. Remember however that compared to others, our region has tended to be the tortoise, not the hare. In some respects that can be a good thing. Just ask those in Las Vegas or many areas of Florida that continue moving in the wrong direction.
December 20, 2010
By
Ann Newman
Nearly eight out of 10 respondents believe buying a home is a good financial decision, despite ongoing challenges with the economy and housing market. That’s according to the 2010 National Housing Pulse Survey, an annual report released by the National Association of Realtors.
The survey, which measures how affordable housing issues affect consumers, also found job security concerns to be the highest in eight years of sampling, with 70% of Americans saying that job layoffs and unemployment are a big problem in their area; eight in 10 cite these issues as a barrier to home-ownership.
Despite economic uncertainty, 68% of those surveyed still believe now is a good time to buy a home; while that number is down from last year (75%), it’s up from 2008 (66%) and 2007 (59%). Lower home prices and record-low mortgage interest rates may be attracting buyers to the housing market—more than one-fourth of renters said they are thinking more about buying a home than they were a year ago. Sixty-three percent of renter respondents said that owning a home is a priority in their future, and nearly 40% said it was one of their highest priorities.
Lower home prices have improved affordability. In fact, the percentage of renters who are worried that the cost of housing is getting so unaffordable that they will never be able to buy a home has decreased steadily since 2007, from 63% to 57%.
The good news is that Americans are seeing more stability in the real estate market. Nearly seven out of 10 believe that home values have stabilized in their area; the same number expects home sales to remain about the same through the end of the year.
While nearly seven out of 10 say it’s harder to sell a home in their area today than it was a year ago, it’s less of a concern from last year when the number was 10 percentage points higher. This is most likely the result of lower home inventories.
November 18, 2010
By
Dick Baker
When homes go on the market we can find many conflicting opinions from “industry experts” about the degree to which a home should be decorated for the holidays, or even personalized to their family. Some will argue that even family photos are distracting to house hunters, but isn’t that part of what transforms a house into a home? Like anything else, an “optimal amount” should be the goal, not too much, not too little, but just right. A professional Realtor can help sellers determine what is right, and they should be prepared to objectively look through the eyes of the buyer. It’s probably time to package up the beer can collection and Star Trek memorabilia!
So now the question of how much to decorate for the holidays is upon sellers. It’s probably safe to say that owners shouldn’t go over the top like retailers who started putting up Christmas displays on Halloween! At the other end of the spectrum, doesn’t a stark, sterile non-holiday look shout “Bah, Humbug!” at prospective buyers?
If you find yourself debating how much is too much, a middle-of-the-road approach probably makes sense – neither be Clark Griswold nor the Grinch, instead be tasteful, perhaps even elegant. More than a fire in the fireplace can provide a welcoming warmth to a home. Lighting, the right aromas or other inexpensive but effective techniques can accomplish the job. I found what I thought was sensible advice on this topic in REALTOR Magazine Online. Click here to read the article in its entirety. There are probably good tips here even if you’re NOT selling.
What are your thoughts on these topics? We’d love to know how the Toledo Real Estate Market and the surrounding communities feel about this topic, and we encourage you to comment below!
