Trans-Siberian Orchestra at The Q December 26

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be performing “A Lost Christmas Eve” on Wednesday, December 26 at The Q. A musical extravaganza featuring lights and pyrotechnics, the show was written by Paul O’Neill, creator of the orchestra.

“When I was writing the story in ’04, I wanted to write about hope and redemption,” he said. “The underlying theme of ‘Lost Christmas Eve’ is hope and redemption. I’m always fascinated that there’s something about December 24 that allows human beings to undo mistakes.”

The story revolves around a Scrooge-like Wall Street mogul who abandons his newborn child. Unable to hail a cab, he walks home through the snow on Christmas Eve, passing a cathedral, a blues bar, a hotel and a hospital on the way. In the end, he realizes his mistake in giving up his son for the pursuit of money.

There will be two shows the day after Christmas, one at 3pm and the other at 8pm. Tickets range from $30 to $67.50 plus fees, and are available online at livenation.com or at The Q box office.

The Q is located at East Sixth Street and Huron Road in Cleveland.

Cleveland, Northeast OH Area Real Estate Market November 2012

According to the Northeast Ohio Regional Multiple Listing Service and an article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, homes sales in the region continue to surpass last year's sales figures. Lower home inventory, higher rental prices and higher buyer demand due to low interest rates, is driving this increase in activity and increase in sales prices.

Sales comparing November 2011 to November 2012 show considerable improvement.  Among the 15 counties in Northeast Ohio, single family home sales are up 15% and condo sales are up a remarkable 43.5%.  In addition to the increase in sales activity, Northeast Ohio is showing a 12% increase in single family home prices and 14.6% increase for condos, compared to last November. 

The key point here is that the market is starting to stabilize.  Sellers are getting more for their homes than last year, with buyers paying a bit more to purchase a home to take advantage of the low interest rates.  Buyers should note that interest rates have reached nearly as low as they can go, when deciding the best time to make a purchase.  The data over the past several months indicates we have seen the bottom of the local real estate market.





By comparison, Northeast Ohio continues to outpace the national sales increase of 14.5% in November, by a slight margin.  Northeast Ohio also eclipsed the 10.1% national increase in sales prices, as well as exceeding the Ohio sales price increase of 8.5%. Nationally, 5.04 million homes have sold, which is just meeting the lower part of the 5-6 million of annual home sales considered to be a normal or healthy range. 

Disney on Ice at the Quickens Loans Arena in Cleveland

The second week of January brings a special treat for the children of Northeast Ohio as Disney on Ice presents “Rockin’ Ever After.” Featuring the most magical characters and the hottest tunes and talent from Disney, the show runs from Friday, January 11 to Sunday, January 21 at the Quickens Loans Arena located at 1 Center Court in Cleveland.

Headstrong and courageous Princess Merida from the Pixar movie “Brave” makes her ice debut, while a Scottish jig group from the same movie shows off their fancy movies. Beloved musical crab Sebastian will break out of his shell for one night only in a musical number with the lovely Princess Ariel. Meanwhile, a chorus of rambunctious hooligans from “Tangled” let loose in a spirited musical number with Rapunzel and her dashing leading man Flynn. Last but not least, Belle, the Beast and his entire castle entourage put on a spectacular show center stage.

Ticket prices range from $11 to $70 and are available online at theqarena.com or at the Quickens Loans Arena Box Office and various Northern Ohio Discount Drug Mart locations. Be sure not to miss this great family event!

Why Your Listing Expired, Why Your Home Didn't Sell

So, has your listing expired recently?  If you have experience with your listing expiring, I’m here to help you understand why your listing failed.  You really need to understand why your home didn’t sell, before relisting, otherwise, you’re risking a repeat result, wasting more of your time and money.  

I recommend thinking back through entire process, from the initial agent interview to the moment your listing expired.  This will help you learn what may have gone wrong.  In the e-book, I offer a number of questions and topics to think about that will help you reflect back through the listing period.

There are five primary reasons homes don’t sell.  Those reasons are:

1. condition,
2. location,
3. poor marketing plan,
4. the agent you selected, and
5. the price. 
With exception of location, all of these reasons are items that you can change.  To successfully sell a home, you must set your home apart from the competition.  The home should be in the best condition possible, priced correctly, marketed extensively and creatively and handled by an agent that has what it takes to manage the process. 

I know you may be discouraged by your expired listing, but please keep in mind:

“ANY HOME THAT IS PROPERLY PRICED AND MARKETED WILL SELL IN ANY REAL ESTATE MARKET!"

Once again, I go into more detail in my expired listing e-book.  To get a free copy of my e-book, simply fill out the form provided at www.expiredlistinghelp.com  and I’ll send it to you immediately.   

Whether the home your selling is in the Cleveland/Northeast Ohio area or not, I invite you to call me anytime if I can be of further assistance.  Feel free to Contact Me anytime for more information.

December Days at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

December Days at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo kicks off today, December 17 at 11am. From now until Sunday, December 30, enjoy fun and festive family events at the zoo, including special seasonal activities such as holiday crafts, live music, cookie decorating, picture-taking with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Wolf Lodge and more.

The Zoo Gift Shop will have a special pop-up Santa Shop located inside Wolf Wilderness from December 17 to December 24, where you can pick up fair trade and conservations gifts including Congo Coffee, which benefits the Panzi Hospital in Congo; Yerba Mate tea from Argentina; and PooPoo Paper products, which are made from recycled animal dung. Sounds pretty crazy, but don’t knock it till you check it out.

Of course, the main attraction at the zoo will always be the animals. Visit the bears, tigers and reindeer at the Northern Trek, and then ride the complimentary heated shuttle to the Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building, where you can see different monkeys, felines and sea creatures.

Don’t worry about the cold weather, as the Zoo also offers warm indoor exhibits. The RainForest houses 600 animals and around 10,000 plants! Kids will especially enjoy watching the orangutans, otters and sloths at play.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is located at 3900 Wildlife Way in Cleveland, and will be open from 11am to 3pm from December 17 to December 30 (closed on Christmas Day.)

Cleveland Botanical Garden’s WinterShow November 23-December 31

The Cleveland Botanical Garden’s annual WinterShow kicks off on Friday, November 23 and will run through Monday, December 31. This year’s theme is “Glow,” and the promises to be even bigger, better and more interactive than past events.

In line the show’s theme, the five-story, 18,000 square foot Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse will be lit up in a bright green glow, as a prelude to the holiday event. Other attractions visitors can expect to see at the event include The Garden Express train for kids, which will run through the outdoor garden paths for the first time.

Kate Fox, director of special exhibits, said, “It’s going to be a big hit. Steam comes out, and it has whistle sounds. It’s really cute.”

Meanwhile, the Garden’s Clark Hall will be transformed into a picturesque Alpine Village, complete with carolers and musicians to set the mood. The Gingerbread Haus bakery, which is inspired by Swiss Alpine architecture, will prove a special treat for children, as they can decorate their own gingerbread houses with candies and other sweets provided by the Garden’s amusing elves.

Kids can also do some shopping at the Treetop Shop, a two-story Alpine-style clubhouse. There they may buy gift bags ranging from $2-8 for their friends and family.
Another heartwarming feature is the Wishing Tree, situated by the Garden’s library. Here children may write their hopes and dreams for the new year on an ornament, and proudly display it on the tree.

Natalie Ronayne, garden executive director, said, “Visiting the Garden around the holidays to see all the fantastic gingerbread houses and trees has become a tradition for many families around town. It feels right for us to build upon that tradition and make the experience much more multisensory and immersive.”

The Cleveland Botanical Garden is located at 11030 East Blvd. in Cleveland. For more information including hours and ticket prices, please visit cbgarden.org.

North Royalton Animal Hospital and Paws at Play Open House

The holidays aren’t just for children. Pet lovers and owners know that the season is about spending time with and giving joy to loved ones, and that includes animals. In light of that, the North Royalton Animal Hospital and Paws at Play Resort & Daycare are offering a special holiday treat for pets with an open house on Saturday, December 15.

The event will run from 10am to 2pm on that day, and will give owners and pets a chance to tour a newly remodeled facility located 9027 Ridge Road. Pets can have their pictures taken with Santa Clause, as well as receive little gifts. Refreshments will be provided for both pets and their owners.

Business Manager Jennifer Hechko said, “We’re known for the Pet Carnival on the City Green. About 1,200 people traditionally show up for that. But that’s not at the hospital because we don’t have the room for it. This open house allows us to invite the community to see the new building.”

The North Royalton Animal Hospital was founded by Hechko’s father, John T. Bryk, in 1957. Paws at Play shares the building with the hospital, thereby making it one of the only vet-supervised boarding facilities in the area. The new facility was recently expanded from 2,500 square feet to a whopping 14,000 square feet.
As Hechko says, “We’re bringing all your pet’s needs under one roof.”

For more information on the open house, please visit nrah.vetstreet.com.

Selling Your Home In The Winter

As you may probably know, most home sellers wait until Spring and Summer to list their homes.  This is done, primarily because there are more buyers looking during this time period.  From the seller's perspective, this gives them a higher chance of selling their home.

However, listing in the Winter can give you the bigger advantage.  While there are fewer buyers during this time of the year, the buyers who are braving the cold are typically more serious buyers.  You get fewer people "kicking the tires" and more people ready to buy NOW.  According the the National Association of Realtors, it takes approximately 12 weeks for a buyer to find the right home and complete the transaction.  By listing in the Winter, this can give the seller a completed transaction by the beginning of Spring.

As I mentioned, once Spring rolls around, more buyers will begin to come out.  There will also be a lot more homes for sale, competing with your home.  More competition means you will have to do even more to set your home apart from the other listings, which may include a lower price.

When you factor in low interest rates, this is a great time to sell.  Buyers are trying to take advantage of the low rates while they are still low.  It will also allow you to buy your next home at a lower interest rate and give you time to seek out a great purchase, before sales prices begin to increase.

Because all cities and locations are different, I welcome you to contact me to discuss your particular home and situation.

Feel free to Contact Me anytime for more information.