Hinckley, Ohio Real Estate and Information Source

Hinckley, Ohio

City Information and History

Hinckley, Ohio, in Medina county is exactly five miles square but contains 1133 acres more than the conventional 16,000 acres, due to the hills and valleys and generally 'wrinkled' surface.  The township is known as the home of the buzzards. On March 15 of every year, large flocks of buzzards arrive.  Hinckley is just over 30 minutes from Cleveland, 15 minutes from Medina and 30 minutes from Akron, with nearby access to I-71, I-227 and the turnpike.

The Hinckley area became available to Judge Samuel Hinckley of Northampton Massachusetts. He was reputed to be one of the shrewdest land proprietors of his time. He predicted that the day would come when his land in Hinckley would sell for as much as $10 per acre but he did not expect to live long enough to realize such profits.  As the pioneers from the East began to move westward, the Judge was quick to place his holding in other parts of the Western Reserve for sale. He was in no particular hurry to dispose of his Hinckley holdings because they were of less value and Hinckley remained a wilderness for quite a while after adjoining townships had been settled.

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Real Estate

Hinckley Township residents enjoy its rural atmosphere and its convenient location. The city has homes and neighborhoods to suit most budgets and life styles – whether you are newly married or an empty nester, have a growing family, or are an executive with large space needs. Homes range from $120,000 to well-over $1,000,000. The Metro Parks are literally a few minutes away. They offer picnicking, hiking, bicycling, fishing, skiing, and unspoiled nature.

Hinckley is a considered a desirable Cleveland area suburb.  The current real estate market data for the city can be viewed below, which is great information if your looking to buyer or sell a home in Hinckley.  Also provided is full access to all current listings for sale in Hinckley.

Current Hinckley Market Data

Homes For Sale In Hinckley

Helpful Area Links

City Government Website
Demographics
School Ratings
School Board
Area Attractions
Weather Forecast
Utility Providers/City Services
Nearby Shopping, Restaurants, Hospitals, Parks, and more

Strongsville, Ohio Real Estate and Information Source

Strongsville, OH

City Information and History

Strongsville is a located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, situated about 25 minutes from downtown Cleveland and about 15 minutes from the Cleveland International Airport.  The city's nickname is "Crossroads of the Nation," as this is where the Ohio Turnpike and Interstate 71 intersect. The Strongsville Recreation Center and Senior Center were named after former mayor Walter F. Ehrnfelt. The population was 44,750 as of the 2010 Census, and the city is well known for its school system, MetroParks access, and abundance of shopping and restaurant locations.
Strongsville officially became a township on February 25, 1818, a village in 1923, and was ultimately designated a city in 1961. Founded by settlers arriving in the newly purchased Connecticut Western Reserve, the city was named after John Stoughton Strong, the group's leader. Many of the main streets in the city are named after other principle figures and landowners from the city's history, e.g. Howe, Drake, Shurmer, Whitney.
In the mid-19th century, the Pomeroy House, then called The Homestead, was a stop on the underground railroad. Alanson Pomeroy, the home owner and a prominent Strongsville resident, concealed runaway slaves on his property. From this residence in Strongsville, the runaway slaves were taken to boats on Rocky River for passage to Canada.



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Real Estate

Residents like Strongsville because of its atmosphere and convenient location. The city has homes and neighborhoods to suit most budgets and life styles – whether you are newly married or an empty nester, have a growing family, or are an executive with large space needs. Condominium prices range from $70,000 and up, and homes range from $80,000 to over $1,000,000. The Metro Parks are literally a few minutes away. They offer picnicking, hiking, bicycling, fishing, skiing, and unspoiled nature.

Strongsville is a considered a desirable Cleveland area suburb.  The current real estate market data for the city can be viewed below, which is great information if your looking to buyer or sell a home in Strongsville.  Also provided is full access to all current listings for sale in Strongsville.

Current Strongsville Market Data

Homes for Sale in Strongsville

Helpful Area Links

City Government Website
Demographics
School Ratings
School Board
Area Attractions
Weather Forecast
Utility Providers/City Services
Nearby Shopping, Restaurants, Hospitals, Parks, and more

Considering Home Staging to Sell Your Home?

So, you're selling your home, or at least considering it.  But how do you compete with the rest of the market around you?  Pricing? Condition? Listing with an agent that knows how to market your home properly?  YES!

For the purposes of this post, we're going to concentrate on the condition of the home...

Why to Consider Staging

As a seller, you want to put yourself in the best position to get buyers' attention and have them perceive a value for your home, in comparison to other homes on the market in the area.  A buyer needs to see themselves living in your home.  Whether you're currently living in your home or have left it vacant, home staging may be what you need to set your home apart from the rest.

The purpose to home staging is to give your home an updated look, and to give a buyer the ability to see what the home would look like in it's best possible condition.  It helps highlight the home's best features, with the goal of appealing to a broad range of buyers, selling faster and for a higher dollar amount.  According to statistics from the Accredited Staging Professional website, the success rate (see below) can be quite substantial.


Return on Investment

Costs can vary, depending on the size of the home and how much staging work is done.  It can be a few hundred dollars to several thousand, but if it results in a quick sale for top dollar, it may prove to be well worth the investment. According to staging professionals, it can provide a 3-7% higher sales price.

The following is a summary of the results of HomeGain's national survey, based on the ten areas of home improvement identified by real estate agents in HomeGain's survey. They are listed from the highest to lowest returns on investment:


Bottom Line

As I always advise my sellers, if there is something that can place your home above all the rest, it should always be considered.  In regards to home staging, if the results and the return on investment can be achieved, it may be a way for a seller to "beat the market" in a time when the market heavily favors the buyer.

What Is My Home Worth?

Knowing what your home is worth is an absolute necessity when you're thinking of selling your home.  It can also be helpful to assure you're home value is being assessed properly for property taxes, but for this article we'll concentrate on the valuation of your home for selling purposes.

Whether you are selling by owner, or hiring a Realtor, pricing your home properly is the most important component.  Of course, condition, location and the economy are also factors, but proper pricing that accounts for these other aspects will sell your home.  If you take away nothing else from this article, remember this:

"Any home that is properly priced and marketed will sell in ANY real estate market."


So, that leads us to the main topic...what is my home worth?  How do I determine my home value to get my home sold quickly?


The easiest way is to have your home appraised.  Appraisals cost around $300 to $400, but may be worth the investment, if it'll help you price your home properly.  This is a great option for someone selling by owner. If you're planning on hiring a real estate agent, the agent will provide you with a market analysis to determine the right price to list your home.

When you're interviewing for real estate representation, I advise that you speak to at least 2 Realtors before deciding to hire an agent.  You want to make sure you're hiring someone that won't just tell you a price that you want to hear, to get the listing.  So, having more than one pricing opinion can prove helpful.  The best way to determine this is to ask questions, such as:

1. How many listings do you sell per year?
2. What is the average days on market for your home listings?
3. What percentage of the list price vs. sales price do your listings sell for?
4. How do these statistics compare to the statistics in my community?

These questions will help you piece together how well the agent prices their listings, and most importantly, how well they do in closing the deal.  Be sure to have the agent show you how they arrive at their pricing opinion and show you a side-by-side comparison of your home with the most recent sales near your home. 

If you have any questions about property valuation and you want to find out what your home is worth, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Broadview Heights, Ohio Real Estate and Information Source

City Information and History

Broadview Heights, Ohio, in Cuyahoga county, is well situated between Cleveland (15 miles) and Akron (20 miles), at the crossroads of Ohio's east/west and north/south highways.  Broadview Heights boasts of its award-winning schools, fine recreation programs, and great city services.  Due to our central location and easy access to freeways, residents can travel to the airport and just about anywhere in Cuyahoga County within just 30 minutes during non-rush hour periods.  According to the 2010 census, 19,400 people reside in the Broadview Heights city limits.

Indians occupied the territory known as Broadview Heights until 1811, when the first white man, Seth Paine, settled there.  He was sent by Colonel John Breck as a surveyor of the land and was given a compensation of 200 acres. The land that Colonel Breck surveyed was called Brecksville Township, and today the cities of Broadview Heights, Brecksville and North Royalton make up the land. The township consisted of 21.28 square miles, and it was sold for $1.52 an acre.

A plank road was constructed from Wallings Corners to the Cleveland city limits in 1829.  On November 30, 1926, a vote was held to recognize the village of Broadview Heights. The results were 101 people for and 7 against the new village. A few years later the residents built a city hall and established a part-time Fire Department.




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Real Estate

Residents like Broadview Heights because of its country-like atmosphere and its convenient location. The city has homes and neighborhoods to suit most budgets and life styles – whether you are newly married or an empty nester, have a growing family, or are an executive with large space needs. Condominium prices range from $60,000 and up, and homes range from $120,000 to over $1,000,000. The Metro Parks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park are literally a few minutes away. They offer picnicking, hiking, bicycling, fishing, skiing, and unspoiled nature.

Broadview Heights is a considered a desirable Cleveland area suburb.  The current real estate market data for the city can be viewed below, which is great information if your looking to buyer or sell a home in Broadview.  Also provided is full access to all current listings for sale in Broadview Heights.

Current Broadview Heights Market Data

Homes For Sale In Broadview Heights

Helpful Area Links



City Government Website

Demographics

School Ratings

School Board

Area Attractions

Weather Forecast

Utility Providers/City Services

Nearby Shopping, Restaurants, Hospitals, Parks, and more

Neighborhood Spotlight: Emerald Woods, Brecksville, OH

Emerald Woods in Brecksville, Ohio is located off of Chippewa Rd (Route 82), with the entry street, Cinnabar Dr, being on the north side of Chippewa.  The development consists of just around 100 homes on four streets, ending in cul-de-sacs.  Emerald Woods is located close to parks, schools, shopping and the center of town.  It is also near I-77, the turnpike, downtown Cleveland and Cleveland International Airport.

Most of the homes here were built in the time-frame of 1992-1995, built on 0.45 - 0.75 acre lots, with most of the homes being 3000-4000+ sq ft. Home sales in Emerald Woods range from the low-to-mid-$300s to the mid-to-upper-$400s.  There are some larger homes in the development that exceed these size and value averages.  The homeowner association fee is currently $75 per year.

Feel free to Contact Me anytime for more information.

Emerald Woods Association Website

Google Map of Emerald Woods




Search for Brecksville Homes Currently For Sale

City of Brecksville Website

Brecksville School Ratings

Brecksville Demographics

Find Local/State Taxes Levied For Any Home Address in Ohio

An aspect of a home purchase that is sometimes overlooked is the amount of taxes that will be paid for a given city, and address.  Everyone knows to look at what the property taxes are, but the other taxes levied usually are not given any attention.

The taxes I'm referring to include:

• Municipal Tax
• School District Income Tax
• Sales and Use Tax

When shopping for a home and deciding where to buy, this may help in deciding where you would like to live and educate you about the taxes you will be required to pay in a given location. 

The link below provides you with the tax rates for any address in the state of Ohio.

Ohio Tax Finder


Please feel free to Contact Me anytime for any further assistance.

Radon In The Home: Facts and Solutions

Whenever I write an offer on a home for clients, and I mention getting a radon inspection, more times than not, my clients ask: what is radon and should I get an inspection? Once I tell them what it is, they usually opt for the inspection. Here's why:

Radon is an odorless, colorless radioactive gas that permeates from the soil and through the cement floor of a home's foundation/basement. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil, and it is the second-highest known cause of lung cancer. Radon is present throughout the country in various concentration levels. These levels can vary from state-to-state, city-to-city and even from house-to-house. It can be present in any home, new or old, and it is estimated that 1 out of every 15 homes have elevated levels of radon gas.

The EPA deems that a radon concentration level at or above 4.0 pCi/L to be the point where mitigation should be considered and/or necessary. The average radon levels in homes across the United States in 1.3 pCi/L. The levels in Ohio are considered to be in the moderate to high range for radon (anywhere from 2 pCi/L to over 4pCi/L). The only way to know what levels of radon are in a home is to have the home tested.

Fortunately, homes with elevated radon levels can have the level of radon reduced by having the gas mitigated from the home. There are several methods a contractor can use to lower radon levels. Some of these methods prevent radon from entering the home, while others reduce radon levels after it has entered the home. Reviewing these methods and discussing with a contractor, will help you determine what technique is best for your situation.

Feel free to Contact Me anytime for more information.

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How to Calculate Property Taxes: Cuyahoga County, Ohio

If you're looking to buy or sell residential real estate, it is recommended that you know what the property taxes for the home will be, at a given price. This post is being written to demystify the calculation of property taxes, to help you determine this important piece of information.

The first step is to find out what the effective tax rate is for the city/school district in which the home is located. The most up-to-date tax rates for Cuyahoga County can be found at:

http://treasurer.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/community-tax-rates.aspx

Be sure to choose the rate sheet for residential tax rates. Once you have this figure, you can follow the steps below to estimate property taxes.

How to Estimate Property Taxes:

1. Multiply the market value of the home by 35%
2. Select the effective millage (aka effective tax rate) for the community
3. Place $0.0 in front of the millage amount in Step 2
4. Multiply the result of Step 1 and Step 3
5. Divide by two (2) to get the half-year effective taxes
6. Multiply to result of Step 5 by 87.50% to determine the adjusted current general half-year tax (after 10% rollback and 2.5% credit)
7. Add special assessment, if any apply, to get the total tax bill


Here's an Example:

Tax on a $200,000 home in North Royalton, Ohio

1. $200,000 x 0.35 = $70,000
2. Millage for North Royalton 70.03
3. Millage figure to use in calculation is $0.07003
4. $70,000 x $0.07003 = $4,902.10
5. $4,902.10 divided by 2 = $2,451.05
6. $2,451.05 x 0.875 = $2,144.67 adjusted currect half-year taxes
7. Be sure to add and Special Assessment, if applicable

Neighborhood Spotlight: New Hampton, Broadview Heights, Ohio

The New Hampton development in Broadview Heights, Ohio is a 290-acre community developed by Pulte homes. Most of the 500+ homes were built between 2002-2004, which consists of a mix of single family homes and estate homes, along with some town homes and cluster homes, as well. New Hampton is situated at the corner of Broadview Rd and E. Boston Rd. From Broadview Rd., you would enter the development from Hamilton Dr. From E. Boston Rd., there are entrances at Oxford Dr and Wilmington Dr.

The community offers a swimming pool, play ground, community center and walking/nature trails. The develpoment is close to the highway, golf, shopping, Cleveland International Airport and within 30 minutes of downtown Cleveland. New Hampton is in the North Royalton school district.

Single family home prices in New Hampton range from the low $200's to the mid $300's, with a square footage range from approximately 1,800 to 3,500 sq ft. There is an annual home owner's association fee of $350.

The townhome prices range from the low $150's to $170's, ranging from 1500 to 1600 sq ft. In addition to the annual association fee, the townhomes have a $127/month maintenance fee for landscaping, lawn cutting and snow removal.


New Hampton Association Website

Google Map of New Hampton

Search for Broadview Heights Homes Currently For Sale

City of Broadview Heights Website

North Royalton School Ratings

Broadview Heights School Ratings

Broadview Heights Demographics

FHA Mortgage Changes and Current Interest Rates

FHA is raising it's monthly mortgage insurance, effective April 18, 2011. The current mortgage insurance premium is 0.90%. For any loan applications that are assigned an FHA case number on or after April 18th, will be charge and annual premium of 1.15%. What does that mean to you as a buyer?

On a $100,000 loan, this equates to approximately $20.83 more in your monthly payment or about $250 per year. This may or may not seem significant to you, but it will reduce your potential buying power and approval amount. It is also being projected that interest rates may reach 5.5% for a 30 year mortgage by years end.

Fortunately, there is still some time to get you FHA mortgage application before the change takes place. In addition, average mortgage rates dropped significantly from 4.88% to 4.78% on a 30 year mortgage and the average 15 year mortgage dropped from 4.15% to 3.97%. These rates change every day, so locking in your rate when rates drop like this will help you get more home for your money.

So, talk to your mortgage lender soon or feel free to contact me. I can give you a list of lenders that I refer to my real estate clients. I am always available to advise you and help you find and buy the right home.

Making a Successful Offer to Buy a Home

So you’ve found the home you want to buy. Now what do you do? I’ve put together some information regarding the process of making a successful offer on a home.

Research Have your Realtor inquire with the listing agent about the seller’s motivation to sell. Sometimes the listing agent won’t give that information, but my motto is “if you don’t ask, you don’t get.” Your agent can also provide you with information such as the last purchase price, the current mortgage balance, property disclosures, how long the home has been on the market, neighborhood statistics and information, school information, etc. The goal here is to paint a picture of the seller’s situation and position.

Determine the market value of the home This can be tricky. The key is to use the most comparable sales based on location, size, age, and condition. The comparable sales should be within the past six months, like an appraiser would do.

The tricky part is when there aren’t enough sales at all, or the sold homes aren’t very comparable to the home of interest. That is when adjustments (i.e. distance, size, condition, etc.) could be considered. Once comparable sales are obtained, pricing adjustments need to be made, based on what each comparable home has or does not have in relation to the home you want to buy. If done correctly, you should be able to determine the value of the home.

Formulate the offer Now that you have a feel for the market value of the home, it’s time to develop an offer strategy. Buying a home is a negotiation. There is give and take, back and forth until both sides come to an agreement. The important thing is to sit down with your Realtor and run through offer scenarios to determine the starting offer amount and how to end at or below the value you attached to the home. Your agent should not be telling you specifically what to offer, but they can advise you based on the data provided. The buyer must always be the decision-maker.

Submitting the offer This is more than just faxing or emailing the paperwork to the listing agent. Your real estate agent should be able to let you know of the negotiating strategies and points that he/she will use to advocate your position. Your agent should be using the market data, comparable sales and other information that has been gathered to educate the listing agent about the factors considered in determining your offer. If your agent is able convince the listing agent that your offer is reasonable (even if it’s not), the listing agent will be more prone to sell your position to the seller.

By establishing your position and being able to back it up with data can greatly influence the ability to close the deal. This is where your Realtor literally earns his/her money. If this can be properly communicated and negotiated by your agent, you’ll be well on your way to getting the keys to your new home!