The past few days have held some frustration for me as I tried to get information about a property from the list agent.
This particular home is an attached single family cluster home, so it has a monthly homeowner's association fee. Single family implies that the maintenance of the home is the solely the responsibility of the homeowner, but what happens when it is time for a roof replacement? How do you replace the roof when your home is attached to other homes?
So began my list of questions for the listing agent and I was disappointed as I so often am that she did not have this information at her disposal.
Here is what the listing agent did not have:
A copy of the decs and bylaws
A financial statement and/or budget
The name or number of the management company
I ended up calling other agents I knew to find out the name of the management company. The folks there were very nice and gave me the name of the website where a lot of the documents were available. They were not willing to send me a financial statement and said it would have been sent to the homeowner so I should get it from her or her agent. So I sent an e-mail to the agent yesterday and I am still waiting for a response.
Contrary to old school belief where you buy first and throw in a bunch of contingencies,the wise buyer, and their agent asks a lot of questions before putting in the bid. This may not always be possible, as in the case of multiple bids, but that is when you add all those contingencies.
I can't stress enough that if you are going to sell your condo or cluster home, you must make these documents and information available to a potential buyer. If I, as your listing agent can provide these documents to the selling agent within hours of their request, just imagine how much more quickly you might get an offer.
I am convinced that I had received answers to my questions when I asked for them, I would be much closer to writing an offer and the seller might be closer to having his home sold. As it is we are going back for a second showing on Saturday...hopefully I'll have answers by then.
On Thursday Jan. 26th I was fortunate to be able to attend A Taste of Broadview Heights. This was a wonderful event and I strongly recommend it when it comes around again next year!
Below are Brecksville Ohio ReMax Trinity owners Jim and Judy Darwal!
And here is Helen Dunlap, who has given years of service to Broadview Hts. as a city council member!
Long time former Mayor Leo Bender and his lovely wife Judy!
Chris Bertam at the piano provided wonderful music!
Below are Antonietta Carnevale and sons Paolo and Giovanni from Molisana Italian Foods, only one of the vendors there. If you have never tried their Pizza, you MUST go there and grab a slice or two!And don't forget the homemade bread, fresh deli meats and cheeses and so much more!
And here is the owner of the Corned Beef Cafe, Sue Gaukin, (center) with Judy Darwal, owner ReMax Trinity (left) and Heather Litras (right). The Corned Beef Cafe has been one of the favorite breakfast spots for years in Broadview Heights!
Try not to miss this event next year. You'll love it!
Musical Bones Studio in Broadview Heights Ohio: An Innovative Approach to Playing the Piano!
This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Stan Munson, owner of Musical Bones Studio, which recently opened in Broadview Heights Ohio. Those of you that know me know that I have had a love of music since I was a child and that it is still is a big part of my life.
I was intrigued by what I read about Simply Music, which is the program's name so I set out to find out more about it.
When I phoned Stan he invited me to an introductory session where there would be other families present. I arrived a few minutes early so I had a chance to talk with Stan. I found him to be welcoming, informed and passionate about this innovative way of teaching others how to play the piano.
The theory behind Simply Music is that people want to PLAY the piano, not learn how to play it!
I gave piano lessons privately to young kids for about 10 years. I taught in the traditional manner because that is all I knew. We started with beginner books, immediately focusing on how to read music. Simply Music does the opposite, by teaching the student to play first!! Students in this program are playing blues, classical, contemporary, and accompaniment pieces immediately from the very first lessons. By temporarily delaying the reading process, it is typical for beginning students to be able to play 30-50- songs in the first 18 months or sooner! Because of this non traditional approach and the way they learn to play, students can play these pieces any time, anywhere!
The article I read about Stan Munson and Musical Bones offered this summary: A young child learns to speak first and then he learns to read. This is the same premise. Learn to play first, then learn to read.
Here Stan is pictured with one of his students Mason, who is blind. I can't imagine the joy Mason must feel to be able to play the piano. Music is such a gift on so many levels!
I encourage you to contact Stan Munson at Musical Bones Studio for any interest you or your children have in playing the piano, even if, or perhaps especially if, traditional lessons did not work out for you. You'll love hearing how Musical Bones Studio got its name!
Musical Bones Studio is located at:
8051 Broadview Rd.
Broadview Heights Ohio 44147
216-392-4761
(just south of the Marc's Store...look for a 2 story blue building). Stan also mentioned that he will give a 20% discount off your first month's lesson if you mention this blog. How great is that?
Technology has certainly done much to enhance the way we do business. One of my favorites is the client portal, which allows me to set up a search for my clients specific to their needs and wants, and then deliver to their e-mail all the records that match.
I do caution my clients not too enter too many parameters as this might cause them to get very few records. They might also be missing out on a great house because one of their parameters is .5 acres and this house that has everything they want has .49! A computer search is unbending...it will return only what you ask of it.
Before I take a client out I like to check the disclosure statements to see if there is anything unusual on them. I'll try to to use google maps to see if there is anything of concern, such as a retention basin in the backyard. I am making an assumption though that my clients are reviewing the printout carefully but that's where I am wrong. Most buyers are excited about the buying process so they are looking intently at the pictures and envisioning living in this home. So even though I think I am prepared I sometimes will hear:
"Oh, I didn't know the house was on a corner'"
"I didn't know it was built in 1950!!!"
"The garage is detached???? I don't want that!"
"No central air conditioning?" Nope.
So, below is a picture of an mls printout, the way a buyer might see it in their portal. I strongly recommend that buyers carefully look over the information so there are fewer surprises when they actually get to the home! See my comments below:)
1. You can click on this number and see all the pictures that are available for this home
2. DOM/CDOM means days on the market and cumulative days on the market.
3. Monthly maintenance fee...you could see this for a single family cluster home or a condo
4. VERY IMPORTANT: homestead exemption meaning that the current owner is receiving a reduction on the real estate taxes and the once the new buyer owns it, he/she/they will be paying the higher amount, unless they too qualify for the homestead exemption.
5. Maintenance items that are included in the monthly fee, but always a good idea to make your contract contingent upon review of the HOA/condo documents.
6. VERY IMPORTANT: This tells you whether there is an assessment in place for things like new roofs, siding, or street repair. If this is checked yes, be sure to get all the details.
7. Sometimes people overlook the school district
8. An HOA fee, which generally but not always means that you are paying for some recreational items, such as a pool(s), walking trails, tennis courts, or maintenance of common areas.
9. Lot description. In addition to corner, you may see words like wooded, or sloping and it's important to note this as you may want a level lot.
10. VERY IMPORTANT: This notes the water and sewer supply, critical if you prefer septic over public sewer or vice versa. Or maybe you prefer well water.
11. The level the room is on. A lot of buyers skip over this one and then find out there is a first floor master which they don't want because they have small children.
So there you have it. A brief summary of what some of this stuff means. Happy home shopping buying!
As always, if there is something in your contract you do not understand, consult an attorney.
It takes Less Than Five Minutes for a Buyer to Leave Your "Not Ready For Market Home".
I am having quite a busy January considering I live in Cleveland Ohio. I have been out with several buyers this week and I noticed the same common theme that I have been noticing for quite a while.
A (non investor) buyer will leave a home in 5 minutes or less if it feels, smells, or looks not ready for the market. You have heard me say before that a seller has one chance to impress the buyer or that buyer will move on. Your home then becomes just a distant memory.
The first impression a buyer gets when they walk up to the front door usually sets the tone for the showing.
It is difficult for most buyers to focus on the good stuff if:
It smells bad....musty, moldy cigarette smoke, overpowering air fresheners, pet odors
It feels uncared for....when a buyer notices enough little things that it makes him wonder what else might be wrong with the house
It does not appear ready for showings...laundry on the floor, dishes in the sink, cobwebs on the ceiling, dirty appliances
I will be the first to acknowledge that some sellers simply do not have the finances to make any improvements, but some of the above items do not cost any money.
Dishes and laundry can be put away, appliances can be cleaned and so can the cobwebs. I remember a home I sold once that had a purple commode, sink,and bathtub with green shag carpeting as an accent color but you could eat off the floors as it was that clean.
So if you can't make major or even minor repairs, strive for spotlessly clean!
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Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
The past few days have held some frustration for me as I tried to get information about a property from the list agent.
Long time former Mayor Leo Bender and his lovely wife Judy!
Below are Antonietta Carnevale and sons Paolo and Giovanni from Molisana Italian Foods, only one of the vendors there. If you have never tried their Pizza, you MUST go there and grab a slice or two!And don't forget the homemade bread, fresh deli meats and cheeses and so much more!
This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Stan Munson, owner of 
Here Stan is pictured with one of his students Mason, who is blind. I can't imagine the joy Mason must feel to be able to play the piano. Music is such a gift on so many levels!
Posted by 
A (non investor) buyer will leave a home in 5 minutes or less if it feels, smells, or looks 
Dishes and laundry can be put away, appliances can be cleaned and so can the cobwebs. I remember a home I sold once that had a purple commode, sink,and bathtub with green shag carpeting as an accent color but you could eat off the floors as it was that clean.
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