New Construction Tip for Buyers: Think Twice Before Finishing that Basement - 05/31/09 11:48 PM
Finishing a basement on a new construction home at the time of initial construction can lead to problems that may not easily be identifiable.
A new construction home contains a massive amount of chemicals in the air, that inhabitants are breathing in, and basements contain a massive amount of moisture upon completion – think of all the concrete on the floor and walls, framing that is still drying, etc.
I have seen firsthand, 2-3 dehumidifiers on full blast, 24x7 for six months just empty out gallon and after gallon of moisture daily.
Just think if you let the builder finish the … (5 comments)

Home Sale Preparation Tips -- The Crockpot - 05/31/09 11:39 PM
There are times when a home may need a bit of sprucing up to sell that really doesn’t fall into any neatly defined category of home staging, redesign or renovation. Discerning, soaking in a home’s characters, flaws, design issues, current buyer preferences, and the like, can sometimes lead to some spontaneous and random ideas on little things that can make a difference in how a home shows.
These are just some random thoughts that we have had and helped sellers with over the past three years since we started home staging in earnest:
Drywall over the top-half of a MASSIVE brick … (3 comments)

Near Miss -- Listing Agent Attempts Chase Down of Open House Buyer - 05/31/09 11:28 PM
Remember that commercial where everyone is running with a gas pump in their hand after some car (most likely an import – Hyundai, Kia, not sure)…set to some country western music? They show different scenes of rappelling down cliffs, coming out of nowhere, etc. It was a very funny commercial.
When I saw this guy running behind a car trying to catch it to fill it with gas, it made me remember an open house experience I had as a consumer back in 1995 before I became a REALTOR.
My wife and I went to go see a home that was … (3 comments)

Home Preparation Tip: Just swag it! - 05/31/09 10:58 PM
So you are trying to help your seller position a table in the dining room or the kitchen that just doesn’t look right. The reason? The light fixture is in the wrong place for the size of table or just was pit in the wrong place at the time the home was built. Let’s face it, builders sometimes don’t drill down into the details, if you know what I mean, and things can end up just about anywhere except where they should.
Well, don’t panic and have your sellers call the electrician and have the electrician charge an arm and a … (4 comments)

Agents Beware: Federal Court Strikes Down Broker Administrative Fee - 05/31/09 10:52 PM
Many of you may have heard that a federal appellate court recently decided that an Alabama real estate broker violated the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).  This buyer was also able to certify it as a class action suit.
Please note:  I am not an attorney and I am in not passing judgement on this fee, either pro or con.  This is for consumers, brokerages and the courts to decide.
I do however have one thing to say: Olsen Ziegler Realty, which serves the Greater Cleveland residential real estate marketplace has never, does not now, and never will charge an … (3 comments)

Home Selliing Tip: Can a home be too uncluttered? - 05/31/09 10:29 PM
Is it possible to have a home on the market that is actually too uncluttered or sanitary? Yes it is possible. As a matter of fact, a home that is too uncluttered may be just as hard to sell as a home that is too cluttered? Why? Because, in both cases, there is risk that a buyer may not have an emotional connection with either home.
For example, a home that is too uncluttered can appear sterile, unlived in, not homey, not comfortable, too stark and cold. As much as we tell our clients to declutter and clean, we always allow … (3 comments)

Home Buying Tip: Traffic noise woes… - 05/31/09 10:10 PM
I remember the first night my wife and I were in our brand new home 11 years ago with the windows open and the first thing she said after the lights went out was, “We paid $475,000 to listen to Route 7?” This was in Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. It was a real eye-opener, no pun intended. The sound of traffic was floating through our windows from about a half-mile away and it never occurred to us in all of our giddiness of building our home, that we might be able to hear it. Mind you, it was not a … (0 comments)

Selling Tip: It’s the little things that drive me crazy… - 05/31/09 09:43 PM
The little things in a seller’s yard that shouldn’t be there just send me over the edge when I am showing properties to buyers. What am I talking about? You know:
plastic flowerpots turned upside down in between the bushes that someone did not throw away, broken plastic pieces in a variety of colors that belong to who knows what, rusty sprinklers, half rolled up hoses, bags of de-icing salt on the porch, trash can lids that did not quite make it back into the garage, hanging plant hooks without any hanging flower baskets, lawn chairs that should have been pitched … (0 comments)

Cleveland Cavailiers and the Cleveland Real Estate Market - 05/31/09 09:35 PM
There is always next year…
That is how we, in Cleveland, feel just about every year when it comes to our sports teams. Now we can tack on the Eastern Division Championship we lost this week-end. Well, I can only hope that our sports teams and the real estate market can find a way back next year! Although there seems to be a slight increase in activity as the summer months are here, the market, as a whole, is still weak and fledgling.
The good news is that our sports teams can always change their staffing by bringing on new players … (3 comments)

E-mail Communication Tip: Read, Review, Review Again, Then SEND - 05/24/09 11:36 PM
While this post may seem a bit 15 years too late, I am continually amazed at how difficult e-mail conversations can be when the sender or replier doesn't slow down enough (including myself on occasion) to proof-read enough to ensure their communication is on the mark.
Just as it is very hard to listen, as many people already know what they want to say and are simply waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can answer, the same is true with e-mail.
Sometimes I will read an e-mail 3-4 times before I even debate on how I am … (2 comments)

Buyer Tip: Allied Resources Can Save or Sink a Sale - 05/24/09 11:28 PM
Allied Resources.
This term is about as generic as it gets, but can mean the difference between having a buyer who is ready to write an offer on a home, versus one that is always one step away.
It can mean the difference between a purchase agreement that should sail through smoothly through escrow to one that turns into an absolute nightmare.
Allied resources such as lenders, title/escrow companies, home inspectors, pest inspectors, radon inspectors, mold inspectors, structural inspectors, and the like are a critical element in the food chain to ensure that both a seller and buyer are well represented.
… (0 comments)

Wild Elk Fighting in the Basement - 05/24/09 11:16 PM
No, Wild Elk Fighting in the Basement is not a Saturday Night Live skit -- although the Sarah Palin Moose skit was pretty entertaining.
But seriously, I viewed a home recently where upon descending the first step to the basement, it was beyond nauseating and the image conjured up was there must have been 4-6 elk trapped in the basement and they must have been watching the cage fighting of the Mixed Martial Arts on one channel and the Roman Gladiators on the other, and decided to give it a whirl, with a outcome that was final, permanent, and singular.
Seriously, … (0 comments)

Home Selling Tip: TWO TO-DOS - 05/24/09 10:36 PM
Clean, clean, cleanWater, water, waterThe inside and outside of your home are both important and keeping the inside clean and the outside watered are two things that need to be done on a daily basis. We are entering summer and there is nothing worse then pulling up to a home and seeing wilted flowers and brown, weedy grass. This does not make a good impression, to put it mildly. Just the same, walking through the front door into an untidy, dusty, dirty home is bad impression number two.
These two to-dos are essential throughout the time your home is on the … (0 comments)

Take a look around… - 05/24/09 10:08 PM
When your home goes on the market, don’t forget that buyers will be evaluating other aspects other than the inside—they will be evaluating the feel of the yard, the surrounding environment, and the street. What does this mean? It means that you need to find the weak spots in the space that surrounds your home. Ask yourself these questions:
Does my home provide private outdoor spaces? Are my neighbors’ homes and yards appealing? What is directly across the street? What is the condition of my driveway and walkways? Is my landscaping fresh and manicured or overgrown and old? Remember, buyers evaluate … (0 comments)

Home Staging Tip: Be sensitive about your artwork… - 05/24/09 09:46 PM
Art is important in a home. It brings in color, warmth, and interest. However, too much can be a distraction, a personal statement, and perhaps a total turn-off. Buyers are so unpredictable—the slightest thing can set them off or draw them in. Artwork, due to its personal and emotional nature, can do either, but the true goal is to help bring interest, color, and decoration to a room. Religious artwork is a delicate subject and one which we explain to our clients so they understand that it may be a turn-off to buyers. This, in no way, is a judgment of our … (4 comments)

Home Staging Tip: A bedroom is a bedroom is a bedroom… - 05/24/09 09:39 PM
Yes, bedrooms are bedrooms—they are not offices, dens, storage areas, sewing rooms, craft rooms, scrapbooking rooms, or any other kind of room you think you need or must have. When your home is on the market, you need to present it as such—a home.
When buyers show up to see a 3-bedroom or 4-bedroom house, that is what they expect to see. Do not assume that buyers will “use their imagination” or “know that the sewing room is really a bedroom.” The last thing you want buyers to have to do is “figure things out.”
If you do not have bedroom … (2 comments)

Kitchens, bathrooms AND basements sell a house… - 05/24/09 09:25 PM
If you are one of the last hold-outs that still has an unfinished basement due to financial constraints, structural constraints, or just plain constraints, take a good look at your basement before you put your house on the market. This is especially important if your laundry area is located in the basement. Unfinished basements seem to get lost in the shuffle when a home goes on the market, but we take them very seriously. There is nothing worse than a buyer being wowed by a house until the fateful moment they go down to the basement and run out screaming. This … (0 comments)

1076 Quilliams Road Cleveland Heights Ohio 44121 - 05/24/09 03:56 PM
… (3 comments)

Home Preparation Tip – Above All Else – Clean - 05/17/09 11:42 PM
While there are never enough hours in the day to prepare a home for sale, prioritizing the work and accomplishing some goals is always important.  At the top of the list, if you do nothing else: clean, clean, clean.
A home that is clean will always outshine <no pun intended> a home which is not.  I don't mean surface clean, but military-style boot camp clean.
Buyers will acknowledge this and it will leave a very positive impression, even if there are other things they don't like about the home, they will remember this.
This free labor on your part can go … (5 comments)

Buyer Tip – Don’t waive the Pest Inspection - 05/17/09 10:04 PM
I see buyers regularly who say they want to waive the pest inspection in order to save the $120ish dollars in the inspection, thinking that a few bugs aren't a big deal and they can always worry about treating for bugs themselves after the fact.  A few buyers have expressed a strong disdain for chemicals and their implications to health and wanted to waive the inspection on these grounds.
Both are bad ideas, and so is every other reason a buyer may state.  There is no excuse for not obtaining a pest inspection. While many in the industry will say that new … (6 comments)

Seller risk of moving before title transfer - 05/17/09 09:52 PM
Should a seller move before or after title transfer?  What happens if the transaction falls apart the day of or the day before title transfer?  What happens if the seller has already moved all of their possessions out before title transfer and the transaction falls apart? 
These are serious questions which have serious implications.
While there are local conventions and norms that vary throughout the country, one fundamental question every seller should ask themselves:  What happens if I move everything out and the transaction does not close and transfer title?
Should a seller then move everything back in? Leave it vacant?  … (4 comments)

Adjoining properties & different zoning classifications - 05/17/09 08:29 PM
Buyers can (and often do) get so caught up looking at the interior of a home that they can sometimes miss the forest for the trees in that there are some very important outside considerations to view, evaluate and even sometimes investigate.  Here are just a few examples:
Different Zoning Classification on Adjoining PropertyThis means that the buyer may be looking at a single-family home that directly adjoins a national park, shopping center, apartment building or a chemical plant.  This can be both a positive (eg. a national park) or negative (eg. a chemical plant, or a high-rise apartment building looking … (0 comments)

Greater Cleveland Artists -- Paintings & Digital Art - 05/17/09 07:52 PM
Okay, here is my bias.  I am not a big fan of huge corporate chains, that add unnecessary cost and complexity to the consumer, and take local dollars out of the community when they could easily stay local, thereby strengthening local communities, reducing our collective carbon footprint, and connecting the producer with the consumer.  I love going to the local farmer's market where I can speak directly to the grower/producer.  Where I can get some kind of sense who is providing the food that is going to be nourishing my family and me.  I think local business are such an integral … (0 comments)

Selling Tip -- Spring has Sprung… - 05/17/09 07:34 PM
Sellers need to make sure to pay attention to the outside of their home as much as the inside. Now that spring is upon us, grass is growing, trees are budding and flowers are growing....so are weeds. Remember, the first impression is sometimes the only chance you get and the outside of the house is the first thing a buyer sees. So, take heart in the following:
MAKE SURE YOU:
Cut the grass neatly and edge. Water and dead-head the flowers. Add container pots for curb appeal. Pull weeds and mulch at least 2-3' deep. Use a natural brown mulch color. … (0 comments)

Pricing Tip #17 -- You roll the dice… - 05/17/09 07:03 PM
and take your chances.  Anymore in this economy, the certainty in pricing a home is anyone'sguess.  Back in the day, comps were thought of as good measures of a home's value, of course with quantatative adjustments as necessary.  Now, with home values showing a lot of volatility in many markets (all markes are hyper-local, you can't even generalize at the community level in some cases), short sales and foreclosures clouding the field, and inventories sky high, trying to price a home is not an easy task.  It should not be considered "easy," even in a good economy as a home is one of … (3 comments)

Color me a sale… - 05/17/09 06:53 PM
One of the easiest things sellers can do to improve their home is to paint those spaces inside and outside that either need it or NEED it.  What do I mean?  I mean that there are those homes built 20-25 years ago that have walls with original paint or have wallpaper that has the era written all over it.  Then, there are those homes that NEED to be neutralized because the colors are either personal (mixed and matched accessories, upholstery, carpets, etc) , or loud (bright pink, orange or purple... you get it) , or clash throughout the house (different colors … (2 comments)

Cutters Creek - New Construction in South Euclid, Ohio - 05/10/09 10:23 PM
I was out showing a buyer several different new home communities this past weekend and one of the communities we visited was Cutters Creek in South Euclid.  The floor plans are amazing.  The attention to detail is impressive and the location is exceptional. The community is over half sold (23 of 46 homes sold) in just one year - a pretty remarkable feat in these slow economic times.
… (1 comments)

Selling Tip -- Beat Feet for Showings - 05/10/09 08:21 PM
I wish I had a nickel (okay, 10 bucks) for every time I have encountered a seller at home when I am out with buyers showing homes.  A few years back, I almost received a free vasectomy from a rather upset German Shepard as I proceeded to open the garage door from inside the home.  The seller was sitting at the kitchen table mere 4-5 feet away.  Needless to say, the buyers were mortified.
While that was an extreme example (and I'm glad I'm not a Soprano right now), I have encountered the "friendly seller" who can't wait to brain dump every … (2 comments)

Pricing Tip #16 -- Watch the Market Real-Time - 05/10/09 08:07 PM
The perceived value of your home 3 or 6 months ago may not be relevant today.
Listing agents recommend an initial asking price, or even a range, usually based on recent sold comparables and homes that are currently for sale which are similar.  Once this topic is discussed and the initial asking price is agreed to, this often becomes a "set in stone" type of conversation, as the result is understood to be that this value/range is roughly what a seller's home is worth.
A good listing agent will explain that pricing can be a moving target, based on a variety … (0 comments)

Selling Tip -- Buyer Mortgage Financing Options - 05/10/09 07:51 PM
Many sellers do not realize they have the option to specify which financing options a buyer may choose when they sell their home.  The wider the net is cast, the greater the number of buyers will be available.  There used to be a bias against FHA financing due to slightly higher costs that were incurred by the seller, which is essentially zero these days.  Instead of excluding certain types of financing, these costs should be factored into the negotiations.  I have seen sellers close the door to certain types of financing and end up lowering their financial net bottom line as … (2 comments)

Pricing Tip #15 -- What is Most Important? - 05/10/09 07:35 PM
Sellers really need to relate to their listing agent not only why they are selling, but what are the reasons behind the "why" which are really driving their decision making.  Sometimes it's better schools, or to be closer to family or work, or a life-style change that their current home doesn't support.  Most of the time, the answer is self-evident, but other times, it requires asking  "why's that?" or "Why is that important to you?" to really uncover a seller's true motivation.
The reason that the answer to this question is so important is that it will drive a lot of … (2 comments)

Pricing Tip #14 -- How Quickly Do I Need to Sell? - 05/10/09 07:14 PM
How quickly do you need to sell?  The answer to this question should play a huge role in how competitively you price your home. 
Sometimes, sellers are relocating and a quick sale is not only desirable, but may be required from a financial standpoint.
Sometimes, sellers don't want to move until they find just the right home, so they may have more flexibility in how long it takes to sell their home.
Sometimes, sellers want to purchase a home in a market that is strongly trending upwards, and if they are "buying up" (ie. purchase a home higher in price), it … (2 comments)

Pricing Tip #13 -- Months Housing Supply (MHS) Rate - 05/10/09 07:00 PM
Understanding the Month's Housing Supply for a home you are preparing to sell provides a wealth of information about how a seller should start to understand the market in which they are going to be placing their home for sale.  Combined with the Absorption rate, this statistic can be beneficial to help set the context for what a seller may expect in the marketplace.  This will have a bearing on pricing and potentially how long it may take to sell their home. 
As with any statistic, it should not be taken at face value, without a concrete understanding of the context … (0 comments)

Pricing Tip #12 -- Absorption Rate - 05/10/09 06:56 PM
Understanding the absorption rate for a home you are preparing to sell provides a wealth of information about how a seller should start to understand the market in which they are going to be placing their home for sale.
As with any statistic, it should not be taken at face value, without a concrete understanding of the context in which is should be viewed.  This is where it is imperative that a listing agent perform a comprehensive market analysis and this is just one tool in the toolbox to help paint a picture of the current market for the seller.
… (0 comments)

Pricing Tip #11 -- Uninformed Buyer's Agent - 05/10/09 06:52 PM
Sellers always want to know what their home is worth if they decide to sell.  The short answer is: Whatever a buyer is willing to pay for it.  Now that the simple answer is out of the way, this post is just one of many regarding pricing that makes determining a realistic selling price hard to estimate sometimes.   This post talks about the role a buyer's agent has in influencing a property's value. 
Think about it:  If a buyer is interested in a home, what is one of the first questions a buyer will ask their own agent: "What's this property … (2 comments)

Buyer Tip – Look at home ownership as a long-term stock, not a quarterly profit/loss perspective - 05/03/09 10:04 PM
There are many homeowners today who now realize that if one decides to purchase a home and re-sell it a short time later (5 years or less), then the previously knowledge that real estate always goes up and there is little risk, has had the door blown completely off that concept as of late.
Real estate has historically, been viewed as a long-term investment.  In fact, most people didn't view it as an investment at all, but a place to call home, a place where a family is raised, or a lifestyle is supported for the major part of one's life.
… (4 comments)

Buyer Tip: How long will you be in your new home? Lifestyle changes? - 05/03/09 10:01 PM
An important element when buying a home is to try and determine (okay...I know this is a 64K question) how long you plan to live in the home.  While we live in a very mobile society today and sometimes move quite often, knowing how long you plan to be in your home as well as any life-style changes that may occur in the interim, can be an important consideration in the types, sizes and amenities you desire in a home.
If you plan to only be in a home for 3-5 years, you should look at how easy a given home … (0 comments)

Buyer Tip - Noise – Planes, Trains and Automobiles – Not to mention incessantly barking dogs - 05/03/09 09:57 PM
So, you want to buy a home?  Great.  One critical aspect to consider that oftentimes gets overlooked is the noise factor.
Sure, every home, unless it's on 50 acres, is going to have external noise influences.  Personally, I'm putting my earplugs on in my house if the Cleveland Cavaliers don't win the NBA championship this year!
One of most subtle surprises that can occur after a buyer moves in to their new home, and are excited after a busy first day of unpacking and having fun in their new home, is when they lay down at night in the bed and … (0 comments)

Buyer Tip: How does the home and neighborhood make you feel? - 05/03/09 09:53 PM
When a consumer decides to become a home buyer and start searching and shopping for a home, it can be roller coaster ride, as the amount of decisions to make and the amount of information to decipher can be overwhelming. 
What community do I want to live in?
What neighborhood do I want to live in?
What kind of home do I want? Size?  Number of bedrooms? Bathrooms? Square footage? And a host of other attributes.
Then comes comparing homes to one another, which can become a challenge to determine which is the right home given that each parcel and home … (0 comments)

Cleveland Basketball School – A local Gem - 05/03/09 09:50 PM
The Cleveland Basketball School serving the Greater Cleveland and Akron Ohio areas is a true, local gem run by very experienced and successful coaches, mentors and trainers.
Paul Haught owns the school, has over 30 years experience and has been a head coach at all levels of of basketball.  Paul is also a neighbor of mine and I have seen first-hand how dedicated and responsive he is to his students.
My son has attended several clinics and always came out more knowledgeable - and exhausted (a good thing)!
If you have a basketball player in the making or someone who already … (0 comments)

Pay a visit to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park - 05/03/09 09:46 PM
As a recreational bicyclist, I absolutely love to go biking on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from the Spring through the Fall.  I like to jog on the trail as well on occasion as it's easier on the joints than cement or asphalt.
The Towpath trail follows the Ohio & Erie Canal.  The canal was built between 1825 and 1832 and provided transportation from Cleveland on Lake Erie down to Portsmouth on the Ohio River. 
Every once in a while, I will hop off my bike, ascend some steps to get a birds eye view of the locks that … (0 comments)

Pay a visit to the Art @ M.D. Garage in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park - 05/03/09 07:59 PM
Finishing a hike from Brandywine Falls, down the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trailto Boston Mills Road, one comes upon several stores to visit, but Art @ M.D. Garage is quite a treat for local artists and enthusiasts alike.  There are free art exhibitions courtesy of the Crooked River Gang which is a volunteer group of regional artists founded by Cuyahoga Valley resident, artist and curator, Don Getz.  The garage was closed in the 1980s.  The 1946 Pure Oil Station was purchased by the National Park Service and restored in the 1990s. 
Here is the 2009 Exhibit Schedule:
 Weekends 4/18 - 5/31 … (0 comments)

Pay a visit to Brandywine Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park - 05/03/09 07:47 PM
My friend Glen and I hiked the Brandywine Gorge Trail yesterday, starting at Brandywine Falls.  While hiking in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (our nation's 3rdmost visited park) is always memorable and unique (such as the picture below of a raccoon snoozing high in a tree), we descending the many stairs along the gorge of the Brandywine River to view the 60' waterfalls at Brandywine Falls.
The falls contain Berea sandstone on top, which is a material that is found throughout the Greater Cleveland area - from walkways, to commercial buildings downtown, to many other uses.  There are different layers of … (3 comments)

Pay a visit to Country Maid Ice Cream, Richfield Ohio - 05/03/09 06:42 PM
This place is an absolute gem and harkens back to a bygone area.  Unimpeded by development, driving through a bucolic setting and seeing the old fashioned sign is such an invitation to step inside.  As soon as your tires hit the gravel parking lot, you know you are in for a treat.  Having sampled (ah...um...I won't reveal the count) many of their ice cream flavors, their ice cream is simply incredible.  There are several unique flavors as well.  They also sell pints and half-gallons.  The staff is always friendly, quick and very helpful.  Inside seating is always nice in the summertime … (0 comments)