Doug's Northern Kentucky Real Estate Blog

It's winter... cold.... dark early, My woodshop is open

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:27:49 -0600

For several years I've been wanting a lage book case for my office. I really needed a place to organize my miscellanous collections that now reside in multiple shelves, drawers and boxes. At the office, at home, in the basement and even the garage.

I set out to find a plan that was easy (of course, it has to be easy if I'm going to build it). I found some smaller cases with some basic plans, so I took one of those and altered it to fit my location. This plan has 60 ft of self space at 11 inches deep. The construction is designed so that it can be completed with ordinary tools, circular saw (although a table saw would be very beneficial) jig saw, drill, screw gun, sander, hammer and nails. But if you happen to have a nice shop you could probablu knock this out in a day. The plans include all the materials list and cut guide along with a drill guide for shelves and the back panel.

This plan can easliy be altered to the exact size for you space. Although it's already tall at 7'3" you can easily alter it to be a floor to ceiling built in book case. Or you can adjust the self length to fit a smaller location. Your plan could also include building a third or forth unit for more overall length or a wall to wall application. The enite case is easliy moved by seperating the individual units. Only the crown mold and center fluted stile are installed on site and make the unit look like a permnant install.

I'm starting construction on this plan this weekend, so I'll update this post with cost and hours once I've finished. Or, better yet, you could stop by my office sometime and check it out.

I'll be glad to send you a PDF of the plan detail if you leave me a message.

Or you can see the 3D model on Google Sketchup here.

My hometown, Independence Ky - the 99th fastest growing city in America

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:21:23 -0600

Forbes magazine has listed the Northern Kentucky city of Independence as the 99th fastest-growing suburb in America.

The city's population grew to 33.5 percent to 20,254 last year, from 15,169 in 2000, according to Forbes.

The Independence real estate market remains strong in comparison to other parts of the country. The currently absorption rate for single family residential housing is 7.7 months which would indicate a slight lean towards a buyers market.

While slightly still in a buyers market, real estate remains strong with a 7.7 absorption rate for single famly residential house

Independence, located about 15 miles south of Cincinnati in Kenton County, is one of the largest land mass cities in Kentucky, encompassing about 23 square miles, according to its Web site, www.cityofindependence.org.

Forbes compiled its list of the 100 fastest-growing suburbs using U.S. Census data. The contenders included cities, townships and villages that had more than 10,000 people in 2000.

Read the Forbes Article Here.

Wood Shed Plans Detailed with Google Sketchup

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:29:29 -0500

At the end of the wood burning season this past spring (2008), Mom asked me to come up with an idea to redo her wood pile, which wasn't much more than a fence with a tarp thrown over it to keep the wood dry. The tarp spent more time on the ground than it did covering the wood. I had an idea for an 8 ft by 16 ft, 3 sided structure with a permanent roof. I searched the Internet for some plans but never could come up with anything like I had in mind so I sketched up something while standing at the lumber yard and set out to build a new wood shed. My son and I spent 3 days removing the remaining fire wood from the area and preparing the site. The end result was pretty good so I decided to detail the plans using Google SketchUp. These plans have every component down to and including the drip edge for the roof. You can view and download this 3D model with Google Sketchup. I free program from Google.

Here's the actual photo of the shed we built.

The plans are free. Feel free to use them in any way you want. With Google SketchUp you can even modify the plans to fit you particular need. If you find the plans useful, leave me a comment and let me know that you got some use from them.

The Murals at Roebling's Suspension Bridge

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:11:44 -0500

A little known treasure to even Northern Kentuckians are the fabulous murals located on the flood wall between the suspension bridge and Madison Pike in Covington, Ky. The murals where painted in 2002 by the Robert Dafford Company and were made possible by generous sponsors and donations. So, the next time your at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center or the Marriott or Embassy Suites, walk down towards the riverfront and take the 1/4 mile walk toward the suspension bridge. It's a walk through the history and heritage of Northern Kentucky with depictions of people like Simon Kenton, Daniel Boone, Danial Beard and events such as the flood of 1937.

Kentucky Wool Festival ranked Top 10 by Ky Tourism Board

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:14:28 -0500

In a region rich in fairs and festivals, especially fall festivals, the Kentucky Wool Festivalstands out among the best of the best. Held each year over the first weekend in October, the Kentucky Wool Fest has much to offer for the entire family.

Located about 35 milessouth east of Cincinnati and also easily accessible from Lexington and all parts in the region.

The Kentucky Wool Fest owns it's own facilities adjacent to Kincaid Lake State Park.

This festival is filled with Craft's, primitive craft's, vendors, food, and of course SHEEP.

Market Absorption Rates - Independence, KY 41051

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:17:48 -0500

I was working on some market data today and thought it would be a good time for a market update on Active Rain and Localism. Although not quite a buyers market, Independence has maintained a decent balanced market throughout 2008.

Like most market this year, Independence has seen it's fair share of ups and downs but it has maintained a fairly well balanced absorption rate. For the absorption rates in your neighborhood give us a call.

CENTURY 21 Garner Properties

Independence Office 859-363-9900

Florence Office 859-525-6777

Got Shingles? None to be found from Ohio to Texas

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:35:44 -0500

UPDATE: DAY 10 - Only 6 Customers remain without power in Northern Kentucky. Number from Cincinnati were not available.

INDEPENDENCE, KY. (September 17, 2008) Day 4, since the inland hurricane and there are still 200,000 without power in the Duke Energy Cincinnati service area. We definitely consider ourselves among the lucky ones. We were only without electric for 40 hours, and lost a few shingles. We also had the luxury of an occasional generator boost from a couple good friends and neighbors so we wouldn't lose our refrigerator/freezer food stuff.

It's almost embarrassing when you come to the realization of how dependent we've become on electric and technology. Here's a blow-by-blow, so to speak, of my personal experience of 40 hours with no electric. I'm sure thousands of people have similar enlighten experiences, and many who won't consider any of the recent events enlightening or won't even care to recollect. I try to look at it as an adventure that's part of life. Another 20 years from now and our children will be saying "Remember when the electric was off for 4 days?". Wait...... I bet it's only nine months from now and delivery room nurses on overtime will be saying "Remember when the electric was off for 4 days?.

40 Hour Journal

12:30PM Sunday. As soon as we got home from church I had the bright idea to more tightly secure the tarp covering our chimney from the lightning strike 6 weeks ago. The impending high wind warning had me thinking the tarp would not hold.
12:35PM - NEWS FLASH, the wind blows much stronger on my roof than it does on the ground. After being repeatedly pelted upside my head by a flapping tarp, I realized that 35 ft off the ground on an extension ladder during a high wind warning was not the brightest idea I ever had. I lassoed the worst part, tossed the rope over the edge and headed to the ground. Let the tarp fend for itself.
1:22PM - Power outage - Darn the inconvenience, I won't get to watch the end of the football game. The Bengals were loosing anyways. No big deal, I guess I'm just a fair weather fan this year.
1:30PM Not really sure why, maybe is was just because there was nothing else to do with no power, but the whole family gathered in the garage. Cat's, dog and the 4 of us all in one place at the same time. It was quite cozy and sort of gave ya that Sunday afternoon homey feeling.
1:45PM There goes a porch chair flying by. OK, that's not totally uncommon, the wicker backed chairs always act like a sail in even a light wind. Time to carry in the wicker, take down the porch swing, lay the rockers over on their side, turn off the fountain. At least we all have a place to sit in the garage now.
2:00PM was around the time when we started to think that maybe it was a little more wind than we anticipated. It was about that same time when someone looked up the road to see this massive cloud of dust stretched a quarter mile or so back to a point were we couldn't really see the origin. OK, thats weird, but least it's not raining.
2:15PM A quick walk through the front yard to check on the tarp reveals the beginnings of the unwillingness of our shingles to stay put. We were waiting on a roofer to repair the lightning damage anyways. Thank goodness the tarp is still holding; shredding, but holding none the less.
2:30PM A closer look at the countryside was the first sign that not all the trees were fairing so well. Without looking to hard, we spotted many snapped branches in the upper parts of trees all around us. The poor sunflowers in the garden scummed to the pressure and laid down in a row just like they stood tall though out the summer. It's September, the birds had almost cleaned the seeds and it was near the end of their time anyways.
2:45PM It's raining.......... shingles. What's a few more shingles when we're waiting on a new roof anyways, just that much less the roofer has to take off, right?
3:00PM The first time we learned of the massive power outage was when our neighbor pulled in the driveway. He had just driven some 45 miles from Hamilton Ohio and announced that there were not even a half dozen working traffic signals between here and there. Anyone know the score of the game?
3:30PM the damage reports start coming in. Mom lost "the" oak tree in her side yard. No need to count the rings on this one. I helped plant it some 40ish years ago. We don't have to worry about scouting out any firewood this year. I think we'll have a good 2 year supply on hand after the 3 trees down in her yard are cut up.
4:00PM The time between gusts has lengthened from the 2:30PM sustained blast. A fresh walk around the yard says, so far so good. A few more shingles, a shed roof peeled back, some origin uknown debris strung about. Don't open the refrigerator or freezer door under any circumstances. Thinking.... I wonder when the power will be back on?
5:00PM Time to load up the chain saws and head out. Within a couple miles we could have cut for hours and not made a dent in the downed trees and limbs. In some ways, not as bad as what I expected, in other ways it must have been much worse. Anyways, off to Mom's house, her road is blocked by a fallen tree.
5:30PM Fired up the saw and before I could even look up a dozen people appeared from neighborhood houses. Before I could cut through the first 2 limbs, another chain saw was roaring on the opposite side of the tree. People were dragging off branches as fast as I could cut. Isn't it great how people just love to pitch in and help during an emergency.
6:45PM The winds have subsided, the majority of the outer limbs on the oak are now stacked in a mass and the saw just ran out of gas again. Time to head home and see if the power has been restored.
8:00PM Sun setting. Time to gather up the ridiculous supply of flash lights to see which ones really work and which ones have just been hanging around with dead batteries for the false sense of security.
9:00PM The distant hum of generators begin to fill the neighborhood. Time to start kicking myself in the butt for not buying one at a time when I didn't need it.
9:30PM No TV. No Wii, No Internet, No lights to work in the garage. Who wants to put the porch furniture back? Or, better yet, who wants to bucket some water up from the cistern so we can at least flush the commodes? The silent vote indicated it was more important to flush. Commence operation bucket brigade.
10:00PM A good 2 hour chain saw work out, the quiet hum of a distant generator, a dark room and comfortable recliner sure makes it easy to....... fall....... asleep.
10:30PM A tap tap tap at the garage door was all the dog need to go totally ballistic, leap from my lap like it was his personal spring board and go racing through the family room quickly bringing 4 sleeping people to their feet. Just in the nick of time, the neighbors thought we could use a couple hours a generator time to refreeze the freezers. Another 2 hours and we probably would have lost most everything in the refrigerators. In short order we had everything plugged in through extension cords and running. Wow, we'd better charge the cell phones while we have the chance. Surely the power will be back on soon. It's not like the lines are coated in ice or anything.
12:30AM Monday. My cell phone alarm goes off reminding me it's time to return the generator. I had forgotten how much light a full moon puts out when your in total darkness. It felt so good to be windless, but so Eire to look around and see no lights. Time to go the bed and boy will it feel good to get a hot shower in the morning. Think ....I'll just ..... hit the recliner here ....... until the power comes back on........YAWWWN.
1:30AM The dog can't stand the pressure of no background noise, we always have a couple fans running during the night. He must be hearing things he's never experienced before. You know how dogs have different barks? Well, our dogs "get your butt up and see what that noise is" bark is this really high ear piercing, smoke alarm sounding, repeated squeal. It's not the funnest thing you'll ever wake up to. Especially, when it's waking you up every 15 minutes or so.
3:00AM We finally figured out what the dog was sensing while we couldn't hear anything. Under the shadows of a full moon, in the depths of an area wide blackout emergency, the outdoor cats had invited some neighbors over for some late night World Wrestling Federation action. It's just hard to believe, until you hear it for yourself, how much loud noise can come from such a small creature with a tiny little meow. I run to the garage door and flip on the light switch (hah) to find.... nothing. I guess they heard me running through the house and decided to high tail it out of there before they seen one of their nine lives flash before their eyes. Pull the emergency cord, close the garage door, find my way back in the house without tripping over the half dozen extension cords thrown about in maze from the earlier generator boost. Then it's, calm the dog and back to the recliner.
4:15AM Chirp Chirp Chirp and the dog ballistic again. Who even needs a smoke alarm when you have a Moe? Evidently they were sending enough low voltage across the lines to make the real smoke alarms think they must warn someone of impending doom. Not just a few chirp chirps, they come in waves, about every 10 minutes. That's right, you guessed it. With every new chirp, starts the dog on a whole new cycle of his patent pending Banchy squeal that last not quite, but almost as long as the cycle between chirps. Come ON!!!! Just turn the darn power on already and stop teasing us with the false hope.
7:30AM the sun comes glaring through the window into my eyes and shortly my cell is ringing with the ever so welcome invitation to come and get the generator for a couple of hours.
8:30AM No power at the office, actually no power anywhere between here and the office, not one working traffic signal. Of course no power means no phones and no internet. May as well go back home.
9:30AM Return the generator. A hot shower sounds good about now. I drag out the turkey fryer, hook up the propane and drip the bucket in the cistern for some water. Heat the water on the driveway pour it in a tea pot and head for the ole sink bath routine. Not the most refreshing experience but hey, it's the thought the counts.
10:00AM The roofer drops by on his way to look at the neighbors house. Bad news, he's already been on the phone with his shingle supplier and there are no shingles to be had anywhere from Ohio to Texas. Which is REALLY bad news because I've already been waiting 6 weeks for a new roof anyways and now, finally, the roofer could start after Wednesday, when the brick layer is done. Oh well, what's another couple weeks?
Noon A generator magically appears in my driveway. Enough said.
12:30PM Brick layer shows up and acts shocked to learn we don't have power yet. No power means no water, no water means no mortar, no motor means no brick laying. He builds some scaffolding and announces that we'll see him tomorrow. Wait! This guy lives 10 miles farther out in the country than I do and HE HAS POWER!
4:00PM I get the offer of some help and a log splitter if I'm ready to cut up the tree in Mom's yard. I'm tired, a little hungry for a hot meal and I'm off to cut some wood. I'm never one to turn away volunteer help.
7:00PM Hot, sweaty, tired and perfectly satisfied that we just rip through and split and stacked 3 cords of fire wood in about 2 hours. Time to head home and get the flashlight situation organized before dark.
7:10PM Although I've spent very little time in the car with the radio on. Anyways, on the way home I hear this really annoying public service announcement by Duke Energy. It starts with something like. We have had a very serious wind storm (DUH) and please be patient while they repair thethe lines and restore power to 900,000 customers. And, BTW, it might be another 5 or 6 days before we can get your power back on. WHAT? 8 days without power? I wanted to pick up the phone and call them. We've had region wide blizzards with ice strorms in below zero temperatures and 18 hours was as lon as it took to restore power. This is September, it's was a high of 72 degrees today and sunny. How could it possibly take 8 days to restore power? Now I'm just mad, get out of my way.
9:00PM As the sun sets and the full moon rises we are huddled arounf the turkey fryer with our mouths wattering over some boiling maccaroni. Mac and cheese on paper plate with a side of tomatoes never tasted so good.
10:00PM Heat the water for another sink bath. Exhausted and achey from using a chain saw for 2 hours I was ready to crash. From lessons learned the night before, close the garage door to deter meandering stray kitties, flip off the breaker that supplies power to the smoke alarms. Settle in for a much needed sleep without distraction.
4:00AM Tuesday - Like walking from a dark cave, face into the sun...... BAM. lights blaring from every direction. FINALLY....... we have electric.
4:06AM Yeah, Yeah, I bet some line crew is busting a gut in laughter. Power off again. Like a carrot on a stick, it was just a tease. Good thing I didn't even have time to turn off the generator. Back to sleep.
6:30AM We wake to find power fully restored. 40 Hours later, just as though it never happened. Who won the Bengals game anyway?

Ground Level Condo, Crescent Springs, KY 41017 REDUCED to $104,700

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:19:43 -0500

REDUCED!! This 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in the Emerald Springs development
of Crescent Springs offers a walk out Living room to ground level patio.
It would work very well for owners with pets.
It Includes the Oven/Range, Microwave, Refrigerator, Washer, Dryer.
It has just been updated with NEW carpet, FRESH Paint,
Now Vacant - immediate possession.
Don't miss opportunity

1 1/2 Story on 1.5 Acres Independence Ky

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:41:11 -0500

2000+ sq. ft. in this 1 1/2 story situated on
1.49 acres with a pond. 1st floor master suite with
full bath. Full unfinished basement with walk out.
Fenced on sides and rear. This is a great "country" home
Located just 2 Miles from the Mt Zion road exit on I-75.

3407 Spring Valley Dr. Erlanger, Ky 41018

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:50:08 -0500

UPDATE! NOW PENDING, SOLD in 4 Days! Priced for immediate sale!
Take advantage of the $7500 first time buyer tax credit. Newer exterior doors,
newer windows, newer siding, newer roof, newer heat pump. Needs some carpet. 3 bdrms,
1.5 baths, fenced yard with a yard barn. Very nice deck & patio.

Are you still flying your flag?

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:56:36 -0500

On Thursday, September 11th, 2008, an American flag should be displayed

outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States.

Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this

seventh anniversary of one our country's worst tragedies. We do this honor

of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones

who continue to endure the pain, and those who  today are fighting at home

and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in

American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood

shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but

disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it

shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity.

Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail

over Terrorism of all kinds.

Interest free money for first time homebuyers after 4-9-2008

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:04:59 -0500

As part of the "Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008" that was recently signed into law, Congress has created a new, temporary federal income tax credit to provide an incentive for first-time buyers.

The highlights of this federal tax credit are as follows: ( see the details here )

The amount of the federal tax credit is 10% of the cost of the home, up to a maximum credit of $7,500. In essence, this is an interest free loan that enables hoem buyers to receive a tax credit on a dollar-for-dollar basis on their personal income tax return in the calendar year following the year of closing on their home. They begin paying the tax credit back the year after that and make equal installments during the next 15 years. If the homeowner sells the home at any point during the 15-year payback period, then the remaining amount is recaptured, unless they sell the home at a loss, at which point the balance is forgiven.
- e.g., If a home costs $65,000, the allowable credit would be $6,500. If a home costs $120,000, then the allowable credit would be $7,500.
Eligibility is for first-time homebuyers only. In this case, a first-time homebuyer is defined as an individual who has not owned a primary home at any time during the past three years, but who may have done so previously. Although certain income limits do apply, the amount of the credit is the same for all taxpayers, married or single.
Individuals whose Form 1040 filing status is single (or head of household) are eligible for the tax credit if their income is no more than $75,000. Individuals who file a joint return may have no more than $150,000 in income.
Individuals with incomes between $75,001 and $94,999 (single) or $150,001 and $169,999 (joint returns) are eligible for a partial tax credit.
Individuals with incomes greater than $95,000 (single) or $170,000 (joint return) are not eligible for this tax credit.
The federal income credit can be claimed on one's individual or joint tax return for the purchase of any single-family home between April 9, 2008 through July 1, 2009. Individuals should consult a professional tax advisor for exact tax calculations.
- e.g., If an individual's actual tax liability was $5,000, then after the tax credit is applied the purchaser would receive a total refund of $2,500. The refundable amount is the difference between the $7,500 tax credit and the amount of one's tax liability.
- e.g., If an individual's actual tax refund was $2,000, then after the tax credit is applied the purchaser would receive a total refund of $9,500.
This tax credit is required to be repaid without interest in equal installments of 6.67% of the total credit each year for 15 years beginning the year after the tax credit is claimed.
- e.g., If a homebuyer claims the $7,500 credit in 2009 on their federal income tax return for a closing that occurred in 2008, then the credit is received in 2009, so repayment begins in 2010 with an annual repayment amount of approximately $500 a year.

Check here for NAR's quick reference chart.

Scenes from the Kentucky State Fair

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:02:57 -0500

The Kentucky State Fair has been celebrating the history, heritage and culture of the Bluegrass State for more than 100 years. Renowned as one of the best state fairs in the country this annual event is held in Louisville at the massive Kentucky Exposition Center with indoor and outdoor exhibit space stretching across 400 plus acres, the fair offers a fun-filled combination of honored traditions, current day expositions and top of the line entertainment.

For several years now we have made the 90 mile trek from Northern Kentucky to Louisville during the fairs first full weekend so that my wife's 4H club can participate in the 4H talent show. The most amazing thing about the fair, or any county or state fair is that it's as important to the youth who've entered a handcrafted birdhouse as it is to the people who travel from across the county with horses in tow to participate in the world championship horse show. It's not just about being there for most of these people, it's about what it took to get there. Every fair has its glitzy thrill rides and headline entertainment, it wouldn't be a fair with it, but the real fair is in the people. So my "scenes from the fair" is the stories, whatever they may be, behind what it takes to create the content of these photos.

4H's "Cloverville" at the Kentucky State Fair. This 1 acre under roof enclosure is cleverly designed with mock buildings and store fronts where 4Hr's arts, crafts and products are judged and displayed for public viewing.

Burley Tobacco hung just as it would be dried in a tobacco barn. Tobacco was once Kentucky's number 1 cash crop. The government price support was withdrawn and Kentucky Tobacco tobacco farmers allotment was bought out using funds from the tobacco settlement. You still see a field or two of tobacco here and there but you have to search for it if you want to see it standing in a field.

Some of the best dairy farms in the state show their cows at the Kentucky State Fair.

This 2 acre barn is the 4 day home for show worthy cows and their owners during dairy week at the fair.

Countless hours over 2-3 years are spent to restore these antique gems to their former glory by FFA students from across the state.

The open class building at the Kentucky State Fair. Hobbies, Arts, Crafts, Wines, Photography, Quilts and just about anything else imaginable can be found displayed and judged in the open class building.

Grand Champion Quilt for the 2008 Kentucky State Fair

And last but not least, all time favorite at the Kentucky State Fair. The ugliest Lamp competition.

Learning something new every week - Blended HDR photos

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 23:22:35 -0500

Of all the great things of learned on active rain I would have to say that better pictures has to be the one I have utilized the most. Until 6 months ago I was under the misconception that my property photos were excellent. That's, until I started reading about Pole Aerial Photography and HDR Photography. Here's my latest PAP and Blended HDR photos of a listing at 10271 Limerick Circle in Independence, Kentucky. Priced at $309,921.

This shot was taken from the side walk on the opposite side of the street at about 30 ft height.

The interior images where taken with a Kodak V705 at the widest angle. Three images for each shot at -2, o & 1.3 exposes settings. I am using Paint Shop Pro X to process the HDR's and do the tone mapping. I'm then using Paint Shop Pro X to layer the HDR image over the under exposed image and bring exterior landscape through the windows by erasing the top layer in the window locations. The shot on the left is taken with normal auto setting mode with flash. the shot on the right is a blended HDR.

Again, the shot on the right is normal with flash. The shot on the left is blended HDR.

The following are some additional HDR shots with no blending.

Independence Day Parade from...... Independence KY

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:15:02 -0500

Everybody loves a parade and Independence does it up right. With a name like Independence you would have to think that "Independence Day" would have to spawn a celebration. For 2 days at the first of July this once sleepy little country town in the center of Kenton County puts on a festival celebration, parade and at all culminates in a 30 Minute fireworks display that seems like a perfect fit for creating all those 4th of July memories that your kids will remember forever.

My latest PAP (Pole Aerial Photos) for MLS

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:31:40 -0500

As I have just been introduced to pole aerial photography about two months ago I am still in the trial and error phase of producing better photos. Now, I find myself analyzing other MLS photos and saying to myself, "If they just would/could have........". The problem is, I'm doing it ALOT. I know now why many agents don't do virtual tour photos. From the looks of some of the still shots, they couldn't possibly take their own virtual tour shots and make them look presentable. Or, they don't want to pay for a photographer to do it for them. Now let me be the first to say, I have a long way to go before I will be able to boast the results of some of the great work I have seen here on Active Rain. But with each new property I learn a little more.

Take a look, share your ideas and thoughts.

Yesterday was a great day for photos here and I had a couple extra hours so I updated some MLS pics. As you can see on the original photo on the left it was difficult to show any of the rear yard depth. The large tree in the front yard dominated the shot. With the new PAP shot at 30 ft. I could easily get more roof line, show the depth in the rear yard and minimize the dominating tree.

This is an 8 room 3 bedroom 2.5 bath located at 724 Lakefield Dr. Independence, KY. The price was just reduced to $154,921.

This next one was especially challenging. In the original photo on the left, from the street level I could only get as high as the bottom of the front porch resulting in almost no porch roof line and certainly no way to get the rear yard in the picture. I know the picture on the left shows bare trees and no landscaping. Four months after listing the trees are now full and the grass is greener which always photographs so much better and we convinced the seller to do a little landscaping. But even taken those things into consideration I think the photo on the right shows what this property offers at a much better angle.

This house is an 8 room 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath with full unfinished basement and a fenced yard. The price was just reduced to $169,921. It's located at 6394 Waterview Way, Independence, KY

Not quite as challenging as the other photos but not without issue. The configuration of this brick ranch is such that in order to show the front door, you have to show a lot of concrete in the photo. In the original photo on the left we choose not minimize the amount of concrete in the photo and not show as much front door. As a result I think it was harder to get a good idea about the actual size of this house. In the PAP photo at 25 ft. I had to wrestle some trees but we could minimize the concrete and still get a better front view. I don;t think this shot is as dramatic a difference as the others but the PAP allowed us to get a better angle and show a little more depth.

This is a wonderful full brick one story with partially finished basement. It has 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. Located in the Manor Hill Subdivision at 3145 Willowhurst Tr in Independence, KY

So you want to buy a foreclosed property? Tips and Advice

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:23:26 -0500

You've heard that your cousin's husband's brother's son just bought a $200,000 two story for $120,000 and you want to get in on the action, right? ME TOO. I get calls all the time from buyers who say "I'll buy anything that's priced at 75% of market value and I usually respond with; "Get in line behind me".

Unfortunately, the bank owned property resale business in Northern Kentucky is booming. But there are some great bargains available for some people. Here's a list of dos and don't for buying a bank owned property.

1. Cash speaks very loud but not as loud as you might think or have been lead to believe. The net amount the seller will receive is usually the most important factor. I've seen asset managers accept offers that included financing and inspections that net them just a few hundred dollars more than cash offers with no contingencies. Don't make much sense to me, but then, I'm not the seller.

2. Get pre-approved. NOT just prequalified, The bank will not consider your offer unless the offer is submitted with a pre-qual letter. Just recently we've had the banks requiring proof of funds for down payments as well as pre-qual letters. With cash offers, be prepared to supply proof of funds when you submit the offer.

3. Know your loan that your pre-approved for. Ask your loan officer if a fixer-upper would qualify for the type of loan that you can qualify for. Many bank owned properties need some work, some need a lot of work. It's usually the later that may seem like a great bargain but many loans will not approve homes that are fixer-uppers. FHA requires the utilities to be on when the appraiser visits the property. Some banks owneds won't turn the utilities on, or allow you to turn them on.

4. Inspect, Inspect, Inspect. Not just the mechanical items but also the surroundings. We've had at least 6 properties within the last year that the seller simply walked away from because there was a (insert problem here) issue that could not be easily resolved, if at all. Easement. Encroachment. Sewer line. Etc. "issues" can be broad, don't assume anything.

5. All agents are not created equal. I know... your sister has a real estate license and if you don't use her you might be shunned by the family. If your going to get involved with purchasing a previously foreclosed property then you better be using an agent with lots of experience with bank owned properties. (same holds true for short-sales. Not all agents who handle bank owned properties know about short sales and visa-versa.) Don't use the listing agent, it will not get you a better deal. You definitely want to be represented by your own buyer's agent who has bank owned experience.

6. Be prepared to sign the bank's purchase addendum. Yes, the banks will make sure they are protected. Most of the bank's addendum's I've seen lately are anywhere from 8 to 25 pages. They all say "as is" in multiple locations but they also have lots of other clauses that you won't normally see in a traditional real estate transaction. If contracts are scary to you, have an attorney who will work with you, review the contracts, and get back to you very quickly. But, don't expect to make too many, if any, changes to the banks addendum's. Either accept that "no resale within 6 months for more than a 20% profit" clause, or don't buy the house.

7. Calenders and clocks run of different schedules for banks. Don't think that because you gave them a 36 hour deadline to respond that you are entitled to a response. But, on the other hand, they will expect your prompt response. They can not and will not be intimidated by deadlines and threats of losing a deal if they don't respond. I have witnessed buyers who have walked over a five hundred dollar counter offer and banks who say, "whatever, we'll just sell it to someone else" and then actually sell it to someone else for $8,000 less, next week.

8. Don't think that you will get or are entitled to a counter offer or signed rejection. In a perfect transaction counters and signed rejections make everyone's life easier. Regardless of what you've heard of the seller is not required to respond at all.

9. Regardless of the excuse the bank will expect you to close on the date on the original contract. Appraiser could not get in? There was a tornado? Underwriters are back logged by 2 weeks? Doesn't matter. If you can't / don't close on the scheduled date, expect to pay a hefty penalty (sometimes a couple hundred dollars) per day until it is closed.

10. Even if your able to find an agent who's willing, don't go out and write low ball offers on every bank owned property hoping that someone will bite. Asset managers despise time wasters. I've had decent offers that were not even considered by the bank because the asset manager recognized the buyers name from previous multiple low ball offers on other properties. If you want the best deal, then determine what your best offer would be and make that offer first.

11. Despite what you might read in the media about houses being on the market for months and months just doesn't hold true for bank owned properties. They price this properties with the intent of having them sold within 30 days. When they price them right there are many times multiple offers at the same time. I've seen properties recently that sold for 30% over asking price, and buyers upset that they weren't the winner bidder with a 120% of asking price offer. MAKE YOUR BEST OFFER FIRST, Determine what the property is worth to YOU and don't start second guessing what you might have been able to buy it for.

July means Fair Time in Northern Kentucky!

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:37:42 -0500

In the tradition of county fairs from across the country and the great state of Kentucky we have one of the finest right here in Northern Kentucky. I've been honored to be a fair board member some 8 years now and believe there's nothing like a good county fair for some hometown fun.

Great Fun - Great Food - Midway Rides - Demo Derby's - Truck Pulls - Tractor Pulls - Horse Shows - Art Displays- Photography Displays - Quilts - Vegetables - Pageants

There really is something for everyone. At $7 per ticket, rides included, (FREE PARKING) (CHILDREN UNDER 3 FREE) there's no better value for a family night out.

4H in Kenton County has an excellent Co-operative extension office of the University of Kentucky. Each July the Kenton county 4H'rs art, vegetables, crops, sewing/fashion among other items are displayed and judged in the 4H building at the fairgrounds. The 4H an open class youth horse shows and drill teams are not to be missed.

The Open class building features local art, photography, all kinds of hand made stitched articles from clothing to quilts and cross stitching. The Kenton county farmers and gardeners show some of the finest fruits and vegetables as well as produced items such as honey and jams & Jellies.

The livestock pavilion offers an almost constant array of stock shows from Monday until Wednesday when the choice livestock is sold at auction in what has become known as one of the best county fair 4H/FFA county fair auctions in the state of Kentucky, often resulting in over $100,000 worth of livestock being sold.

Midway Rides! Murry Bros. Shows supplies some of the best county fair rides you'll find anywhere. Rides for youths, teens and adults will make your trip to the county fair complete as your spun senseless or have your hair peeled back on a spine tingling thrill ride.

Motor Sports! You like to hear the increasing whine and billowing smoke of a 1000HP diesel engine as it torques down on a couple thousand pound dead weight?

Monday and Tuesday nights the lights on the motor sports track illuminate a county fair anchor everywhere. Who doesn't like a good fender bender? You can't take your eyes off the action as you watch your neighbors slam their cars into each other. Maybe it's because we all have a little demo derby attitude at some time throughout the year but there is something compelling to watch seemingly innocent everyday cars turn into a virtual junk yard right before your eyes.

Wednesday. The 2 and 4 wheel drive pick-up trucks dual in a show of strength for tug of war.

Thursday is ATV night. Weekend pleasure riders as well as circuit riders trailer in their ATV's for drag races on the motor sports track. Many classes allow this event to be participated in by young, old, amaturer and pro's.

Friday Night brings in the horse power with Pro-Stock 4X4 Trucks, Super Farm Tractors, Diesel Super Stock Trucks, 8,200 Street Diesel Trucks, Semi Over-The-Road Tractors

On early Saturday the fair grounds are amassed by proud Mom's and Dad's and smiling Grandmaw's and Grandpa's for the annual baby shows. The Kenton County Fair baby shows are great fun and have been a main stay through the years at the fair. The midway rides open at noon on Saturday with very few or no waiting to ride until your hearts content. Then on Saturday afternoon the big rigs strat rolling on once again for the Saturday Night Truck and Tractor Pulls. The line up for Saturday night is 5,800 Super Stock 2WD Trucks, 6,000 Light Limited Super Stock Tractor, 6,200 Stock II 4X4 Trucks, 8,500 Pro-Farm, 8,000 Pro Stock Diesel Trucks.

The Kenton County Fair is Located at RT 16 (Taylor Mill Rd) and Rt 536 (Harris Pike) in the center of Kenton County. you can call the fair grouns at 859-356-3738 or visit the website at http://kentoncountyfair.com

Want to get 25% better gas mileage? Got HHO? Updated

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:26:17 -0500

It all started with a a late night email from a friend. "Check this out"

http://Hydrogengarage.com

I spent the next 2 hours with my eyes glued to the screen learning about HHO.

If your like me, your probably spending between $100-$200 a week in gas so I was very interested.

I had heard the stories hydrogen boosters but really thought it was all a gimmick. Until Now.

For $80 in parts from a local hardware storeand a week later. We have hydrogen (actually hydroxy or, HHO) About 2 liters per minute. In an unscientific experiment, we blew a pop bottle 40 ft with HHO straight from water. But, unscientifically, it really peaks your interest. How could this be possible? Why haven't we heard more about a simple solution to reduce fuel usage by 25%? Do the math.. do you realize how much money this could save?

There is a Canadian firm mass producing these boosters and companies are installing them on fleet vehicles all over the world. (Except in the US)

For an additional $30 worth of parts, it should be installed in a Ford Ranger this week, I'll let you know what the outcome is and how much better mileage he gets. And yes, I'm collecting the parts for my own hydrogen booster. I should have it installed on my Expedition by the 4th of July.

UPDATE: He has it totally installed and running great.

No gas mileage improvement in the first few days but he hasn't replaced/ adjusted any oxygen sensors yet.

After reading up on this a little but it raises all sorts of questions. Like, Why hasn't Detroit done this yet? Or, Why aren't we hearing more about this.

If you want to see more go to google.com and type in HHO , there's a wealth of information about people who are doing this very successfully.

I'll update you with further progress.

Newest HDR Photos attempt

Thu, 29 May 2008 16:43:36 -0500

Here's my newest adventure into HDR photography. This is the second home I've used some HDR on. This a great affordable 2 bedroom 2 bath condo at 2121 Carrick Ct. in Crescent Springs, KY Nestled in the rolling hills, on the south side of the Ohio river just about 10 minutes from Downtown Cincinnati or the Northern Kentucky / Cincinnati International Airport (CVG). Priced at $114,900

Here's a straight image with no HDR processing.

Here's the HDR shot

This is the normal interior shot.

This is an blended HDR

Great overlook shelter along a walking trail, not HDR merged

Same shot using HDR.

I have learned a few things since my last HRD attempt but I still have a very long way to go to be satified with the results.

Pole Aerial Photography - My Rig

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:57:53 -0500

Not the ideal setup, but it seems to work OK. This is pretty much a 2 person rig. One to handle the pole and one to view the laptop screen and use the wireless remote. The Rebel XT does not have live view. A camera with live view would not require use of a laptop, only a small monitor. ( see Lee Jinks' rig here ) One person could easily handle the whole rig with a live view camera.

Pole Aerial Photo Comparison

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:21:40 -0500

I had such a satisfying experience with my first attempt at pole aerial photography I selected another subject in my listing inventory.

No one was happy with this street level photo that we have been using for marketing. It was the best angle I could get without getting the camera higher off the ground.

Pole Photo. Pole extended to about 30 Ft.

Not to cheapen the effect in this subject property but now I can't wait to find a more dramatic subject, one where PAP makes a huge difference.

My First Pole Aerial Real Estate Photo

Mon, 12 May 2008 23:27:36 -0500

Ever since Lee Jinks introduced me to Pole Aerial Photography in his blog, I set out on a mission to undertake this ingenious method of making fantastic looking photos at a reasonable cost. It took awhile but I have compiled all the necessary accessories required to get 50 feet off the ground to get a better angle on the subject property. You can read all about Pole Aerial Photography and see many other examples far better than my first attempt in the Active Rain, Pole Aerial Photography Group.

1. Hasting Hot Sick - 60 ft. I found one were the bottom section had been crushed and had splintered beyond practical use, at least as far as OSHA was concerned the local power company could no longer use it. I simply bought some duct tape and wrapped the entire splintered section. Works as good as new.

2. I modified a 1/2" section of galvanized conduit to accept the head of a tripod and attached the conduit to the top of the hasting hot stick with the built in mount. A Carabiner attached to the conduit allows me to attach the cords at the top of the pole and prevents them from pulling out of the camera.

3. Wireless remote shutter release for my Cannon Digital Rebel X. $25.

4. USB extender. ($9) This allowed me to use the Cannon's USB port with a 75 ft Cat 5 cable ($15) and connect directly to my laptop. The Cannon EOS utility software allows for immediate review of the image just captured. (A camera with "Live View" works much better in this application but my camera upgrade budget didn't allow for that at this time.)

My first attempt: Camera Model Name: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT, Tv: 1/50Sec., Av: F5.0, Metering Modes: Partial metering, Exposure Compensation: 0, ISO Speed 100, Focal Length: 27.0 mm (a wide angle lens would be better), Format: RAW, Taken at near dusk - the house faces West.

The pole was extended to about 35 ft. ( I might get more gutsy and hit 50 ft. with some practice)

Don't be shy, give me your constructive criticism.

Thinking about a career in real estate? Think Quality Service

Sun, 11 May 2008 20:44:39 -0500

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Selected as Best Italian in Greater Cincinnati

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:29:01 -0500

We had an opportunity this past week end to meet some friends in our annual group birthday celebrations so we jumped on the chance to meet up at Greater Cincinnati's best Italian restaurant. Pampilio"s in Newport, Ky at 6th St. and Washington St.

The restaurant is celebrating its 75th year in business. In my opinion, Pompilio's success comes is from it's made in-house policy on almost all of it's menu items. Their Ravioli, lasagna, soups and sauces are all produced by hand, on site.

You may have already been in Pampilio's and not even realized it. Pompilios was selected as a site for the filming of the Oscar winning motion picture "Rainman," starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. It was the site of the famous phone book scene where Dustin's autistic character starts reciting the phone book from memory after Tom's character told him the read it for entertainment the night before. And, my favorite scene from that movie is the toothpick scene in which the waitress drops a newly opened box of toothpicks on the floor and Dustin's character immediately, without hesitation, spouts off 494 as the number of tooth picks that hit the ground, Tom's character reply's with "but the box says 500" and the waitress smirks that "there's still 6 in the box".

If like a little history with your meatballs, I found this out while we were waiting for our party to arrive. The bar with its tile floor, beveled-glass windows and hand-carved "Back Bar" is one of the few classic bars left in the area. The Back Bar was hand-crafted and built of cherry wood by the Wiedemann Brewing Company in the late 1800's. The bar is pretty much as it was originally except for a ornaite metal ceiling that was removed, and a mahogany bar that was installed after Prohibition.

Unfortunately for us we wound up with a party of ten and we were looking at a two hour wait on a Saturday night so we wound up at Buca's Italian in the Rockwood Commons plaza in Norwood. Just a 10 minute cruise up I-71. Another excellent Italian restaurant. We had a great time and I don't feel a day over 45.