beachwood oh homes for sale: IS ONE-STOP SHOPPING BEST FOR THE CONSUMER? - 01/14/10 11:38 AM

"I'm listing my house with XYZ Realty because they offer one-stop shopping which includes an in-house mortgage and title company."
There's nothing wrong with real estate companies that offers these services. Many consumers prefer the convenience of one-stop shopping. Many real estate brokerages can no longer survive on commissions alone and need to sell these extra services as the marketplace becomes more competitive. But is one-stop shopping better for the consumer?
Some companies tout in-house lenders and title companies as if this is a "obviously" a huge plus for the seller and the buyer. This claim is not necessarily a … (2 comments)

beachwood oh homes for sale: CITY OF BEACHWOOD OH PLASTIC BOTTLE ART PROJECT - 01/14/10 06:06 AM
CITY OF BEACHWOOD OH PLASTIC BOTTLE ART PROJECT NEWS.
The City of Beachwood OH. needs your help in putting together this eco-friendly art project and is asking residents and friends of the City to save-up and drop-off color, plastic water bottles. These bottles can be from soda, water, sports drinks, etc.

These bottles will be used for an art installation at the Beachwood Community Center on Fairmount Blvd. on Friday April 16, 2010 from 1:00 to 7:00 P.M.
Here's the link to Beachwood Ohio's Plastic Bottle Art Project news:
http://www.beachwoodohio.com/news093.html
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beachwood oh homes for sale: I DON'T CARE, I'M SELLING MY HOUSE "AS IS!" - 01/12/10 12:50 PM
"I DON'T CARE, I'M SELLING MY HOUSE "AS IS"
Unless your target buyer is Austin Powers you probably need to get rid of that psychedelic purple mylar wallpaper and that green shag carpeting you installed thirty years ago. Remember, it was new when you bought the house but it's 30 years later! Your decorating is not new to a young buyer.

 
"Know thyself!" This ancient Greek axiom also applies to how you perceive your own home ... a place where self-deception is apparently in abundant supply. Condition rules, especially in a tough market where buyers are and can afford to be selective. … (8 comments)

beachwood oh homes for sale: DO I GO WITH THE REALTOR'S PRICE OPINION OR THE APPRAISER'S? - 01/09/10 12:26 AM
"My house appraised at an amount higher than my real estate agent claims it's worth. Do I go with the Realtor's price opinion or the appraiser's?"
Perhaps we're conditioned to believe that there's no better answer than one that's scientific. But don't be blinded by science!  Real estate appraisal is not a science! It's actually a sort of blend of art and science and the results can be subjective.

An appraisal is a supportable opinion of the "approximate" value of real estate at a given point in time. This definition alone should leave you asking questions. Sure appraisals are based … (10 comments)

beachwood oh homes for sale: IT'S EXACTLY THE HOUSE WE WANT, BUT ... - 01/08/10 09:21 AM
Just like politics, all real estate is local. Unfortunately many buyers run with what they hear in the mainstream media and may miss out on getting the exact house that they want. Does the following sound familiar?
"The real estate agent says this house is priced well below market, and it's exactly what we've been looking for ... but we're going to wait because it's a buyer's market and a better deal is bound to come around. The agent's just being pushy."

We have seen more than a few buyers make this mistake and lose the house that they've been searching for, often searching for … (2 comments)

beachwood oh homes for sale: WALK AWAY FROM YOUR MORTGAGE? - 01/08/10 06:52 AM
Pretty much all of us have clients, who through little or no fault of their own, find themselves unable to pay their mortgages. This of course is a fact of life these days.
What surprised us, however, is learning that their is an increasing number of homeowners who are simply choosing not to pay because it makes economic sense to them! They're calling this phenomenom "startegic default."

For more on this recent phenomenon and the morality of 'walking-away' check-out this January 7, 2010 New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/magazine/10FOB-wwln-t.html
FIND A HOME: http://markostrovsky.com/
(2 comments)

 
Mark L. Ostrovsky, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services (Howard Hanna Real Estate Services)

Mark L. Ostrovsky

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services

Beachwood, OH

More about me…

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services

Address: 3550 Lander Center, Pepper Pike, OH, 44124

Office: (216) 577-1156

Mobile: (216) 577-1156



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