Real Estate Information

on't Miss "Play Me, I'm Yours" Through Sepember 17th

Last Saturday morning, we went to Findlay Market for lunch and to shop for food and enjoy all the booths.  Lo and behold, there they were playing a piano at the west end of the building, surrounded by lookers and listeners. It's a happening that doesn't happen every day!

Why not take yourself or your children to one of these outdoor installations and play up a storm (rest assured that Piano Buddies cover them, if a real storm approaches). Pictures of you playing outdoors will bring back memories for many years to come!

The concept for "Play Me, I'm Yours" originated in the imagination of artist, Luke Jerram, while he was visiting a laundromat.  He was looking for a catalyst for conversation in our sometime invisible communities.  He certainly found one!

The event is an outgrowth of the celebration of 150 years of public radio in Cincinnati.  A joint event, the organization came from WGUC, WVXU and WMUB. The 35 pianos are located all around their listening areas in Cincinnati, Hamilton and Oxford.

You can get all the locations by going to their website, http://www.streetpianos.com/cincinnati2010/.  Special event schedules are also on the site and now people are adding pictures of their loved ones playing in the various locations.  Please add yours!

Four Cincinnati High Schools Lauded by Newsweek   

Newsweek Magazine recently published its annual list of "America's Best High Schools."  Selected to the list were approximately six percent of all the nation's high schools.  It included four Cincinnati Area schools. 

Walnut Hills High School is a selective, college preparatory school, part of the Cincinnati Public Schools. It has 2097 students in 9-12th grades, though grades 7 and 8 are also in the same buildings.

Indian Hill High School is the only high school in the Indian Hill School District.  Mariemont High School is also the only high school in the Mariemont School District.  Both are relatively small high schools, 685 students in grades 9-12 at Indian Hill and 499 in grades 9-12 at Mariemont.

Turpin High School is one of two high schools in the Forest Hills School District, serving students living in Anderson Township and Newtown.  They have 1150 students. 

Congratulations to all!

City Livability Award                                                        

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory recently accepted the  City Livability Award from the U.S. Council of Mayors.  It was based uponthe well known Mural Works program established by the City of Cincinnati and ArtWorks.

As part of an effort to beautify the city, 28 murals have been created since 2007 in 24 of the 52 different Cincinnati neighborhoods.  The goal is to bring at least one mural to every neighborhood through collaboration with residents, businesses, artists and teens.

ArtWorks employs both teenage and professional artists to work with the community in designing the murals. The diversity of the murals reflects the diversity of the communities they are in.  Some speak to the city's history, others to changes in a neighborhood, and some are simply creative expressions. 

My personal favorite is of Jim Tarbell, former vice-mayor of the City.  Many years ago, Jim helped me with a volunteer project at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library Branch in downtown.  He played the part of William Howard Taft, reminiscing about the way life was then in Cincinnati.  I can still see him striding down Vine Street from his Over the Rhine home...he looked just like this mural picture!

The "mistake" made when CAGIS set up the Hyde Park East area as Oakley is now being called "Border Wars" by the media.  A story ran this week on WLW-T and is now making the rounds of the residents who live in the area.  You can watch it and see the story they put on their website here: http://www.wlwt.com/news/24353865/detail.html

If you want to educate yourself about the issue and see the presentation that will be used at the Oakley Community Council meeting, it has been upladed to You Tube in two parts because it is over the 10 minute length limit.  The maps and information are very interesting.

Plan to attend the meeting at Oakley Community Center (in Hyde Park Plaza) on August 3rd at 6PM.  Sounds like at least Channel 19 will be there in case there are fireworks.

Shakespeare in the Park - Eden Park - July 31st, 7 pm

A Midsummer Nights Dream seems particularly appropriate Shakespeare play to present in a park setting on a sultry summer night! Go to Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park for this unique take on Shakespeare.

To make an afternoon out of this event, stop at Krohn Conservatory for a tour, or just to get their guided tour with hikes through the Park. Eden Park has such a wide range of interesting architecture and flora and fauna. Bring your dog (on leash) and a picnic, as well.

The Seasongood Pavilion Amphitheater, located between the Art Museum and the Playhouse in the Park has been totally renovated and serves as an excellent location for an event like this.

The Hyde Park East Committee is on the agenda for the Oakley Neighborhood Council meeting on Tuesday, August 3 at 6PM at the Oakley Community Center in Hyde Park Plaza...do we all realize how intertwined these neighborhoods are anyway...meeting at the Oakley Community Center in Hyde Park Plaza, oh, my!

So what's the beef?  In the Fall of 2009, the Multiple Listing Service of Cincinnati began classifying most streets in Hyde Park East as being located in Oakley.  Hyde Park Neighborhood Council had always considered the area as part of Hyde Park and for 40 years, the MLS had classified the area as Hyde Park.  Residents have 400 signatures on a petition to bring their area back under Hyde Park in MLS and with the Neighborhood Council.

How did this happen?  MLS started to enforce the areas using CAGIS(Cincinnati Area Geographic Information Service) maps.  CAGIS says that they did not change the boundaries, but followed the Cincinnati Community Council Boundary Map.  In the research done by the Hyde Park East Committee, the area is always shown as Hyde Park.  If you want to see the video they put together for the Oakley meeting, go to www.hydeparkeast.com. 

The committee under the leadership of Jeff Orschell, Ward Smith, Terry Eschmeyer and Mike Mathias, have carefully researched the history of the area.  They have been given time to make a presentation at the Oakley Community Council meeting.  Show your support by going to the meeting...a strong turn out will let them know how important this issue is to the residents of the area.

The Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors has released numbers for home sales for June, 2010.  There were 2,129 units closed in June, a 7.63% gain over June of 2009.  Reported sales are largely due to contracts written before April 30th that qualified for the federal tax credits of $8000 or $6500.

Cincinnati's June sales were up slightly compared to May sales (.57%)Nationwide, the number of sales for June were up 9,8% from a year ago but down in number by 5.1% in a seasonally adjusted basis.

Year-to date, closings show positive numbers:

• Sales units  +11.94%
• Gross dollar volume sales  +21.35%
• Average Sale price  +8.41%

Sale prices are up for 2010 to date because fewer foreclosure sales are in early 2010 compared to 2009.

Low interest rates have also influenced sales.  A 30-year fixed rate mortgage home loan is now approximately 4.66%, a 39-year low.  Last year the rate was 5.61% at the same time.  If you are comparing payments on a $100,000 home, that would be a payment that was $52 less.  This has spawned a huge increase in refinancings.

The pace of sales has slowed since April 30.  Nationally, the number of people filling out loan applications is 40% lower than at the beginning of 2009.  It will probably take until November to see the affect of the tax credit shake out and things to return to a more normal market.

Economist, Lawrence Yun, with the National Association of Realtors, says that "Only when jobs are created at a sufficient pace will home sales return in sustainable healthy levels."

Monarch Mayhem!                                                                                 

While you are in Anderson Township, go visit Woodland Mound Park. This Hamilton County Park is sponsoring a three month display in the Seasongood Nature Center greenhouse. In addition to the flying butterflies there, exhibits on butterfly gardening, migration and identification are on display.

Nature programs going on at the same time as Anderson Days include:

Butterfly Flutterby - Saturday, July 24, 2 pm

Butterfly Hike - Sunday, July 25, 2 pm

Butterfly Sundae Hike - August 15, 2 pm

I refinanced my house nearly 6 months ago...very excited at how much I was able to reduce my payments.  Now, I'm kicking myself because I did not get the lowest possible rate...the rate available today!

If you missed the refinance boom of November, 2009, you can now take advantage of the lowest rates in the past 40 years.  How do you decide if you should make this move?

Typically experts say that you need to look at what the percentage interest rate will adjust to, preferably at least one percent below your current interest rate.  Secondly, you need to consider how long you expect to stay in your current home.  Usually, if you stay at least 2 years, you will come out ahead in the process (because you need to look at the amount saved compared to the closing costs.

What should you expect in refinancing today?  Yes, loans are harder to get today.  Banks are investigating your finances to the finest detail. Rates will be dependent upon your credit score.  The type of rate you would have gotten in 2007 with a 640 credit score, now requires a 740 credit score.  As a result, plan on the process taking 5-8 weeks.

Appraisals are sometimes a surprise.  You need to look carefully at how much equity you have in your home.  If you did a 100% loan in 2007, you probably do not have enough equity built up to get a loan today.  For most of us, even though we know that the news is that prices have gone down, we tend to not think that our personal house's price has gone down.

Consider you debt.  No matter what, it is important to look at our total debt in making credit decisions.  Most lenders do not want you to have a home loan that is higher than 25% of your income.

Compare lender's closing costs as well as interest rate offered.  There are wide variations in closing costs from one lender to another.  Check it out before you actually decide on your lender.

Good luck...I hope you can save 100's of dollars!

 Cincinnati One World Triathlon, Duathon and Ohio River Swim - June 25, 7:30 am

What a way to see the city!  This event has both Olympic and Sprint divisions. 

Start with a downstream swim in the Ohio River (fortunately closed to barges) from Montgomery Inn to the Public Landing. Then grab your bike and tour downtown and go out Columbia Parkway to take in the riverfront views. The final portion, the run, will take place along the river, through Theodore M. Berry Friendship Park and over the Purple People Bridge. Athletes will finish at Yeatman's Cove in downtown.

Is swimming across the Ohio River on your "Bucket List?" You might also prefer the Ohio River Swim...swim across the river to Kentucky and back, finishing up at the Public Landing. The race starts at 7:30 am on Saturday the 24th. Many of the Sunday athletes will use this as a warm up.