Don't Miss It -- Children's Free Care Fund Luncheon on November 4

Save the date and please plan to attend our Pepper Pike office's Howard Hanna Children's Free Care Fund luncheon on November 4 at Garfield Memorial Church behind our office. Now in it's 22nd year, the "Chow Chow" lunches (as some call them) raise money to assure children aren't denied medical care. Over the years, Howard Hanna has raised more than $6 million for this important cause. Come to our lunch for just $5 and enjoy a great buffet, raffles and holiday shopping with a variety of vendors. Call me and I'll send you a free ticket! 216.470.6799

Introducing 7940 Bainbrook Drive, Bainbridge

Getting Ready for Winter

Taking care of your home through the seasons is important. It keeps your house looking young and healthy, and will you more years of enjoyment. And it means it will be in better shape when the day comes that you call me to list and sell your house!



The following tips recently ran in a Plain Dealer article:

Chimney - Have it cleaned and inspected each year before using it.

Gutters - Keep cleaning them out during the fall so leaves don't create a blockage. Do a final removal and even hose them out before winter comes. Clogged drains are a major source of ice dams and can lead to big problems

Windows - You have until the end of December to take advantage of the $1,5000 tax credit for new energy-efficient windows

Furnace - Have it cleaned and tune annually

Pipes - Frozen pipes are a nightmare! Make sure water from inside your house to your outside hoses is shut off and drain the lines. You might even wrap and insulate any pipes that are near external walls.

Alarms - Always make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working. I want to keep you around long-term as my client and friend!

Don't Let Negative Press Get you Down!

Lately, it seems the media been running so many negative stories about the housing market. These articles were mostly based on housing sales numbers from July. As you know, the federal tax credits expired the end of June, causing an all time high for closings. So the huge bubble in June caused a natural run down in closings in July and August. The media also neglected to report that prices for the fourth straight month had gone up nationally.



So, lots of negative news from the media, but things look positive from my vantage point. Our Howard Hanna Pepper Pike office is on a roll! When you look at our 2010 activity compared to 2009 -- we are higher in everything--units, volume, higher average prices. For example, average closed price in 2009 was $307,366 but our average YTD is $310, 259. We listed 273 homes at this time last year; 340 this year. And we've closed 269 homes, versus 227 at this time last year. Call me if you need a dose of positive news to offset the depresssing media!

New Real Estate Sales Tax - Fact or Fiction?

Have you heard the rumors of the alleged real estate sales tax, supposedly part of the new health care bill? Word on the street is the new tax will make all real estate transaction subject to a 3.8% sales tax.

Rest assured, this rumor is NOT TRUE! The health care legislation does contain a variety of new taxes and one of them can be influenced under certain circumstances by a sale of real estate. But it's pretty complicated and unlikely to affect most real estate transactions.

Home Sales Up!

Have you noticed? Signs of recovery in the housing market and the economy keep popping up! April was an incredibly busy month for home sales...my lack of blogging is evidence of just how crazy things were for me!

The National Association of Realtors reported that pending home sales jumped 8.2% for the month and were 17% higher than they were at the same time last year.

Although the tax credits drove a lot of the activity, we're still bullish on the real estate marketplace. The spring market, relatively low interest rates, and stabilized prices will help the surge continue. Here's hoping...

What's Important to Me

Loving my new real estate career! I am fortunate to have so many wonderful clients who've put their trust in me. Whether it's buyers looking for their new home, or sellers who've asked me to market their biggest asset, I am so grateful!

As much as I love what I do, what's most important to me is my family. Launching a business combined with the CRAZY spring market has left me little time to spend with my husband and children.

A recent vacation to St. Martin was just what we needed. Left the cell phone at home, tried not to check email, and just chilled out. Bonus was sharing a villa with two families that we love dearly! Fun in the sun with my peeps....what could be better?!