1st Half 2008 Home Sales For West Chester & Liberty Township, Ohio

 Sales were down for the 1st half of 2008 when compared to the 1st half of last year.  This should come as no surprise to anyone.  Everywhere you look and/or read the message is the same for the most part. (Some of the reports make things out to be worse than others). Unit sales (closings)  were down 12.28% in West Chester and Liberty Township. 

Does this mean that you won’t be able to sell your home if you need to?  It most certainly does not.  I am successfully selling homes each and every month of this year and some of them pretty quickly.  What all of this does mean is: (1.) you must prepare your home for the market (2.) you must price it properly and (3.) you need a strong marketing effort.

Average sale prices were down 5.94% for the 1st half of 2008 when compared to the same period in 2007. There is no way to paint this statistic in a good light.  This is a large decrease in the average sale price for West Chester and Liberty Township homes. Again, this emphasizes the need to price your home correctly in today’s market.  Thinking of selling?  Click here to learn the current market value of your West Chester and Liberty Township. Ohio home.

Interest rates continue to be very volitale.  In the last week I have seen rates move lower to 6.20% for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage from a recent high of 6.55%.  The rates are changing daily.  If you need a referral to a good lender with competitive rates and closing costs please let me know.  Mortgage rate locks can become crucial right now. Read this article in my August online newsletter.

Moving to West Chester, Liberty Township, Mason Or Cincinnati, Ohio?  Click here to receive our Relocation Packet, full of information and completely free, with no obligation!

Your questions and comments are always welcome!

The recently enacted housing bill that was passed by congress has created a lot of questions.  In particular regarding the 1st time homebuyer credit.

Here are some resources to get the answers you may need:

Here is a 1-page summary of the First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit

Also, this can be very important to read and understand:

29 Questions/Answers on the tax credit.

And finally here is a great article from the Washington Post which is very informative.  There is a lot to understand about this tax credit.  Be sure that you have all the facts!

Before You Take That New Housing Credit . . .

Are you a 1st time homebuyer with questions about getting pre-approved or just where to start?  Let me know how I can help.  Calls and emails are always welcome.

New Listing In West Chester, Ohio 45069

New Listing In West Chester, Ohio 45069

First Time Buyers’ Dos And Don’ts

If you are a first time home buyer, you have a lot to learn.

Working from a blank slate you must build an understanding of the housing market, determine what you can afford, land a loan and hone in on a home that’s a good fit for your lifestyle.

The transaction will likely become your largest asset ever so there’s little room for error.

It is a daunting task, but you can ease your concerns if you take the process step-by-step, watching your footing as you move along the path toward the American Dream.

Below is a list of "Dos and Don’ts" to help first timers turn that stress into the self-confidence you’ll need to move closer to your first home.

The list focuses on areas first-timers typically stumble over in their initial home buying attempt. Knowing what you could face will help you avoid some of those trip ups.

The Dos:

DO examine your credit standing. You need to know your credit standing…

Click here to read the rest of this article in my May Real Estate Update Newsletter

 Also, FHA financing has really started to become the financing choice for a very large part of the homebuying market.  While it’s not just for 1st time homebuyers, it is perfect for them.  Read more about FHA financing here

As always your comments and questions are welcome!

My Newest Listing…

8116 Lesourdsville West Chester Road

West Chester, Ohio 45069

Lakota Schools

$199,900  - Four Bedrooms - Two Full Baths, One Half Bath

This is a beautifully decorated, move in ready home in West Chester:

• Bright, Open Floor Plan
• Warm,Inviting Family Room w/ Fireplace
• Formal Living and Dining Rooms
• Island Kitchen Features Maple Cabinets, Breakfast Bay & Large Pantry 
• Luxury Master Suite w/ Adjoining Garden Bath & Walk-In Closet
• Terrific Covered Rear Porch Overlooks Large, Fenced Rear Yard 
• Walkout Basement
• Close To Schools, Shopping, Dining & Expressways!

To see more information on this home including many more photos click here

Moving to West Chester or Liberty Township, Ohio?  Request our Relocation Packet  It’s full of information about our area!

March 2008 Home Sales For West Chester & Liberty Township, Ohio

 Sales were once again down in March 2008 when compared to March of last year.  Unit sales (closings)  were down 6.31% in West Chester and Liberty Township.  The percentage decreases are smaller than they had been previously, for instance the 29.27% decrease that we saw in January  So the downside trend in unit sales may be slowing which is good news if it continues.

Average sale prices were down 10.09% over March of 2007 and there is no way to paint this statistic in a good light.  This is a huge decrease in the average sale price for West Chester and Liberty Township homes.  The median sale price was even worse, down 14.15% when compared to the month of March 2007.  Home prices are falling and these numbers reflect a continued and perhaps worsening trend.  The numbers from April will need to be closely examined to see if this is a one month drop or a continuing trend.  Thinking of selling?  Click here to learn the current market value of your home.

Interest rates continue to be very volitale.  In the last week I have seen a swing from 5.60% for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage to at weeks end 6.05%.  The rates are changing daily.  If you need a referral to a good lender with competitive rates and closing costs please let me know.

Moving to West Chester, Liberty Township, Mason Or Cincinnati, Ohio?  Click here to receive our Relocation Packet, full of information and completely free, with no obligation!

And finally, the Cincinnati Enquirer ran this story recently on the foreclosure problem in Ohio and some assistance that is available.  I am going to write a couple of posts on this issue of home foreclosure in the next week or so, so check back here for that.

Your questions and comments are always welcome!

First the interest rate drop.  Interest rates have dropped considerably in the last week and a half with the 30 year fixed rate mortgage falling from 6.20% to just 5.60%.  A more than welcome decrease.  Interest rates do continue to be very volitale.  This article on the CNBC website provides more details on the volitility.  FHA financing is the new trend in home mortages.  I will provide an update and more information on this in the next few days.

And what a little bit of paint can do for the appearance of a home listed for sale.  Especially in today’s real estate market, anything that can be done to make your home show better an dbe more appealing should be done. The freshness of a new coat of paint both visually and in the fresh smell when you walk in the door are hard to deny.  This is a great home in West Chester, Ohio, listed for $165,000 and is now freshly painted throughout most of the interior.  Click here to checkit out.

Living Room before:

Living Room after:

Lower Level Family Room before:

Lower Level Family Room after:

And finally… I saw this video on Seth Godin’s blog this week and had to pass it on:

Your comments and questions are always welcome!

There are so many new businesses and developments happening in our area at any one time that it is difficult to keep track of all of them. 

Here are links to a couple of them that caught my eye as being interesting and/or good additions to our area.  (It should be noted that there are many more than the couple noted here).

The first is a very interesting article in the Sunday Cincinnati Enquirer on the development of the Union Centre Blvd area.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080309/BIZ01/803090329

Of course the article is very timely due to the opening of the Ikea store this week.

Also opening a new store this week in Liberty Township, Ohio is Play It Again Sports, again in the Enquirer:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080309/BIZ01/803090335/1076/BIZ

Your comments and questions are always welcome!