Ohio

IT'S SUMMER IN WESTLAKE

07-03-09

Pat & Steve Pribisko

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Office: (440) 463-1726

Mobile: (440) 725-0910
Secondary: (440) 808-1681

We are all fortunate to live in such a beautiful City!

Yes, we must dodge the orange barrels. However, that means our City is constantly updated & maintained. This is important for market values of our real estate.

This is a great time to buy or sell residential real estate. The City is in full bloom & the weather is great. But, more importantly, interest rates continue at historical lows & market values for homes seem to be stabilizing.

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Three Factors Influence Choice of Real Estate Agents

07-03-09

Guy Adams

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Office: (513) 587-5466

Mobile: (513) 708-5630

Newswise - A Baylor University business study of recent home buyers and sellers found that most consumers rely on three basic factors when deciding on an individual real estate agent for buying or selling a home.

Through their focus group study, researchers with the Keller Center at Baylor's Hankamer School of Business found that consumers are likely to begin evaluating real estate agents by paying close attention first to social influences, followed by market sources and ultimately, the reputation of the agent.

The study found that critical "word-of-mouth" referrals often come from friends who are real estate agents and from friends who had a good experience with a specific agent, indicating that individuals seek out others who have some level of experience in buying or selling real estate and with whom they already have a relationship.

Baylor researchers also found that the "word-of-mouth" extends to the ease of use of the realtor's website, which gives buyers or sellers a clue about the agency's "potential quality." Satisfaction with a realtor's website can lead customers to be more loyal and spread positive messages to others.

A realtor's availability and aggregation in the market also play a role in determining agent choice. Focusing on targeted neighborhoods could lead individuals shopping those neighborhoods to associate "sold" and "available" houses with that realtor, the Baylor research found.

"Consumers may be aware of the realtor's name and have visited the website, but unless they see that the agency is active in the neighborhoods they find desirable, the agency won't be getting a call," said Dr. Kirk Wakefield, professor of marketing and interim director of the Keller Center at Baylor.

Baylor researchers also discovered that what a consumer expects from an agent defines the kind of reputation desired. They categorized responses of home buyers and sellers along five dimensions:

· Comfort

· Honesty

· Establishment

· Experience

• Knowledge

Comfort. Recent research suggests that the strongest effect on consumer perceptions of satisfaction and loyalty with an agent is the comfort level the consumer experiences in working with the agent. An agent's reputation as being someone easy to work with is based on "word-of-mouth" received from others. In addition, an agent with a good sense of humor is more likely to have a positive reputation as someone customers want to work with.

"One test of whether or not you have a good sense of humor is whether customers laugh after you arrive or after you leave," Wakefield said.

Honesty. Customers expect the agent to be honest about the market and to have knowledge about when the house will best sell. According to the focus group, agents with a reputation for being honest are known to ask questions, listen intently and ultimately respect the client's wishes - particularly regarding price ranges. In contrast, those who felt manipulated by an agent offered negative "word-of-mouth" to others, thereby damaging the agent's reputation.

Establishment. Customers use length of time in the business as a surrogate indicator of quality. On an individual agent basis, being established means that the agent has been able to satisfy the needs of others long enough to remain in business, which could put newcomers at a disadvantage. "National brand" was not very important for home buyers selecting an agent, and researchers found it was somewhat more important for sellers.

"None [of the focus group] rated it as very important," Wakefield said. "Rather, as long as the brand is recognizable, they were more likely to rely on ‘whose signs you see the most' in the area."

Experience. Closely related to establishment, the focus group noted that the reputation of an agent is tied to the breadth and depth of experience of the agent. "Just like most employers seek employees who have some level of experience, buyers and sellers look for someone who is not going to be training on them," Wakefield said.

Knowledge. The focus group discussed the need to find agents with a reputation for knowing the particulars of the local market for buyers (knowledge about schools and other geo-demographic statistics) and sellers (how to market a property).

For more information on this report and other Keller Center research, contact Laura Indergard at (254) 710-4243 or Laura_Indergard@baylor.edu or go to http://www.baylor.edu/kellercenter.

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Understanding the $8000 Home tax credit

07-02-09

Stan Stepak Avon Lake Ohio Real Estate (Avon Lake, Bay Village, Westlake, OH)

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Office: (440) 933-6195

Mobile: (440) 476-0234
Secondary: (440) 933-5842

Bringing the Dream of Homeownership Within Reach

As part of its plan to stimulate the U.S. housing market and address the economic challenges facing our nation, Congress has passed legislation that grants a tax credit of up to $8,000 to first-time home buyers.

Here is more information about how the 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit can help prospective home buyers become part of the American dream.

Breaking news: Tax Credit Can Be Used on Closing Costs.

Who Qualifies?

First-time home buyers who purchase homes between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009.

To qualify as a "first-time home buyer" the purchaser or his/her spouse may not have owned a residence during the three years prior to the purchase.

Which Properties Are Eligible?

The 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit may be applied to primary residences, including: single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and co-ops.

How Much Will the Credit Be?

The maximum allowable credit for home buyers is $8,000. Each home buyer's tax credit is determined by two factors:

The price of the home-the credit is equal to 10% of the purchase price of the home, up to $8,000.

The buyer's income-single buyers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000-may receive the maximum tax credit.

If the Buyer(s)' Income Exceeds These Limits, Can He/She Still Get a Credit?

Yes, some buyers may still be eligible for the credit.

The credit decreases for buyers who earn between $75,000 and $95,000 for single buyers and between $150,000 and $170,000 for home buyers filing jointly. The amount of the tax credit decreases as his/her income approaches the maximum limit. Home buyers earning more than the maximum qualifying income-over $95,000 for singles and over $170,000 for couples are not eligible for the credit.

Will the Tax Credit Need to Be Repaid?

No. The buyer does not need to repay the tax credit, if he/she occupies the home for three years or more. However, if the property is sold during the three-year period, the credit will be recouped on the sale.

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Flags, Fireworks, and Faith

07-02-09

Dee Nofziger, Toledo OH Real Estate

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Office: (419) 794-5960 x1379

Mobile: (419) 260-1435
Secondary: (419) 794-5960

Here's a Tribute to the Land that I Love; full of flags and fireworks with a touch of faith. I hope you and the ones you love enjoy a relaxing holiday weekend and that you take a moment to remember...

Dee Nofziger is a full time, residential real estate agent in the North Coast of Ohio, more commonly known as Toledo and Northwest Ohio. She serves the real estate needs of home owners and home buyers in Lucas, Wood, Fulton, and Ottawa Counties, among others. With nearly 3000 days of experience (she really does work 7 days a week) in Ohio real estate, Dee Nofziger is proudly licensed with Danberry Company Realtors, Northwest Ohio’s largest independent real estate company. With professional relationships all over the country, Dee Nofziger is able to refer you to real estate professionals in your area who will make your home buying or selling experience the best you can imagine!

Use of any content from It’s Raining Real Estate Blog without expressed permission of the owner is a violation of federal copyright laws.

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Brecksville Ohio Home Days a Huge Success!

07-02-09

Barb Szabo E-pro Realtor Cleveland Ohio Homes

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Office: (440) 546-1313 x38

Mobile: (440) 263-7496

My teen aged daughter will go to a fair or home days every day it's there. I enjoy a couple of hours and my husband and I did get the chance to go last weekend.

brecksville home days

The weather was fantastic, there were rides, games, fabulous entertainment, and all the best "fair food"...corn dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, ice cream, cotton candy, gyros (a favorite of mine) and elephant ears (Lou's favorite. brecksville home days

We saw tons of people we knew and had lots of fun catching up, although most of them asked "So how's real estate?" Luckily I was able to reply that business was great!

If you would like to buy or sell a home in Brecksville Ohio or in the surrounding communities, please call me at 440-263-7496, or you may want to visit my website for more specific information on the communities I service: Brecksville Ohio Real Estate, Broadview Heights Ohio Real Estate, North Royalton Ohio Real Estate Independence Ohio Real Estate, Seven Hills Ohio Real Estate, Parma Ohio Real Estate, Parma Heights Ohio Real Estate and Middleburg Heights Ohio Real Estate. Information is obtained from Neohrex and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

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