Cleveland, OH

Have you seen this sign rider?

PRICE REDUCED

Okay, I get it—the agent has decided to either admit that they priced the house too high, the market is volatile and unresponsive and there is a lack of demand (bona fide reason) or the seller is taking the word "sale" literally.

I must admit, the only place I am used to seeing this kind of sign is in the flyers that are inserted in the newspapers for different types of merchandise. I just think this is a little tacky when you are representing, perhaps, the most important asset an owner has. It is one thing to have to decrease the price of a home, it is another to advertise it as though it is something hanging on a rack.

Content copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.

Olsen Ziegler Realty -- A $marter Way to buy and sell your Greater Cleveland, Ohio Home

First time home buyers in Greater Cleveland: Heads Up! The deadline to close on a home is December 1st. If you are contemplating purchasing a short sale home, this adds signficant risk to the process, and there are many homes out there that are being short-saled, so buyer beware.

Ensure you are pre-approved for a loan, you understand your monthly payment, projected utilities, set reserve funds aside for a rainy day, partner with a good real estate agent who knows the ins and outs of a market, etc.

http://8ktaxcredit.com/

Content copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.

Olsen Ziegler Realty -- A $marter Way to buy and sell your Greater Cleveland, Ohio Home

I think comedians could have a field day with real estate agents if they poked into our industry with their creativity.

Just two days ago, my buyer wanted to see several homes. I looked at the showing instructions in the MLS for one home:

CALL LISTING AGENT AT ###-###-####.

So...I call ###-###-####

and

received the following reply:

THE NUMBER YOU HAVE REACHED ###-###-#### HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED OR IS TEMPORARILY OUT OF SERVICE.

What do you think the seller of this home would think if they knew?

So...I call the listing office, and they could have cared less and like a true automaton, quickly patched me through to the listing agent's cell phone. Mind you, the listing office didn't want to say: OMG, we need to get this fixed.

So...the listing agent calls me back and says: no big deal, the office was suppose to fix this last week. Why didn't this listing agent follow-up to see if this had been done.

Attn Sellers: You should verify ALL the information in the MLS, including the showing instructions. Trust, but verify.

Unbelievable.

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Olsen Ziegler Realty -- A $marter Way to buy and sell your Greater Cleveland, Ohio Home

I found my self on Euclid Avenue the other day, quite by accident because I have been avoiding the area for awhile due to the extensive construction project called the Euclid Corridor Project.

Wow, was I glad I made a wrong turn and ended up driving down Euclid as I was able to see that the extensive project was now a reality. The incredible link from downtown out to University Circle really was real and incredible all at the same time. Block by block, I just kept driving instead of looking for a street to turn on to in order to continue on my way home.

There are trees lining the avenue, there are bike lanes, there are patterned brick sidewalks, there are bus lanes and, in them, green buses-hybrid-electric buses. The bus stations are absolutely stunning and they are located in the medians of the corridor-chrome and glass with a sparkle of the future mixed in sitting atop a cement platform with inlaid brickwork. It just gave me shivers knowing that this city is accomplishing such an important transportation route and in such tough times. It is a true feat to connect two of the city's most important areas, University Circle and downtown and connect people to the vital areas-- medical, business, cultural, entertainment and educational centers. WOW!

The other really cool things along the corridor are the tree grates and the trash cans! Look at these works of art-designed by Mark Howard, a Cleveland artist who works for Cleveland Public Art, a non-profit organization that works to generates civic projects that reflect Cleveland's cultural and artistic landscape.

Hats off to Cleveland for undertaking this huge and vital transportation project! What an incredible 6.7 miles in the middle of the city.

Content and photo copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.

Olsen Ziegler Realty -- A $marter Way to buy and sell your Greater Cleveland, Ohio Home

What a super cool organization to learn about right in your backyard! This is a non-profit organization that works to beautify and improve public spaces throughout the Cleveland area. Let's hear it for Cleveland's dedication to the arts again!! This unique organization provides all kinds of services to the community including neighborhood revitalization and planning, community outreach and education, civic projects, and consulting and partnerships.

How vital is an organization like this? Extremely vital to a large city that has suffered through hard economic times and loss of huge manufacturing centers of employment. However, it is not enough to recreate a city by increasing employment opportunities; it also takes creativity and commitment to enhance the quality of life for its residents. We all know that many large cities across the country have suffered huge economic losses and that suburbs have been the destination spot for the majority of buyers. But the city is the linchpin for a region. It is the coming together of communities-culture, entertainment, shopping, parks, restaurants--the whole vibrancy of a city is what makes an area a great place to live and work and play.

I, for one, as well as my wife and fellow Realtor, are thrilled that Cleveland Public Art is alive and well and thriving. It is organizations like these that will play an essential part in keeping cities alive and well and thriving. Thanks to all of the hard-working and dedicated artists and staff for beautifying Cleveland, OH!

Readers, please take the time to visit the website and experience their work at: http://www.clevelandpublicart.org/

Content and photo copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.

Olsen Ziegler Realty -- A $marter Way to buy and sell your Greater Cleveland, Ohio Home