About Warren County, OH

29th Annual Lebanon Quilt and Fiber Arts Show & Sale March 2-4 2012

Remember those intricate quilts grandma used to make? Little snips of fabric arranged into intricate colorful patterns? Literally works of art!

Well quilting isn't an extinct art, and the Warren County Historical Society is helping keep the quilting heartbeat going with it's 29th Annual Lebanon Quilt & Fiber Arts Show & Sale!

Where: Warren County History Center in Downtown Lebanon (on South Broadway just down from the Library)

When: March 2, 3 & 4. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on the 2nd & 3rd, 11 a.m to 4 p.m. on the 4th

Cost: $6

Parking: There are a number of free parking municipal lots in the immediate neighborhood.

What: Well of course quilts, and lots of them! But also vendors from as far away as Texas and Massachusetts (get the feeling this show is a big deal if they'll travel that far?). The vendors will offer quilt patterns, books, new and antique quilts, crafts and of course fabrics for those quilts, including some vintage fabrics!

There's even a few special exhibits of some quilting masters! And some of the historic downtown Lebanon shops will be joining in the fun with quilts on display in their shop windows!

All proceeds benefit the Warren County Historical Society. For more information, visit www.wchsmuseum.org or call 513.032.1817.

So mark your calendars now and don't miss it!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. Need help buying or selling a Warren County area home? We'll make sure it's not as intricate as making quilts while still keeping your interests covered! Just give The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite a call for a no hassle, no pressure conversation!

Lebanon Ohio 45036 Single Family Home Residential Market Report January 2012 Update

The Lebanon Ohio residential real estate market has shown good stability through 2011. While not really appreciating in value, at least prices have been stable. So how did the Lebanon area perform for January? We'll answer that question and more by expanding on our 2010 & 2011 Lebanon residential real estate market report.

All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system. If any homes traded hands without a REALTOR® involved, then it won't be reflected in this report. All data is for the Lebanon school district, so data is not limited solely to Lebanon city limits.

With Lebanon being named one of Ohio's 5 best Hometowns by Ohio Magazine for 2012, there's a lot to draw residents to Lebanon! A fantastic historic downtown that is a frequent host to some great festivals, great schools and easy access to dining and shopping. And with it's central Warren County location, and SR63, SR48, I71 and I75 providing access, you've got easy commuting capability to either Cincinnati or Dayton! And don't forget Countryside YMCA, the world's LARGEST YMCA!

Lebanon offers more affordable housing than the neighboring Mason at a full range of price points: from entry level older homes, to medium priced communities to luxury homes.

So, on to the data!

First up is the number of single family homes sold on a month by month basis for 2010, 2011 and now starting with 2012:

Next is the median price summary chart.


So what is the data telling us? At first glance you might think the news is pretty bad. ONLY 10 homes sold in January? That's only about HALF of the previous two Januarys!! But what the chart doesn't show you is there are 44 homes pending! That's right, 44 homes under contract, waiting to close! Now a fair number of these may be in the waiting mode because someone else has to sell their home first, so don't expect to see all 44 homes closed on our next Lebanon market report. Sometimes that wait can be months!

And what is the data on median price telling us? Well that doesn't look great either, but with only 10 data points the price is easily moved. Homes sold from $12,000 to $359,900. In this case, there were two foreclosure type sales BELOW $25,000. Now those aren't typical selling prices for the Lebanon area, and if you saw those two homes you'd understand why they were practically given away! We expect to see more typical home prices in the coming months.

So what does this mean to you as a Lebanon single family home owner? Foreclosed/short sale single family homes are having an impact. If they're in decent condition, they ARE competition for you. DO NOT expect a quick sale unless you've got a unique home with a VERY aggressive price. If you live in one of Lebanon's abundant subdivisions, you have significant competition. For an evaluation of your home's marketability, please contact us.

So what does this mean to you as a potential Lebanon home buyer? There is a LOT of inventory to pick from! 206 Lebanon homes for sale in Cincinnati MLS ranging in price from $20,000 to $1.45 MILLION dollars. There is a match for whatever price point suits your budget. There are some foreclosed/short sale home available on the market, but they're not always the best bargain depending on your need to have a new home and how much cash flow you have for repairs after closing. With a stable market, and fantastic interest rates, you don't have to rush and buy just ANY home, but FOR NOW it would appear you can take a more leisurely approach to finding the right home. However, once you've identified it, DON'T delay in taking action! If it appeals to you it may very well appeal to someone else! If you're interested in buying a Lebanon area home, please contact us with your needs and we'll help you find the right Lebanon community for you!

Serving Lebanon's home buyers and sellers,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. Like any of the three homes pictured? They're all Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite listings. Click the picture to go to their webpages for more information!

Mason Ohio 45040 Single Family Home Residential Market Report January 2012

Yesterday we provided a market report update on Mason Condos and the news was excellent! Did Mason Single Family Homes match their performance? Stay with us and we'll answer that question!

All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system. If any Mason homes traded hands without a REALTOR® involved, then it won't be reflected in this report. For instance, for sale by owner homes and new construction may not be listed. Some new construction is included, but homes custom built to buyer requests are NOT included. All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits.

With Mason being named #24 on the Money Magazine Top 100 Best Places To Live list for 2011, Mason received recognition that area residents already knew was well deserved! With top notch public schools, extensive entertainment and dining options, and a premier community center combined with superb accessibility to downtown Cincinnati, Mason has become one of the most desired living areas in the region!

Mason offers a full range of price points. There are a number of older developments featuring 1950s and 1960s vintage brick ranch homes to the other end of the spectrum with golf course community homes in excess of $1 million dollars! And of course, all the price points in between are covered too. In general, you can expect to pay a premium for Mason homes when compared to communities further away from Cincinnati.

So, on to the data!

First up is the number of Mason single family homes sold on a month by month basis for 2010, 2011 and now starting 2012:

Next is the Mason median price summary chart.

So what is the data telling us? Overall, Mason single family home sales were down slightly when comparing Januarys to the last two years. 19 this year vs. 22 and 21 in 2010 & 2011. Now before thinking that this might be a significant decrease, keep in mind new construction is NOT reflected (and we're seeing an increase in the last year of new construction activity) and that January is typically a slow month. Considering low interest rates and stable prices, we would expect increases over the next few months.

Median price was $304,000 with an average price of $423,789. Now that's a pretty big disparity, but with a range of prices from $60,000 to $1,660,000 (yes, you read that last one right!), that high side sale is going to make a significant shift in average price.

So what does this mean to you as a Mason single family home owner? The median price is higher than most months in 2010 and 2011. It has been our view for several months that Mason has already reached the bottom of pricing and is on an upward trend. Buyers and their agents have not totally reconciled themselves to that thought and may be slow to react to the shift, clinging to "it's a buyer's market" while getting rejected on low offers by sellers who don't need to sell at depressed prices. We'll be tracking and reporting monthly to confirm the trend continues upward. If you've got an immediate need to sell, you can still sell. We always recommend beating your competition to the market if you're serious about selling your Mason home. For an evaluation of your home's marketability, please contact us.

So what does this mean to you as a potential Mason home buyer? Our advice is the same as last month: with the bottom of the Mason market reached, further waiting means you're likely to pay more to purchase a Mason home. DON'T WAIT! With extremely low interest rates and plenty of home inventory, it might be time for you to seriously pursue that Mason home you want. If you're interested in buying that home, please contact us with your needs and we'll help you find the right Mason community for you!

Serving Mason's home buyers and sellers,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

Mason Ohio 45040 Condominium Market Report January 2012

So 2011 ended on a strong note for Mason Condo sales as we reported in our 2011 Mason Condo Summary Market Report. Did that trend continue into the first month of 2012?

YES!!! Keep reading for more details.

All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits. All data is also from Cincinnati MLS, so any transactions that recorded outside of MLS are not captured here (for sale by owners, new construction, etc.).

With Mason being named #24 on the Money Magazine Top 100 Best Places To Live list for 2011, Mason received recognition that area residents already knew was well deserved! With top notch public schools, extensive entertainment and dining options, and a premier community center combined with superb accessibility to downtown Cincinnati, Mason has become one of the most desired living areas in the region!

And a condominium provides a more economical access point to Mason living than single family residential homes. Additionally, Mason provides several tiers of condominium communities depending on your preferences.

So, on to the data!

First up is the number of condominiums sold on a month by month basis for 2010, 2011 and now starting 2012:


Next is the median price summary chart.



So what is the data telling us? First, compared to the previous two Januarys, sales are EXTREMELY strong! 14 in 2012 vs. 5 & 6 respectively in 2010 and 2011. That continues a strong December 2011 with 15 sales. Historically, the winter months are NOT strong months for sales.

And by the way, one of those 14 sales was one of our listings (4261 Eastlake Drive in Village Lakes). And there is PLENTY of inventory out there to pick from. We just added a Mason condo to the market yesterday (7609E Mansion Circle).

Median prices continue to stay in the expected price band, with the January 2012 median of $119,250 and the average at $126,529. Sales prices ranged from $39,000 to $235,000.

So what does this mean to you as a Mason condo owner? That if you've been waiting for the spring season to sell, you might not want to continue to wait. With sales stronger than anticipated, getting a jump on your competition with a well presented, well priced condo may be your ticket to getting SOLD now so you can take advantage of the low interest rates and opportunities out there with your next home purchase.

So what does this mean to you as a potential Mason condo buyer? That with sales picking up, if you see something you like you need to act. Other buyers are looking too, and falling under the spell of "it's a buyer's market" just might cost you the perfect home for you.

Serving Mason's condominium buyers and sellers,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

Commercial Airports Near Warren County Ohio

One of the MANY great things about living in Warren County is its central location. With Cincinnati immediately to the south and Dayton immediately to the north, we've got the benefit of two cities for quick and easy access. And with a bit more drive, Columbus isn't all that far away either, and a bit further you can venture to Indianapolis, Louisville and Lexington.

So when it's time to hop a plane somewhere, you've got plenty of options. Personally, we've made use of the Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus airports. Click the headers for each airport to go to their official websites for further details.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG):
Now one of the first things that may throw you off track if you're new to the area is that the Cincinnati airport, is actually in KENTUCKY! You cross over the Ohio River, take I275 West and a few exists later you're at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). Now CVG isn't what it used to be before the Delta/Northwest merger. While still a Delta hub, the number of destinations with direct flights is WAY down. Chances are high that unless you're heading to a major city, you're going via Detroit or Atlanta. And CVG continues to have among the highest airfares in the country due to Delta having relatively little competition. CVG offers more amenities with some shopping and a number of restaurants in the main terminals. You can park at the terminal garages ($14/day), or several companies offer off-site parking with shuttle bus service ($8 or less per day).

Dayton International Airport (DAY):
Another choice is Dayton International Airport (DAY). Located in Vandalia on the northwest side of the city, it's a smaller airport (so easier in and out) and the location is just off the I-70/I-75 interchange. Southwest Air has announced that they'll be adding Dayton as a result of their Airtran purchase. As you might guess, airfares are typically cheaper. You'll have less shopping and dining available in the terminal, but do you really go to the airport for that? There's plenty of parking with prices ranging from $6 to $20/daily.

Port Columbus International Airport (CMH):
Another easily accessible airport, Port Columbus International Airport is located on the northeast side of Columbus and readily served by I-270 access. Again, easy to get in and out of, and plenty of parking ($4 to $27/daily). With most of the major airlines serving CMH and Southwest Air being the largest passenger carrier in volume, the competition keeps the rates reasonable. There's some shopping and your typical airport dining offerings.

So if you're life is moving you to the Cincinnati/Dayton area and frequent travel is part of your job, you may want to consider Warren County's communities as your new home! And if you need help finding that new home, please give us a call!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz