On Thursday Jan. 26th I was fortunate to be able to attend A Taste of Broadview Heights. This was a wonderful event and I strongly recommend it when it comes around again next year!
Below are Brecksville Ohio ReMax Trinity owners Jim and Judy Darwal!
And here is Helen Dunlap, who has given years of service to Broadview Hts. as a city council member!
Long time former Mayor Leo Bender and his lovely wife Judy!
Chris Bertam at the piano provided wonderful music! 
Below are Antonietta Carnevale and sons Paolo and Giovanni from Molisana Italian Foods, only one of the vendors there. If you have never tried their Pizza, you MUST go there and grab a slice or two!And don't forget the homemade bread, fresh deli meats and cheeses and so much more!
And here is the owner of the Corned Beef Cafe, Sue Gaukin, (center) with Judy Darwal, owner ReMax Trinity (left) and Heather Litras (right). The Corned Beef Cafe has been one of the favorite breakfast spots for years in Broadview Heights!
Try not to miss this event next year. You'll love it!
Musical Bones Studio in Broadview Heights Ohio: An Innovative Approach to Playing the Piano!
This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Stan Munson, owner of Musical Bones Studio, which recently opened in Broadview Heights Ohio. Those of you that know me know that I have had a love of music since I was a child and that it is still is a big part of my life.
I was intrigued by what I read about Simply Music, which is the program's name so I set out to find out more about it.
When I phoned Stan he invited me to an introductory session where there would be other families present. I arrived a few minutes early so I had a chance to talk with Stan. I found him to be welcoming, informed and passionate about this innovative way of teaching others how to play the piano.
The theory behind Simply Music is that people want to PLAY the piano, not learn how to play it!
I gave piano lessons privately to young kids for about 10 years. I taught in the traditional manner because that is all I knew. We started with beginner books, immediately focusing on how to read music. Simply Music does the opposite, by teaching the student to play first!! Students in this program are playing blues, classical, contemporary, and accompaniment pieces immediately from the very first lessons. By temporarily delaying the reading process, it is typical for beginning students to be able to play 30-50- songs in the first 18 months or sooner! Because of this non traditional approach and the way they learn to play, students can play these pieces any time, anywhere!
The article I read about Stan Munson and Musical Bones offered this summary: A young child learns to speak first and then he learns to read. This is the same premise. Learn to play first, then learn to read.
Here Stan is pictured with one of his students Mason, who is blind. I can't imagine the joy Mason must feel to be able to play the piano. Music is such a gift on so many levels!
I encourage you to contact Stan Munson at Musical Bones Studio for any interest you or your children have in playing the piano, even if, or perhaps especially if, traditional lessons did not work out for you. You'll love hearing how Musical Bones Studio got its name!
Musical Bones Studio is located at:
8051 Broadview Rd.
Broadview Heights Ohio 44147
216-392-4761
(just south of the Marc's Store...look for a 2 story blue building). Stan also mentioned that he will give a 20% discount off your first month's lesson if you mention this blog. How great is that?
Technology has certainly done much to enhance the way we do business. One of my favorites is the client portal, which allows me to set up a search for my clients specific to their needs and wants, and then deliver to their e-mail all the records that match.
I do caution my clients not too enter too many parameters as this might cause them to get very few records. They might also be missing out on a great house because one of their parameters is .5 acres and this house that has everything they want has .49! A computer search is unbending...it will return only what you ask of it.
Before I take a client out I like to check the disclosure statements to see if there is anything unusual on them. I'll try to to use google maps to see if there is anything of concern, such as a retention basin in the backyard. I am making an assumption though that my clients are reviewing the printout carefully but that's where I am wrong. Most buyers are excited about the buying process so they are looking intently at the pictures and envisioning living in this home. So even though I think I am prepared I sometimes will hear:
"Oh, I didn't know the house was on a corner'"
"I didn't know it was built in 1950!!!"
"The garage is detached???? I don't want that!"
"No central air conditioning?" Nope.
So, below is a picture of an mls printout, the way a buyer might see it in their portal. I strongly recommend that buyers carefully look over the information so there are fewer surprises when they actually get to the home! See my comments below:)
1. You can click on this number and see all the pictures that are available for this home
2. DOM/CDOM means days on the market and cumulative days on the market.
3. Monthly maintenance fee...you could see this for a single family cluster home or a condo
4. VERY IMPORTANT: homestead exemption meaning that the current owner is receiving a reduction on the real estate taxes and the once the new buyer owns it, he/she/they will be paying the higher amount, unless they too qualify for the homestead exemption.
5. Maintenance items that are included in the monthly fee, but always a good idea to make your contract contingent upon review of the HOA/condo documents.
6. VERY IMPORTANT: This tells you whether there is an assessment in place for things like new roofs, siding, or street repair. If this is checked yes, be sure to get all the details.
7. Sometimes people overlook the school district
8. An HOA fee, which generally but not always means that you are paying for some recreational items, such as a pool(s), walking trails, tennis courts, or maintenance of common areas.
9. Lot description. In addition to corner, you may see words like wooded, or sloping and it's important to note this as you may want a level lot.
10. VERY IMPORTANT: This notes the water and sewer supply, critical if you prefer septic over public sewer or vice versa. Or maybe you prefer well water.
11. The level the room is on. A lot of buyers skip over this one and then find out there is a first floor master which they don't want because they have small children.
So there you have it. A brief summary of what some of this stuff means. Happy home shopping buying!
As always, if there is something in your contract you do not understand, consult an attorney.
Night at the Races Assumption Church Broadview Heights Ohio is Sat. Jan. 28th, 2012
Assumption Academy Broadview Heights Ohio 22nd Annual Night at The Races
Mark your calendars for Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 for the 22nd annual "Night at the Races" fundraiser at Assumption Academy in Broadview Heights Ohio
Assumption Family Center
9183 Broadview Rd.
My husband, friends, and I have enjoyed Assumption's Night at The Races for many years. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but we always have FUN!
Doors Open 5:30 PM
Dinner 6:30 PM
Post Time 7:30 PM
(Adults only)
***Catered dinner by Augie's***
***10 horse races***
***raffle prizes and silent auction***
***side board***
Tickets are $25.00 per person
Creekside Trace Broadview Heights Ohio Real Estate Market Report 4th Quarter 2011
Below is the 4th quarter market report for Creekside Trace as it compares to 4th quarter 2010. There has been a decline here similar to other subdivisions in Broadview Heights and there has not been much measurable activity but that is to be expected in 4th quarter. It's as important as ever that if your home will be on the market, it must be super clean, wallpaper removed, walls freshly painted, carpets cleaned, and above all, competitively priced! Interest rates are still very low and buyers are looking but they still want the best house for the money. If your home is on the market or soon will be, try not to miss a showing, make sure you have the best pictures possible and consider every offer!
Social media marketing is here to stay so it's important that your home for sale have great internet marketing. Below are some of the sites I use to market homes, giving them the exposure they need.
Here are some other posts about Broadview Heights Ohio you may enjoy!
Briarwood Golf Club Broadview Heights Ohio
Doggy Day Care in Broadview Heights Ohio
Cozumel in Broadview Heights Ohio
Broadview Heights Community Center
Broadview Heights Ohio on Facebook
Brecksville Broadview Heights Schools
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With over 25 years experience I can help you buy or sell real estate in Brecksville, Broadview Hts., N.Royalton, Seven Hills, Independence, Parma, or Parma Heights. Call me today!
Barb has been a licensed agent since 1986 and strives to stay on top of the changing real estate market. It is interesting to note that almost 90% of home buyers and sellers begin their search on line! To that end, she recently completed a course called E-pro, an "online only" class designed to educate Realtors® on how to use the internet and other technologies to advance their business.
On a personal note, she has been married for 26 years and has one beautiful daughter. The whole family sings together in their church choir, and although Barb has a degree in music, she says her young daughter has already surpassed her in the talent department!
Barb's RE/MAX office is located in Brecksville Ohio, a community that shares a school system with Broadview Heights, which is where she has lived since 1990. In addition to Brecksville and Broadview Heights, she also works in N. Royalton, Independence, Seven Hills, Parma, Parma Heights, and Middleburg Heights.
From 1996-2006 Barb worked for a builder selling new construction, so she definitely has first hand knowledge of the custom home building process.
She even went through it personally when she and her husband had a home custom built for themselves.
In what has been a most difficult time in real estate, she has also sold many bank owned homes and can provide insight into this process.
She looks forward to working with you!
Sept. 2011
If you are looking for a real estate agent who is kind, courteous, professional and knows what she is doing, then look no further than Barb Szabo. As a first time home buyer, I had no clue what I was getting myself into. But Barb walked me gently through each step, knew exactly what to ask and what to look for, and handled my transaction with ease. I would recommend Barb to anyone who is looking to purchase or sell their home.
Jenn H.
Aug., 2011
July, 2011
I have worked with several real estate agents over the last 30 years and I can honestly say that Barb was just unbelievable. She is the ultimate professional who is completely dedicated to her customers. My house had been on the market for a while when I contacted Barb to be my agent. She did more for me than just be a real estate agent - she took care of things at my house that I would have never expected. I had already moved out of town but I could always count on Barb when it came to selling my house. She did an excellent job and I will recommend her to anyone I know who is selling a house. Barb Szabo is absolutely the best!
Nancy F.
April, 2011
I just wanted to write a review for our real estate agent, Barb Szabo, of Remax Trinity in Brecksville, OH. My wife and I had been looking to purchase a home in the Cleveland area over the past 2 years. She has been our constant companion through many dozens of home visits and has been patient, kind, professional, ethical and has generously shared her deep knowledge of the real estate world with us. Barb is friendly, courteous and quick to respond at all times, even when it has been on weekends and sometimes later in the evening. We are close to closing on a beautiful home that we got for a reasonable price, and can't express enough what a joy it has been to work with Barb I am only sad that we won't be talking to Barb as much, since we won't be looking at houses any more for a long long time! We are glad for her friendship, however and plan to invite her over when we have moved in and settled. I don't normally write reviews for anything, but Barb has been such a wonderful realtor that I felt I had to write something.
Feb. 9, 2011
What can we say about Barb. She is a wonderful person and realtor. We started looking to buy a house and just were not finding the correct realtor or house we loved. Finally we were told to give Barb a call. She made us feel like family. We clicked immediately. She made us feel our needs were so important and took us to every house we requested- no questions asked. Barb was our third realtor and the best one we found. She helped us out in any way she could. Even though we were looking outside the area of her norm, she gave us all the time we needed and met us anywhere we wanted to go. Finally – we found the house that was made for us. There were some issues with the owner and Barb took care of all that for us, so we did not have to worry about a thing. I have already recommended her to many friends and family. She is a wonderful realtor and a wonderful person, mother , wife. We are so fortunate to have found such a giving and caring realtor. If ever we do move or buy more property, Barb will be the first one we call!!! Thank You Barb for all your help and Support.
Brian M. and Kristin B.
July, 2010
"Can you believe I actually sold my condo in ten weeks, in the middle of the real estate decline? And, I got 95% of my asking price. And the asking price was what I paid for it in 2002. In this era of drastically declining property values I consider myself to be fortunate, indeed. But this sale was more than good fortune, this sale was accomplished due to the expertise and conscientiousness of Barb Szabo.
I contacted Barb in mid March, 2010, and we met for several hours, and she brought her digital camera with her. Within 24 hours my condominium was on the market. Within 48 hours Barb had it listed on various websites, and was actively publicizing it. She had a broker’s open house within two weeks; and had it listed in print media as well. But selling a house these days is all about the internet. All of a buyer’s research is done there; and Barb does the postings and web interaction extremely well. She uses all media to publicize a property, but her use of the internet is what sold mine.
This sale was not without problems. Those days are long gone. (And this was my fourth property and most complex transaction. Who knew?) Financing rules and regulations are tough these days. And even though my buyer was financially qualified we had our rough patches, but Barb’s follow-through and determination made the sale happen. She was in constant contact with brokers, banks, title companies. You name it; she did it. And, she kept me informed continuously, by phone, email, and in-person.
Barb Szabo is: experienced, detail oriented, level-headed, responsible. She is a true professional. Plus, she is pleasant, thoughtful, and efficient.
If you want to sell your place, then sign on with Barb Szabo. I would do it again in a heartbeat."
Marilynne Z.
June, 2010
"Barb was an absolute pleasure to work with. She made the purchase of our first home a very enjoyable experience. It was not an easy process to find the home that suited us and we were up against a tight deadline. Barb promised us that she would have us in our new home before our wedding day, and she did just that. Barb exemplifies professionalism and has an in-depth knowledge of the purchasing process. We did not find our home, Barb found it for us. She listened to exactly what we were looking for and made it her objective for us to settle for nothing less. I have, and will continue to recommend Barb to any one of my closest friends that are in the market to purchase a new home. We have a great respect and trust for Barb, and are fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with her."
Thanks Barb!
Adam and Nicole
May, 2010
"My husband and I were relocated to Ohio from Illinois for his employment. Barb Szabo was recommended to us to use as a realtor. We couldn't have been happier with our experience with Barb. We spent four months looking for the right home. During that time, Barb did extensive research on properties, locations and went above and beyond to show us NUMEROUS homes. Barb is extremely professional and highly knowledgeable in the area of home buying. We truly appreciated all of the time she spent helping us find our perfect home. We definitely would recommend Barb to help anyone in a search for their home."
Dana and Danelle A.
I ran into Barb when she was representing a house I was interested in. I was impressed with her honesty, no-pressure methods and ability to engage as a real person rather than leaning on a sales pitch. Later when I went to sell my home in a market downturn she was willing to start with the price that made me comfortable and launch a comprehensive marketing package from day one that continued through to the final sale. While the home was on the market she kept regular contact with feedback after every showing. During stretches of inactivity she provided local real-estate news and trends, reports on activity stats and what they mean along with no-pressure suggestions to improve activity. She is there when you need her, and knows when to give you space. When an offer was made and through the closing process, Barb provided hand-holding support through difficult decisions without pushing, handled the negotiations and scrutinized document details to ensure my interests were protected, closing any possible loopholes she found. Barb was the right realtor for me--despite a difficult market, and a lengthy time on the market, she never let up on marketing and showings, and never pushed me. She's honest, patient, trustworthy, understanding, easy to communicate with, and has the skill and experience to provide solid advice and to protect your interests on the final signature.
Terri M.
"Working with Barb Szabo as our realtor for the sale of our home has been a total pleasure. From the moment we met, she exhibited the utmost professionalism and knowledge in real estate. Her advice on staging our home was so much appreciated. Her dedication and timeliness in responding to potential buyers and returning feedback to us was above standard. We are currently preparing a relative's home to place on the market and look forward to working with Barb again!"
Carol M.
It's not hard to understand why Barb has been our realtor for 15 years. We met Barb at an open house that long ago and she took the time to go over all the things we would need to have in place in order to buy a home. She sold our first and second homes and helped us find our third! In these days of trying to find someone who will go the "extra mile", you can always count on Barb to do that. She is the best of the best.
John and Becky S.
Barb is an excellent realtor. When we were looking for a home to raise our family, she was there for us every step of the way. She made the most important decision of our lives a lot easier. She was patient and very professional. She took care of every detail. In a word, she was WONDERFUL! We highly recommend Barb and absolutely LOVE our new home. Thank you!
Ron and Amy N.
How fortunate we were to find Barb Szabo! Within the past year, she has assisted us in purchasing five investment properties, (and worked with us on countless others that we weren't the highest bidder on!) Not only is she extremely hard-working and thorough, but also loyal and honest. Barb is highly respected by all with whom does business From the start of the business transaction, all the way through the end, Barb is completely on top of things. We have had several situations where Barb caught others' mistakes along the way, not only saving us money, but also lots of headaches! She stays completely involved through the whole process, not only with us, her clients, but also with the selling agent, lenders, utility and title companies. We would trust no one other than Barb Szabo for our real estate transactions and look forward to many more business ventures with her!
Jon and Christine V.
I would strongly recommend Barb Szabo of Remax Trinity for all your Real Estate needs.
She has been a first class agent from start to finish. No matter what challenge arises Barb has
exceeded my expectations. She is reliable, punctual, and conscientious. If you are looking for
a TOP NOTCH agent call Barb.
Jim O.
Words do not do justice to describe the quality of agent and person that Barb is. She is honest, genuine, and professional. I sincerely believe that she wanted to sell my home as much as I did...not for the commission...but because she truly cared about the well being of my family. Her knowledge of the market and ability to network with the necessary sources was remarkable. She consistently kept my wishes at the forefront of the selling process while balancing the obstacles of the depressed market. Barb is an incredible woman and I have recommended her to everyone I know that is buying or selling a home. I am confident that you will be more than satisfied with the service she will provide you.
Francine W.
From the very first meeting when we signed an agreement for Barb Szabo to sell our property in Brecksville, Ohio, until the very last transaction was completed, we can not praise her enough. Barb first met with us and explained exactly what she would do for us, and she followed through to the "t". We had a great number of potential earnest buyers view our home and property and we greatly appreciated Barb's honesty and integrity in the whole deal. When dealing with a real estate sales person you tend to pick up on personal attributes, and we felt Barb's values were unbeatable.
Charlie and Laura S.
"Barb Szabo is a professional who cares! She goes that extra mile to listen, respond, and service her clients. Her knowledge and ideas set her apart from other real estate agents. She knows what to do and gets the job done! I highly recommend Barb to anyone looking for an outstanding real estate agent. She has successfully sold two properties for me. I live out of state, but her excellent communication made me feel like I was right there next to her during the transaction."
Sherrie C.
It was a great pleasure to work with Barb. Together with her years of professional experience she also brought honesty, knowledge, and patience to the process of searching for my first home. She did not just answer all of my questions/concerns that I may have had, but she did so promptly and adequately. As a first time home buyer I would highly recommend Barb Szabo as your realtor. I will be working with her again in the future whether buying or selling. She is not just a professional realtor she is an excellent person too!
Sean B.
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