Christina Moock, REALTOR Cutler Real Estate

The remnants of hurricane Ike blew through Ohio yesterday with winds up to 80 miles an hour in some areas. It was scary! Here are some photos from my neighborhood. Thank goodness none of my trees fell!

This tree fell on my neighbor's father's car as he was pulling out of the driveway!

Around 10:00 last night my dogs started barking and barking and wouldn't stop. I went outside but couldn't see anything. After talking with my neighbor this morning I found out that was about the same time that this tree fell. My poor neighbor's garage.

My neighbor's tree

My swimming pool filled up with leaves

Do you wonder if you can buy a house, but not sure where to begin? Do you find the whole home buying process confusing?

Then you should attend the Yes, You Can: Step Up to Home Ownership, seminar.

The seminar is being held Sept. 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Timken High School. You will learn all about buying a home, including topics such as mortgages, home inspections, homeowners insurance etc.

Please contact Chrissy Moock, Cutler Real Estate with questions. 330-936-2519

If you are a first time home buyer you may qualify for an OHFA loan.

What is OHFA? OHFA stands for the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.

What does OHFA do? OHFA can help first time home buyers with down payment assistance or closing cost assistance, either through a grant or a 2nd mortgage on the home they are buying. Read more here: down payment options.

Who qualifies as a first time buyer?

• Actual first time buyers who have never owned a house before
• Buyers who have not had an ownership interest in a principal residence within the last 3 years
• Anyone including previous homeowners buying in a target area

What is a target area? It is an area that is designated by HUD as an economically distressed area.
To learn more about target areas: target areas.

Please contact me if you need any questions about this loan product. Chrissy Moock, Cutler Real Estate 330-936-2519

In the latest issue of Prevention magazine, they say that good posture can help you lost weight faster. Slumping during a cardio workout increases your heart rate. This in turn can make your workout feel harder and make you breath faster. If you pull back your shoulder blades and stand tall, this allows you to take in more oxygen and pick up the pace. Your workout will feel much easier and you will burn more calories!

Remember, good posture = Burn more calories!!

This is an amazing market.... there are great deals to be found everywhere! If this is the case, then why hasn't your home sold?

Some homes are flying off the market as soon as they are listed and some homes sit around for a while before the buyer comes. Is there anything you can do to help your house be one of the first homes that sells?

The #1 most important tip you must follow is to be realistic about the price. You don't want to overprice your home by $30,000 only to have it sit around waiting for a buyer that finally comes along a year later after 3 price reductions. You need to price the house realistically from the start!

A lot of sellers may shop around for a REALTOR that will suggest the highest price and then will list their house with that REALTOR. If it would be possible to sell your house at that higher price, don't you wonder why the other 5 REALTORS you talked to didn't recommend that price? Also, if you have received several offers around the same price, that could be an indication that your home is priced too high.

Before listing your home I would recommend watching what other homes in your neighborhood are doing. What price are they listed for? How long have they been on the market? How does the location and condition of your house compare to those other homes? Then ask a REALTOR to do a market analysis on your area so you can see the statistics in writing. This should provide a clearer picture of where you should price your home.

If you have questions, or would like a free market analysis of your home, please contact Chrissy Moock Cutler Real Estate 330-936-2519. Visit my website to complete a virtual market analysis on your own.