Kathy S Koops

Real Estate activity is remains steady in Fairfield and Fairfield Township...which is good news...but not great news.

Real estate activity, whether it is new construction or resales, is good for the community- both products lure potential residents to the area.

Good news comes in 3's for Mason Ohio property owners:

1. More sellers in the Mason School District are braving the real estate market- with an uptick in both single family and condominium listings
2. Pending sales have increased
3. The actual sale price on "closed properties" has increased

Add to the mix unusually low mortgage interest rates, a higher than average number of schedule showings by real estate agents and you have the recipe for a recovering housing market.

If you live in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area and have yourproperty on the market or plan on putting your home up for sale- don't miss "Super Sunday" on May 4th.

There is a city wide push to have as many open houses as possible. Most of the agents ( and I am assuming For Sale By Owners) will have their doors open to potential buyers.

Super Sunday is a great opportunity to peruse homes in the area you have been thinking about - or just to see how you neighbor's houses compare to your home.

If you are unsure about the current mortgage situation-or are not sure if you qualify for a mortgage, contact a reputable mortgage broker or mortgage company to obtain the details. Contact me (513-300-4090) if you need the name of a reliable lender.

Take advantage of the spring weather and take a peek at the "blossoming real estate market" in greater Cincinnati Ohio.

Click here to see a list of Super Sunday Open Houses and start mapquesting your routes.

goto http://thecincyblog.com/

Data from Greater Cincinnati Multiple Listing Service

This week's articles covering real estate in the Fairfield School District and the Lakota School District discussed the single family and condominium markets in the two largest school districts in Butler County. Today we are heading east to cover real estate in the Mason School District in Warren County.

Mason Ohio has been an example of somebody's "Field of Dreams"...build it and they will come.

Anyone living in the area has watched as Mason experienced rapid population and developmental growth...often leaving drivers struggling to navigate around Fields Ertel or Mason Montgomery Road. And while Mason doesn't have as many single family homes listed as seen in the coverage on Lakota real estate stats, the list and sale prices for Mason are significantly higher. The number of condominiums for sale are comparable to Fairfield's- however the sale prices are much higher in Mason.

If you are a Mason homeowner contemplating putting your single family property on the market, there is a wide spread in pricing available for sale. Unlike Fairfield with a heavy concentration of homes between $200,000-$249,999, of the 391 active listings the highest number of homes (41) are listed between $350,000-$399,999. The next largest concentration homes (35) is between $200,000-$249,999.

Not to surprising- if you want your property to be on the market of a long time (Days on Market) price it between $1,250,000-$1,499,999. The 16 homes have an average of 240 days on market.

Good news for the high end market, there are only 2 active listings between $3,000,0000- $3,249,999.

The numbers in the condo market are interesting, the average list price is $183,847 however the highest number active listings (33) are between $120,000-$139,999.

Remember, the chart above is just a snapshot on a given day and the real estate market is always changing. If you need more details about the "stats" for your neighborhood -give me a call @ 513-300-4090 or send an email.

This week's magazine stands are overflowing with articles offering real estate advice for home sellers and buyers.

There is no shortage of "how to's" needed to survive in today's roller coaster real estate market. In the Home section of the May issue of Money Magazine a bold "For Sale by Any Means" article reviews several old and new strategies for getting your home sold. One suggestion about "swapping properties" has been covered on TV news and in the press- and while it sounds great- it has not caught on in our market.

There are additional articles covering topics such as enhancing curb appeal, finding a good mortgage broker, and the best places to buy homes today.

The current issue of Cincinnati Magazine is loaded with information about surviving in the "rough real estate market" and includes all sorts of "how to", "what if" articles as well as statistical details about neighborhoods.

No I am not a reviewer for real estate articles. The average consumer has access to a multitude of magazines, newspaper articles, tv shows and friends all suggesting if a seller just follow "50 steps" "8 inexpensive makeovers" "10 ways to entice buyers"...that their property would sell instantly.

Sellers need to sort out what "ideas" are appropriate for our local market and not waste time and money on the wrong "fixes".

Shop your competition! Today there are 13,042 single family homes and 2,386 condominiums listed for sale in the Greater Cincinnati Multiple Listing Service. Do you know how many are competing with your property in the same price range, same amenities, same schools? The buyers know all the details as they do comparison shopping on the internet and then in person.

Read "3 Key Words in Real Estate" spell out why pricing is still the most important element in real estate. Don't over improve your property and expect today's buyers to pay for your investment.

Put your consumer' hat on and decide if there was a choice of several very similar products - would you purchase the most expensive one?

Magazines, newspapers, cable shows all have great ideas and insights into today's real estate market. Make sure you are utilizing this information overload to your advantage.

Need help figuring out what to improve before listing your property? Give me a call at 513-300-4090 or send an email.