About Preble County, OH

Neaton Auto looking to second buyout?

Well, according to the Neaton rumor mill (which we all know is 100% fact-based), Neaton may be offering another buyout option come November or December 2009. Could it be true?

I think yes. Lets see..back this summer they (Neaton) hired back in many temporary employees who had all been let go back in December of 2008. Production was up, orders coming in higher than ever, and some departments even working Fridays again (woo hoo!). Even those that weren't offered Friday hours have been lucky enough to get in a full 40-hour week from Mon-Thurs.

Then...yet another halt. Temps are once again being let go. Just last Friday a couple members of upper management were "let go" and word is the the fat-trimming isn't over yet.

Friday overtime is being scaled back considerably again. Did Neaton get ahead of themselves this summer? Did the temps get called back maybe a little prematurely?

I feel bad for the temps but then again, a temp is just that....TEMPORARY. What of the buyout rumors? What does this mean for the future of Neaton? The way I see it is this...any way to get rid of the higher paid asscociates for the long term will benefit Neaton as far as bottom line is concerned.

I see some benefits of the buyout for those who are considering it. I also see a BIG disadvantage...NO INSURANCE. If that doesn't scare the tar out of people, I dont know what does. So I guess time will tell. Lets hope Neaton can find some stable ground, and all the good folks putting in a hard days work there can continue to get a 40 hour work week, and feel good about the company they work for!

**Just a quick disclaimer to CMA...I am NOT a Neaton employee nor ever have been. This is my blog, and MY OPINION only.**

Well, word on the street is that the Eaton Library will be closing next week (September 20-26, 2009) due to lack of funding. The Preble County district Libraries have seen belt-tightening for months now, and in an effort to cut expenses, I guess this is what has been decided.

I guess I'm a little nervous that the shut-down will go un-noticed. It certainly wont by me and my family. Self-professed book-worms; we try to get to the library on a regular basis, even in the summer time.

I know times have changed. It's maybe easier sometimes to buy the magazine subscriptions, get the news on-line, read the latest novels on "Kindle", or order up some cheap used books on "Amazon". Truth be told though, there is something inherently GOOD to be found in the narrow aisles of the local Library.

The silence of the rooms, the smell of the books, the tranquility that comes from just perusing the rows of books, even the excitement of spotting that new release you've been watching for.

Sort of sad really, that funding for something so integral to our health, wealth and well being as READING is one of the first things cut when pocketbooks get tight. You don't notice any sports programs shutting down to cut expenses. Just makes me wonder where peoples' priorities have gone.

Buyers nowadays have more choices than ever. MORE homes to look over. MORE options in how, when and where to buy that new home. MORE places to search for homes. MORE GOOD Realtors to assist them, as the market is weeding out the bad ones. More financing programs and homebuyer benefits popping up weekly (did you get $8000 FREE from the government when you bought your first home cause I didn't!) SO, what will it come down to to make YOUR home stand out of the crowd of more?

Many things honestly. But PRICE IS KEY. Always has been, always will be.

Here are the facts...Overpricing the home will:

Reduce Realtor activity. Professional Realtors see houses EVERY day. We know an overpriced home when we see one. I want my buyers to get the deal of the century, or at least the deal of the week!

Reduce advertising efforts and COST MONEY. Ever had someone hang up on you when you quote the price of a home to them? I have. Potential buyers look for certain types of homes in a price range. Today's buyers are SAVVY and well-read. Overprice and you might just be skipped over, or hung up on!

Lose interested buyers. Buyers pay for square footage. They will feel they should be getting more for the price you are asking.

Help the competition. A high-priced house makes the other houses look like a better deal.

Cause appraisal issues. Appraisals are based upon recent sales of properties just like yours.

Extends time on the market. Most of the time the price ends up lower than it needed to be if had been priced RIGHT to begin with.

Inconveniences YOU. I have a hard enough time getting my house clean for a get-together. I perish the thought of having to KEEP it clean everyday on the hopes of a showing. So don't. Price it right. Be done. Move on.

Maybe a Gamblin' woman? I dont profess to know much about gambling. Last time I stepped foot in a Casino, I was 17 years old and on a family vacation in Vegas with my parents. It IS a goal to get over sometime soon to check out the new Hollywood Casino, but the plan is to be cautious.

The reason I ask this question of you; if you are a gambling person, is because of something that sparked my interest in this subject recently. A conversation I was a part of.

The subject was a seller and a buyer, trying to come to agreement about price. It ALWAYS comes down to price. The agent dealing with this was frustrated because the buyer and seller were only about $2000 apart, and she COULD NOT figure out how to get this deal together. One of the owners here at Country Mile had a GREAT analogy, one that really resounded with me.

The sellers had a CLEAN offer of $198000. They were argueing over $2000 bucks.

So, lets say you went to the Casino. You have $198,000 sitting in front of you. Money in your pocket, ready to go. Do you honestly think you would place that $198,000 back on the betting table in order to make $2000? I doubt I would. No, I KNOW I wouldn't take a chance like that.

Yet day after day, thats what people do. Pride, emotions, memories, plans...it all gets in the way.

It doesn't matter if the deal is $30,000 or 1 million. Is it REALLY worth betting a sure thing in order to gain such a small amount, or worse yet, just as a matter of pride?

Would YOU bet $198,000 to prove a point?

A little off pace with my usual upbeat blogs, just to forewarn you.

I live in Lakengren. We moved there in 2001 and I have to say that we have really enjoyed our years out here, overall. I have friends and family that live in Lakengren as well. I also sell real estate in Lakengren. I have for years. I'm not the "Queen" of Lakengren real estate...maybe I could be, but we already have a "King" of real estate, and honestly, how much royalty can one little gated community handle?

Here's what I DON'T Do though:

I DONT "BUY" LAKENGREN

My blogs about the community offer the good, bad and ugly. I have never minced words regarding the goings-on in Lakengren, and dont plan to any time soon.

I refuse to put on a horse and pony show to the Lakengren community in the hopes that it will fatten my pocketbook. That isn't my definition of true philantrophy. In fact, here is the Wikipedia definition of that word:

Philanthropy derives from Ancient Greek, meaning "to love people". Philanthropy is the act of donating money, goods, services, time and/or effort to support a socially beneficial cause, with a defined objective and with no financial or material reward to the donor. In a more general sense, philanthropy may encompass any altruistic activity intended to promote good or improve human quality of life. One who practices philanthropy may be called a philanthropist. Although such individuals are often rich, people may perform philanthropic acts without possessing great wealth.

Give that one some thought....

I present Lakengren to my clients in true light. I love the Lakengren community, and I truly believe it when I say to my buyers..."Give it a chance and you will be pleasantly surprised." They almost always are. I am not afraid however, to give them the cons of the the community, and YES, there ARE cons. If you are looking for a shiny, glossy, rainbow colored picture of life on the lake, I may not be your gal. You might want to talk to the King for sunshine and roses.

I also refuse to butter up the powers-that-be for free advertising. Maybe that makes me a fool. But I can't even count now how many times I have approaced the "OFFICIAL" Lakengren website creators about adding a link to my blog, with me in turn extending the same favor back.

No answer yet. I suppose I know why. My blog might be a little to "real" for Lakengren. I dont have an "extravaganza" every other month to celebrate all that is Lakengren. I DO live in Lakengren though, FULL TIME, as in ALL YEAR ROUND. Its good enough for me to call home all the time. I think it is for my clients as well.

Lakengren is a gorgeous community, full of wonderful people and a huge variety of great real estate. But that I need to put on a super cape and pay my way into favor...I'm just not buying it.

Thanks for reading!

Kelley Weimer

a house "SOLD" name!

www.buypreblecounty.com

Professional real estate services for Preble County OH and beyond; including Eaton, Lakengren, Brookville, Germantown, Camden, West Alexandria and Lewisburg.