About Preble County, OH

Greetings everybody! Hard to believe that summer is almost over. At least for those of us in the Eaton School District. Hate to be cruel here, but I MUST take a moment to yell out the standard "Parent's back-to-school battle cry": Woo hoo!!! OK, thanks.

So, here's what's happening for the month of August in Lakengren. Once again, I'm a little late. Time is getting away from me, like always...

August 10, 2009: Lakengren Board meeting at 7pm at the Lodge. ALL are welcome to attend.

August 13, 2009: Lakengren Dragons Club meets at 7pm at Lodge.

August 17, 2009: Community Blood Drive. Lakengren will be hosting the annual blood drive and the Busmobile will be located at the Lakengren Office; right up by front gates. In the past, the annual goal has been 30 pints and the Lakengren Community has always met or exceeded that goal. Each pint of blood is divided into three parts, so three different people can benefit from your donation. Please remember that the blood you give stays in the community and you can even specify a person to get credit for your donation.

Admittedly, I am a chicken with a VERY weak stomach when it comes to this thing. Truth be told, it is making me queasy just writing about it. My husband however, donates blood whenever he can, and he's got a real good blood type too (o+) He even gets solicitations for his blood!

August 18, 2009: Lakengren Garden Club meets at 7 pm at the Lodge.

August 20, 2009: Safety Committee meeting at 6pm at the Lodge.

August 21, 2009: Want anything in the September issue of the "Lakengren Viking"? Today is the deadline for the September issue.

August 31, 2009: Bar code rental fees are due. Pay or be de-activated. You have been warned!

For information on Lakengren happenings or Lakengren Real Estate of course, give me a call!

Thanks for reading!

Kelley Weimer

A house "SOLD" name

www.buypreblecounty.com

Professional Real Estate Services for Preble County OH and beyond; including Eaton, West Alexandria, Germantown, Brookville, Lakengren, Camden and Lewisburg.

I don't think Neaton is out of the woods just yet. But gee, I hope there is an opening soon, and I think that associates can finally see a light at the end of the 8 month tunnel.

For a little back info on the trials of Neaton Auto, check out my past blogs. This is really just meant as an update. FINALLY, some good news.

1. My husband, and many others, have been working 40 hour weeks again. I'll tell you what...you never realize how much a 40 hour work week means to your livelihood until you get some of it taken away. Suddenly a "regular" 40-hour work week becomes the blessing it should always be.

2. People who took a voluntary lay-off about a month and a half back, have been called back to work. Its not a lot of people. The 100 plus temporaries let go last December are still gone. But I still take it as a good sign.

3. Rumor has it....that production requests from Honda will increase come fall, as well as possibly new orders from other companies Neaton supplies to. This COULD MEAN...40 hour work weeks the rest of the year. It COULD POSSIBLY MEAN...dare I say it? The potential for overtime this fall???

My family has been fortunate this year. We have been making it. It has not been easy. And I'm sure there are lots of Neaton families out there that have had just as hard a year as we have, if not worse. My thoughts and prayers are always with all of you.

I don't think Neaton is going anywhere. I think the dark days will be behind us soon. Just how soon I cant say, but Neaton Auto, and its employees, are survivors.

Kelley A. Weimer

a house "SOLD" name!

www.buypreblecounty.com

www.kelleysellspreble.com

Professional Real Estate Services for Preble County OH; including Eaton, Lewisburg, Germantown, Brookville, Camden, Lakengren and West Alexandria.

Welp, obviously summer is officially here because me and my family, like so many of you out there, have been away on vacation. Hence the LATE blog about July activities in Lakengren. So, my apologies. Fortunately, there are still many great things coming up this month in the Lakengren Community and here they are;

July 16: Safety Committee meeting at 6pm at the Lakengren Lodge.

July 18 12-4 pm: The annual Jack Block Day. This fun-filled day was started years ago and is put on each year by the Lakengren Dragons club. Named for the late Jack Block, one of the original creators of the event, the event offers fun for the whole family. There will be games and plenty of food, as well as a dunking booth, cake walk, pony rides, bike raffles and new for this year...a petting zoo! Another highlight of this year is the Lakengren Camels, which word is you will be able to ride. In addition, the Lakengren Ski club will perform at 3 pm. Let's hope for sunny skies because it sounds like it should be a great occasion for the entire Lakengren community.

July 18: Open Bass night tourney at 11pm.

July 19: Bass Tourney ends at 7 am!

July 21: Garden Club meeting at 7pm July 26 2-4 pm: the "Friends of the walking path" club in Lakengren will hold a quarter donation auction at the Lakengren Lodge. Proceeds will go towards new playground equipment.

July 28: To Better Your Health, 12-2 pm at the Lakengren Lodge.

One last note! Don't forget that the pool is open now and FINALLY the water has warmed up. Adult swim is always the last 15 minutes of the hour, the water is clean and fun, and they keep the snack bar stocked with all the junk food your kids could ever desire!

Hope you are having a great summer and thanks for reading!

Kelley Weimer

A house "SOLD" name!

www.buypreblecounty.com

www.kelleysellspreble.com

Professional Real Estate Services for Preble County OH and beyond; including Eaton, West Alexandria, Canmden, Brookville, Germantown, Lakengren and Lewisburg.

Preble County Ohio A-Z. "E" is for Eaton.

"E" is for Eaton, county seat of Preble County and the only official city of Preble County. It's really tough to do a blog on Eaton to be honest, because there is so much to offer in this little city that I hesitate to write and inadvertently leave something out. All the same, I'll start with some basic facts and data, and then I'll give you a little bit more meat and potatoes on what the appeal is.

Eaton was founded in 1806 by William Bruce. Eaton derives its name from Gen. William Eaton (1764-1811), the U.S. Consul at Tunis, who led a diverse army in a harrowing march from Egypt to Tripoli to meet the U.S. Naval forces. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles and home to some 9000 residents.

Schools located in the City of Eaton include:

Hollingsworth East Elementary School (grades K-2)

William Bruce Elementary School (grades 3-5)

Eaton Middle School (grades 6-8)

Eaton High School (grades 9-12)

Churches in Eaton include:

Eaton Church of Christ, Eaton First Church of the Nazarene ,Eaton United Church of Christ, Evangel Assembly of God Church, First Baptist Church, First Church of God, First United Presbyterian Church, Saint Paul United Methodist Church, Gateway Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church.

The Eaton school's mascot is the Fighting Eagle and the colors are Purple and Gold. Eaton includes Crystal Lake, Seven Mile Creek, the historical Roberts Bridge, Historical Fort St. Clair and Water Works Park.

2008 cost of living index in Eaton: 78.2 (low, U.S. average is 100). Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $115,486 (it was $83,600 in 2000).

So now let's get to the good stuff shall we?

When I moved to Eaton in 1988, this was a sleepy little town. Over the years the City has experienced controlled growth, and now offers much more diversity, without becoming so big as to compromise the values and pace that the community is used to.

Retail growth has been a bit slow in my opinion, but I do appreciate that the City government wants to protect small business. The problem with big business is that it has a tendency to push out the "mom and pops" of the area. It changes not only the "small town" appeal, but the overall dynamics of the city, from the population to the architecture to the crime rate. So although I do long for things like a shopping mall or some larger restaurants to come to town, I think the costs would ultimately outweigh the benefits.

I'm just going to take the opportunity to name a few of MY favorite things about Eaton. If you would like to add anything, comments are welcome so have at it!!

Places to eat:

Fiesta Charra Mexican Cuisine. Located in the Five Points Centre on N. Barron St. REAL, authentic, cheesy, saucy, hot, delicious Mexican food. HUGE margaritas. Salsa and fresh tortilla chips to die for. Kick butt guacamole. Best part? Cheap!!

Sonic. This just came into Eaton this past spring (2009) so I guess I'm still in the honeymoon phase. But let's be honest; ice cold drinks, really good onion rings, big juicy burgers, ice cream treats...what's not to like?

Taffy's. Located in downtown Eaton, on Main (SR 35). Just east of the Preble County Courthouse is this little gem. If atmosphere is what you crave, Taffy's has it. Intimate setting, coffees, teas and chai oh my, fresh pastries, gourmet sandwiches, home baked desserts. Plus live entertainment, Wi-Fi and more ambiance than 20 Starbucks.

Carmela's Pizza. Recently established. Great pizza and garlic bites to die for.

The Eaton Place. This little place is the talk of the town and has been for as long as I can recall. Simply put, it's a diner. Only opened from 6am to 3 pm, and closed on Sundays. Home cooked hearty food, the local watering hole, a good place for great food and interesting conversation. A place you feel good taking the kids or company.

Jels. THE sports bar of Eaton. Full bar. Cold beers. Big screen TV's. Burgers, steaks, fried mushrooms, and some delicious nachos. Getting hungry just thinking about it!

Peking Palace. Located in the Five Points Centre, a cozy Chinese restaurant. Dark and comfortable. Intimate booths. Full buffet. Bona fide Chinese cuisine.

Places to play:

Fort St Clair. Historical Park. Beautiful wooded park, with paved walking/driving road, trails, playground, covered shelters for picnics and community events. This is a beautiful park, and the "Whispering Christmas" is not to be missed.

Crystal Lake. This lake ties into seven mile creek and offers picturesque spots to lunch, fish, reflect and feed the geese and ducks.

Eaton Soccer Park. Ok, even if you aren't a soccer buff or have kids that play soccer, if you enjoy walking, are an avid runner, or just want to get Fido out for some fresh air, this park has a very nice walking path surrounding the whole area. It also offers a great playground for the little ones.

Lakengren. Eaton's own gated community. Offering lakes, lodge, security, pool, water sports of all kinds, plus spectacular real estate. I've written many blogs about Lakengren. Here is a link to one such blog.

Random places and things I enjoy:

Cato. I'm a shopaholic. This store I REALLY like. Cute clothes, great prices. Enough said.

The Preble County Pork Festival. Held annually every third week in September, this event celebrates all things Pork, plus a craft fair that cant be beat. Here is more info on this festival.

Just Teasin'. This is where I get my hair done. Located in downtown Eaton, this hair salon is contemporary without being pretentious. They cater to women, men and kids of all ages. My hairstylist, Rachel Sawesky is great, but I don't think they have a bad stylist there.

The Eaton YMCA. Opened in February of 2003, the "y" boasts a six lane, 25 yard lap pool, gymnasium, fitness center, indoor walking track and a teen center.

There is honestly just so much more to the City of Eaton that I just don't have the space or time to mention. I might just have to do a "Part II" on this one. So if you have something, someplace or someone you would like mentioned, let me know!

There's always a real fine line in working with buyers. At least to me there is. Like the Kenny Rogers song goes..."You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run". I maybe should have run.

The line that we face day in and day out as Realtors(r), is knowing just how far we can push, without seeming, well, "PUSHY". And I hate to even use the word push because it brings to mind the stereotypical salesperson image. Sometimes though, whether you like to admit it or not, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, you DO need a push. There is always a certain amount of fear involved in the purchase of anything. My job is to break down the fear, answer the questions behind those fears, and yes, help nudge you to make the jump.

So pushy is a strong word. Lets say nudge. What I cant figure out at times though, is if I nudge too much or not enough. Case in point:

I did an open house about a month ago, on a terrific listing here in Eaton Ohio. Not my listing, but my brokers. I volunteered to do the open house and was so glad I did. Non stop activity the whole two hours and some great new buyers. Including one who was interested in that house. We kept in touch, and about a week after the open house, she called and wanted to take a second look. Awesome!

We take a second, better look at the house, and I get a list together of questions that she has, and get those answered for her. A few days later, she asks if she can bring her daughter there to look at the home. At this point, I try a little nudge. WHY NUDGE? Because the house is going to get a $10,000 price reduction and as soon as it does, this sucker will be gone. I know it. The listing agent knows it. And NOW my buyer knows it. We look again. I answer more questions. A few more days pass.

NOW she wants her son to see it. I have to put my foot down now and ask if she has her finances in order or should I have my lender call her? No, buyer doesn't want my lender to call. Buyer will call her. Uh-oh.

Here I am, back at this house again, showing it again. To the same lady. Again. And I ask if she has talked to the lender yet. "No". Uh-Oh. This time I have a contract with me and I ask her if she would like for me to go over it with her, so she can see how it is laid out and maybe put her mind at ease a bit. She is a first timer, and I understand the fear that comes along with that. So we go over it, line by line. I explain it all, so she can see that as a purchaser, she is extremely well protected and has the right to inspections, time to obtain financing, all that good stuff.

I dont push, but yes, I do nudge. She is IN LOVE with the house. Kids love it. The dog loves it and he hasn't even been there! She has placed her furniture in every room. She knows just where the swing will sit outside. She is picturing herself curling up with a good book in front of the fireplace. She WANTS this house. And she is scared. So I nudge. I answer questions. I tell her that there have been many showings on it, which there have. I tell her the upcoming price adjustment will sell this house, which it will. But, how hard can I PUSH? How hard should I PUSH? After 4 showings, endless questions and answers...when is enough, enough?

Apparently today. Because as I checked over the office book today to see what had happened over the weekend, I notice two things. First, the price did go down 10,000. Just like I was told it would. Just like I told the buyer it would. And Second? The house had a showing, and an offer was made and accepted. My buyer lost her dream house. So you tell me, should I have PUSHED? The nudge didn't do the trick.

Kelley Weimer

a house "SOLD" name!

www.buypreblecounty.com

www.kelleysellspreble.com

Professional Real Estate Services for Preble County Ohio and beyond; including Eaton, West Alexandria, Germantown, Brookville, Lakengren, Lewisburg and Camden.