Barb Szabo's Blog: Ohio: Cleveland

2312 Ralph Ave. Cleveland Ohio Real Estate For Sale!

This home is such a pleasure for me to market and you will love walking through it! Updates since 2005 include: furnace and central air conditioning, humidifier on furnace, electric panel, new roof on garage, new windows throughout, new glass block windows, gorgeous remodeled kitchen with ceramic floor, new cabinets and counter tops, new interior doors, new exterior side door, siding painted, bathroom remodeled with ceramic floor, and pedestal sink, ducts cleaned, new driveway, walkway to front door, and new garage floor, landscaping, flagstone patio, vinyl fence, garage door opener for right door. In addition, the rooms have been beautifully painted with earth tones and some splashes of color. This home is truly in move in condition!

Below are some of the other internet sites where you can see this beautiful home:

Lovingly cared for & well maintained, this South Hills/Old Brooklyn home with fantastic curb appeal offers an open porch at the front door and a serene sun porch behind it. As you step inside you will see warm, neutral colors, light berber carpet, beautiful hardwood floor & gorgeous built-ins. An updated kitchen leads to a backyard paradise with a spacious patio, small pond w/waterfall and lush landscaping - nothing to mow! The second floor offers 3 BR, in neutral shades and a full bath. The attic is floored and ready for your storage items. The basement is finished with berber carpeting and neutral walls, and offers a new full bath w/ceramic tile. The two story, two car garage has loads of storage space! Ceiling fans in almost every room! All this plus a newer roof, windows, HWT and boiler! Welcome home!

Your home needs a strong internet presence. Below is some of my internet marketing through point2homes.com

I know no one wants to think about this but it's possible that in 6 weeks we could see the first snowflake fall. Even if the snow does not stick, it soon will. And when it sticks, it may stick for 1-3 months!

FHA loans have become the preferred product in many markets and Cleveland Ohio is no exception. You may wonder why this is relevant. When an FHA appraiser appraises a home for value, he/she can also call out certain violations that will need to be repaired before the home can transfer title. If the required repairs are on the exterior it becomes a problem in the winter especially, because driveways, roofs, and/or peeling paint, including on detached garages, cannot be repaired in the dead of winter.

The lender will likely require 3 estimates for the repairs. It is likely they will take the middle repair figure. As a seller, you will be required to escrow 1.5 times the amount of the repair. So if you have a $2000 concrete estimate, you will be required to escrow $3000 until the repair can be done when weather permits.

If you think your home will be on the market through the winter or that you will put it up for sale in the winter, here are some tips that may make it just a little bit easier to sell.

*Take exterior pictures of your home both front and back. Even if your home may not be in need of exterior repairs like the ones mentioned above, it's a very good idea to have pictures without snow. It's generally much more appealing for a prospective buyer to see the home when it is not snow covered, but surrounded instead by lush landscaping and flowers. Make sure the garage doors are down and there are no cars/bikes in the driveway. Always make a note of when the picture was taken. So while other agents are posting pictures with snow all around, yours will be one of late summer or early fall!

While the picture on the left is "picturesque" you cannot see the roof, gutters driveway, landscaping (or lack thereof), or the foundation. The picture on the right is much more appealing and shows significantly more about the exterior. I took these pictures in late winter/early spring. If I were taking pictures of my home I would take several shots of the outside and much closer ones as well.

*Inspect your home for some of the above mentioned FHA items and consider getting quotes regarding the repair. Doing this in advance may help you sell your home during the winter. Estimates are only valid for a limited time, so you will need to take that into account.

*Better than just getting quotes would be to actually have the item(s) repaired. Again, take pictures after it has been repaired, and of course keep a copy of the paid invoice showing the work that was done. With pictures in hand you will be able to show that your contractor did an acceptable job on the repair.

Listed at $159,900

Lovingly cared for & well maintained, this South Hills/Old Brooklyn home with fantastic curb appeal offers an open porch at the front door and a serene sun porch behind it. As you step inside you will see warm, neutral colors, light berber carpet, beautiful hardwood floor & gorgeous built-ins. An updated kitchen leads to a backyard paradise with a spacious patio, small pond w/waterfall and lush landscaping - nothing to mow! The second floor offers 3 BR, in neutral shades and a full bath. The attic is floored and ready for your storage items. The basement is finished with berber carpeting and neutral walls, and offers a new full bath w/ceramic tile. The two story, two car garage has loads of storage space! Ceiling fans in almost every room! All this plus a newer roof, windows, HWT and boiler! Welcome home!

Here is a sampling of my internet marketing:

If you would like to buy or sell a home in Cleveland Ohio or in the surrounding communities, please call me at 440-263-7496, or you may want to visit my website for more specific information on the communities I service: Brecksville Ohio Real Estate, Broadview Heights Ohio Real Estate, North Royalton Ohio Real Estate Independence Ohio Real Estate, Seven Hills Ohio Real Estate, Parma Ohio Real Estate, Parma Heights Ohio Real Estate and Middleburg Heights Ohio Real Estate.  Information is obtained from Neohrex and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Although the effectiveness of open houses has long been debated, buyers still attend them. As a buyer, you may want to consider some of the following.

*Before you step into your first open house, you should still be pre-approved. Too often, I think, buyers feel that they only need to be pre-approved when they start "seriously" looking for a home. Not true. The great majority of buyers that I meet at an open house have not spoken to a lender. If you have not spoken to a lender, you don't know what you can afford, and then you are simply wasting your time at an open house.

*Research the house. I know that may sound odd, but with all the internet tools available it's easy to do just that. You can find a satellite view of the house to see if there is something you like or don't like about the location, check the distance to your work and so much more. With mls access, you can check room sizes, attached garages, lot size. etc..

*Know the price! I know this sounds obvious, but so many buyers walk into my open house without knowing the price. I am always amazed at this question.

*If you have more specific questions, call the realtor who is having the open house. I generally have my open houses advertised on line no later than Thursday before the open house so buyers have plenty of time to call me and ask questions.

*Don't sign in with a fake name and number. I, like you, appreciate honesty, and if you tell me you are working with an agent, I will respect that and tell you that it's fine, because my goal is to sell the house for the seller. I do not turn buyers away. Let me repeat that. I do not turn buyers away! And I will not contact you if you tell me you are working with an agent.

*Please respect a seller's request to remove your shoes. Often times the flooring is brand new and no one would appreciate stains on brand new flooring.

If you would like to buy or sell a home in Brecksville Ohio or in the surrounding communities, please call me at 440-263-7496, or you may want to visit my website for more specific information on the communities I service: Brecksville Ohio Real Estate, Broadview Heights Ohio Real Estate, North Royalton Ohio Real Estate Independence Ohio Real Estate, Seven Hills Ohio Real Estate, Parma Ohio Real Estate, Parma Heights Ohio Real Estate and Middleburg Heights Ohio Real Estate.  Information is obtained from Neohrex and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.