Friday, May 29, 2009

Selecting the right agent can make all the difference

Selecting the right agent for you and your family is an important decision, and one that deserves some careful consideration. Buyers and sellers have different needs when it comes to real estate, so it’s important to understand what to expect from a buyer’s agent and a seller’s agent.

A buyer’s agent should provide the following:
Expert negotiation
Mortgage services
Title services
Warranty services
Relocation services
Assistance with loan pre-approval
A needs assessment
Fast home-buying assistance
Online tools to make the process easier and more convenient
A dynamic Web site that will regularly push listings to you that meet your standards

Here is a set of questions to asker your agent.

If you’re looking for a seller’s agent, make sure they offer these services:
Expert negotiation
Real communication – on your terms and online
Find your next home fast
A well-trafficked Web site that offers buyers all the tools they need to search.
Pricing your home to sell
Innovative online marketing vs. heavy traditional mediums
An online portal for you to check daily online traffic on your property
Home preparation advice

Here is a list of questions to ask your listing agent.

Before choosing an agent also consider the following…
Agent Personality

There are a few traits that customers typically expect in a real estate agent—honesty, integrity and dedication. Beyond these qualities, it is important to find an agent who suits your personality. Purchasing a home is one of the most important transactions you’ll ever make and you want to make sure you are comfortable working with your agent. To find an agent who suits your personality, check out the Agent Selection Web page at RealLiving.com.

Forms of Communication
If you are tech-savvy consumer who wishes to communicate through digital mediums look for tech-savvy agents who are currently using social media. Check out real estate blog sites like Active Rain for agents who are in touch with Internet communication. If you frequent sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, or Twitter, then search for agents through these mediums. You’ll get a sample of an agent’s communication style by watching them interact with others online. Tech-savvy agents are also great for those who want fast and accurate information. They can quickly send the consumer a link to a new listing via text message, e-mail, tweet, etc.

Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 - Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Marysville Library June 2009 Calendar of Events



Please Click to Enlarge




New Listing at 231 Sorenson Dr Marysville Ohio



Sparkling 3 bedroom and 2 ½ bath home with beautiful in ground pool just in time for summer! Walk in the front door and you can immediately see the care and maintenance that the current owners of this home have bestowed on this one owner home. First floor boasts formal dining room, open kitchen with breakfast nook, hardwood floors, laundry room, half bath and family room with huge bump out and full bath that is conveniently located adjacent to the pool! Brand new california shag carpeting throughout the 3 spacious bedrooms upstairs. Fresh paint throughout. Partially finished basement plus plenty of storage. 2 car attached garage. Amazing paradise like back yard with in ground pool, fenced yard, storage shed with electricity and mini basketball court! Close to schools. Great location and easy access to 33! Move right in!
Click here to see the brochure
or if we can answer any questions about this home or any other property
located in central Ohio please contact us
Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 - Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com

Thursday, May 21, 2009

PRICE REDUCED 699 WEDGEWOOD DRIVE MARYSVILLE



PRICE REDUCED on this amazing 4 bedroom 2 ½ bath custom built home in golf course community. Elegant yet very family friendly from top to bottom floor. Wide plank hand stained cherry hardwood floors grace the majority of the first floor. White 6 panel doors and woodwork add to the charm. Chef kitchen with 42” cherry cabinets, large island with breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances, built in wine rack plus adjoining dining space with sliding glass door to patio and wooded back yard. Family room with cozy fireplace. Multipurpose music room plus library with French doors and built in storage and bookshelves plus surround sound speakers. The second floor boasts 4 large bedrooms including the master suite with walk in closet and whirlpool tub plus a convenient second floor laundry. Recently finished lower level with poured wall foundation adds so much living space and square footage to this home! Spacious media room with surround sound speakers, game room is a fun place to entertain plus additional home office or hobby room. 2 car attached garage with bump out for lawn equipment and bicycles plus adjoining mud room. Maintenance free stucco and stone exterior! This home is definitely a 10! Call us and we will gladly set up a showing for you!

Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 - Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tax Credit Ineligible for Down Payment

Bruno Capogreco a lender with Bank of America home loans here in Central Ohio just sent us an interesting article about the $8000 tax credit and the ever changing financing rules:

From the Arizona Republic
May 19, 2009
by J. Craig Anderson

Feds reverse rules to assist first-time home buyers

Federal officials on Monday reversed an earlier decision to allow first-time home buyers to use an $8,000 tax credit to borrow the down payment on a home.

A week earlier, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan had told the National Association of Home Builders that HUD would let banks and local governments offer short-term "bridge loans" to cover the down payment for first-time buyers eligible for the tax credit. The loans would have been available to applicants for federally insured mortgages such as Federal Housing Administration loans.

Lenders, home builders and real- estate agents had reacted favorably to the bridge-loan proposal, saying it would open up the housing market to more first-time buyers

However, not everyone was in favor of using the tax credit as collateral on a down-payment loan.

"That tax credit should be savings, not debt," said Patricia Garcia-Duarte, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services in Phoenix.

Garcia-Duarte said the proposal too closely resembled a now-illegal practice known as seller-funded down-payment assistance, which allowed a home's seller to "gift" the down payment to a specific buyer through a non-profit organization.

Phoenix loan originator Dean Wegner was among the housing-industry professionals who had expressed enthusiasm about the bridge-loan plan.

Wegner said the program would have boosted local home sales, but he added that the bridge loans likely would have come with a high interest rate.

The loans also could have created income-tax issues, according to the IRS officials who shot down HUD's plan.

Still, Wegner remains optimistic that the government will seek other means to circumvent the FHA's required 3.5 percent down payment.

"They will probably come out with a zero-down FHA loan starting January 1, once the $8,000 goes away," he said.

Reach the reporter at 602-444-8681 or craig.anderson@arizonarepublic.com.

Here is the link to the full article
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2009/05/18/20090518biz-downpayment0519.html

If you have any financing questions, please contact
Bruno Capogreco
Home Loan Consultant
Bank of America, Home Loans
614-781-3434 x221
Bruno_Capogreco@bankofamerica.com

Contact us to learn more about real estate financing & news!
Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 - Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Fresh Greens

Since I DID call this blog “Fresh Focus”, I should write about something fresh from time to time, dontcha think?
Well, I think I have a garden! I only think so because I have never in my life been able to care for plants properly. When the helper at the nursery says to me, “Oh, you can’t kill this plant”, I think, “Really?!”. Well, she just didn’t know me very well. I don’t deliberately set out to be a plant-killer…I’m just not great at caring for them. Maybe there is such a thing as too much water. I think I kill them with love. Anyway, back to the garden….

Marty and I decided it may be a good idea to plant some veggies in an unused 10×10 patch of yard. We eat lots of veggies and they tend to get pricey at times. I really thought this idea was a lark until I spotted a few leafy things popping up out of one row. Holy moley!! Could this be romaine? Then, a few rows over, I think there are a few zucchini sprouts coming up. If so, hello neighbors…you will be getting some of those…they grow like crazy. I think we actually have an herb that is coming in, too. Cilantro, maybe? I am so excited!! I think Marty is, too, because he came home last night with 2 new tomato plants, green beans and basil. Check out what we have growing…

If we can keep the kids and dog out of the garden, we may get lucky and have some fruitful plants this year. Maybe I should stay out of the garden, too….

Jeri Amrine
Photographer
***Jeri is one of our friends who is an amazing photographer and I always enjoy reading her blog posts. She has graciously allowed us to repost some of her blogs here. If you need a photographer that can capture your families unique and special moments, please contact her! ******
If you need to find some land where you can plant your own garden, please call us
Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 - Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com

Friday, May 15, 2009

Uniform Process for Short Sales Will Help Struggling Homeowners

Many of our potential buyers want to do about the process of purchasing a short sale property. Short sales homes can be great investments but the process of buying a short sale can test the patience of even the most patient of buyers. When a buyer wants to make an offer on a short sale home, we submit the offer and we wait, and we wait, and we wait for an answer from the bank as to whether our offer will or even can be accepted. Sometimes after waiting for a couple of months, the buyers still are not able to purchase this home because the bank will not allow the short sale. The National Association of Realtor put out a press release on 5/14/09 regarding the government intervention to streamline this process to not only help buyers that want to purchase these homes but also to aid sellers who need to sell their homes this way.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
The Voice For Real Estate®
500 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington DC 20001

WASHINGTON (May 14, 2008) – Help is on the way for many homeowners who are facing foreclosure, thanks to new details under the Making Home Affordable Program announced today by the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Making Home Affordable Program is designed to help homeowners obtain modifications to their loan so they can afford to stay in their home. Where a modification is not possible, new incentives encourage the “quick private sale or voluntary transfer of property, which will save homeowners money and protect their financial future,” according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. The National Association of Realtors® expects that a uniform process for handling short sales and financial incentives will facilitate this process.

“NAR is pleased that the government is stepping in to help prevent foreclosures by streamlining the short-sale and deeds-in-lieu process,” said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “NAR has been calling for uniform short sales procedures and other initiatives that will help today’s homeowners in challenging economy.”

Short sales occur when a bank agrees to let homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage to sell their home for less than they owe on their mortgage. Visit http://www.treasury.gov/ for detailed information on the program changes.

“Many families are finding themselves with a mortgage that is higher than their current home value, and they are struggling,” said McMillan. “As Secretary Geithner noted, and as NAR has been advocating for many months, stemming the foreclosure crisis and stabilizing the housing market are critical to our economic recovery.”“We have heard from Realtors® that the extensive delay in the short sale process had caused many buyers to go elsewhere and have left many would-be sellers with no option but foreclosure. We are all pleased that the government has stepped in to help homeowners and those wishing to buy a home,” McMillan said.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS
For Further Information Contact:
Mary Trupo, 202/383-1007
mailto:202/383-1007mtrupo@realtors.org

Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the Web site’s “News Media” section in the NAR Media Center.

REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark which may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSÃ’ and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics. Not all real estate agents are REALTORSÃ’. All REALTORSÃ’ are members of NAR



Contact us to learn more short sale properties:
Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 -
Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Marysville Uptown Friday Nights Starting May 15th!



The Paradise Island Band will perform Friday, May 15, on the Union County courthouse lawn as the Uptown Friday Night series returns for 2009.

Festivities will begin at 5 p.m. and conclude at 9 p.m.

The promotion committee of the Uptown Renewal Team has planned several additional activities, and food and beverages will be available.

A six-piece dance band based out of Columbus, the Paradise Island Band has been entertaining audiences throughout the Midwest for nearly two decades. The band plays everything from rock classics to Motown, blues, funk and current hits.

Two additional future Friday Night events also have been announced. On Friday, June 12, Agent 99 will perform during the fifth annual rib cook-off. On Friday, July 24, the Neverly Brothers band will perform as part of the All Ohio Bike Fest weekend, formerly known as Honda HomeComing.

For more information, log on to www.uptownmarysville.org

From This Week Community Newspapers May 10, 2009

Hope to see you there!
Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 -
Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com



Friday, May 8, 2009

Need a Permit in Marysville???

Those who need permits for putting up a fence, building a deck, renovating or even developing a retail site will find all their permit needs can be fulfilled in a single stop. The City of Marysville has consolidated permits into one location, on the second floor of City Hall 125 E Sixth Street.

Previously, building and zoning permits were issued in a separate department from water and sewer permits.

To learn more about permits and when they are needed, go to the city's web site at www.MarysvilleOhio.org and click on Planning and Zoning. Then click on Zoning Requirements and you will have access to a document explaining permits.

To learn more about Marysville, Ohio and local real estate please call us:
Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 - Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

One-Stop Real Estate Shopping

At Real Living, we believe in one-stop shopping. When making one of life’s biggest decisions, the process should be simple and hassle-free. Our agents are dedicated to providing clients with all the services that are vital to the real estate transaction.

Here is a list of services that Real Living and its agents offer to help make the home buying and selling process more enjoyable.

Web 2.0—These online tools make the buying and selling process more personable, easier and more convenient. MyRealLiving allows you to save searches, share information with friends, family and agents, track the number of online visits to your home and more.

360 Marketing—This system helps ensure that when working with your agent you can buy and sell your home faster.

Mortgage—Real Living Mortgage, an affiliate of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, whether you’re financing your first home, moving up to a bigger house, buying a retirement home or even refinancing into a fixed rate mortgage, Real Living Mortgage has the tools and information you need to help make the right decision on your new home loan.

Title—Real Living Title Agency, partners with the nation’s largest and strongest title insurance underwriter, Chicago Title, provides consumers with the very best title services while securing their new home purchase. Services include title searches, examinations, title and closing.

Warranty—Providing you with peace of mind and a smooth transition into your new home, Real Living Warranty, works to protect you from unexpected breakdowns, repairs and associated costs for one full year.

Relocation—Whether you are moving across the country or just to a neighboring state, Real Living Relocation will help ensure that you are knowledgeable and comfortable in your new location—all while helping you to find your dream home.

With the best Web site in the real estate industry, the best marketing tools in the business and agents dedicated to helping clients with every detail of the transaction, Real Living is the one and only place for simple and hassle-free, one-stop real estate shopping.

Have you had a positive real estate transaction with Real Living? Let us know!

Contact us to learn more about one stop real estate shopping!
Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 -
Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com

Monday, May 4, 2009

May 2009 Marysville Library Calendar of Events

Please click to enlarge


Contact us to learn more about buying or selling a home!
Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 - Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com




Friday, May 1, 2009

May 2009 Newsletter




Welcome to the Real Living e-newsletter!May 2009

Eco-Friendly Practices at Home
There is no denying that environmentalism is one of the hottest issues of the moment. We are consistently hearing people state that our planet is changing for the worse because of the strains we have put on our natural resources and the amount of unnecessary energy we consume each day.
Click for more...

First-Time Homebuyers are in Luck
With Spring right around the corner, you may feel like it's time for a change. Have you recently considered transitioning to a new home? This is one of the best times to purchase the home of your dreams. Interest rates are low and first-time homebuyers are in luck. Congress recently passed an act which includes a tax credit for first-time homebuyers of up to $8,000.
Click for more...

Five Things Buyers Should Avoid Before Closing on a Home
So you've found your next dream home and the seller accepted your offer to purchase. The home is officially under contract, you're counting down the days to closing, and you've been pre-approved by the lender. The house is yours for sure, right? Well … not so fast.
Click for more...
When it comes to purchasing a home, consumers nowadays are looking for a real estate company that provides an easy-to-manage real estate package including title, mortgage and home warranty. Click for more...

Real Estate Agents Go Green
Are you a buyer or seller who's concerned about making a positive impact on the environment through the materials, appliances, and practices you bring into the home of your dreams? Then pair up with an agent who has recently attained a green designation.
Click for more...

What's Your Home Worth?
Determining your home's worth is one of the most important issues you will encounter when putting your home on the market. For some it can also be one of the toughest to face because when it comes time to sell, homeowners tend to reminisce on all the fond memories made in the home over the years. These memories may be priceless to the home seller, but to a prospective homebuyer, they're a non-factor in determining a property's worth. Market value, and not sentimental value, is the key factor when figuring your home's worth. Read on to learn how to value your home.
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Is It Time to Refinance?
If you've ever considered refinancing your home, well now is the time to do it. Refinancing has several benefits, and the rates are incredible right now. Read on for more information. Click for more...
Please contact us with any of your real estate questions
Dana M. Garrett - 937-645-6545 - Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram – 937-645-6542 – Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com