Real Estate Information

Now that you've selected a Realtor, and you've been pre-qualified, it’s time to figure out what you’re looking for in a home.  There are so many decisions to be made.  The best way to figure out what it is that you need in a home is to make two lists.  The NEED List and the WANT list.  Your need list should contain things that you absolutely must have in your home. 

Example:

NEEDS                                                                         WANTS

• 3 beds/ 2 baths                                              Updated kitchen
• Finished basement                                        Mature trees in yard                               
• Lots of closet space                                       Ceramic tile in bathrooms
• Open floor plan                                               Additional parking
• Flat back yard                                                 Close to shopping
• Fenced back yard                                           Front porch

In today’s market there are a number of different purchase options for buyers aside from a traditional sale.  It’s important to consider the benefits of each option.  There are plenty of foreclosures, short sales (pre foreclosure), and other types of lender owned homes on the market.  These are homes that you could get a good deal on.  With a little hard work, they can sometimes be a great way to build equity quickly.   Maybe a fixer upper is not what you have in mind which is fine.  Just know that they are out there.

Written by: Ray Straub, Team Agent, The Mike Parker Team

Personal computers have been around long enough that everyone has experienced or knows someone who has lost their data due to a hard drive crash, accident or burglary. If they had a backup, the loss was inconvenient but not critical.

Do you have a backup for your personal belongings? Not that you need duplicates of all the items but do you have a journal listing of all the items with a description and their approximate values? That record becomes the backup that supports the claim for your insurance.

If a building sustains a total loss, the insurance company will usually pay the face amount of the policy. When it comes to personal property which might be 40% to 50% of the insured value of the dwelling, the insurance company is going to expect an accounting with receipts or at least, a relatively recent inventory.

The better your inventory, the less likely you'll have difficulty with the claim. Almost everyone has a digital camera that can take stills and probably even videos. The combination of the images as well as a written description will help you replace the belongings and serve as proof to the insurance company.

Once you've made the inventory, store it off site for safe keeping. Online storage in the "cloud" might be the best place to insure you'll always know where it is. Contact me for a free Home Inventory form; it's my way of helping you be a better homeowner

By Ray Straub : The Mike Parker Team

Selecting a Real Estate Professional:

Purchasing a home is one of the largest investments that most people will ever make.  With a financial investment of this magnitude, it is important to obtain as much information as possible so the buyer can make educated decisions.  With all of the information available to buyers today, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which information is accurate.  Selecting the right real estate professional to guide you through the process can be a great help.  A good Realtor can provide useful information and insight into local market trends and data.

Getting Pre-Qualified:

After you have selected a Realtor you are comfortable working with, the next step is getting pre-qualified for a loan.  Your Realtor will be able to refer you to a loan officer who can go over all of the different loan options with you.  Each buyer is different and there are a number of different loan programs to fit the needs of each individual buyer.  When getting pre-qualified for a loan there are things that need to be taken into consideration.  Your credit score plays a big role in getting qualified.  If you have issues with your credit score, they need to be cleared up as soon as possible.  Your loan officer will examine your credit report and direct you as to what issues need to be addressed.  Your debt to income ratio is also analyzed in the pre-qualification process.  Once this is done, you will need to determine your maximum loan amount.  It is important to keep your monthly payments at a number you feel comfortable with.  Just because you qualify for a certain amount does not mean that you have to purchase a property at the top end.  Make sure that you understand the details of the loan you will be utilizing.  Don’t be scared to ask questions.  Your Realtor and your loan officer work for you, and should be looking out for your best interests.  Together you should be able to figure out what loan program works best for your situation.

Courtsey of the Kentucky Post, check out these area Easter Egg Hunts.  Happy Easter to everyone!!!

The boys of summer are back and ready to bring back the pennant!  If you're curious as to what's going for The Cincinnati Reds opening day downtown and throughout the area we have the scoop.

The parade kicks things off with 200 + floats and those participating in vehicles.  The parade starts at Findlay Market at 1:00pm and ends at Fifth Street and Sycamore.  Make sure to grab your spot along the route and experience the electric atomosphere.

This year there is a block party outside Great American Ball Park before the game Thursday.  Parts of Freedom Way and Joe Nuxhull Way will be closed for the party, which includes live music, food and beer and runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Various bars are offering special prices for drinks and food.  Many of them are featuring live music before and after the game.  Various radio stations will be live on air until 6:00om at various locations throughout the city.

If you have tickets, have fun at the game but if not, there are plenty of plenty other ways to celebrate.  GO REDS!!!!

Before You Call the Repairman

Have you ever had a service company to your home to repair something and find out that it really wasn't "broken"? It probably conjured up ambivalent feelings of joy that it wasn't something serious and frustration that you had to pay a service call for something so simple.

Before you call the repairman next time, keep these things in mind to see if it is something simple:

• Disposer not working - check to see if the reset button has been thrown. It is usually on the bottom of the disposer. If the disposer is making a humming sound, the blades may be stuck. While the disposer is turned off, use a wooden broom handle as a lever to gently rotate the blades. Remove the broom handle and turn on the disposer to see if it works properly.
• Air conditioner not working - check to see if a breaker has thrown on your electric panel. You might need to flip the breaker completely off and flip it back on.
• Electrical outlets not working - Electrical plugs in bathrooms or outside, especially on a porch or patio, are many times connected to a ground fault interrupter. The GFI will be a wall outlet and it may be located in the garage. Locate the outlet and reset the button that may have tripped.
• Clogged drain - a simple way to correct a slow or clogged drain is to use the water pressure from a garden hose. You'll need a helper to turn on the water full-blast once you have safely placed the hose in the drain and are holding a hand-towel around the hose to direct the water to the drain. Be prepared to tell your helper to turn off the water when needed.

Whether it's preparing a home to market or arranging repairs required by the sale, REALTORS® know reputable, reasonable and reliable service contractors. We're here to share our contacts with you to help make home ownership better.

The season of lent is now in full swing and you know what that means...FISH FRY!!!  Some of the best fish frys around are right here in Northern Kentucky.  Here is a list of area Fish Frys.  Which one is your favorite?

NOTE:  All Fish Fry's run every Friday until March 30.

Bellevue Veterans Club at 24 Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue
• Serving Fridays from 5-8 p.m.
• Fish and shrimp dinners and sandwiches
• Carry-out available
• For more info call 859-360-2046.

Crescent Springs Fire Department on Overlook Drive in Crescent Springs.
• Serving from 4-8 p.m. every Friday including Good Friday
• Fish, shrimp dinners, potato soup, chicken tenders
• Prices range from $2-$6
• For more information, call 859-341-3840.

Edgewood Fire Department at the Edgewood Senior Center on Freedom Park Drive.
• Serving 5-8 p.m.
• Baked and fried fish, shrimp, hot dogs, chicken nuggets
• Call-ahead and carryout available
• Prices range from $4-$6.50.
• For more information, call 859-331-5910.

Elks Lodge on Alexandria Pike in Cold Spring.
• Serving from 4:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.
• Fish, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, side dishes, shrimp, fries, hush puppies, onion rings
• Prices range from $5.50 to $7.75, Carryout available
• For more information, call 859-441-1273

Holy Family School on East 16th Street in Covington.
• Serving 4:30-7 p.m.
• Fish, shrimp, grilled cheese, soup, mac-n-cheese, french fries, coleslaw
• For more information, call 859-581-0290.

Knights of Columbus Father Bealer Council on Lytle Avenue in Elsmere
• Feb. 24th- April 6th Serving from 4:30-8 p.m.
• Sandwich $4.50, dinner $6.50, jumbo $7.50
• For information 859-342-6643

Knights of Columbus on S. Licking Pike in Alexandria
• Regular fish dinner $6.00, $6.50 to go Cod dinner $7.50, $8.00 to go Baked fish dinner $7.00, $7.50 to go • •Menu includes shrimp, chicken, onion rings, breaded mushrooms, and many other items for all!
•Carry out 859-635-9863

Mary Queen of Heaven on Donaldson Road in Erlanger
• Serving from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
• Baked or fried fish, shrimp, kids meals available
• Adult prices range from $4.75 to $9.50, carryout and drive-thru available
• For more information, call (859) 371-2622

Saint Augustine's on Euclid Avenue in Covington.
• Serving from 4-7 p.m.
• Fish sandwiches, shrimp dinners
• Carryout available
• For more information, call 859-431-3943.

Saint Barbara Church on Turkeyfoot Road in Erlanger.
• Serving from 4:30-8 p.m.
• Fried fish sandwich, baked salmon, fish nuggets for kids, 5 side items to choose from
• Carryout and call ahead available
• Prices range from $6.50-$7.50 for adults, $3.50 for kids
• For more information, call 859-371-3100

Saint John the Baptist on Dry Ridge Road in Dry Ridge.
• Serving 4:30-7:30 p.m.
• Baked or fried fish, shrimp, LaRosa's cheese pizza, kids dinners
• Prices range from $6 to $8, drive-thru and carryout available
• For more information, call 513-385-8010.

Saint Joseph Academy on Needmore Street in Walton
•Feb.24th, March 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, & 30th
• Serving from 4:30 until 8:00 p.m.
• Menu includes fried fish, shrimp, pizza & beer. Live entertainment!
• Prices from $5-$9.50
• For more info, call 859-356-515.

Saint Patrick on Mills Road in Taylor Mill.
• Serving from 4:30 until 8 p.m.
• Menu includes fried and baked fish, shrimp, kids dinners, pizza, beer
• Drive-thru service available: call (859)-485-6444 after 4 p.m.

Saint Paul on Dixie Highway in Florence
• Serving from 5-8 p.m.
• Baked and fried fish, shrimp, crab cakes, weekly specials including seafood gumbo, gourmet grilled cheese
• Prices range from $7-8, kids meals and carryout available.
• For more information, call 859-647-4072 .

Saint Therese on Temple Place in Southgate.
•Every Friday during Lent except March 16th and Good Friday
• Serving from 5-7:30 p.m.
• Fish or pizza
• Dinner is $7, carryout available
• For more info, call 859-441-9137/ 859-441-1654

Saint Timothy on U.S. 42 in Union.
• Serving Fridays in March from 5:00-7:30 p.m.
• For more info, call 859-384-1100.

Trinity United Methodist on Southern Avenue in Latonia.
• Serving from 5-7 p.m.
• Fried or baked fish, with two sides, drink and dessert.
• Price is $8, $7 for seniors, $3 for kids meal. Carryout available.
• For more info, call 859-261-4010.

A special message from our friends at Classical Christian School....

Classical Christian School Open House - Save the Date!

Taste the difference a Christ-centered education can make when combined with God-honoring rigor! 
Cornerstone Classical Christian Academy invites you to experience life in the day of a student at our school. Participate with our students in the classroom in this dynamic evening event, Friday, March 2nd. Opening bell rings at 7pm. The event ends at 8:20pm and will also include a brief student performance and an opportunity to get your questions answered by teachers and administrators.

Come see CCCA! 
www.cornerstoneclassical.org 
(859)640-5147 
3800 Church Street
Latonia, Kentucky 41015 

Spring is only weeks away so that means its time for Cincinnati's largest and longest running spring showcase....The Cincinnati Home and Garden Show.  Whether you're preparing to buy a new home, update the home you have or just see what the latest trends are, bring the whole family down to the Duke Energy Center and prepared to be awed.

Participating companies include those from landscape and interior design companies, remodeling specialist, specialty companies, manufacturers, retail stores, contractors and more.  2012 Admission is $12.00 for adults and children under 13 are free.  If you swing by Kroger and buy your tickets with your plus card you can save $3.00.  The show runs February 25-26 & February 29-March 4, 2012.

Check out the Exhibitors list here and prepare to be inspired.......

Brought to you by The Mike Parker Team/HUFF Realty.  For more things to do in Northern Kentucky and the tri-state area, check out our blog - 365 Things To Do In Northern Kentucky.