Morrow County, Ohio Real Estate

Why Can't I Find A Bargain Home In Mount Gilead?

Those Bargain Homes In Mount Gilead are out there, but you need to be scouring the listings on a daily basis and you must be ready to act as soon as a good value comes along.  In this current market, there are lots of distressed properties where the seller needs to sell to avoid impending foreclosure or the bank has already taken ownership of the property and they just want to get the home off their inventory.

Most buyers want a home that is in tip-top condition and ready for them to occupy, but many homes sell for bargain prices because they need work. Mount Gilead buyers love "fixer-uppers" for the obvious reasons: the affordable price and the satisfaction of remodeling the house to accommodate your tastes and needs.

Whether you are buying the property in Mount Gilead for yourself or as an investment, choose a house that is in a good location and structurally sound. It should be priced enough below market value (usually 25%) to allow plenty of room for a profitable re-sale after the work is completed.

It is important to educate yourself before taking on a fixer-upper project. Inexpensive cosmetic improvements often give the greatest return on your investment-- paint will increase the value three times for every dollar invested. Landscaping, carpeting, and light fixtures are also relatively inexpensive improvements. Try to avoid purchasing a house in Mount Gilead that needs expensive structural improvements such as a new roof, plumbing, wiring, or foundation repairs.

Remodeling a kitchen will rarely add more than the cost of the upgrade, but new appliances usually give a fine return. An extra bathroom is the best renovation from an investment point of view, often giving twice its cost in added value.   

If you'd like help in finding that Bargain Home In Mount Gilead, give me a call at 419-947-4004.    

Just released statistical data from the Columbus Board of Realtors and the Central Ohio Multiple Listing Service showed a marked increase in Morrow County home sales for the period July, 2010 over the same month July of 2009.  The data shows that more homes sold and at a higher price and at a higher list price-to-sale price ratio.

While Mount Gilead, Cardington, and Marengo home buyers are enjoying historically low 30 year fixed mortgage interest rates, (often as low as 4.5%) along with a plentiful supply of homes to choose from, sellers are finally beginning to realize better sale prices for their homes.

Working with a Realtor in Morrow County, buyers can realize the benefits of being represented throughout the home finding and transaction processes.  Buyer representation does not cost the buyer yet adds real value to the overall process.

Just Another Reason To Use A Realtor (at no cost to you).

When you are buying a new home in Mount Gilead or refinancing your present one, it is wise to do some comparison shopping among lenders. A low interest rate isn't the only criterion by which to evaluate a loan. You should also consider the terms of the mortgage, what your closing costs will be and the reputation of the lender.  Here's where your relationship with a local Realtor helps;

Real estate agents are a good source of information about loans and lenders, whether you are buying a home in Mount Gilead or just refinancing your present home. We routinely assist buyers when they need a mortgage in order to purchase a home. We know what loan packages are available and the qualifying requirements.

The companies with the lowest rates sometimes have very conservative underwriting guidelines, and may not be willing to make loans on certain types of property or to buyers who are marginally qualified. We can tell you which companies and loan officers will go the extra mile to provide excellent service to make sure that the transaction closes.

If you're thinking of buying, call a local Realtor now.  Ask your friends, co-workers, or family for a referral.  Remember, all agents are not alike.  Go ahead and talk with these agents and make sure you are comfortable with them.  Don't just find a house from a sign out front or a web site listing and get the agent "By Default".  You DO have a choice of who you work with and it shouldn't cost you anything, rather, it can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of grief and aggrivation.

Posted: 7/1/2010 Columbus Board of REALTORS®

Working up to the deadline, Congress has passed an extension of the Homebuyer Tax Credit closing deadline, the Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act (H.R. 5623). The extension applies only to transactions that have ratified contracts in place as of April 30, 2010 that have not yet closed. The legislation is designed to create a seamless extension the new closing deadline for eligible transactions is now September 30, 2010. There is will be no gap between June 30 and the date the President signs the bill into law, as he is expected to do.

Originally, the homebuyer tax credit extension had been part of the unemployment benefits bill that included federal aid to state governments and extensions of a host of expired tax breaks for businesses and individuals. But after that bill stalled in the Senate last week due to unanimous Republican opposition, the homebuyer measure was stripped out and passed separately.

NAR worked closely with Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to enact this important legislation. Extending the Tax Credit Closing deadline will help provide additional stability to real estate markets across the nation.

Additionally, the United States Senate has passed the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 5569) an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program until September 30, 2010. This will allow transactions to move forward. The bill is retroactive and covers the lapse period from June 1, 2010 to the date of enactment of the extension. The president is also expected to sign this measure into law.

Mount Gilead Homeowner Charged $1600 To Get Help Avoiding Foreclosure?  Last week I sat down with some very frustrated and discouraged homeowners who are facing foreclosure and possible bankruptcy. 

These Mount Gilead homeowners were beside themselves because they had been "working" with their mortgage lender and doing everything they thought was the right thing to do and they were getting nowhere.  They were continuing to get harrassing phone calls from their bank and even though they thought they were doing the "right thing", they were actually getting in deeper and deeper.

When alas, they received a call from someone who told them they could "help" them through the process.  All they had to do was give them their VISA card number and allow them to charge $1,600 so that they could begin the process.  Although these Mount Gilead homeowners were in no position to pay out $1,600 to anybody, they heard the person on the other end of the phone make promises that he wasn't going to be able to keep.

People, .... YES, there IS help out there.  BUT, you do NOT have to pay for the help!

Here in Ohio, we have www.savethedream.ohio.gov and the help is free.  Yes, there will be some work on your part.  You will need to have a phone conversation with a HUD counselor and you will need to gather some documentation to give to your HUD counselor.

Follow this link to see and print the SaveTheDreamOhio flyer.

If you don't need the information on this flyer, I'll bet that you know someone who does.  15% of your neighbors or co-workers are either currently IN the foreclosure process or just days away because they are in default on their mortgage payments (30 days late).

Please don't allow your Mount Gilead, Cardington, Marengo, or any other Morrow County, Ohio friends, family members or co-workers go through what my clients went through before calling me.  Let them know there IS help out there.  Have them pick up the phone and call SaveTheDreamOhio at 888-404-4674 or they can call Herb Baldwin, Realtor at RE/MAX Genesis at 419-947-4004 and I'll be glad to talk with them and give them some guidance at no charge.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and spread the news.

Home For Sale in Mount Gilead, OHIO 

Mount Gilead, Ohio Real Estate Agent, Herb Baldwin, offers this great new listing at only $189,900.

This home, custom built by Oak Ridge Construction in 2003, offers the buyer over 1700 square feet of beautifully appointed living space.  Some of the amenities of this Mount Gilead, Ohio home include; vaulted ceiling in living room, hardwood floors in kitchen and dining area, 42" cupboards in kitchen, and all solid oak 6 panel doors and oak trim throughout.

Located at 5050 Township Road 117 (also known on some maps as Linn Road) just about 4-5 miles due east of Mount Gilead, Ohio and approx 4 miles from the I-71 and State Route 95 interchange.

Other features and amenities include: first floor master bedroom with huge walk-in closet and luxurious master bath featuring his/hers bath sinks and a built-in make-up mirrored vanity desk.  There's a fully finished family room in the basement along with an unfinished area that currently serves as a great area for the excercise equipment along with an additional furnace room for mechanicals and storage.

To find out more about this fine quality Mount Gilead, Ohio home and see interior photos, room sizes, seller property disclosure and even take a Virtual Tour, follow this link to http://bit.ly/ceznof

This is a GREAT post that illustrates that distressed properties and homeowners in trouble cross all price and income boundaries.  I'm re-blogging this in hopes that some people in MY Morrow County market will be able to see this and maybe some of them will call a professional for help before it's too late. 

Mount Gilead Buyer Says "But I Just Wanna See The House!"

This one comes up a lot.  I get a call from a potential buyer and they've called on one of my listings and they want to go see the house.  My standard response is then to ask them; if they're working with anybody to help them find a house, and if they have talked with a lender and are they already preapproved.  Often the answer is "No, we're not working with anyone and Yes, we are preapproved."  What a pleasure it is to meet and work with these folks because they've learned the value of getting that loan approval letter in hand before looking at homes.

Every so often though, I get a response something like; "Well no, we haven't talked with a lender, we just wanna see the house."  I get real nervous when I get this response. 

As professionals, we understand the value of qualifying our prospects, both buyers and sellers.  Are these "lurkers" just nosey neighbors?  Are they burglars wanting to case the joint?  Are they drug addicts just wanting to use the bathroom so they can go through the medicine cabinet?

You see for many (selfish) reasons, I want to meet my potential clients before I just run out and show them a home.  I want all of us to be safe rather than sorry.  (Would you want your Mother or your young daughter running out at the last minute and meeting a total stranger in an empty house?)

But this is only 50% of the rationale.  It's really imperitive for the buyer's benefit that they meet with the agent prior to visiting the first home.  The buyer/agent relationship is going to last for some time, through the viewing and buying process and then hopefully for years to come.  By meeting and finding out about each other, they can begin to develop a relationship of mutual respect for each other.

The Realtor can: explain how they run their business (hours and days they work, use of email and v/mail for communications, etc.  The agent can go through the entire home buying process, explaining financing options and benefits, talk about the home inspection process along with the repair remedy process.  We can talk about multiple offers and how we'll handle that should it come up.

They buyer can; verbalize what they want in a home and why that's important to them, they can have the opportunity to see and understand the MLS property reports that their agent will send them, they can go through a sample Settlement Statement so that they can understand what their transaction costs might really be and when they'll be expected to have these monies, (earnest money, inspection fees, etc.)

For me this whole process, what I call the "Buyer Interview" typically lasts about an hour and it's pretty straightforward and natural for me.  But for the buyer it's a new experience that I think allows them to leave the appointment with more knowledge.  And with more knowledge comes less anxiety and increased confidence in the decisions that they are about to make.

If you've been thinking about buying a home, call Herb now at 419-947-4004 to set up your own "Buyer Interview". 

To see what's available in Morrow County, visit www.herbsells.com

Homes To Rent In Morrow County, Ohio

As a local Morrow County Realtor, I get a lot of calls from folks who are looking for homes to rent. It seems that these calls have increased since the decline in the home sale market. It seems as though there may be a lot of folks that have lost their homes for any number of reasons. But they need a place to live - everybody should have a safe, clean place to live.

I own a few rentals but they're all taken right now. But I stopped at the local Metro Housing Authority office in Mount Gilead this morning and picked up a list of rental properties in Morrow County along with the names and numbers of the landlords. Hopefully this will help those out there hunting for a place to live. Just click MorrowRentalLandlordInfo to see the complete list.

To look for homes available for sale in Morrow County, follow this link: www.herbsells.com