New Year's Resolution: Buy a New Home in 2014

Some of us may have already written down our resolutions for 2014 ... exercise more, lose weight, stop smoking.  Does your New Year's Resolution include Buying a New House in 2014?  If not, perhaps it should. 

Reports indicate the housing market is improving, home sales are increasing and foreclosures are on the decline.  Now may be the perfect time to buy a home.

Read these tips from Cutler Real Estate before you start your home search. 

Tips to Beat Holiday Home Selling Stress

Halls to deck, carols to sing, gifts to wrap ... a Home to Sell?

A home to sell during the holidays?  No, we're not kidding!  Celebrating the holidays and selling your home – do not have to be at odds. Carry the best of the holidays into marketing your home to potential buyers. 

Read Cutler Real Estate's blog - Tips to Beat Holiday Home Selling Stress to make sure you holiday season is merry and bright!

MWM 288 Wussifying American Kids

A Columbus Christmas

Each holiday season, we take the time to celebrate with family and friends.  Columbus, Ohio celebrates the Christmas season with a splendor of holiday light, visits by Jolly Old St. Nick and a 'Dickens' of a good time.

Share our Cutler Real Estate blog, A Columbus Christmas, with family and friends as you plan your family gatherings.

Canton Celebrates Christmas

Being a part of the Canton, Ohio community, I'm impressed with the multitude of holiday events and celebrations available for people of all ages.  Ice skating and hot chocolate, homes trimmed with twinkling lights decorate Canton neighborhoods, Christmas music and carols celebrate the season in local churches and at community events.

I'm sharing our Cutler Real Estate blog, Canton Celebrates Christmas, to highlight Canton's holiday events for you to enjoy with family and friends.

Cutler Real Estate Announces Participation in Brew Review to Benefit Columbus Creative Living

BREW REVIEW, will be held on Friday, November 15th from 7 to 10 p.m. at Grange Insurance Audubon Center.  It’s a casual evening tasting craft beers, enjoying hors d'oeuvres, music, mingling and networking. Tickets are $35 per person if purchased before November 8, $40 after.

oin the entire Cutler Real Estate Team on Friday, November 15 in Columbus, Ohio to benefit Creative Living. 

Creative Living is a local Columbus, non-profit organization encouraging independent living for adults with severe physical disabilities.  They provide wheelchair accessible housing and assistance and create a supportive environment for people to learn, work, live and contribute to the community.

Read more about this noteworthy event.  Cutler Real Estate sponsors the BREW REVIEW.

Tips for the Older Home Buyer

Does it seem like "just yesterday" you were unpacking boxes to move into your new home?

How can it be 20 years later and your're considering downsizing? Read this #Cutler #Realestate blog about #olderbuyers and making the decisions to downsize.

Cutler Real Estate hosts training courses for our REALTORS to earn their Senior Real Estate Specialist® designation. Contact us today to begin working with a REALTOR who holds that designation.

Tips for the Older Home Buyer from Cutler Real Estate

Ohio Association of Realtors Recognizes 101 Cutler Realtors® as President’s Sales Club Award Recipients

#Cutler #RealEstate is proud of all of its #OAR President's Sales Club winners, many of whom were present at the Ohio Association's Annual Convention recently held in Columbus.

Cutler Real Estate recently announced that 101 Cutler REALTORS® were recognized as “OAR President’s Sales Club Award Recipients”. OAR officially awarded 1,982 of its members “President’s Sales Club” designations in four recognition levels for outstanding sales performance in the real estate industry.

Congratulations to the entire team of real estate sales professionals at Cutler Real Estate.  Learn more more about the achievements Cutler Real Estate agents continue to make.

MWM Blame vs. Responsibility

New Home Construction Boom and Homebuilding Trends

 

After the hit the US housing market and real estate industry took over the last few years, can there be such a thing as "too much good news?"  Read Cutler Real Estate Blog: New Home Construction Boom and Homebuilding Trends.  New home construction helping to drive Ohio's ‪#‎realestate‬ housing inventory.

 

Leaders in the Ohio real estate marketing, Cutler Real Estate has been helping people buy homes and sell homes since 1947.  Visit www.CutlerHomes.com to find homes Akron, Canton, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Northern Kentucky.

What the Buyer Can Expect at the Closing

Most people don't buy a home more than once or twice in their lifetimes.  A savvy homebuyer (first-time or not) may realize it's commonplace to "expect the unexpected" during the entire process of buying a home.  By the time the closing arrives, having an idea of what may occur during the events of that day may make the process a little easier.

That's the reason we've created the blog, "What the Buyer Can Expect at the Closing" on CutlerHomes.com.  Cutler Real Estate has been an Ohio real estate leader since 1947.  Cutler Real Estate has earned its reputation as a real estate industry leader by continuing to provide superior service to our customers year after year. Nearly 300 Cutler Real Estate REALTORS® have the training and experience necessary to help you achieve your goals.  Visit CutlerHomes.com today.

Tips for Selling a Home: Creating Curb Appeal

Whether it's pulling a few stray dandelions or giving your yard a complete makeover, creating great curb appeal can mean the difference between a housing sitting on the market for months or selling your home in a few short weeks.

Creating great curb appeal doesn't mean spending an arm and a leg.  With some good, old-fashioned sweat equity and just a little bit of money, it may be well worth your efforts come closing day.

For more tips on selling your home, visit www.CutlerHomes.com.  Read our blog post:  Tips for Selling a Home:  Creating Curb Appeal.

Tips for Maintaining Your Deck

Summer is in full swing.  Time for weekend barbeques, summer evenings outside, and selling your home. 
 
Outdoor decks can prove to be one of the best investments for homeowners. Like most coveted home features, decks do need your attention and maintenance. If you're selling your home, no one will want to buy it if they detect costly deck repairs. If properly maintained, decks will return about 77 percent of their original cost, according to Remodeling magazine.

Read this week's CutlerHomes.com blog post:  Tips for Selling a Home: Maintaining Your Deck, for advice.

Cutler Real Estate Tips for First-Time Home Buyers

If you're a first-time home buyer, bought several homes, or even a real estate agent who has participated in the buying and selling of homes for many years, you've experienced the stress and anxiety experienced in any real estate transaction.

Recently, Cutler Real Estate posted a blog on our website, CutlerHomes.com, entitled, "Tips for First-Time Home Buyers" to help lessen the stress during the process of searching for and buying a new home.

Go to CutlerHomes.com to read "Tips for First-Time Home Buyers" to learn more.

Ohio's Top 5 Housing Markets

Cutler Real Estate recently posted a blog on our Cutlerhomes.com website entitled, "Ohio's Top 5 Housing Markets".

These top five Ohio real estate areas, Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo, have increasingly gained  in sales month-after-month without skipping a beat, according to the Ohio Association of Realtors.  Quite a remarkable statement when conserving the rest of the US is recovering from one of the most stubborn recessions in recent history.

Read Ohio's Top 5 Housing Markets to learn "the rest of the story".

7 Top Summer Jobs for Teens

By Barbara Pronin

For some teenagers, summer is a time to sleep in, kick back and enjoy. But for others, it’s all about money – a good time to earn and stow away cash for whatever is dearest to their hearts.

Summer jobs that are social and flexible are clearly the most popular. High school counselors suggest top possibilities ambitious teens should look into:

Camp counselor – Residential summer camps frequently want counselors with counselor-in-training (CIT) experience. But day camps, whether private or sponsored by churches, schools, or other local organizations, offer plenty of opportunity for responsible teens who can be good role models for children. Check early with camp sponsors for the best chance to snag a position.

Lifeguard – Proficient swimmers who are at least 15 years old can become certified lifeguards by completing a 37-hour training course including CPR, first aid, use of rescue equipment, and more. Passing written and swimming tests may also be required, but once certified, summer lifeguarding can be fun and lucrative for years.

Starting a service business – Entrepreneurial teens who can provide babysitting, lawn care, cleaning, car washing or other needed services, such as computer instruction or tutoring, may want to start a business that could continue long past the summer months. They can get a start by advertising their services at senior center, church and community bulletin boards or in free community newspapers.

Concert and event venues – It takes a lot of people to usher, sell snacks, provide security, and man the parking lots at the many summer event venues available in most communities. Apply early for the best chance of being hired.

Food services – Teens who like interacting with people can choose from cashier, host/hostess, server, bus girl, dish washer, and prep cook positions. Food industry jobs often open up in summer as restaurants seek to staff expanded outdoor dining.

Movie theaters – Indoors or at summer drive-ins, teens can enjoy free movies, free popcorn, and socializing by working at a movie theater in concessions, tickets sales, or cleaning.

Business internship – While many internships are unpaid, some do offer a stipend – and teens can gain invaluable experience to support their professional futures by pursuing a summer internship in a career field of their choice.

Tips for House Hunting with Kids

By Hans Brings

Buying a house is in equal parts exhilarating and nerve wracking. Unless you have that perfect house just waiting for you, financing ready to go, and no competing offers, your home search can be time consuming and fraught with ups and downs. Add your kids into the mix, and you might feel completely overwhelmed before you even get started.

There are many compelling reasons to include your kids in your home search. Moving can be a tough proposition for children, especially if they have to change schools and make new friends. Small children might simply miss the familiarity of the home in which they've grown up. Including kids in the search for your new home can be empowering for them. They can feel that they have a say in the final decision – the degree to which they actually do is up to you, but certainly most parents feel that a new home has to be just right for the entire family.

If you are moving towns, in a time crunch, or if you don't have childcare in the area, you might find yourself going on a house hunt with your kids in tow. Here are a few tips that can help you make your home search an experience that is tolerable – or even exciting – for the entire family.

Research. The more information you can find out ahead of time about the property either online or from your real estate agent, the better background you'll have to target areas of concern or interest when you go for the showing. Make lists of everything you're looking for in a home and screen out any houses that don't fit your needs.

Take your time. If possible, don't cram all your showings into one day. If a full day of showings seems like a marathon to you, just imagine how worn your children's patience will be.

Plan the day. Do you have a contingency plan in the case of a meltdown? Can you take turns viewing the home with your spouse and compare notes in the car?

Bring provisions. You'll need ample snacks, drinks, and entertainment like books, crayons, and sketchbooks. Portable DVD players, laptops, iPads, iPods, and handheld video games can work wonders for "bored" kids, especially if you ordinarily limit their time with such devices – and the promise of some technology time can serve as a reward for good behavior during each showing. Make sure you're stocked with diapers, wipes, and paper towels for any messes on the go.

Set ground rules. Lay out your expectations for your kids' behavior before you even embark on your day, outlining things they must not do while they are "guests" in someone else's home. Let them understand that you won't tolerate running, fighting, sitting on furniture, or fiddling with other people's belongings. Keep careful track of all of your kids at all times to make sure they are observing the rules.

Take breaks. Have lunch a restaurant your kids enjoy or take a midday break for ice cream or some other treat. Stop at a park or playground in one of the neighborhoods you visit. You can make the day a fun adventure that the kids enjoy and remember.

Streamline. Take notes and photos so that you can revisit the details of each property later on when you are free from distractions. If you find yourself with questions later on, you can contact your agent for answers.

Prioritize. Make sure to visit the homes that most interest you early in the day so that you don't end up missing them if you have to cut the day short. If there are any homes that would be "nice to see," but not compelling, save them until the end of the day and only visit them if the family is holding together well.

Buying a new home is one of the most important decisions you can make. It's imperative to make a sound choice that will assure your happiness down the road. Including your kids in your home search doesn't have to be difficult if you plan your search with them in mind. You might find that they have questions about a property that you haven't thought of – and their additional perspective could prove useful when you finally make your decision.

Real Estate Agent Ranked 'Happiest' Job

Real Estate Agent Ranked 'Happiest' Job

Does Buyer Urgency Boost the Housing Urgency?

Is housing getting hot again? After the historic collapse of a few years ago, the housing market has been on a slow rebound marked by increases in new home starts and demand for a limited supply of available houses. Now, a new survey reported in Business Insider offers evidence that the US housing market isn’t just working its way back from the brink in fits and starts, it’s rushing forward at a speed not seen in years.

According to Business Insider, the financial services company Credit Suisse recently conducted its monthly survey of real estate agents and housing industry experts in 40 US housing markets in an attempt to profile the actual state of the recovery. Their results? Housing is at its strongest in the history of the survey.

Granted, Credit Suisse’s survey only dates back to 2005. But it spans the period of the housing bubble and its disastrous collapse as well as events since then, so behind the hyperbole stand some real data that could shed light on the state of he market as spring selling season approaches.

What’s driving the upswing in market strength? One key factor appears to be a sense of urgency on the part of potential home purchasers. These buyers fear that time is running out on those historically low mortgage rates, and waiting to buy may lock them into higher rates. Home prices are rising, too, and this along with low rates fuels a rush to get a good deal before it’s too late.

Another factor driving buyer urgency is the well-publicized low supply of available houses for purchase. That supply continues to shrink nationwide, for numerous reasons including the holdup of many potentially available properties in the foreclosure pipeline. What’s more, the length of time required to sell a home also fell to a new low in major markets around the country, signaling even higher prices in the coming months as demand outstrips supply.

These indicators of a housing market that’s not just recovering but surging come at a time when tighter mortgage lending standards threatened to exclude numerous potential buyers from getting a loan, and financial experts predicted am upsurge in the rental markets. But as numerous consumer surveys continue to affirm, the “American Dream” of homeownership is still alive and kicking for many, and potential buyers feel the need to act now in the face of future uncertainties in the market.

Debbie McClymont Addresses International Event Focused on Real Estate Marketing and Technology

 Debbie McClymont, Manager of Online Services for Cutler Real Estate presented at the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® MarTech event, February 26-28 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. This prestigious conference attracted a sell-out crowd and was part of LeadingRE Conference Week, a series of events that drew nearly 2,000 top real estate professionals from 17 countries. Those in attendance were marketing and technology professionals affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®, a global network of 500+ market-leading real estate firms representing more home sales than any other real estate network.

Sessions offered at MarTech focused on a range of timely topics, including the effective use of social media, mobile and internet marketing; innovations to improve lead conversion and the use of data to improve customer experience and business results. Debbie McClymont presented information on Popular Tools for Boosting SEO Efforts, sharing insights on improving search engine ranking. Debbie focused on the latest information, tools and considerations such as quality link building, meta data best practices and social media metrics that matter.

“The success of MarTech was due in large part to our talented member speakers, who generously shared their strategies and insights with other members,” Pam O’Connor, president/CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® said. “These market-leading professionals help set a standard of excellence and innovation for our events, and we are thankful for their contributions.”

McClymont was among a distinguished line-up of speakers that included keynote speakers Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist and a bestselling author, and Shawn Achor, author of the international bestseller The Happiness Advantage. Matthew Ferrara, who serves as Dean of Innovation for LeadingRE’s professional development platform, was also featured, along with real estate technology innovator and co-founder of Home Junction Grant Gould and internet marketing authority Jim Marks of Virtual Results. An array of talented and accomplished LeadingRE member speakers also shared unique insights and perspectives on the use of marketing and technology to support the success of a real estate brokerage.

Cutler Real Estate is the Columbus, Akron and Canton representative of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®, the largest network of premier locally-branded firms producing over $234 billion in annual home sales. LeadingRE provides its affiliates with an extensive range of brokerage services, which include lead generation, cross-market referrals, branding support, luxury marketing, online exposure, technology systems, and industry-leading professional development.