If you believe that your Cuyahoga County property taxes are too high and you think that you can make a good case for a property tax tax reduction based on some real solid evidence, you have until March 31, 2010 to file a complaint with the Cuyahoga County Board of Revision. You can complete the Complaint form on line or you can mail it in to: THE BOARD OF REVISION Room 232 1219 Ontario St. Cleveland, OH. 44113 To access the Complaint form and for a better understanding of the tax abatement process and/or to complete a form on line, here's the County link: http://bor.cuyahogacounty.us/ And good luck! 01/16/2010

MY HOUSE SHOULD SELL FOR MORE THAN MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE! Few absurdities compare with getting locked into an imaginary competition with a neighbor who made a bundle on their house and has since moved on! We understand your frustration. But even if your house is superior in every single respect to your nemesis neighbor's property, he or she already one-upped you by having better timing. You're right ... It's not fair! But it happens every day. Price exists in space and time and can change at any time for any reason, regardless of how subjective or arbitrary that reason may seem to you. The sooner you accept this dismal reality the sooner you can throw away that bottle of anti-depressants sell your house and get on with your life. The alternative is to continue doing the same thing over an... 01/16/2010

This is a heads-up for anyone who lives in or around Beachwood, Ohio or who may be visting the area. On Monday January 18, 2010 from 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is holding its annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The best part ... ADMISSION IS FREE! My father was Judge of the Cleveland Heights Municpal Court and had the great privilege to meet Dr. King. Within six months of the taking of this photo my father and Dr. King had both passed on. My father is on the left. I do not know the identity of the man in the middle. I was told that this picture was taken in Rabbi Armand Cohen's study at Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights, Ohio during one of Dr. King's last visits to Cleveland. Here is the link to the Maltz Museum: http://www.maltzmuseum.org/ 01/14/2010

"I'm listing my house with XYZ Realty because they offer one-stop shopping which includes an in-house mortgage and title company." There's nothing wrong with real estate companies that offers these services. Many consumers prefer the convenience of one-stop shopping. Many real estate brokerages can no longer survive on commissions alone and need to sell these extra services as the marketplace becomes more competitive. But is one-stop shopping better for the consumer? Some companies tout in-house lenders and title companies as if this is a "obviously" a huge plus for the seller and the buyer. This claim is not necessarily a plus though it may be easier for an agent to oversee a transaction in which the firm's mortgage and title companies are involved. It can also be argued that the agen... 01/14/2010

CITY OF BEACHWOOD OH PLASTIC BOTTLE ART PROJECT NEWS. The City of Beachwood OH. needs your help in putting together this eco-friendly art project and is asking residents and friends of the City to save-up and drop-off color, plastic water bottles. These bottles can be from soda, water, sports drinks, etc. These bottles will be used for an art installation at the Beachwood Community Center on Fairmount Blvd. on Friday April 16, 2010 from 1:00 to 7:00 P.M. Here's the link to Beachwood Ohio's Plastic Bottle Art Project news: http://www.beachwoodohio.com/news093.html 01/14/2010

"I DON'T CARE, I'M SELLING MY HOUSE "AS IS" Unless your target buyer is Austin Powers you probably need to get rid of that psychedelic purple mylar wallpaper and that green shag carpeting you installed thirty years ago. Remember, it was new when you bought the house but it's 30 years later! Your decorating is not new to a young buyer.   "Know thyself!" This ancient Greek axiom also applies to how you perceive your own home ... a place where self-deception is apparently in abundant supply. Condition rules, especially in a tough market where buyers are and can afford to be selective. Houses in superior condition sell first and for more money. If your property shows poorly then you're at a competitive disadvantage. So how do you know when your house could use a little "sprucing-up?"   A go... 01/12/2010

 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN INTERVIEWING A LISTING AGENT     •1)     How many years have you been in the business? Are you full-time? •2)     How much business do you do a year? How many of your listings           wind-up expired vs. sold? What is your list to sales price ratio? •3)     Do you have a written marketing plan of action specifically tailored            to my property? •4)     Do you have a a resume & list of references including the name and phone          numbers of at least three people I can call? •5)    Can I review and go over your listing agreement with you? •6)    Do you have a written guarantee so that in case I am not satisfied with your         services I can terminate the listing agreement immediately? If I terminate         for good cause, will you require me to pay ... 01/11/2010

We often have clients ask about how to stage their home. Fortunately, Elly has a background in display having worked in the display department for a major department store chain. Here's a link to a Cleveland Plain Dealer article in which we were interviewed to provide home staging tips. http://www.cleveland.com/insideout/index.ssf/2009/01/10_tips_for_staging_your.html 01/10/2010

"I'm no expert but I'm not paying a full commission when I can pay a discount broker a low flat fee and then pay only the selling agent's side of the commission. I negotiate for a living. Surely I can negotiate something as easy as a home sale." Yeah, right! And because every real estate agent also negotiates for a living they should be able to do your job too?  But seriously, the discount broker arrangement is usually best in a strong seller's market. That of course would not be the current market. Another name for this is selling by owner or FSBO. A discount brokerage may assign an agent to represent you but you really do get what you pay for and this means you do all of the heavy lifting. Expect minimal agent involvement and expect to pay for most of your own advertising. FSBO's choo... 01/09/2010

"My house appraised at an amount higher than my real estate agent claims it's worth. Do I go with the Realtor's price opinion or the appraiser's?" Perhaps we're conditioned to believe that there's no better answer than one that's scientific. But don't be blinded by science!  Real estate appraisal is not a science! It's actually a sort of blend of art and science and the results can be subjective. An appraisal is a supportable opinion of the "approximate" value of real estate at a given point in time. This definition alone should leave you asking questions. Sure appraisals are based on "educated opinions," but they're merely approximations of value and, believe it or not, are considered valid for one day only. It's also a lot easier to appraise value in a stable market than in a market w... 01/09/2010

Just like politics, all real estate is local. Unfortunately many buyers run with what they hear in the mainstream media and may miss out on getting the exact house that they want. Does the following sound familiar? "The real estate agent says this house is priced well below market, and it's exactly what we've been looking for ... but we're going to wait because it's a buyer's market and a better deal is bound to come around. The agent's just being pushy." We have seen more than a few buyers make this mistake and lose the house that they've been searching for, often searching for years. Some buyers apparently can't believe that there could actually be another buyer in the sluggish market portrayed in the media. Sales here in Beachwood Ohio, for instance, are not exactly off the charts bu... 01/08/2010

Beachwood Real Estate - 2009 Year End Home Statistics        Wow, what a year for the Beachwood real estate market. Here is our official 2009 Beachwood Real Estate year in review complete with a comparison to 2008.   All Sales           # of homes sold         Ave. Sales Price              Ave. Days on Market  2009                       116                        $259,309                             110   2008                        94                         $254,132                              91 Highest Sale = $650,000 Lowest Sale = $66,500   Luxury Sales     # of homes sold        Ave. Sales Price              Ave. Days on Market 2009                        10                           $569,200                             128 2008                         2                          ... 01/07/2010

  Despite all of the bad news we heard about real estate in 2008, Beachwood, Ohio actually faired surprisingly well. We live here and we work here and find ourselves pleasantly surprised at the data! 2009                                                                                              2008 117 sold properties reported in local M.L.S.                       95 sold properties reported in local M.L.S. $257,102 Avg. Sales Price                                                      $251,483 Avg. Sales Price Bottom line, we had 22 more sales this past year and the average sold property averaged around $5,500 more than it did in 2008. That's fairly impressive considering that the pundits claimed that the real estate market was on the brink of Armageddon. As for the current market he... 01/06/2010

We live and sell real estate in the City of Beachwood, Ohio where, according to the 2000 Census, the annual median household income was some $77,500, the population just over 12-Thousand, and the median age around 51 years old; which is older than the average age in the U.S. In 2000, families (non-single residences) represented almost 63% of the population. The past 10 years brought about many changes for Beachwood, as it did in many jurisdictions across the country, so it should be interesting to see what the 2010 Census results have in store for us. We suspect some major demographic changes will be reported. Though anecdotal, it is our impression that increasingly younger families are making Beachwood their home, so we expect that the average age will be lower than what was reported b... 01/04/2010

Beachwood Real Estate: Beachwood A Green Community Beachwood, known for it's highly rated school district, great location, and excellent amenities, has just received another distinction: the top recycling community in Cuyahoga County. Recently, Beachwood received the highly coveted "trash Oscar" for being the area's top recycling community. In fact, Beachwood residents recycled almost 69% of their trash according to the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District. More important than just receiving an award, this distinction means that Beachwood is seeing its residence actively participate in recycling, making it a desirable area for those looking to buy real estate in a green community. Making the city "greener" also helps reducing costs, which is a great benefit to Beachwood home owners. Bea... 12/08/2009

Beachwood Home Statistics November 2009     Here is a list of all single family homes that sold here in Beachwood last month.  A market summary will follow. 23207 E Groveland Rd $126,000 21118 Halworth Rd $130,000 23114 Cedar Rd $185,000 2546 Larchmont Rd $190,000 2173 Halcyon Rd $233,000 25911 Hendon Rd $255,000       MARKET SUMMARY Last month's Beachwood home statistics look similar to those from November of 2008. Overall, there were 6 homes that sold last month at an average price of $186,500. Last year saw only 5 homes sell in November at an average price of $162,00. The homes that sold last month were all lower than the average sales price of a home in Beachwood, which leads us to believe that bargain shoppers are looking at the lower price points, which is common during winter mon... 12/07/2009

  Beachwood Home Statistics October 2009     Here is a list of all single family homes that sold here in Beachwood in October. A market summary will follow. SOLDS October 2009 SALE PRICE     24561 S Woodland Rd $145,000 2577 Elmhurst Dr $222,500 23608 Ranch Rd $222,500 24875 Shaker Blvd $235,000 23258 Fernwood Dr $252,000 2630 Buckhurst Dr $340,000 24602 Hawthorne Dr $358,000 2257 Orchard Way $568,500   MARKET SUMMARY Last month's Beachwood home statistics look much better than those from October 2008. Overall, we had 9 homes sell last month compared to only 7 sales in October 2008. The average sales price last month of $295,944 was also higher than in 2008, which was $174,857. Year to date figures also indicate that 2009 is going to be better statistically than 2008.  So far this year,... 11/03/2009

Beachwood Home Statistics     Here is a list of all single family homes that sold during the third quarter of 2009. A market summary will follow. 3204 Sulgrave Rd  $135,000 26117 N Woodland  $146,500 23818 E Baintree $147,500 24111 E Groveland Rd  $166,000 3597 Beacon Dr  $186,000 23705 E Silsby Rd  $201,000 2627 Edgewood Rd  $205,000 2574 Edgewood Rd  $217,000 2556 Elmhurst Dr  $218,700 21911 Halworth Rd  $220,000 2790 Richmond  $221,000 2178 Cedarview Dr  $254,000 24430 Shaker Blvd  $255,000 2654 Ramsay Rd  $259,000 24950 Hilltop Dr  $264,700 25916 Hendon  $280,000 24400 Shaker Blvd  $285,000 25275 Shaker Blvd  $342,256 23109 Greenlawn Ave $345,000 25224 Cardington Dr  $372,500 26550 Bernwood Rd  $455,000 2532 Fairwood Glen $470,000 2509 Fairwood Ct  $535,000 25050 Twickenham  $555,50... 10/05/2009

While the greater Cleveland area has a ton of playgrounds, there is one that is unlike any other in Northeast Ohio and is worthy of a visit. It is called Preston's H.O.P.E. and is located in Beachwood, Ohio.        The idea of this very special playground came from a family who had a little boy named Preston who had Spinal Muscular Atrophy. He had a dream to be able to play in a park that allowed children with and without disabilities to interact with each other.  After many years, millions of dollars in donations, and the generous support of the local community, Preston's H.O.P.E. ( which stands for Helping Others Play and Enjoy ) became a reality. A special thank you is in order to the Mandel Jewish Community Center as they donated the land and also operate the playground as well.    ... 07/15/2009

Already known as one of the top rated public schools in the area, Beachwood received yet another accolade for making Newsweek's list of top-rated schools in the entire US.   Officially, Beachwood was ranked 415 on the list of 1500 top high schools in America. The formula used by Newsweek to rank the schools was created by Jay Mathews. It consists of AP, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge courses taken by all students at a school and dividing by the total number of graduating seniors. Beachwood Principal Robert Hardis was interviewed for an article that appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer regarding the list and the importance of students participating and doing well on the AP test. The Beachwood school system is a great source of pride for the local community and is a big draw ... 06/17/2009