Vectren Dayton Air Show July 23 & 24 2011!  Feel The NEED for SPEED?? Ready for the area's BEST air show?  The Vectren Dayton Air Show fills the skies July 23 & 24 at Dayton International Airport featuring the U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds! And of course you get LOTS more than that!  Flyovers by all manner of old and new aircraft....B-25, B-1, B2, Corsairs, Thunderbolts and more!  Skydivers & wingwalkers!  Planes on display on the ground & a helicopter stunt pilot!  Combat simulations too!  A Jet powered school bus??!! Get the picture?  LOTS to see and watch! So here are the key details: Time: July 23 & 24.  Gates open at 9 a.m., close at 6 p.m.  Actual air show events start at 11 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.  With minor exceptions, the air show repeats the same schedule both days. Tickets: Good f... 07/20/2011

Dayton Area Home Sales for March 2011 While sales of single-family and condominiums were up in the month of March compared to February's total (805 transactions versus 637 in February), the year-over year comparison shows a market still facing the challenges of economic recovery.  March totals showed a 17.7% decline over last March's 978 sales. It is worth noting that it was at this time in 2010 when the $8,000 tax credit was in full gear, spurring activity through the first six months of last year. March sales activity generated $76.2 million in volume with an average sale price of $94,652. The median sale price was $70,550. These figures were down 21.4% and 30.8% respectively from March 2010. The first quarter sales total has reached 2,030 compared to 2,140 during the same period last... 05/19/2011

I'm not sure if it's a first, but it's the first time I've noticed ActiveRain and ActiveRain bloggers in the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) tip sheet called TBR (Today's Buyer's Rep).        04/22/2011 "FOR BUYERS:  THE HOME BUYER FAQ"In this post on activerain.com, Christina Asad Edwards takes the time to answer a few questions home buyers may have. From the common 'Where do I start?' question; to buyers agreements and disclosures. Find out if Christina has the answer you were looking for by continuing to her post. (Christina Asad Edwards, activerain.com)Congratulations Christina, and thanks ActiveRain.  Even the Real Estate Buyer's Agency Council (REBAC) is beginning to recognize the importance of this platform and promote our blogging efforts!   Need a REALTOR® Down the Shor... 04/24/2011

Let Me Introduce You To ..... Carrie Trotter - Commercial and Home Inspector in Dayton Ohio Since 2005 Carrie and her husband Tom have been educating buyers and investors about the condition of properties in and around Dayton Ohio. She is fairly new to ActiveRain but has already produced some killer blog posts that are not only informative but interesting to read. No one like to read a blog about blah blah what you do and what 10 zillion other people do in your area. Carrie has come up with some super blogs already including these: Switch Seats! You never know you who you might meet Trials and Tribulations of ISP Customer Service Is there such a thing as too many networking opportunities? Even her intro Blog about an ActiveRain Newbie was clear and well laid out. Carrie's heart for peop... 03/24/2011

Spring Sprung in Southwest Ohio finally! "Selebrate" the Spring season with a stroll to one of Southwest Ohio's favorite districts, the Oregon District! The Oregon District now boasts a NEW establishment, just opened this month - Lucky's Taproom and Eatery. Lucky's Taproom and Eatery, Oregon District, 520 East Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio, 45402 Hours of Operation: Monday - Sunday  11:00 a.m. - 2:30 a.m. Price Range: $1 - $10 Food Styles: American (Traditional), Burgers, Diners, Fast Food, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches, Vegan, Vegetarian Parking: Street and Parking Lot General Manager: Drew Trick Attire: Casual Payment Options: Visa, Mastercard, Discover Culinary Team: Shawn McTaggart and friends Specialties: Lunch, Dinner, Drinks Phone: 937-222-6800 Enjoy Spring in Southwest Ohio! 03/20/2011

Things To Do in the Dayton Ohio Area Check out the Facebook Dayton, Ohio Guide on the best things to do in the Dayton area including restaurants, attractions, nightlife, clubs, bars, events, shopping, entertainment, music, activities, and things to do in Dayton, Ohio. Click "Like" to receive daily tips on things to do in the Dayton, Ohio area. For more info on the Dayton area visit www.DaytonOhioHouse.com www.facebook.com/DaytonOhioArea   02/05/2011

Now I don't mean the ones that he spouts when he trips over the last step in the basement, or the one that he says when he closes the dishwasher on his fingers.  The ones I mean are the ones that you can use in public without mothers covering their children's ears. I'll start with the ones that are very basic.  These are the terms that cover some of the types of inspections we do.  Be careful though, most inspectors have their own terms for the different types of inspections.  Most of these terms can be interchanged with other inspectors, but be sure to ask the inspector to clarify what exactly is covered. WBI or WDI is Wood Boring Insect or Wood Destroying Insect.  This is an inspection for active and inactive insects and signs that they are there or have been. Foundation is a term use... 12/09/2010

Sell Your House Faster with Rain Harvesting - Ohio House Buyers: Given the fact there is a severe water shortage in most places, availability of clean, soft water even during summer time can be a very big selling point of your house. In fact, this can be the single factor that can enable you to sell your house extremely quickly, in a matter of weeks rather than months. But, more importantly, it can help you sell your house at a reasonable profit, which is almost unthinkable given the current market situation. So, how can this be made possible? Well, you must be aware of rain water harvesting. All you need to do is invest in a few rain barrels and link them all together in your back yard. Some of them are decorative enough to even be placed in your front yard or garden. They are availabl... 11/07/2010

                  Let's look at the results so far this year (bold is home team) O S U - 45  Marshall - 7                    Sept. 02 O S U - 36  Miami (FL) - 24               Sept. 11 O S U - 43  Ohio U - 7                      Sept. 18 O S U - 72  Eastern Michigan - 20      Sept. 25 It has been a long time since OSU scored 72 points, but how do you tell the second and third string not to score. This weekend we take our first road trip to Illinois for a noon (CT) kick off. This is also The Buckeyes first conference game and the start of a bid for the Big Ten Championship (again).  Jack Gilleland Home Inspection Services, Clayton Serving Dayton, Ohio and the Surrounding Area     09/28/2010

Dayton Area Home Sales for August 2010 - as reported by the Dayton Area Board of Realtors Single-family transactions reported to the Dayton Area Board of REALTORS®' MLS reached 852 in August, an increase of 75 units (9.6%) more than July's total. However, in a year-over-year comparison, this figure showed a decline for the second month in a row. August totals in 2009 showed 1,011 completed sales, 159 (15.7%) more than this year's total. Still, this was an improvement over the 25.8% year-over-year decline comparing July 2010 with the previous July. Sales volume generated from August's activity reached over $ 109.7 million and the average sale price was $128,824, slightly higher than this year's July average and nearly identical to last August's average of $129,214. The median sale price... 09/28/2010

Trees are one of my favorite things in nature.  But there is no doubt that they can be terribly destructive when it comes to sewer lines and pipes in general. Years ago, actually when I first started as an apprentice plumber, the line from your home to the sewer or septic system was probably made out of clay.  This was in reality an excellent conveyance for waste because of its resistance to the elements.  Unfortunately, it was also fragile (don't ask how many I've accidentally broken), the shifting of the soil and roots from trees were serious enemies.  Cast Iron pipe with hubs was the other popular means of getting waste from your home to the sewer lines in the street.  These cast iron pipes were put together with lead joints and the lead was poured in the ditch.  This process was la... 09/27/2010

  Yes, I have been falling down on the job. I freely admit that, but it was for a good reason, work.  The last couple of weeks I have been busy and I have neglected my responsibilities. So forgive me I'll try to catch up now, starting with The Reds. Who is 7 games out in front in the Central Division of the National League in mid September? Answer: Cincinnati. The Reds are 7 games up on second place St. Louis and 12 games up on third place Houston.  Wow, this is a great year for Reds fans.  The player stats are impressive as well.  Leading the team in the batters box (of the regular starters) is J. Votto with a .321 average, 34 home runs and 161 hits. Next in line is Hernandez with a .306 average,  6 home runs and  86 hits.  Coming in third is Rolen with a .292 average, 19 home runs an... 09/15/2010

Ohio State University 36     Miami University (of Florida) 24 Well, Saturday removed all doubts, they are for real.  Except for a few costly "ooops" on the part of special teams the Bucks beat a talented Miami (FL) opponent.  Of course, being partial to defense, I believe the outcome would have been much different if it wasn't for the outstanding play of the OSU D.  If they continue to play like this the rest of the year we have a real shot at the BCS Championship Game. Ohio is now 2 wins and 0 losses on the season. Go Bucks. Jack Gilleland Home Inspection Services, Clayton see us on facebook   09/12/2010

Dayton Area Home Sales for July 2010, by Dayton Area Board of Realtors After a very strong first half of 2010, July posted the first declines of the year compared to the same month in 2009. It's not all negative news however, as the year-to-date figures still show Dayton area home sales in much better shape than in recent years. A total of 777 single-family properties changed hands in July, compared to 1,048 in 2009, a decline of 26%. These sales generated $99.5 million in volume and an average sale price of $128,075, down 8.38% from last July's $139,786.  The median sales price came in at $107,100, compared to $115,000 during the same period in 2009, a decline of 6.8%. The percentage of sale/list price remains up .06%. "As an industry, we are not overly concerned about the decline in ... 09/12/2010

Dayton Ohio House Buyers: If you are thinking of selling your house, it is important that you find as many ways and means to impress your prospective buyers. The reason for this is simple. The buyers of today have far more choices than sellers do and so sellers have to work extra hard to catch the attention of buyers. One of the many ways you can impress your prospective buyers is by presenting them with an entirely organic garden. Read on to find out why this will help and how you can achieve your goal. These days, more and more people are getting environmentally conscious. They are beginning to see the cost the planet has had to pay for the activities of human beings. While this in itself is a problem, there is another important reason that makes people want to be eco-friendly. They h... 08/24/2010

This year as I run down the list of division leaders I'm not really surprised until I get to the National League Central Division,  The Cincinnati Reds.  Living in Dayton just 60 miles north of Cincinnati you almost have to be a Reds fan, but being a Reds fan can have it's punishments more often than it's rewards.  Cincinnati isn't one of those high dollar teams (you know who they are).  They are the underdog in many ways.  So this year I am very pleasantly pleased to say the Reds are in first place in the Central Division.  They are 3.5 games ahead of St. Louis and are playing great.  As of today they have won 36 and lost 26 at home and have exactly the same record on the road. J. Votto is still leading the team with a whooping 323 average followed by S. Rolen with a 319.  Votto also ... 08/22/2010

It's almost time.  The first game is on September 2, and all of the Buckeye supporters are chomping at the bit.  We play Marshal in the (now traditional - Big Ten vs Mid-American Conference) season opener. By the way, the preseason polls are out (I know, who listens to the pre-season polls) and Alabama is ranked number 1 with OHIO STATE ranked a solid number 2.  The AP Top 10 are listed below for anyone interested. 1. Alabama  2. Ohio State  3. Boise State  4. Florida  5. Texas   6. TCU  7, Oklahoma  8. Nebraska  9. Iowa  10. Virginia Tech. Ohio State has a powerful offense this year with many returning starters from 2009.  There are many from the area around Dayton, Ohio and in fact the team is composed of mostly Ohio Boys.  The following boys are from right around Clayton (1 from Cla... 08/21/2010

I got a an email today from, not a client, not the buyers agent and not a concerned neighbor; but from the sellers agent relaying a concern from the seller.  Okay, at this point there are a bunch of home inspectors out there saying "uh.... oh".  This is the house in question and a photo of the area.  It is difficult to tell from this picture what the issue is, but I'll try to explain.  Recently, we had a hard rain and the water from that rain would necessarily show drainage problems at any home.  This home was no different, the rain collected against the house and ran down between the sidewalk and the house. The inspection was completed over a month ago, but the house hasn't closed yet. The email I got was from "THE SELLER". He had visited the property and saw that there was water stand... 08/11/2010

As released by the Dayton Area Board of Realtors... Single-family sales soared to a total of 1,200 in May, the most since August of 2007, and represented over a 40% increase compared to the 853 sales reported in May of 2009. This robust activity brought the year-to-date total for 2010 thru May to 4,324, compared to 3,712 last year during the same reporting period, an increase of 16.5%. This activity produced a total dollar volume for the month of $152,359,114 and an average sale price per unit of $126,966, a slight .4% increase over last May's $126,462. This continues a streak of 11 consecutive months of year-over-year increases in the average sale price. The median sale price for the month was $115,000, a 4.55% jump over last May's figure. Year-to-date sales volume has now reached ove... 07/31/2010

  Big Hill becomes the first Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate - Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate today announced that Big Hill, a leading Dayton-based real estate company, has joined its expanding network of affiliates. Big Hill has the distinction of being the first real estate brokerage firm with offices in Ohio and Indiana to associate with the franchise. Founded in 1968, Big Hill has eight locations and nearly 200 sales associates throughout southwest Ohio and east-central Indiana. The brokerage will conduct business as Better Homes and Gardens Big Hill. Affiliate in Ohio and Indiana Dayton, OH (July 27, 2010) "The real estate industry is experiencing unprecedented change," emphasized Jeff Owens, president of Better Homes and Gardens Big Hill. "It was imperative that we ali... 07/27/2010