Knox County OH Soil Analysis

Have you ever really thought about the dirt that your home is sitting on? It may seem like just an afterthought when you’re out mowing the lawn or playing in the yard with the kids, but the details of the soil on your property can tell you a great deal about the history and future of the land upon which you tread every day.

The US Department of Agriculture’s has an extremely comprehensive Web Soil Survey website that contains digital maps and unbelievable amounts of digital soil data that has been methodically collected. Just type in your address and then explore almost anything you ever wanted to know about the soil upon which your home is sitting including chemical properties, erosion factors and likelihood, and its drainage class.

This information is invaluable if you are considering building an addition to your existing home or are purchasing property and want to feel confident in the makeup of the soil on which your family will live.

To get a complimentary comparative analysis of your home’s value, please click here - or feel free to visit my website or email me if you would like to learn more about Knox County OH real estate. I would love to help you invest in your future.

The Knox County Ohio Blog is on the Move!

We’re not leaving! But we are moving the Knox County Ohio Blog to a new site next week.

Starting next week, please change your bookmarks to reflect our blog’s new location.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sam Recognized as Ohio’s Foreclosure Investing Expert!

A friend of mine, Ralph Roberts of Warren, MI – who also happens to be one of the top Realtors in the nation – has written a book that is both extremely informative as well as timely for today’s real estate market. Foreclosure Investing For Dummies is a hands-on guide that covers all aspects of investing in foreclosures – which we all know are on the rise in almost every corner of America. In the book, Roberts navigates several topics including how to:

· Research property titles, mortgages, and deeds
· Build a strong investment team
· Obtain financing
· Network your way to success
· Avoid common pitfalls
· Invest with integrity

I am honored to have been included as the Contributing Realtor for Ohio, and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about investing in any foreclosures in the Knox County real estate market.

To learn more about investing in foreclosures or Knox County OH real estate, please visit my website or call me at 800-282-9096. You may also click here to view homes for sale in Knox County OH. I would love to help you invest in your future!

Knox County OH Real Estate Update

If you’ve turned on the news or read a newspaper lately, you have certainly heard all of the buzz around the national housing market crisis. Some news media is even referring to it as “Mortgage Meltdown 2007.” In the wake of recent changes in interest rates and credit standards, Realty Trac (an online marketer of foreclosure properties) has announced that the recent influx of foreclosure filings showed now signs of easing as of July 2007.

Foreclosure filings in July 2007 showed a 9 percent rise over those filed in June 2006 and a startling 93 percent increase compared with July 2006.

Read the full article here, and please remember that an experienced Realtor is always your best resource if you think you may be facing foreclosure in the future. We can lay out your options for you and give you a realistic view of the current housing market.

To learn more about the latest in the housing market and Knox County OH real estate, please visit my website or call me today at 740-397-7800.

Tips for Homeowners in Knox County, OH

We have all seen the recent coverage of Hurricane Dean and, hitting very close to home, the flooding in Findlay. If you are not familiar with your homeowners insurance policy coverage, now is a great time for homeowners everywhere to review their policies. Homeowners should take a good look at their policies before a natural disaster strikes so that they can know what to expect if and when you need to file a claim. Here are 5 tips for understanding your Homeowners Insurance:

1. Look for exclusions to coverage. For example, most policies do not cover flood or earthquake damage as a standard item – these coverages must be purchased separately.

2. Look for dollar limitations on claims. Even if you are covered for a risk, there may be a limit on how much the insurer will pay. For example, many policies limit the amount paid for stolen jewelry unless items are insured separately.

3. Understand replacement cost. If your home is destroyed you’ll receive money to replace it only to the maximum of your coverage, so be sure your insurance is sufficient. This means that if your home is insured for $150,000 and it costs $180,000 to replace it, you’ll only receive $150,000.

4. Understand actual cash value. If you choose not to replace your home when it’s destroyed, you’ll receive replacement cost, less depreciation.

5. Understand liability. Generally your homeowners insurance covers you for accidents that happen to other people on your property, including medical care, court costs, and awards by the court. However, there is usually an upper limit to the amount of coverage provided. Be sure that it’s sufficient if you have significant assets.

For more information about owning a home and Knox County OH real estate, please visit my website or call me at 740-397-7800. To learn how to help our neighbors in Findlay, please visit the American Red Cross’s website: http://www.redcross.org/.

How Walk-able is Your Knox County OH Neighborhood?

This week I came across a website that is just so neat, I had to share it. www.WalkScore.com allows you to type in any address, and it will rate the “walk-ability” of that property by calculating its distance to things like the nearest grocery store, movie theater, library, school, park, and pharmacy.

We all know that walking is important for our health and, with all of the hype over “going green” lately, we know that walking instead of driving when possible is one way that we can all help to save the environment. In fact, it is recommended that adults tread 10,000 steps per day to reap the many benefits of walking. Why not consider the walk-ability of a neighborhood the next time you are in the market for a new home? Or, if you’ve recently moved to a new home, check out the walk-ability to various destinations in your new neighborhood.

To learn more about Knox County OH real estate and neighborhoods, please visit my website or call me today at 740-397-7800. I would love to help you find a new neighborhood to explore on foot!

Knox County OH Interest Rate Update

The Real Estate Journal (a subsidiary of the Wall Street Journal Online), reported this week that tightening standards in lending may worsen the housing slump being felt in much of the country.

In the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the sub-prime lending market, more lenders in Knox County are being forced to raise interest rates and stick with loans that are considered less risky than mortgages that were being offered previously. It is no longer those with the weakest credit records who are feeling the sting of the tightening standards when it comes to credit, documented income, and down payment ability.

Read the full article here to learn how this trend may affect you if you are in the market for a mortgage.

If you are in the market for a mortgage in the Knox County OH area, I am glad to refer you to a reputable, knowledgeable and competitive mortgage lender who will take the time to explain your loan options to you. This will allow you to make an educated decision about which home loan is best for you considering the current market conditions. Just give me a call at 740-397-7800 or visit my website. I'm here to help.