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.

Back To School In Knox County OH

The summer is flying by – as it always seems to do – and it is almost time to start thinking about sending kids back to school again!

Whether you are new to the Knox County area or already have kids in school here, now is a good time to take a good look at how the schools are measuring up.

Below is a link to reviews of schools in Knox County OH – does YOUR child’s school make the grade?

Knox County School Reviews

To learn more about moving your family and Knox County OH real estate, please call me at 740-397-7800 or visit www.SamMiller.net.

10 Ways to Make Your House in Knox County OH More Saleable

1. Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.

2. Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.

3. Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.

4. Get rid of smells! Even if you think you house does not have smells, spring for a good carpet and drape cleaning to eliminate any possible cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Keep the windows open when possible (if road noise is not an issue).

5. Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.

6. Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems, such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet, may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.

7. Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.

8. Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.

9. Clean your gutters. Remove any debris such as pine straw that has accumulated on the roof.

10. Polish your front doorknob and door numbers. Remember, the door is the first part of the home potential buyers see!

To learn more about buying or selling a home in Knox County, OH please call me at 740-397-7800 or visit my Web site at http://www.sammiller.com/. I would love to help make your home more saleable!

Summer Fun in Knox County, OH - Part 2

In continuing with the theme of curing kids’ summertime boredom, I’ve compiled a list of ways to get your children outdoors and exploring the beautiful natural surroundings of Knox County, OH:

1. Go on a Bug Hunt Equip your child with a baby food jar or bug jar and encourage them to look for natural life around them. Look under leaves & stumps (be sure to turn them back over), on tree trunks & leaves and in flowers. Handle the bugs gently and let them go when you are done. Name your favorite bug according to its colors, the way it moves or something different about it.

2. Listen to the World Around You Have your child sit and listen to the sounds of nature by closing their eyes, and counting on their fingers the different sounds they hear. Compare natural vs. unnatural sounds. Try this in several different habitats such as in a field, near a pond and in a forest and compare the kinds and numbers of sounds heard.

3. Look at Nature Before a visit to a park, have your child decorate two toilet paper rolls. Staple them together to make mini-binoculars. Take them outside for a game of "I Spy" looking for items from nature. Look for things near by, in middle range and far away.

4. Get a New Perspective Have your child lie face upward under a large tree. Have them look into the branches. Can they see the top branch? What patterns can they see. What other things are present? They can pretend to be the roots of the tree in the soil. What do they feel like? What animals can they see moving around in the tree?

5. Use Imagination Choose an area with natural ground coverings such as leaves, cones, wild grass etc. and sit down. Give your child 6 short pieces of straw or toothpicks. Have them pretend to shrink down to the size of an ant with you. Their job is to lead a nature walk for creatures the size of an ant by choosing 6 interesting things along a one meter stretch of ground. Encourage them to use their imagination!

6. Wet Noses Wet the underside of your child's nose with a small wet sponge. This improves their sense of smell just as it does for deer and rabbits. Find familiar smells such as flowers to try, then go on to other things like rubbing a leaf between your fingers and smelling or scratching a pine needle. Also try moss, bark, pitch or grabbing an handful of leafy soil etc.

7. Discover Color in Nature Get 10 old paint swatches of various natural colors from a paint store. Cut them into individual squares and take these and your child to a natural area. One at a time, have your child look for each color in nature. You will be amazed at what colors you can find if you really look!

8. Touching Nature Blindfold your child and lead them to a tree to get to know it by feeling the bark texture, finding branches and any other way to recognize a specific tree without looking at it. Still blind-folded, lead your child back to where you started. Now take off the blindfold and have them try to find their tree using their sense of touch to confirm it. What other senses helped them to locate their tree? (sounds, sense of balance, smells, warmth etc.)

9. A Night time Experience Go with your child to a safe natural place at night. Cover your flashlight with red plastic so you won't startle the animals. Try out some of the ideas above to learn about plants & animals of the night. It takes about 20 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust from bright light to darkness.

10. A Rainy Day Experience Dress to stay dry but with your hands free (no umbrellas) and go out on a rainy day with your child. Peek into puddles. Listen for bird & frog calls. How many kinds of raindrops can you see? Can you find plants with a drip tip? Try to find out where animals go when it is raining.

For more information about real estate and living in Knox County, OH please call me at 740-397-7800 or visit my Web site at http://www.sammiller.com/.

Apple Valley Lake Fireworks

Apple Valley Ohio residents will celebrate Independence Day on Saturday July 7th. The fireworks display will be set off near the Apple Valley Clubhouse towards the Apple Valley Lake. If you have never experienced the fireworks being set off over the lake it is absolutely gorgeous. Many property owners will actually view the fireworks from their boats while on the lake.

During this weekend there will be opportunities to view, tour and purchase Apple Valley lakefront homes and Apple Valley lakeview homes. For more information and to preselect homes you would like to see during this weekend visit http://www.sammiller.com/avplist.htm.

Village of Colonial Woods Condominium Event

You are welcome to attend the model home Open House event on July 7th and 8th (Saturday & Sunday) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Visitors and prospective home buyers will have an opportunity to view the new clubhouse that includes a fitness center and swimming pool.

During the event we will have 3 different model homes available including the Canterbury, the Windsor and the Chateau designs. If you haven’t visited this tree surrounded condo community this is your chance to stop in and take a closer look.

This is an EPCON community by Stoneworks Development and represented by Sam Miller of RE/MAX Stars Realty. For more details visit http://www.sammiller.com/newcondos.htm.

The Village of Colonial Woods is located at 11889 Upper Gilchrist Road, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050.

Directions: Take Coshocton road east just past the Knox Community Hospital and turn left at the Mount Vernon Radio Station and Knox County Health Department follow 3/8ths of a mile and the development is on the left.

Mount Vernon Ohio Fireworks Celebration

Residents from all of Knox County will visit Mount Vernon, Ohio on Tuesday July 3rd at the Memorial Park in Celebration of Independence Day. There will be many activities during the early evening hours including baseball/softball games, a skate board freestyle competition and even a timed basketball shooting competition.

Some of the best places to view the Mount Vernon Fireworks are from Memorial Park just off Mount Vernon Avenue, the Mount Vernon High School Football Stadium and also from the Mount Vernon Middle School and the High School parking lots and the soccer fields.

The Fireworks display is expected to begin at 10 p.m. or shortly after. Following the fireworks display we will post an online video of the fireworks at http://www.sammiller.com. The Mount Vernon Fireworks display is sponsored by the gentlemen pictured above.

Knox County Mortgage Rates Decline

Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported a decline in mortgage interest rates this past week The first drop in rates in the past five weeks. Rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.69 percent, down from last week's 6.71 percent.

A drop in interest rates is always good news for Knox County home buyers, but it is especially good news during the spring/summer selling season when inventories are at their highest levels of the year and when the majority of buyers are looking to buy.

Thinking of buying a home? You can get a daily list of Knox County homes for sale as they hit the market. Simply, click here!

June Is Homeownership Month

June is National Homeownership Month. One of the first steps to realizing the American Dream of owning your own home is getting pre-approved for your home loan.

The current problems with the sub-prime mortgage market emphasize how critical it is to find a reputable, trust-worthy lender to work with. I work with mortgage lenders day in and day out and have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I am glad to refer you to knowledgeable, reputable and competitive lenders who will present you with all the options available to you, in order for you to make the best financial decision for you and your family. Just give me a call or send me an email. I am pleased to be able to help!

Also, please visit my website to view all Knox County homes for sale.

What's The Value Of Your Knox County Home?

There are any number of websites providing home valuations these days. Most of these are computer generated and depend on local tax records for their information. My experience with local tax record information is it is incorrect most of the time.

One of the many FREE services I provide is an online home valuation service. Your home valuation is provided by my well qualified, experienced Team who know our local market and have probably sold homes in your neighborhood. They know if there are train tracks running behind a property, if there are power lines overhead or if the woods behind the house are being cut down for a shopping center....all things that effect the value of your home.

All you need to do to get your accurate price valuation is visit my website, complete a form giving some basic information and we'll take care of the rest. Your valuation will be emailed to you. There is no obligation whatsoever, and best of all, the service is completely free! I hope you take advantage of it!

Making Money Buying Knox County Repo Listings

The soft Knox County real estate market is a great time for real estate investors to consider buying repossessed homes. These properties usually need work, but pricing reflects this and presents opportunities for the 'do-it-yourselfer' or the professional to get in at a good price, invest some elbow grease and make money with rents collected.

Can you make money in a soft market by buying, fixing up and reselling? It depends on the numbers, but is more difficult in a soft market when appreciation slows. This is something we need to look at carefully.

I offer a service where you can have repossed properties emailed to you as they hit the market. It is easy to enroll. Just visit my website, click on 'E-mail Repo Listings' and you are done!

Knox County Real Estate Podcast

This month's edition covers Knox County real estate market activity and how incentives can play a big role in bringing buyers and sellers to the table! Features special guest Terri Murphy of US Learning.

download podcast mp3 file

subscribe to podcast feed

Give me call at 740-397-7800 with questions or comments about the podcast and for all your Knox County real estate needs.

Making A Vacant Home More Sellable

Homes show better when they are furnished. Not only are spatial relationships easier to judge, but furniture can hide a multitude of sins. There is a reason for builder's furnishing their models rather than showing them vacant! When vacant, everything shows...the good, the bad and the ugly!

But, there are things you can do to make a vacant house show in a more positive light.

1. Arrange for exterior maintenance.
First impressions count and you don't want to stop maintaining the lawn just because you have vacated the house. Arrange for a neighbor to cut the grass or hire a lawn service. If you have a sprinkler system, keep it working.

If the house is on the market in the fall, arrange for leaf clean up and if selling in the winter, snow removal.
Spruce up beds with fresh mulch and plan annuals for color.

2. Paint of fix up as required
Repair or repaint the exterior as needed. Remember those first impressions.

3. Paint and fix up inside
Go through the house after the furniture has been removed and touch-up or repaint any walls or woodwork that need it.

Make any repairs that are needed. If the little things are maintained, the buyer feels comfortable that the big things have been maintained, also.

4. Neutralize colors
A bold wall color can be dramatic when complimented by furniture and accessories. But in an empty room, bold colors just become sore-thumbs. Neutralize colors as needed.

5. Leave furniture
If possible leave the furniture in the house or rent furniture. Empty rooms appear to be smaller than they actually are.

6. Clean thoroughly
Clean the house from top to bottom and in every knook and cranny. Clean sells!
If the house has been on the market for a couple of months have a cleaning service come in and clean again. Empty houses get dirty.

Leave the security system activated and give instructions to your Realtor on how to turn it on and off.

To some buyers, a vacant housecan be plus because they if they need to move in quickly. Be sure to let prospects know you can close quickly.

For any questions concerning selling a vacant house in Knox County, give me a call at 740-397-7800 or visit my website. You'll be glad you did!

Safe Tax Filing Online

There have been reports in the last few days of scams with online tax filing websites. With 73 percent of returns being filed online, scams are a real problem. MarketWatch.com has informative tips on how to stay safe online and protect your personal information.

To protect yourself against scams when buying a home and have someone looking out for your best interests, give me a call at 740-397-7800 or visit my website, your Knox County real estate resource center.