Breast Cancer Walk

Come out and get some exercise and raise awareness for a great cause. Sunday, October 15, 2006 there will be a 3.1 mile walk for breast cancer. The walk will be at Akron Aeros Stadium 300 South Main Street Akron, Ohio 44308. If you are unable to attend the walk you may mail a contribution to American Cancer Society 525 North Broad Street Canfield, Ohio 44406 or make a donation online at www.cancer.org/stridesonline, their secure site. Funds raised are used for investment in breast cancer research, provide lifesaving screening tests and treatment, regardless of income, promote mammography for early detection of breast cancer and offer free programs for patients and families.

Marine Fundraiser

A fundraiser for Marine Cpl. Joe Tomci will be held Friday September 29, 2006 5- 10pm at Acker-Moore Memorial Post at 3733 Fishcreek Road Stow, Ohio 44224. Cpl. Tomci, a Stow resident was killed in August by a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq. The fundraiser is to raise money for military families in memory of Cpl. Tomci. The fund was established by Huntington National Bank to help families of military personnel. The fundraiser will include a meal of pasta, meatballs, sausage, salad, Italian bread and desert. The cost for adults is $8 and children $4.

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Home Heating

We are approaching that time of year when the cost of heating our homes will put a dent in our wallets. Residents in Stow who are members of the City's natural gas aggregation program, which is supplied by Vectren, can expect to pay a fixed rate of $11.70/Mcf for all gas consumed during the upcoming winter months starting with bills prepared after November 02, 2006. If you are a resident or business in the city of Stow currently in the aggregate program you need not take any action, you will automatically receive the fixed rate. If you are not enrolled in the aggregate program you can call Vectren Source at 1-866-200-5634 for information and a comparison to your current natural gas provider.

Source: Stow Sentry 09-21-2006

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Housing Construction Falls to Three Year Low

According to the commerce department housing starts fell 6% last month to 1.655 million. The growth in new housing, which fueled the economy for half a decade is now declining. This raises concerns with leading economists that the slowdown will slow the rest of the economy. The Fed is expected to keep the interest rate at 5.25% when they meet on 09-20-2006 (the Fed did keep interest rates at 5.25% at their 09-20-2006 meeting).

New housing starts declined in all regions except for the northeast which was up 5.4%. There was a 12% decline in the midwest, 6.1% decline in the south and and 5.5% decline in the west. In the month of September building permits for new homes fell to 1.722 million from 1.763 million in the previous month. This trend is also causing inventories of unsold homes to rise.

Realtors forecast the median existing home prices will rise 2.8% this year to $225,900 after a rise in 2005 of 10.5%.

Source: Bloomberg 09-19-2006

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Selling a home in Stow or Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Selling a home in Stow or the Falls, here is some housing statistics.

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio: In June 2006, there were 328 houses for sale, 68 sold and the homes were on the market for 61 days.

Stow,Ohio: In June 2006, there were 185 houses for sale, 29 sold and the homes were on the market for 77 days. New stats coming soon.

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Stows Law Rescinded

Residents living in Stow will no longer be billed for police department services as a result of being involved in a traffic infraction. On Thursday 09-14-06 City Council voted to rescind the program aka the cost recovery program. Individuals who were charged will have 60 days from the date the mayor signs legislation to apply for reimbursement. The exact day the mayor will sign the legislation is still unknown. To receive reimbursement citizens will have to send a written application to the mayors office and be prepared to provide proof they were billed and paid the fee, citizens can contact the mayors office for more information.

Source: Stow Sentry 09-17-2006

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Homes for Sale

Economic growth is slowing and one of the reasons is a slowing housing market. This should allow the federal reserve to keep interest rates steady through the first half of 2007. Higher mortgage rates resulted in home sales being down which further resulted in less cash consumers had to spend over the five year housing boom. The housing slow down is also responsible for consumers having less cash from refinancing and home appreciation.

On 09-07-2006, The National Association of Realtors reduced their forecast for 2006 home sales and went on to say there are currently a record number of homes on the market.

On a somewhat positive note as of 09-12-2006 a barrel of crude oil: $63.76, the lowest since 03-22-2006 and as of 09-12-2006 mortgage rates: 15 year- 5.65%, 30 year- 5.94%, 1year ARM- 5.31%.

Source: Bloomberg News

Questions or comments write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Your Real Estate Agent

Is your real estate agent representing your best interests? Under Ohio law real estate agents are allowed to practice three types of agency, sellers agency, buyers agency and dual agency. A sellers agent represents the seller and only the seller of a home, the sellers agent must follow the sellers lawful instructions, be loyal to the seller, promote the sellers best interest, disclose material facts to the seller, maintain confidential information, act with reasonable skill and care and account for any money they handle in the transaction.

A buyers agent represents the buyer and only the buyer of a home, the buyers agent must follow the buyers lawful instructions, be loyal to the buyer, promote the buyers best interests, disclose material facts to the buyer, maintain confidential information and account for any money they handle in the transaction.

In dual agency, a real estate agent represents the seller and the buyer. The dual agent must maintain a neutral position in the transaction. They may not advocate the position of one client over the best interests of the other client.

Questions or comments write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Stow's Law

Have a traffic infraction in Stow and expect to be billed for the services of the police department. Under the current system aka the cost-recovery program citizens of Stow are being billed for police department services. The mayor and city council members are meeting this week to discuss discontinuing the program. Billing is being handled by a company by the name of Cost Recovery Corp who was sending the bills to an individuals insurance company. A spokesman for Cost Recovery Corp said they were surprised to learn that the insurance companies were passing the bills along to the individual involved in the infraction. According to city council there are police departments in 13 other states that have the same program. All this poses a question that should be obvious. Isn't this what tax dollars are for?

Source: Stow Sentry Sunday 09-10-06

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Schools in Stow and Cuyahoga Falls

Stow, Ohio:
Buying a home in Stow, Ohio or Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, or if you are a current resident here is some general school information.

Stow- Munroe Falls High School average class size in math, science and English is 25. 45% of students take the SAT scoring 546 in math and 548 in verbal. 58% of students take the ACT scoring 22.7. There are 390 seniors, 95% receive diplomas, 70% attend a four year college and 5% attend junior college.

District Information:
The school district spends $8,360 per student. There are 6,053 students with 252 teachers and staff. The student to teacher ratio is 24. Median years of teaching experience is 13. The lowest grade level is PK, highest is 12.

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio:
Cuyahoga Falls High School average class size in math, science and English is 25. 25% of students take the SAT scoring 525 in math and 500 in verbal. 60% of students take the ACT scoring 22.6. There are 378 seniors, 95% receive diplomas, 50% attend four year colleges and 10% attend junior college.

District Information:
The school district spends $8,244 per student. There are 4,853 students with 202 teachers and staff. The student to teacher ratio is 24. Median years of teaching experience is 13. The lowest grade level is K, highest is 12.

Source of data eschoolsprofile.com 09-06

Questions or comments write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Best Buy: Real Estate Loans

Shopping for a real estate loan can prove a challenging task. With so many options available will you get the one that suites you best. Here is some information that can help. Your lender can tell you about the many options available, but here we will look at conventional loans. A conventional loan is a loan that is not insured or guaranteed by a government entity. Conventional loans can be 15- year or 30- year. There are five types of conventional loans.

1) 80% conventional- the loan to value ratio is 80% of the appraised value or sale price of a property, whichever is less. You borrow 80% of the appraised value or sale price of a home, whichever is less and put a 20% down payment on the home. This type of loan is 30 year, fixed rate.

2) 90% conventional- a 10% down payment must be made, with at least 5% from the buyers own cash reserves. The interest rate could be the same or higher than an 80% loan, this depends on the buyer. a 90% conventional loan has private mortgage insurance premium which adds to the cost of the loan.

3) 95% conventional- a 5% down payment must be made from the borrowers own cash reserves. The interest rate could be the same as the other two loans, but again varies on the particular buyer. Private mortgage insurance is involved which adds to the cost of this loan.

4) 100% conventional- good credit is a criteria for this type of loan, there is no down payment, but the borrower must live in the home as an owner-occupant with the home as the primary residence. Interest rates will vary on lenders, there is also a private mortgage insurance premium involved which adds to the cost of the loan.

5) easy qualifier conventional loan- lenders modify the qualifying standards based on the needs of the borrower. A down payment of usually 20% or more is required, again this may vary depending on a borrowers situation. Interest rate is usually determined on factors such as credit score. Private mortgage insurance is not an issue due to the 20% down payment required.

In today's market there are so many loan options available ask your loan officer to explain them all not just the ones they are trying to sell.

Inspection for your new home

For many of us buying a home could possibly be the largest purchase we make. Unless you are a contractor who is familiar with construction a home inspection is a wise investment that will make you aware of the overall condition of your new home. Look for an experienced, independent home inspector to conduct the inspection. The inspector will examine the house and report on the homes structural integrity and ensure the primary systems are in good condition. Feel free to accompany the inspector as they conduct their work. After the inspection is complete you will be given a report stating the condition of the home. Having this information will better enable you to know what to offer for the home and if any conditions exist that need to be addressed. Home warranty insurance programs are available that will protect the new home owner from unexpected mechanical or major system failure, ask your real estate agent about home warranty insurance programs.

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Buying a Home

Home& Garden Text

Buying your first home or perhaps just trading up to a new home? Two things you will need to do, get a home inspection on your new home prior to purchase and get an appraisal. Do you know the difference? A home inspection is for a buyer. A home inspection gives the buyer more detailed information about the overall condition of a home prior to making a purchase. A qualified home inspector takes an in-depth, unbiased look at your potential new home to evaluate the physical condition, structure, construction and mechanical systems, indentify items that need to be repaired or replaced and provide an estimate of the remaining useful life of the major systems equipment, structure and finishes.

An appraisal is for a lender. An appraisal is required to estimate the market value of a house, ensure the house meets minimum Federal Housing Authority (FHA) property standards and requirements and make sure the house is marketable. Make sure your real estate agent is recommending that home inspections and appraisals are performed.

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Selling a Home

Facts you should know, Stow east and Stow west. In May 2006 there were 171 homes for sale, 30 sold and the homes were on the market for 91 days. New stats coming soon.

Browns 20
Lions 16

Questions or comments write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

Selling a Home in the Falls

May 2006 local stats: Cuyahoga Falls East, Cuyahoga Falls West,and Cuyahoga Falls North Hampton, there were 297 houses for sale, 48 sold and the homes were on the market for 80 days. New stats coming soon

Questions or comments write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

BUYERS ITS YOUR TURN- TELL YOUR STORY

Buying a house? Thinking of buying a house? Share your experience with our local readers. Was the experience good or bad what would you have done differently, what would you have liked your real estate agent to do differently? Any thoughts or opinions are welcome.

Preseason: Browns- 7
Eagles - 20

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

SELLERS TELL YOUR STORY

Selling your house? Recently sold your house? Share your experience with our local readers. Was the experience good or bad, what would you have done differently, what would you have liked your real estate agent to do differently or have done differently? Did you have open houses? Did you feel they were helpful? Any thoughts or opinions are welcome.

Questions or comments: write or email eugene.dougherty@realliving.com

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

Here it is the Cleveland Browns 2006 schedule.

PRESEASON
Aug 10 @Philadelphia Eagles
Aug 18 Detroit Lions
Aug 26@ Buffalo Bills
Aug 31 Chicago Bears

REGULAR SEASON
Sept 10 New Orleans Saints
Sept 17@ Cincinnati Bengals
Sept 24 Baltimore Ravens
Oct 1 @ Oakland Raiders
Oct 8 @ Carolina Panthers
Oct 15 Bye Week
Oct 22 Denver Broncos
Oct 29 New York Jets
Nov 5 @ San Diego Chargers
Nov 12 @ Atlanta Falcons
Nov 19 Pittsburgh Steelers
Nov 26 Cincinnati Bengals
Dec 3 Kansas City Chiefs
Dec 7 @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Dec 17 @ Baltimore Ravens (Thursday)
Dec 24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dec 31 @ Houston Texans

Heres to a GREAT season.

CITGO Severing Ties With Ohio

CITGO will stop supplying gas to stations in Ohio and nine other states, by the end of March 2007, according to a company spokesman. The stations will stay, they just will not operate under the CITGO name, says company spokesman David McCollum. Cuyahoga Falls has five CITGO stations , Stow, Munroe Falls, Northfield, Tallmadge,Twinsburg, Bedford and Maple Heights each have one station, all owned by Holland Oil except for the Stow location. CITGO is experiencing a gasoline shortage of 130,000 barrels per day causing large profit losses for the company says McCollum. McCollum also adds the shortage certainly puts us at a competitive advantage financially, citing the shortfall as the reason CITGO is moving out of the region.

Source: Stow Sentry Sunday, July 30, 2006

Questions or comments write or email
eugene.dougherty@realliving.com