309 Grafton Ave, Dayton OH; Listed by Teri Lussier, Exit Realty Central

July 27th, 2010

An historic home is different. These homes can hold the essence of many lives lived in splendor and comfort over many years, creating a warmth that immediately welcomes you into its history. There is a continuity- a bridge- to the past in an historic home that simply can’t exist in newer homes. A perfect home might be that place in which you can feel comfort and welcomed. The place that you can relax and dream, alone and with loved ones. It might include a community of neighbors who share and celebrate each other.

309 Grafton Ave is a culmination of the best of the past and an extraordinary present. The appreciation of craftsmanship is obvious from the street, but the beauty of this historic home is also abundant inside. Large and inviting rooms retain period detailing where it matters, but this home has been lovingly updated to allow the owners to live comfortably in the modern world. Listed at $184,000.

You can see complete photos here, at www.309GraftonAve.com.

There is no other neighborhood like Grafton Hill: Historic, but with a wide variety of housing options, quiet, and still close to the best of the city of Dayton. The homes and the lots can be larger than other historic districts in Dayton Ohio, but Grafton Hill shares the same sense of community: Public Open House Tours- the next one is Holiday Tour 2010- progressive dinners, casual get-togethers. Grafton Hill Historic District offers the support of other historic home owners who willingly share their love of these one-of-a-kind homes, in a one-of-a-kind neighborhood.

Stop talking about reducing your carbon footprint and just do it. You are a car free distance from the best of downtown Dayton: The Dayton Dragons, the Schuster Center, the Victoria Theatre, Riverscape, and the Neon Movies, and the Oregon District. Within 20 minutes of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University, University of Dayton, and Kettering Medical Center, Miami Valley Hospital, Grandview Medical Center, and Good Samaritan, and in the shadow of the Dayton Art Institute. Access to I-75 is easy for anyone who needs to commute north to Honda but loves the culture that you will find in Dayton, or south to the Greater Cincinnati area but prefers the more relaxed and affordable lifestyle that Dayton has to offer.

There is no reason to settle for anything less. Call Jennifer Core, Exit Realty Central, 937-239-0373 to tour this exquisite home today!

Laminate Flooring. When does it make sense?

July 26th, 2010

Debbie Gartner of Floor Coverings International has granted permission for this informative post to be re-blogged. If you are wondering about the difference in flooring materials, the pros and cons to each, and when and where it’s appropriate to use each, read on:

Via Debbie Gartner - Floor Coverings International (Floor Coverings International):

First, let me state for the record I prefer hardwood.  Second, let me clarify definitions.  Often my customers get laminate, engineered hardwood and vinyl confused.   It’s not their job to know which is which…this is my job.

Laminate - This is fake.  It usually looks like hardwood (but some are made to look like tile).  These floors click into place and are usually floated.  Often, they can be placed on top of an existing floor without needing to remove it.  These are made with recycled wood that is left over in the manufacturing process

Vinyl - There are many forms of vinyl, but the most common types are sheets (12 ft wide) and vinyl tiles.  Vinyl is usually either waterproof or highly water resistant, pending on the type and quality.  For high quality and stylish vinyl see my recent post on Luxury vinyl - is it an oxymoron?

• Engineered hardwood - is real hardwood constructed in layers.  The term sounds fake, but I’s not.  There are many benefits and reasons to use these wood.  For more info see my post on Engineered hardwoods.

Okay, so now that we are straight on definitions when does it make sense to use a laminate (vs. a hardwood)?

1.  If you need something more scratch resistant vs. hardwood. I love hardwood, but it definitely can scratch.  So, if you are concerned about this for any of the following reasons - kids, pets, heavy traffic - laminates are often a safer bet.

2.  If budget is the main consideration - In general most laminates are less expensive than hardwoods.  As with any product, there is a range of quality, but if money is the key consideration, laminate is usually a better choice.

3.  If staging/selling  a home - If the client needs to/wants to save money (which is often a key consideration when staging (i.e. how can we improve the look/quality without spending too much so the investment is worth it).  This is often a super option for a kitchen that has vinyl.  The laminate looks much nicer than vinyl and can usually be floated on top of the existing vinyl.  And, it’s usually LESS expensive vs. replacing vinyl due to lower floor prep.

4.  If you are renting and constantly replacing the carpet for every tenant - In general, carpet is the least expensive surface - at least short-term.  But, it gets dirty and wears down easily.  So, if you have tenants moving in and out every 2-3 yrs and keep replacing the carpet, it will actually cost you much less in the long run to trade up to laminate flooring.  It will cost more initially, but it can easily last 15-25 yrs.  In addition, it makes your unit more appealing which means you can either charge more rent or find a tenant faster or both.  All you need is a potential renter to have 1 person in the family with either asthma or allergies and then a carpeted area won’t work for them.  So next time consider trading up to laminate flooring.

When to avoid using laminate flooring

1. If moisture is an issue, do not use laminate flooring. Laminate flooring uses leftover hardwood shavings (extras from the manufacturing of hardwood).  It is not waterproof.  It is just like hardwood - water is its enemy.

2.  If floor isn’t level. If your floors are uneven, it’s hard to install any type of hard surface (except vinyl which is flexible).  With a laminate floor (which is floating), if it’s uneven it will make noise and shift/move when you walk on it.  If floors are very uneven, it’s even possible for the floor to crack.  It’s always best to level out the floor before installing any hard surface.  But, sometimes, this can be cost prohibitive.

For more info on laminate or flooring in general, you can visit our website.  Or, check out our new flooring selector - see samples of carpet, hardwood, tile, laminate - 2,000 choices.

Debbie Gartner, Floor Coverings International in Westchester/Western Fairfield

Feel free to download our free flooring guide.

“We bring the store to your door.”

Floor Coverings International logo

H/T: Maureen McCabe, Realtor with Real Living HER in Columbus Ohio.

Dayton Ohio Real Estate Market Report, June 2010

July 23rd, 2010

The Dayton Area Board of Realtors has published the June 2010 Dayton Real Estate Market Report. This is for all areas served by the Dayton Area Board of Realtors, including Montgomery, Greene, Clark, Miami, Warren, Preble, Darke counties in Ohio, and may contain real estate transactions for Logan, Shelby, and other counties. This is an overview, and will not accurately describe what the real estate market is like in your city or neighborhood. To get specific real estate information about your home or the Dayton neighborhoods you are considering moving to, please contact Dayton Realtor Teri Lussier, Exit Realty Central, at 937.478.7781.

To see the complete Dayton Area Board of Realtors Market Report, please visit the DABR website, here.

june RE 2010

Are Dayton Ohio’s ubiquitous brick ranch homes worth preserving?

July 2nd, 2010

 

The Ohio Historic Preservation Office thinks they might be.

100_2038 If you are a long time reader, you probably know that I’m a fan of Mid Century Modern architecture. Even if you aren’t a long time reader, the name of the site- The Brick Ranch, could have tipped you off.  I’ve been writing about the marvelous MCM treasures in Dayton for as long as I’ve been writing here. Like all Midwestern cities that grew up after WWII, Dayton has quite a few MCM suburbs. They often are not considered worthy of notice, but the trend across the country is to celebrate these homes Columbus Realtor Maureen McCabe at Columbus Best Blog sent this article from The Ohio Historic Preservation Office of the Ohio Historical Society. They have launched the Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past project:

“The Ohio Modern products include a statewide historic context publication and a historic architecture survey identifying and evaluating mid-20th century properties and neighborhoods in Dayton and neighboring suburban communities including Centerville, Huber Heights, Trotwood, Fairborn, Kettering, Oakwood and Vandalia.”

+What could that mean for property values within these Dayton communities?
+Does this mirror an interest in Mid Century Modern homes across the country?
+What do Dayton’s MCM homes offer that historic or newer homes don’t?
+Is there a demographic in the Dayton area for these homes?

I’m a Realtor in Dayton who has watched the growing interest in MCM for the past 4 years. While this trend has been explosive in cities like Austin, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and even Indianapolis, it’s still something people giggle at in Dayton, but as an outspoken fan of the MCM home, I know the interest in all things Mid Century Modern in the MIami Valley is growing. Other residents who share my interest contact me through my website TheBrickRanch.com precisely to connect to someone else who shares their passion for the clean lines and flexible living that MCM ranch homes can provide. They are young, hip, and respond emotionally to a “Jetson” house, while a McMansion leaves them cold, and a historic home might be too much house work. They are looking for something easier to care for, something with open space and a connection to patio living and the outside.

Austin TX has a well-documented community of Mid Century Modern neighborhoods that went from boring to hip, with the accompanying increase in market values. In Phoenix, a tiny neighborhood of neglected brick ranch homes is now one of the most desired locations in the city. There are great buys in Dayton for MCM homes, custom built, unique floor plans, and quality construction that you’d find in an older home. You can find some particularly stunning examples in Dayton, Washington Twp, and Kettering.

Want to find out more about the MCM homes in the Dayton area? Call Jennifer Core, Exit Realty Central, at 937-239-0373.

The NAR Real Estate Market Report for Q1 2010 for Dayton Ohio

July 1st, 2010

…is out and of course there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that Dayton Ohio home sales are up, prices are up, most likely due to the big rush to take advantage of the tax credit. I also see that Dayton investors are busy purchasing homes, and the market for flipping homes is finally returning. If you want to be an investor in Dayton, there are plenty of good buys, and foreclosures are going to continue to rise- that’s the bad news- so people are going to want and need nice places to live. These folks often come from a place of home ownership, they want to stay in Dayton but their credit has been dinged. They need a home- not a house, not a rental- they want a home. If you are considering renting your home on a land contract or a lease-to-own, this is a good time as we are likely to see more creative financing options than we have in the past 10 or 15 years and that’s not such a bad situation. Call Jennifer Core, Exit Realty Central, at 937-239-0373 if you want to discuss your options for land contracts or lease-to-own homes in Dayton Ohio.

Back to the National Association of Realtors report… There is an entire set of real estate data that the NAR has compiled across 150 metro areas. Dayton Ohio is one of those areas, and you can find the complete real estate market report for Q1 for Dayton Ohio, here.

Next Page »