“Why should I get a prequalification letter from my lender before seriously looking at a home to purchase?” The good inventory, very low interest rates and the new $7500 tax credit really make this an advantageous time to buy a home. Perhaps you’ve casually looked at Open Houses or homes for sale online. When you start to consider your housing options more seriously by using the professional services of a realtor, you’ll probably be asked to get a preapproval from your lender...

Lakewood is a visually interesting and attractive place to live because of the architectural diversity of its residences. A short walk around town will likely take the careful observer past examples of the Arts & Crafts (Craftsman) Bungalow, Queen Anne, Spanish Colonial Revival, French Provincial, Greek Revival, Victorian, Tudor Revival, and Dutch Colonial styles. One might also see the occasional Cape Cod and Ranch home, and will certainly notice the ubiquitous American Foursquare. A less common yet highly recognizable architectural style found in Lakewood is the Italian Renaissance style...

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy that uses design to enhance the harmony and energy in a home. According to those who follow these principles, rearranging furnishings, adding plants, mirrors or other accessories or introducing specific colors and materials into a room, increases the “chi” or positive energy in that space...

Like cities across the country, Lakewood was not spared the impact of the Great Depression. Workers were laid off, wages and hours were cut, and homeowners faced the possibility of foreclosure. City government reported a 24% decline in tax collections in 1930. Real estate values plummeted, city workers accepted pay cuts, and churches took up collections to feed Lakewood’s increasingly numerous hungry...

In this market, buying bank-owned really isn’t a bad way to go but it is a different process from the norm and in most cases you have to be ready for a project. When attempting to purchase a bank owned property, the offer is written with your realtor on a purchase agreement and it is then submitted to the bank. But once the offer is accepted the bank sends their own addendums. These addendums supercede the terms in the original agreement. It is for this reason buyers should pay close attention to what is written in the banks addendums. If you don’t understand them ask an attorney to interpret them...

Recently I’ve had a number of clients, friends, and acquaintances ask for clarification about the foreclosure market. Realtor Randy Newell from Prudential Lucien Realty adds his experienced insight to this article as I’ve tried to summarize a complex subject...

Most people think of Urban Sprawl, the spreading of a city to outlying areas, as a post-World War II phenomenon. A Clevelander’s desire to live “in the country” (in the 1950’s, that would have been Parma) was made easy by the availability and affordability of the automobile. Sprawl has continued ever since, facilitated by highway systems that provide fast and easy commutes to the city...

"What's an energy audit?"

With so much attention focused on “being green”, energy audits are becoming more common. They're a good way to know how to reduce our carbon footprint and simultaneously save money in monthly utility bills. The audits take 2-3 hours and are conducted by independent, professional, and certified third-party companies for the purposes of identifying and remedying major energy leaks in houses. Contact your utility company or realtor for more details...

Henry Beach arrived in East Rockport in 1864. Fruit farming was well underway in the township, so Henry began to grow fruit trees on his 28 acres near Beach and Detroit Avenues. Toward the end of the 19th century, residents of Cleveland began looking west for places to build new homes...

Life changes, families change, and housing requirements change -- and so, folks move on. But what if you have a house to sell while trying to purchase your next home? Consider the following options, as you think through a plan...

Benjamin Coutant came to Rockport from Pennsylvania in 1819. A marble finisher and pattern maker by trade, he was locally recognized for his mechanical skills. Mr. Coutant created a cover for his well (unheard of!) and built an original mechanism for raising, lowering, and filling the buckets...

Hi! This is Fido here and my pal Tabby! Wow, since the “folks” decided to sell our home, things sure have been crazy around here. They’re running around like chickens with their heads cut off…and lots of LOUD discussions. There’s furniture moving (my favorite snoozing chair is in the basement) and big boxes stacked high (full of stuff I used to play with.) Our food and water dishes are in a new places (that we can hardly reach….when we can FIND them!) Sheesh, I even saw her stuff my bed into a kitchen cupboard yesterday. (Fortunately, she pulled it back out when we got home...)

“What is crown molding?”

In the preceding issue of the Lakewood Observer, Part 1 of this early Lakewood history recalled the early 1800’s and the start of a small but beautiful township. By the 1850’s, mansions and stately homes began to replace farmhouses, and buildings of all kinds--modest homes, schools and churches--increased throughout the area...

Several members of the Lakewood Historical Society have viewed the inside of the Hilliard Square Theater in recent weeks. Built in 1927, it was a magnificent structure in the days of silent films, and was still attracting crowds in the 1970’s with films such as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". In addition to the arcade that connects Hilliard and Madison (between the theater and Italian Creations), it also had a 98-key pipe organ, and the catwalks and dressing rooms that allowed it to offer live performances to a seated audience of about 1200 people...

Lakewood is a beautiful 5.6 square miles named for its natural wooded setting along the Lake Erie shore. The first permanent settler, James Nicholson, came from Connecticut on foot when he was only 20 years old. By 1818 he acquired over 300 acres from Madison Avenue to the Lake. Our first real estate developer! Lakewood was originally known as Township 7, Range 14, of Rockport Township (created in 1819).

"Are Retirees and Baby Boomers exempt from capital gain taxes?"

In Robert Semenow’s book titled Questions and Answers on Real Estate (2nd edition, 1955), many interesting references are made with regard to women and their abilities to enter into contracts, execute leases, and enter into agreements of sale...

As a realtor, I just had the good fortune to receive the news that a first time buyer had a home inspection with no problems found! The homeowner was incredibly diligent about regular maintenance and when the time came to sell, she received an offer in 6 weeks, with regular comments from showing appointments about how clean and well maintained her home was. This is an ideal that not too many homeowners achieve, but planning ahead certainly benefited this seller...

If you are prospective home buyer searching for homes on the internet, good for you! Logging onto www.realtor.com or www.yahoo.com/realestate will take you to the area of your choice and let you select any price range you want. You can even pick how many bedrooms & bathrooms you would like. While it can be fun to look at homes online it makes sense to find your own price category first. With that in mind, back away from the computer and go speak with a lender...

"How many Realtors are there in the US?"

I was recently given a book titled Questions and Answers on Real Estate, by Robert Semenow. The highly-credentialed author offered the second edition of his book in 1955 so that real estate brokers "might avoid the pitfalls of incompetency and unethical practices" and to "provide a source of study material for the applicant qualifying for admission to the real estate fraternity."

You want to get the most profit from an investment and your home, as one of the biggest investments you make, is no exception. In this Buyer’s market, recent sales show that homes are selling, but are taking longer to sell and selling at a lower price than comparable homes a few years ago. This is great for those buying homes, but more challenging for home sellers...

What do the experts say about the housing market in 2008?

John West owned 700 acres just south of Rockport. His land ultimately became known as “West’s Park” because of his installation of many beautiful plantings, a man-made lake and manicured lawns...