Knox County Ohio Blog

Currently there are 163 homes actively for sale in the Mount Vernon School District with an average listing price of $169,317.  This average listing price is slightly higher than in years past because we have a higher number of more expensive homes currently on the market.  When you calculate averages and include a home that is listed for $825,475 it tends to elevate the numbers a little more than normal.  The lowest active home that is currently for sale in Mount Vernon is listed for $48,900 so there are certainly affordable homes available today that offer monthly payments that are cheaper than renting.

So far this year there has been 145 homes in the Mount Vernon School District that have already SOLD.  The average selling price for a home in Mount Vernon that since January 1st 2008 SOLD for $108,400.  Based on the current sales activity so far this year there should be more than 240 home sales in the Mount Vernon School District in 2008.  If you are considering buying a home in Mount Vernon Ohio in 2008 click here to view available homes, community details and virtual tours.

Currently there are 163 homes actively for sale in the Mount Vernon School District with an average listing price of $169,317.  This average listing price is slightly higher than in years past because we have a higher number of more expensive homes currently on the market.  When you calculate averages and include a home that is listed for $825,475 it tends to elevate the numbers a little more than normal.  The lowest active home that is currently for sale in Mount Vernon is listed for $48,900 so there are certainly affordable homes available today that offer monthly payments that are cheaper than renting.

So far this year there has been 145 homes in the Mount Vernon School District that have already SOLD.  The average selling price for a home in Mount Vernon that since January 1st 2008 SOLD for $108,400.  Based on the current sales activity so far this year there should be more than 240 home sales in the Mount Vernon School District in 2008.  If you are considering buying a home in Mount Vernon Ohio in 2008 click here to view available homes, community details and virtual tours.

Have you ever needed a quick phone number and didn't want to take the time to boot up your computer and search Google and you wanted to avoid the high charge for directory assistance or 411 connect?   Have you ever wanted the phone numbers for the local movie theatres or pizza places near you and you don't have anything to write the numbers down on?  There is a quick and easy way to get the information you want within 60 seconds and most of you can get the information quick and cheap with your cell phone and your text message feature. 

Send a text message to this number:  466453 (I know this is a partial number but trust me it will work).  Now type in what you are searching for and for your example use the following as a test:  Plumber 43050 (of you can type in Plumber XXXX (enter your zip code where my x's are)  Now simply press send and sit tight and within 60 seconds you will get a text message with the information.  This works for client names, addresses and phone numbers and it works for just about anything you are searching.  If you want another good test why not search your name or your spouses name and your zip code?  If you have a spare moment send a text to 466453 and enter Sam Miller Realtor, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050 and see what comes up.

There are so many potential uses for this service and once you play with it a bit you will quickly see the many possibilities.  Your family will love it, your past clients will love it, your team will love it, I have a feeling that pretty much anyone with a cell phone will find a use for it at some point.  The key to remember is that if you do not have a text messaging account you will get charged a non contract text message rate.  For those of us with text messages contracts and especially those of us who have unlimited text messaging this is a feature that we will be using on a very regular basis.  Google has done it again and the speed of this service is amazing.

Knox County Ohio residents got a big surprise this past weekend when 16 inches of snow fell within a 24 hour period.  This was the largest single day snow storm for Ohio that was recorded in more than 50 years.  On Friday March 7th the county was declared a level 2 snow emergency which means motorists were advised to say home.  On March 8th they raised the snow emergency to a level 3 which means only emergency vehilces are allowed to be on the roads.  When I woke up Sunday morning the roads were amazingly clean and it was very obvious that the city, the townships and the county had all worked around the clock and their efforts paid off in a big way.  Mount Vernon Schools were open Monday morning and the drive to work was smooth with no issues.   Traveling the roads in Mount Vernon, Fredericktown, Howard, Gambier, Centerburg and Apple Valley should be back to business as usual and in record time.

Aloha!  I am back from Hawaii, where I was honored to co-present the opening session of the Council of Residential Specialists’ Sell-A-Bration with Howard Brinton. 

I also was a featured panelist for a session on technology specialization; we discussed and explained today's latest and greatest real estate technologies such as hardware, software, websites, digital social networking, and advanced digital technologies including video and virtual tours.  

I believe that all in attendance learned a great deal at this event and, of course, a good time was had by all! 

I would love to put my put my expertise in residential real estate to work for you; if you are looking for the perfect Knox County OH property to call home, please call me at 740-397-7800 or visit SamMiller.net.  

As you have probably seen in the news this week, the Fed has recently cut interest rates again, bringing rates to the lowest they have been since 2005.

Here is my advice about why this is a great time to take advantage of these low rates if you are considering buying a home:

Freddie Mac currently lists the average interest on 30-year fixed loans at 5.69 percent—the lowest level since July 2005. Other rate declines include:

• 15-year fixed mortgages dropped to 5.21 percent from 5.43 percent a week ago.
• 5-year adjustable-rate average decreased to 5.4 percent from 5.63 percent.
• 1-year ARMs fell to 5.26 percent from 5.37 percent..

Observers generally agree that borrowing costs will remain at or near 6 percent for 2008 unless a U.S. recession surfaces—in which case they expect rates to decline further.

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

If you made a new year’s resolution to finally get around to those fix-up projects around the house, you may quickly find yourself overwhelmed – and under-funded – if you try to tackle everything at once.

RealEstateJournal.com has put together a list of pitfalls to avoid when remodeling your home in 2008.  Read the full article here, or check out the highlights below:

1. Ask for advice.  Talk with a local, experienced Realtor who can help you gauge your home’s current value.  Before you go pouring money into a remodeling project, it is valuable to know where your home currently stands and what you stand to gain by making improvements.  To request a complimentary market analysis of your Knox County OH home, please click here. 
2. Dig deeper.  Considering getting a home inspection before you remodel or put your home on the market.  This will give you a very clear idea of where you need to focus your fix-up efforts.
3. Look outside.  Pay attention to the condition of the exterior of your home – including the siding and windows.  Sure, you may want to put all of your money into those new hardwood floors, but structural repairs should always be the first priority.
4. Spend time in the bathroom.  Even small upgrades to a bathroom – new hardware or fixtures – can give it a whole new feel.  If you are thinking of selling your home this year, remember that buyers want to see a bathroom that can be used right away and is not in need of major repair.
5. Keep it small in the kitchen.  We’ve all heard that “the kitchen sells the home,” but remember that, if you are planning on selling your house, every buyer has their own taste in the kitchen, so it is best to keep things neutral and let the buyer customize it as they wish. 

If you are planning to buy or sell a home in 2008, please call me at 740-397-7800 or visit SamMiller.net to learn more about Knox County OH real estate.

The National Association of Realtors has published its predictions for the 2008 housing market, and the data looks positive so far.  Most noteworthy is the trend toward improving existing home sales. 

Lawrence Yun, senior NAR economist, said “Now that mortgage conditions have improved, some postponed activity should turn up in existing-home sales over the next couple of months, and I expect sales at fairly stable to slightly higher levels.” 

Existing home sales are expected to rise to $5.7 million in 2008 – making it the fifth highest year on record.  Existing home prices, which declined 1.9% to a median of $217,600 in 2007, are expected to go back up about .3% in 2008.  As Yun noted late in 2007 “even with a modest decline in the national aggregate price this year, it’s important to keep in mind that nearly two-thirds of the metro areas in the US are showing price increases … the apparent disparity results from fewer sales in high-cost areas, so a change in the mix is dragging down the national median home price.”

To find out the latest trends in Knox County OH real estate, please call me at 740-397-7800 or visit SamMiller.net.  To begin searching for Knox County OH homes, please use my complimentary MLS search.

Happy new year, Knox County!  I hope that everybody enjoyed a very happy holiday season, and that 2008 is off to a great start for you.  If you have been putting off making a resolution for this new year, why not make a few real estate resolutions now?  Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Know your credit!  Make a resolution to stay on top of your credit in 2008.  Begin by getting a detailed credit report so that you know where you stand as the year begins.  Check again at the end of the year to see how much your credit has improved!
• Keep a budget.  This can be a difficult one to stick to.  Many people start the year with an idealistic budget, but soon let it go out the window – oftentimes, along with any hopes of saving for real estate investment!  Begin with a goal of either setting aside a certain amount for a down payment on a real estate investment or putting away enough to make one extra mortgage payment in 2008.
• Research real estate web sites.  Be a snoop in 2008!  Use web sites like mine to keep tabs on what homes in your neighborhood are selling for, where the foreclosures near you are, and what the general market is like in your area.  When you are ready to make a real estate investment, you will already have a good feel for the local market.
• Out with the old!  Even if you are not planning to move in 2008, it never hurts to clean out your closets, garage, or attic and donate to charity.  You’ll make your home more appealing to prospective buyers if you are selling, and you’ll feel more organized if you are staying put.

Best wishes for a very happy and prosperous 2008!

For more information about Knox County OH real estate, please visit SamMiller.net or call me at 740-397-7800.  To begin searching for Knox County OH homes, please use my complimentary MLS search!