I'm almost always booked on Thursday evenings, but if you aren't.....there is a new show called Ohio Made at 7 PM on Thursdays on WKYC. Tim White sounds like he will be the host, but I am not positive. Maybe some of you have seen the commercials?
It sounds like it could be very interesting! Makes me want to fix my VCR :-) Peace Out - 3C
Aaron Gordon is a mortgage lender in Las Vegas. I don't know him, but I just read one of his posts and it inspired me to link to it. He is asking all mortgage lenders to do some pro bono work and help people who might be upside down in their mortgages by calling their lenders for them and asking for a note modification. Aaron's post is here. I found out about it through a post I wrote asking if the recent efforts by Save The American Dream could actually help (they are calling for a 2 year ARM moratorium).
Lou Tisler of NHSGC pointed out that people are reluctant to do it on their own. Aaron points out that instead of calling their original lenders, they are calling him and others like him to refinance. So he helps them. For free.
Read Aaron's post! I plan on calling all the lenders I know personally tomorrow and asking them if they are doing this. Peace Out - 3C
Back when I was living in Maryland and working three different part time jobs at a time, one was for a coupon book similar to Val Pak. I enjoyed it because I was able to focus on local businesses and meet some darn good entrepreneurs. We had stiff competition from Val Pak.
I saw this article on CrainsCleveland.com about ValPak and thought about why a local Medina gentleman has decided to buy a Val Pak franchise. He said his prior company had good client response from ValPak and they were a long standing company - two reasons why he 'bought in.' Reminds me of the Norelco commercials (I think it was Norelco!) where the guy would say I liked the product so much I bought the company. I'm wondering what our Franchise King Joel would say about this? I have to admit it's been almost two decades since I was in the coupon business -it was interesting to get an update on how it's working. According to the Crains article written by Marilyn Miller, Valpak is the sixth largest media company in the U.S. Well what she really says is they call themselves the sixth largest lol. If you are looking for a job, maybe the new Medina franchisor is looking for sales reps?
Peace Out - 3C
Yes, Maryland starts from a position of a solid and always improving job base, but the plan outlined by Maryland's Governor should inspire us to be vigilant (imho) about our own 3C Corridor Plan. The Washington Post article about it is here. They are running a bit on faith:
"....This is a very ambitious concept, and we don't have money in the bank to pay for it. But we have a reasonable expectation that these are cost-effective ideas that would bring a lot of transportation benefit, and we'll find the money as the years go by,..." but it's a thirty year plan to better connect Baltimore and Washington and turn the Rail System into a full fledged service, not one that enhances the rush hour commute (although there are only a few hours when it's not rush hour there, but I digress).
Henry Kay is an administrator with the MD Transit Authority and this quote interested me too:
"....Kay said the state is considering private development of stations and parking lots to generate revenue for the expansion...." - Something that could definitely help us with the 3C Corridor Plan, privatizing the Stations. Please contact your Senators, we need support for SB294 to keep our own economic future moving ahead. I am not always on my soapbox but this issue seems so important to our economy. And this article on Maryland's plan is a good read. Peace Out - 3C
Lou Tisler of Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland (NHSGC) made an important point on my latest post on short sales. Many of us know we should 'call our lenders' before it's too late but we are still too timid or worried to do that. NHSGC can do the legwork for you.
His second important point was that you should never pay anyone to be the intermediary, to help you with your mortgage issues. Lou has sent me a press release on NHSGC and I'm going to post it here in it's entirety. Please call your lenders. Or please call Lou at NHSGC.
Ohio Housing Finance Agency Adds $3.1 Million
to Ohio NeighborWorks® Foreclosure Prevention Tool Box
New Fund is to Assist Middle Income Homeowners
Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland Creates New Loan Product to Fight Foreclosures in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio – Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland (NHSGC), part of the Ohio NeighborWorks® Foreclosure Prevention Initiative, will distribute $3.1 million in flexible grants from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA). In combination with an investment of over $3 million from NeighborWorks® America, this is a much-needed foreclosure prevention boost in Ohio.
The OHFA grant will assist middle income homeowners and provide up to $3,000 in a zero percent deferred soft second loans to borrowers facing foreclosure, with a possibility of going up to $5,000 depending on the amount of the mortgage payment. Overall 12 organizations throughout Ohio will use the funds.
The OHFA funds, together with the previous award of $1.5 million from the Office of Housing and Community Partnerships (OHCP) and the NeighborWorks grants, are expected to enable the Ohio NeighborWorks® organizations to assist over 1,500 Ohio families avoid foreclosure.
“This is another tool in the toolbox that will help us rebuild Cleveland communities,” said Lou Tisler, executive director of NHSGC, the organization administering the OHFA funds. “We were missing a way to help people who are just getting by but are behind on their mortgage and on the verge of getting into trouble. Now NeighborWorks organizations can help more low- and middle-income borrowers, which is important because this problem is spreading into middle-income neighborhoods.”
NHSGC educates homeowners through financial literacy, homeownership education and counseling, working with the Homeowner’s™ HOPE Hotline -- 888-995-HOPE (4673) -- to connect homeowners at risk of foreclosure with HUD-certified counselors.
“OHFA generally focuses on first-time homebuyer products, so this is one of their first sustainability-focused products,” said Tisler. “Coupled with a refinance product they recently made available, OHFA is enabling NeighborWorks organizations in Ohio to develop the cutting edge products that will help all levels of homebuyers get out of this crisis.”
Sparked by 1978 legislation, NeighborWorks America created the NeighborWorks network of community development nonprofits charged with closing the homeownership gap; improving financial literacy; rebuilding and repairing properties; developing affordable multifamily units; and, using community development strategies to improve safety and build wealth. In 2007, NeighborWorks America will provide over $75 million in grants to its national network of 244 nonprofit organizations operating in nearly 4,500 communities.
The need for NeighborWorks organizations has never been greater. High quality, affordable rental housing is needed to build healthy and sustainable communities. Personal debt is rising among consumers. Mortgages are becoming increasingly complex and risky, which means homeowners are becoming progressively more susceptible to foreclosure. And, stubborn wealth gaps persist.
“As stewards of taxpayer dollars, NeighborWorks ensures our investments are working in ways that truly make a difference,” said NeighborWorks America Great Lakes District Director Paul Poston. “We thank Congress and our other private, philanthropic and public funders who make our work to empower consumers and strengthen neighborhoods possible.”
About Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland
Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland is not-for-profit community development corporation incorporated in 1975 to promote investment and revitalization of communities in Northeast Ohio As one of the original chartered members of NeighborWorks® America, a network of over 230 organizations working in nearly 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities nationwide, the mission of Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland is to provide ongoing programs and services for achieving, preserving and sustaining the American dream of homeownership. www.nhscleveland.org.
My open house did not turn out as planned today.....the keys didn't work! And my client is in California so......time to read up on the news. Turns out The Planning Commission approved some upgrades for The Warehouse District. The change that should appeal the most to District residents are the parks being created including South of Lakeside -- always exciting when we start utilizing our key natural resource...The Lake. Another change is to add taxi stands to the District. Now to get taxis there. Cleveland needs to be more proactive about taxis - we all have horror stories about them not showing up, even if we try to call for one. Anyway, here is the newsnet5 blurb about it.
And here is fellow blogger Tom Breckenridge's post about it. For the first time since I lived in Maryland I've actually hear a design plan talk about a sense of place. There truly is a vibrancy to the entire Downtown area these past six months. Now we need a bookstore :=) Peace Out - 3C
It's become easier, as a Realtor®, to recognize homes that might need to get rid of lead paint. Normally our homes have been painted, layer upon layer, so the original lead paint job on a 1920 Era home is sealed safely away. But what if the paint in the room is peeling? Alternatively, if you have older double hung windows that get opened and shut every day as the temperatures rise and fall, the original paint jobs could be peeling against the friction of the opening and closing of these windows. Kids love to look out the window and the youngest ones love to eat whatever is not nailed down. Including paint chips. Another problem area can be a closest or storage area under the eaves in an attic. Sometimes these areas have clearly not been painted for decades. It's a good idea to put a few coats of paint on a closet or attic storage area just to be safe.
The Cuyahoga Co. Board of Health reports that they have received a $7 million grant from HUD to take care of already identified lead paint issues in NE Ohio. About 1300 Cuyahoga County children experienced lead poisoning in 2005. This grant will allow you to apply for monies to repair your home and you can read about the criteria to get the money here.
Sellers of homes in Ohio are required to fill out a Lead Paint Disclosure form to alert prospective buyers of any lead issues that may exist before they purchase. Buyers also have the right to a lead paint inspection prior to purchasing, in addition to a general home inspection. I have to admit, I have never had a buyer opt to get that inspection.
The City of Lakewood First Time Home Buyer Program utilizes a HUD inspection as part of their mortgage lending and purchase process. Peeling paint must be scraped/patched and repainted before their inspectors will sign off on the inspection. I had a home buyer purchasing a Lakewood home with this program and the house was neat as a pin and very well cared for. But there were porch railings and garage walls that were peeling. We had to get that corrected.
If you are buying a home and you will have young children inside the home when you move in, do you have newer windows? Do you have the older double hung rope/sash windows? Please be sure to look at the condition of the window sashes so you will know what you are dealing with when you move into your new home.
You can also go here to the HUD website and read more about keeping your home safe from lead paint poisoning issues. Peace Out-3C
