Cleveland Economic News -Summer In The City Program Shows Off Cleveland

This made my heart beat faster....and yes I realize 30 people do not a 'reverse brain drain' make. But it is in line with what I am hearing and seeing from rental and buyer clients moving into the area. Read this article by Amanda Teuscher (wonder if she is related to Fred) of the PD.

It's a good story - the first person who is interviewed is a Berkeley California gal who wound up here for grad school after her 'internship' showed her what Cleveland had to offer. It's a start. If we keep having lots of these starts, maybe it will amount to good things.

Last year I had one client move out of Ohio (to Tennessee for a job). This year I had a Philly native/resident who was part timing here for job purposes give up his condo. That is it, all the rest of my relocation clients have been moving here, not leaving.

How about this statistic from the article: 630 students applied for 75 spots/internships; the program was originally just for Yalies but employers became so enthusiastic about the program they opened it up to other schools.

This program sounds so much better than any expensive marketing campaign we've tried in the past. Peace out - 3C

Cleveland Housing News: Multi-family (Doubles) Stats For Zipcode 44111

There are currently 63 two family homes for sale in zipcode 44111. 64 if you count a new one listed on Bellaire for $240k (built in 2006).
The average Ask Price is $93,712. The average square footage is decent, 2,033 sf, or about 1,000 a unit per home.

Since January 2007, here are sales stats for two family homes in zip code 44111:

• 27 Doubles Sold
• Average Ask Price was $82,300
• Average Sale Price was $78,488
• Average number of days these sold doubles were on the market is 91
• average square footage was 2,049

There are foreclosure homes represented here, that is the sobering news. The better news if there is any, is there are not hundreds of them on the market right now (which is true for single family homes in this zip code, see post from earlier this week). Peace Out- 3C

Ohio Transportation News: Trains are Safer Than Cars

The PD has an article (if you can call two paragraphs an article) about train track deaths - four people have died in Lorain County on train tracks this Summer. Just thought, to put it in perspective, I'd throw in an automobile stat.

In 2006, posted on recordpub.com and according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, 1,239 people died in Ohio as a result of a car crash. The good news is, that is quite an improvement over traditional stats for previous years (they say 2005 was a turning point and attribute it to seat belts).

Just had to put that into perspective. Peace Out - 3C

Cleveland Economic and Housing News: Advance NE Ohio Asks: Are You Optimistic?

I added my two cents, but more importantly, they want input and that means you. Advance NE Ohio wants to know three reasons why you are optimistic about our future. If you provide your thoughts there just might be a great dialogue. Peace Out - 3C

Cleveland News: Sheryl Crow Concert a Perfect Ending to July

After a full day of work in real estate, the last thing I could have imagined was going to a concert at the Scene Pavilion. Okay, the PD Pavilion. Had an unexpected invitation to see Sheryl Crow perform there and that was an offer I could not possibly refuse. Thank you Mark and Cyril for the invitation.

Sheryl Crow still inspires, still sings with that smoky, lush voice that hasn't lost it's luster. She seemed wonderfully healthy after her 2006 bout with cancer. And her band is phenomenal. Due to the wonders of the Internet, you can see photos from tonight's (okay, last night's) concert on her official website here.

I fantasize about still going to concerts when I am 85. As I gazed at the Bingham and the Federal Court House, the River and the beautiful moon tonight, I wondered at how fabulous our City's resources are; the natural beauty, the man made wonders that are the iron bridges and the architecture. I hope we never squander those resources for any reason. Peace Out - 3C

Cleveland Real Estate: Zip Code 44111 Housing Stats

We are halfway through the year 2007, which is hard to believe no? Cleveland real estate in zip code 44111 is selling, but there are some shocking stats.

These figures - as always - cover homes listed on the real estate computer listing site, NORMLS, for homes sold through brokerages who list there:

Zip Code 44111: 114 Single Family Homes sold since January 2007

Here are the averages for those homes: 1,327 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 1 bath and a two car garage. Okay so far. The average asking price was $69,547. The average sale price was $66,837. That comes out to about $52 a square foot. The average number of days on the market for these homes was 84.

The other stark news is that the first 35 homes out of these 114 sold for under 50k -- and the first 46 homes were bank owned. Yes, there is a correlation. It's also sad because it affects the market values.

And btw, there are still 370 single family homes on the market in this zip code -- and that is only for the homes with 3 or more bedrooms. This puts a stark reality to the foreclosure issue. And sometimes reality bites. Peace Out - 3C

Today Is Cal Ripken Jr. Day at Cooperstown

I try not to have heroes; it's counter productive. But baseball is part of my soul and Cal Ripken is at the top of my roster of favorite players...and human beings I don't know but admire. Today he will be at Cooperstown getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, and here is a Washington Post article to start your day with a smile....who doesn't like Cal? Not many people.

I lived in Maryland for 19 years and treasure my VHS copy of the final game in his Streak....complete with the lap and the applause. It's not so much about the final day, the final game, the Iron Man title; it's about the seemingly great work ethic and consistency. That's what 'almost heroes' are for in my life, for inspiration to keep doing the best I can, keep learning, keep trying to be a better human being.

So today is Cal Ripken Jr. day in my heart and that makes me smile. Peace Out - 3C