Sales Tax Monies....Better Use?

Hmmm, thinking that our infrastructure might be better served by that increase in sales tax monies. A day like today that saw most of NE Ohio flooded due to sewers that are tied into each other in ways that encourage flooding.....couldn't they use that money to take care of this issue instead? I'd love to know if this is realistic. Peace Out-3C

I did not have three minutes to myself today so no calls to the sewer peeps etc. But, turns out today's newsnet5 website has an article. It's slightly tabloid in nature (quel surpris) but I will let you read and decide for yourself. Now, this really IS my next week's cause. 8/9/07

Cleveland Housing News: Ohio's Homestead Exemption Tax Has Expanded

Governor Strickland and The Ohio General Assembly have expanded the Homestead Exemption Tax. You may not have been eligible before but may now meet the requirements.

Are you 65 ?

Are you disabled?

If you answer yes to either question, you may now qualify. Because the income limits have been eliminated.

It could reduce your property taxes up to $400 a year.

I mention this now because the deadline for applying for a Homestead Tax Exemption is October 1, 2007. Believe it or not, October is not that far away. You will ultimately be applying through your local county auditor. There is a directory of all county auditors and forms you can download at the Ohio Department of Taxation website.

If you already qualify, no worries, the new rules will automatically keep you in the program.

You can find out more information two ways -

On line at Ohio Department of Taxation or by calling them at 800-282-1780.

In Cuyahoga County, you can contact the Auditor's Office on line or by calling 216-443-7010

Peace Out - 3C

Cleveland Retail Economic News: My Grocery Store Rant - What are They Thinking?

I'm not my usual positive self; been sitting on this issue for two days and finally have to blog about it. The PD will tell you more but....... Giant Eagle is planning on a store on W. 117th at the new Target location. On face value, everyone might say great! Here's some food for thought:

1. Lorain at Rocky River Drive: Rego's Market replete with Corbo's bakery

2. Lakewood Heights Blvd at Lewis: Rego's Market at first Rego's location ever

3. Lorain Road at W. 139th: Giant Eagle Super Market

4. Lorain Road at W. 104th: Giant Eagle Super Market

5. Montrose at Warren Road: Giant Eagle Super Market

All five stores reside in areas heavily populated with homes. All are within I bet, two miles of each other. Yes, there are some residential streets close to the new Target on W. 117th but wouldn't different types of retail be better there? If I am going to Target, I'm NOT going to the grocery store! Yes, I know, private ownership and all. But really guys! Put a retail operation there that will bring more retail jobs to the neighborhoods, NOT robots!

And my pet peeve: Giant Eagle cannot keep cash registers open at the stores they already have. This was a conversation I had last evening at the one on Lorain Road...ten people in line, one cashier. It makes no difference what time of the day you go, there are NEVER enough people cashiering at a Giant Eagle. At least not any of the ones I have mentioned. And they are moving towards the self-scanning machines anyway (which are never manned either I might add). Let's put more people out of business and just have us do our own check out - kind of like having to pump your own gas only with groceries.

Why spend money on a new store when you can't even service the ones you have?

Closing down more grocery stores in our neighborhoods while promoting driving a car to one on W. 117th seems like insanity to me.

Someone explain to me why this is getting a go ahead. The people who make these decisions must not shop at local grocery stores. Someone please explain to me why this is a good idea!

Bah humbug. Peace Out - 3C

How would you feel about an 'air rights' cap over the Innerbelt that included housing?

It's hard to weigh in on this idea fully, but there are aspects to it that sound feasible and economically forward thinking. What am I talking about? Well you will have to read an article in the Plain Dealer by Steven Litt. A non profit group called Quadrangle Inc. is suggesting we follow the path taken in places like Boston and making sense out of concrete barrier areas established during the Federal money heyday. Barriers that have cut off neighborhoods from the rest of the world (i.e. highway exit ramps) in cities all over this Country. That part sounds good so far.

I get a bit nervous about two things. Have you ever read about Boston's Big Dig? That was so expensive it made everyone's blood go cold. Secondly, there is money for the Innerbelt Plan (Federal) but no money would exist for the Capping Plan (Federal).

It would be a ten block area that would connect CSU with CCC and St. Vincent's Charity Hospital. It would be called the 'University Circle West.' I can't believe they have a name for it already. It would create 23 acres of housing, retail and parks. Above ground parks like the High Line in NYC?

As usual there is discord not discourse. The peeps and non-profit groups supporting The Innerbelt Plan are saying that this will circumvent the existing plan for the Carnegie exit ramp and that it will delay the project, make it more expensive. Make it more expensive makes sense; the delay part, well, to me a plan should move ahead only when it's absolutely determined that it is the best one.

This quote from Hunter Morrison, a former area planner, is worth repeating because this is for sure what happened all over the Country: (this is right out of the PD article)

"Morrison said city planners in the 1950s intentionally ran the highway between downtown and the Woodland and Central neighborhoods to create a barrier. Capping the freeway in the future would heal an urban scar, he said. "

But, and a big but, they don't know who would fund this project.

You can go to Quadrangle Inc. website and see a map of the District and find a bit more about them. The name quadrangle and it's association for college life is not lost on me. This has not been on my radar before has it been on yours? Let's hope we can find out more about this.

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