1. Have a finished basement without a back up plan for the sump pump.   The power does go out . . . and if your plan is to call Toledo Edison and beg for faster service . . . .

2. Get your home/budget/mortgage in trouble and not talk to people.   It’s public knowledge.  Some people are going to charge you by the hour and do nothing – some are going to pester you on the phone and do nothing.   Get some special help.

3. Buy an extra house.   Not now.  Not in this market.   Sell your current one first please.

4. Buy REO property to “flip”.  You are not going to do it.  You are not going to make money.   There are lots of good reasons to buy REO as an investment – flipping is not one of them.

5. Pay someone upfront to sell/market/advertise your house.  Just plain bad business.

6. Hire a real estate agent without asking a page or two of questions about them and for them to cogently answer.  Many agents are abandoning the business right now (that’s a good thing!).  Some are carrying on to clients like they are full time producers while they have other jobs and even live in another state!

7. Fail to understand that the first showing of your house for sale in Perrysburg will occur ON THE COMPUTER.  Via the photos that your marketing agent has taken.   Failure to understand this costs you time, money, and sales power.

8. Don’t be pressured into buying right now.   Not by anyone.   There are good deals.   There are smart buys.  There are great personal business cases to be made for purchasing a home for many families.   There are also a lot of fear-based sales tactics that can lead you into a terrible decision.

They are having another “Spring/Summer” REO sale.

Wow!

1. The blast of cold at the jetway at DTW – I mean the sobering, shocking blast of cold air INSIDE the Jetway.

2. The trek to your car in or out of the garage.  Blue Lot.  Off site.  Inside.  It doesn’t matter – your car is frozen cold. And takes time to warm up.

3. The drive back to Northwest Ohio.  Cloudy.  Frigid.  Freezing.

So, from the 79 degree sun of yesterday to the ice and blizzard of today.

And while it does make you wonder just exactly why you live here (because its’ home and because in July the tables are turned – trust me, I used to live in Florida).

S0 – I get back from Orlando . . . .

Today.

And I get to list/market a new property!

YEAH!

We Realtors love new listings.

This one is on the water.

This one has a dock!

This is a vacation home!

In Ohio!

And because it is a foreclosure I do not have any “summer” pictures.  I have one photo of the dock.

I just got back from Florida.

How sad is that?

Short-sale complete?

As I wrote earlier, Ohio has a 2 year time frame for mortgage holders jilted by borrowers to come and try and collect.

My supposition after attending a couple of national REO meetings is that the banks are planning on using this power to get more money from former homeowners.

Unless, of course, you are sick with cancer.

And suing your former borrower generates a lot of bad press.

Remember – if you are in a short sale situation make ABSOLUTELY SURE you are not responsible for any money owed.  In writing.  With your attorney approving.

If you are in a foreclosure situation . . . know your rights and your obligations.  Try to short sell it and use the negotiations in that process as a lever to get the bank to release your contingent liability.

Or else you have to develop cancer to get the bank to be nice.

Last week it was a family coming from Chicago.

Two weeks ag0 . . . California.

Next week . . . who knows.

I tell all of them a little phrase that you have heard.

“Everything is 15 minutes away in Toledo.”

I am sure you have heard it.

It’s one great reason to live and work in Northwest Ohio – especially Perrysburg.

And now, the proof.

HERE.

So, when you are talking to someone about moving here, living here, commuting here, and the quality of life here . . . remember that the 15 minute average commute is true here.

I might help to make it become even more crowded.

But who am I to not tell the truth?

Perrysburg is a great place to live – and to go out for a quick lunch or dinner.   And one of the best little hidden restaurants is Zingo’s in downtown Perrysburg.   They have a website.

But more importantly they have good, honest food.

Made fresh – prepared on site – and the owner is the chef and the quality of the food is incredibly great.

The wife and I like the hummus.   The chicken tawook is excellent.  Great prices/staff/value/etc.  And if you live up town you can walk or bike over.

I go for the “Mediteranean” food.

Others I understand, like my daughter Hannah and her friend Kira go for the smoothies.

Even in this digital, wired age.

Perrysburg has one – a GREAT one.

The local library is actually a beloved local institution in Perrysburg.

Live downtown?

You can walk or ride your bike.

Live further out?

Plenty of free parking.

It’s busy but quiet.

Big but small.

Loaded with reference works, computer terminals, FREE DVD rentals, and lots of new books.

Gripes?

Only a few – my wife always wants them open later on Friday night (they close at a too early 5:30).  They seem to be cutting back on new books – but it is a digital age, I suppose.

I wrote a few term papers there (in the old, pre-renovation building, complete with card catalogs!)

Best features?  Great staff, self-check out, you can hold books, and you can do a lot of “shopping and holding” on-line.

In fact, the main library user in our family, my dear wife, rarely if ever looks for books or asks for help – she does her research and reserving of books, etc. on line and then whisks in and grabs them.

Why buy or own a house in Perrysburg?

The Way Public Library is one great reason.

But what else drives so many people to seek out Perrysburg?

The Farmer’s Market.

Each Thursday, the downtown main drag – Main Street or more properly Louisiana Ave.  turns into a market.

Now, if you have ever been to Europe you know what a market day or a town market is.  It is often the very center of life in that city or village.  People from surrounding areas bring in produce and crafts and foods and other locally produced goods.  Stalls and booths and other areas are set up and people from everywhere show up to buy and trade.

But that is Europe.  We have gotten away from this sensible and down to earth activity.

Until recently.

For the past year or two the City/Chamber/et all have put together a smaller, more American version of the European Farmer’s Market (it’s more American becuase we drive to it in our cars and don’t close off the street – we are SO car-based in the USA!)

What do you find?

Flowers.  Plants.  Hormone-free meat.  Crafts.  Locally made cheeses.

Yesterday a local grower had brought in strawberries.

Fresh.  Locally grown and harvested.  Plump.  Amazing tasting strawberries.

They seem to be an entirely different species than the hot-house grown, flown in from Chile, pasteurized strawberries that you can buy in a refrigerated case in a local supermarket year round.

Every time I go to the Perrysburg Farmer’s Market I meet and greet old friends and clients.  I get to see some interesting dogs out walking their masters.  And oh – the strawberries.

It’s a great new tradition in Perrysburg, and just one more reason to own real estate in Perrysburg.