Cincinnati named to "Top Cities for New College Grads" In the 2010 rating compiled by Business Week, Cincinnati was ranked Number 23 on the list of "Top Cities for New College Grads."  Recognized for the top notch corporate headquarters here - Procter and Gamble, Kroger's and Macy's - the city showed an average pay of $42,340.  Our cost of living index was listed as 93.7. Listed were our strengths in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and insurance.  When researching the types of jobs listed there were significant listings in the customer service and health care industries.  The Cincinnati Reds and Bengals and the sport's influence were mentioned as draws for new grads. 10/13/2010

 Mariemont Receives Honor as Planned Community         Mariemont has been named to the list of the "Top 20 Urban Planning Successes of All Time" by the Public Servant Blog. The blog suggests that the urban planning process has stood the test of time.  It is a functional urban area that took innovation and knowledge to the next level.   Mariemont was founded by Mary Emery in memory of her husband Thomas J. Emery, noted Cincinnati philanthropist.  She took her farm in the country and lessons she had learned from many trips to England and designed the community.  As one of the first planned communities in the United States, Mariemont is recognized for its charming historic architecture (reminiscent of those trips to England), award winning schools, walkability and friendly, community-minde... 10/13/2010

The confusing set of circumstances that led to the area along Erie Avenue from Ashworth down to Broadview  being declared part of Oakley has been clarified!  East Hyde Park residents had worried that being moved from Hyde Park to Oakley would affect property values.  The Cincinnati Multiple Listing Service had decided to strictly enforce the Cincinnati Area Geographic Information System (CAGIS) map as the authority of where a home was located. You can read more about the issue by checking out two previous blog posts: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1767532/hyde-park-east-status-update http://activerain.com/blogsview/1732515/hyde-park-east-residents-raise-their-voices-in-protest The Cincinnati City Council met and heard about the issue.  They unanimously approved having the CAGIS map red... 10/13/2010

Cincinnati isn't only facing a drought in wins by our sports teams! The weather patterns have created a significant drought from lack of rain...down 7 1/2" as of today. All you have to do is drive around and look at the brown yards and you know that all our trees and plants are in trouble.  For those of you who are watering and giving your vegetation 1" of water a week, you can expect to still have your trees, grass and plants next year. For those of you who haven't, there is at least one place you need to start watering NOW! Your foundation could be in trouble. Who's to blame? It's not who, it's what! Clay soils are the culprit. Most homes in the Cincinnati are built on clay soil. Clay is an unique material to build on, because it is constantly expanding and contracting. Along with the... 10/13/2010

July 2010 Home Sales Report for Cincinnati, Ohio I’m sure you all may have heard news stories the past few days on the July home sales reports that just came out. I wanted to pass along some data to give you an idea of the facts behind the numbers. July home sales were 35% lower than last years sales in Cincinnati. This was expected because of the tax credit accelerating sales to the first quarter of this year that would have normally happened throughout the year. March closings were UP 15%, April 34%, May 26%, and June 8% over last year in Cincinnati. After the expiration of the tax credit, obviously we expected sales to slow down to a more normal rate. Looking at the year to date picture, home sales are up 3% over last year.   This is all based off data from the Cincinnati MLS. July M... 09/09/2010

Freddie Mac reports that long-term mortgage rates moved south again this week. Interest on 30-year fixed loans hit a new low of 4.49 percent, compared to 4.54 percent last week and 5.22 percent a year ago; and the 15-year mortgage landed at 3.95 percent, down from 4 percent last week and 4.63 percent a year ago. Five-year adjustable-rate mortgages reached a new low of 3.63 percent, down from 3.76 percent last week and 4.73 percent a year ago; while one-year ARMs fell to 3.55 percent from 3.64 percent last week and 4.78 percent a year ago. Source: The Wall Street Journal, Amy Hoak and Nick Timiraos (08/06/10) 08/09/2010

  Boundry Disputes in Oakley and Hyde Park 500 residents in East Hyde Park are being told that, according to the Multiple Listing Service of Greater Cincinnati, they live in Oakley. That’s because the Hamilton County Auditor map lists the 500 homes in  Hyde Park, but the Multiple Listing Service (or MLS), what Realtors use,  puts the homes in Oakley. So homeowners who bought homes in Hyde Park  now have to sell their homes with Oakley addresses according to Fox 19. Realtors are required to market homes according to how the MLS service classifies their home. 490 homeowners have signed a petition to the Hyde Park Community Council and the Oakley Community Council to address and resolve the discrepancy. Lawmakers said they can amend the council community boundaries map if  both community c... 08/04/2010

The Hyde Park East Committee is on the agenda for the Oakley Neighborhood Council meeting on Tuesday, August 3 at 6PM at the Oakley Community Center in Hyde Park Plaza...do we all realize how intertwined these neighborhoods are anyway...meeting at the Oakley Community Center in Hyde Park Plaza, oh, my! So what's the beef?  In the Fall of 2009, the Multiple Listing Service of Cincinnati began classifying most streets in Hyde Park East as being located in Oakley.  Hyde Park Neighborhood Council had always considered the area as part of Hyde Park and for 40 years, the MLS had classified the area as Hyde Park.  Residents have 400 signatures on a petition to bring their area back under Hyde Park in MLS and with the Neighborhood Council. How did this happen?  MLS started to enforce the areas ... 07/27/2010

The Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors has released numbers for home sales for June, 2010.  There were 2,129 units closed in June, a 7.63% gain over June of 2009.  Reported sales are largely due to contracts written before April 30th that qualified for the federal tax credits of $8000 or $6500. Cincinnati's June sales were up slightly compared to May sales (.57%)Nationwide, the number of sales for June were up 9,8% from a year ago but down in number by 5.1% in a seasonally adjusted basis. Year-to date, closings show positive numbers: Sales units  +11.94% Gross dollar volume sales  +21.35% Average Sale price  +8.41% Sale prices are up for 2010 to date because fewer foreclosure sales are in early 2010 compared to 2009. Low interest rates have also influenced sales.  A 30-year fixed rate mo... 07/27/2010

The Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors has released numbers for home sales for June, 2010.  There were 2,129 units closed in June, a 7.63% gain over June of 2009.  Reported sales are largely due to contracts written before April 30th that qualified for the federal tax credits of $8000 or $6500. Cincinnati's June sales were up slightly compared to May sales (.57%)Nationwide, the number of sales for June were up 9,8% from a year ago but down in number by 5.1% in a seasonally adjusted basis. Year-to date, closings show positive numbers: Sales units  +11.94% Gross dollar volume sales  +21.35% Average Sale price  +8.41% Sale prices are up for 2010 to date because fewer foreclosure sales are in early 2010 compared to 2009. Low interest rates have also influenced sales.  A 30-year fixed rate mo... 07/25/2010

A grassroots community initiative has taken the Cincinnati by storm! The movement is designed to spread a network of projects and activities throughout the City that promote awareness and raise funds for our new 45-acre Cincinnati Riverfront Park. This new park will add to the crown jewels of the Cincinnati Park system. TWIG is sponsored by the Women's Committee. Groups all over town with similar passions and interests are encouraged to participate. Every little contribution will add up and enhance the interest and involvement in building this park.  Ideas for groups that might come together are Scout organizations, garden clubs, walking groups, book clubs, and friends.  Dater Montessori and Town and Country Garden Club have already initiated projects that will benefit the Park attracti... 07/14/2010

University of Cincinnati Named to "World's Most Beautiful Campuses" List  Architects and designers were recently asked to judge the World's Most Beautiful Campuses by Forbes Magazine.  Powerful natural landscapes played a part in establishing the character of some schools.  The University to Oxford was described as an architectural wonderland.  For large Universities, a clear diagram of organization helped them achieve recognition. The University of Cincinnati's distinction is due to a strategic plan implemented over the past 10 years that used "signature architects" to design new buildings.  Architects of note included are Michael Graves, Frank Gehry, Peter Eisenman, Thom Mayne, Bernard Tschumi, Eric Sueberkrop, and others. Other schools on the list were Kenyon College, Oxford Universi... 07/14/2010

June numbers are in for Montgomery, Blue Ash, Symmes Township and Sycamore Township, all part of the Sycamore School district. For the month, 65 homes or condos were sold.  There are currently 406 homes actively on the market and 76 pending sales.                       Credit Suisse provides a monthly analysis of real estate traffic (showings) across the country.  The traffic index level dropped to levels not seen since the credit crisis began in late '08.  The sharp fall off in traffic was expected in May, but June only added to the slowdown.  The most worrisome aspect of their index is that the numbers continued to fall throughout the month. Along with that, the number of pending home sales across the country dropped 30% from May, 15% below May, 2009.  The number of closings will cont... 07/14/2010

June numbers are in for Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Oakley and Columbia Tusculum. For the month, 66 homes or condos were sold.  There are currently 309 homes actively on the market and 47 pending sales.                       Credit Suisse provides a monthly analysis of real estate traffic (showings) across the country.  The traffic index level dropped to levels not seen since the credit crisis began in late '08.  The sharp fall off in traffic was expected in May, but June only added to the slowdown.  The most worrisome aspect of their index is that the numbers continued to fall throughout the month. Along with that, the number of pending home sales across the country dropped 30% from May, 15% below May, 2009.  The number of closings will continue to decline in July and August based upon thi... 07/14/2010

June numbers are in forAnderson Township and Newtown, all part of the Forest Hills School district. For the month, 64 homes or condos were sold.  There are currently 410 homes actively on the market and 68 pending sales.                        Credit Suisse provides a monthly analysis of real estate traffic (showings) across the country.  The traffic index level dropped to levels not seen since the credit crisis began in late '08.  The sharp fall off in traffic was expected in May, but June only added to the slowdown.  The most worrisome aspect of their index is that the numbers continued to fall throughout the month. Along with that, the number of pending home sales across the country dropped 30% from May, 15% below May, 2009.  The number of closings will continue to decline in July an... 07/14/2010

June numbers are in for Mt. Adams. For the month, 2 homes or condos were sold.  There are currently 41 homes actively on the market and 4 pending sales.                         Credit Suisse provides a monthly analysis of real estate traffic (showings) across the country.  The traffic index level dropped to levels not seen since the credit crisis began in late '08.  The sharp fall off in traffic was expected in May, but June only added to the slowdown.  The most worrisome aspect of their index is that the numbers continued to fall throughout the month. Along with that, the number of pending home sales across the country dropped 30% from May, 15% below May, 2009.  The number of closings will continue to decline in July and August based upon this. So, what does that mean?  Overall, it dem... 07/14/2010

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory recently accepted the  City Livability Award from the U.S. Council of Mayors.  It was based upon the well known Mural Works program established by the City of Cincinnati and ArtWorks. As part of an effort to beautify the city, 28 murals have been created since 2007 in 24 of the 52 different Cincinnati neighborhoods.  The goal is to bring at least one mural to every neighborhood through collaboration with residents, businesses, artists and teens. ArtWorks employs both teenage and professional artists to work with the community in designing the murals. The diversity of the murals reflects the diversity of the communities they are in.  Some speak to the city's history, others to changes in a neighborhood, and some are simply creative expressions.  My personal ... 07/08/2010

 Newsweek magazine recently published its annual list of "America's Best High Schools."  Selected to the list were approximately six percent of all the nation's high schools.  It included four Cincinnati Area schools.  Walnut Hills High School is a selective, college preparatory school, part of the Cincinnati Public Schools. It has 2097 students in 9-12th grades, though grades 7 and 8 are also in the same buildings. Indian Hill High School is the only high school in the Indian Hill School District.  Mariemont High School is also the only high school in the Mariemont School District.  Both are relatively small high schools, 685 students in grades 9-12 at Indian Hill and 499 in grades 9-12 at Mariemont. Turpin High School is one of two high schools in the Forest Hills School District, ser... 07/08/2010

Some people seem worried about what will happen after the Federal Tax Credit expires. Will people still be buying homes in Cincinnati or will the market come to a screeching halt? Want to hear my two cents? The tax credit definitely made people push their purchase decisions into high gear during the first quarter of 2010, but buyers, even first time home buyers are still out there in the market even after the expiration of the tax credit. I even had a few first time home buyers that didn't rush to buy because the $8,000 wasn't even important in their decision. A recent survey done by Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services shows that the end of the federal tax credit will not deter buyers from continuing to buy homes. Want the stats? More than 90% of those surveyed believe the ho... 07/08/2010

Here at DotLoop, we talk a lot about designing walkable, people-focused communities that offer amenities and connectedness with neighbors and businesses alike.We think it's important that people feel connected to their communities and that, as home-owners, they have a sense of home that reaches beyond the end of their lawn.That's why I'm so excited for today's announcement from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood of $293 million for new transit solutions for dozens of communities nationwide.The investments include six new streetcar and rapid bus transit projects along with 47 additional projects to upgrade current bus services. This will be part of the Federal Transit Administration's Bus Livability Program. DotLoop is especially excited that our very own city of Cincinnati received inv... 07/08/2010