Cincinnati Hosts Oktoberfest Zinzinnati September 22-23 2012 Hoist a stein, flap your arms for the Chicken Dance and enjoy Cincinnati's version of the German Oktorberfests, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati USA.  Centered on Cincinnati's Fountain Square, the location is perfect for the 100's of thousands of people that come to party every year!  Now in it's 37th year, this is the 2nd largest Oktoberfest in the WORLD!  You'll have to go to Munich if you want bigger!Featuring Beer, Brats, Beer, Metts, Beer, Creampuffs, Beer, Black Forest Cake, Beer, Potato Pancakes, Beer, Sauerkraut and Beer!Okay, so really there's a LOT more to Oktoberfest than just the BEER! (although there is typically  more than 800 BARRELS of beer consumed at this Oktoberfest!).  There's actually quite a bit of entertainment!  ... 09/03/2012

2012 Rubber Duck Regatta To Benefit Freestore Foodbank When we posted this morning about the P&G Riverfest and WEBN Fireworks September 2nd, 2012, there's another MAJOR event going on during the day besides the entertainment and The Big Bang!  It's the annual Rubber Duck Regatta held every Labor Day Weekend!  At 3 p.m. up to 150,000 rubber ducks will be dropped into the Ohio River, each with it's own serial number and a sponsor. Starting at the Purple People Bridge, they'll race down to the Ohio River to the finish line!  Now this isn't being done for the 18th year just for sheer entertainment value, but to benefit one of our area's most worthy charities, the Freestore Foodbank!  The Freestore Foodbank is Cincinnati's primary foodbank, serving 20 counties across Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana... 08/26/2012

P&G Riverfest & WEBN Fireworks September 2nd 2012 3...2...1....KABOOM!!!  It's time to countdown to the unofficial end of summer blast, the biggest fireworks show in Cincinnati.  The P&G Riverfest is a day long event and the WEBN Fireworks show are the highlight of this end of summer bash!  Fireworks start at 9:05 p.m. and are like the Energizer Bunny, they just keep going and going!  Here's a taste of them with last year's finale: And after decades of running this Big Boom Party, Rozzi's Fireworks & WEBN know how to throw a party that will bring hundreds of thousands of people down to the riverbanks of the Ohio River!  Now of course there's much more to this Ohio River Fireworks Show than JUST the fireworks!  There will be live music and other entertainment starting at noon on Septembe... 08/26/2012

Search All Cincinnati Foreclosures & Short Sales?  It's Not That Easy! Mr. Buyer on the prowl for a Cincinnati home bargain, Cincinnati foreclosures are your ticket to a real steal, right?  All you need to know is where they are!  If only we provided you a website to search for them without charging you for the service! But here's the catch, we can't provide you a complete, up to the second public MLS search for Cincinnati foreclosures or short sales!  Don't get us wrong, we've got access to them, but we don't have the ability to give the public a click this button solution because the Property Ownership field is protected from public searches.  The distinction between regularly owned homes, government owned, bank owned, relocation, etc., all of that is contained within the Property Own... 08/13/2012

25th Great Inland Seafood Festival August 9-12 2012 in Newport Kentucky The Great Inland Seafood Festival is already underway for it's 25th year on the banks of the Ohio River!  Just across from Cincinnati on the Newport side of the Ohio River, you're going to have plenty of opportunity to get your fill of seafood despite being so far from the coasts.  Crabs, shrimp, oysters and..... Maine Lobsters aka "bugs" will be trucked in, so that $10.95 each price will beat anyplace else in town!  But with ONLY 10,000 lobsters, you might want to not wait to make your visit.  When they're gone, they're gone!  And in additional to all those Maine lobsters, 15 local restaurants will be doing their best dishes to get you to buy from them instead of their competitors!   And in addition to the food, th... 08/10/2012

One way to track the pulse of Cincinnati’s real estate market is to look for new construction. Lots of new homes going up is a sure sign of confidence in the local economy. It’s when builders know if they build a “spec home” (a home that is not sold before construction) it will sell in a relatively short time frame. Maronda Homes in Greater Cincinnati and N.KY has 26 market homes available, and we feel that confidence is coming back to the Cincinnati homebuyer. Builders began work on 26% more single-family homes in May 2012 than the depressed levels of May 2011. The stock of unsold newly built homes is back to 2005 levels. In each of the past four quarters, housing construction has added to economic growth. In the first quarter, it accounted for 0.4 percentage points of the meager 1.9% ... 08/01/2012

Americans have weathered the rough real estate market of the last few years by staying out of the market, and renting an apartment. It may be time to reconsider that plan, asapartment rental rates are now rising at a higher rate than home values. The Trulia Pro Blog is reporting that while housing prices have increased slightly, “…rents have risen faster, at 5.4% year over year. In 22 of the 25 largest rental markets, rents are outpacing prices. This means that buying a home is becoming an even better deal relative to renting – that is, for those who can qualify for a mortgage and put up the down payment.” Trulia reports that each metropolitan housing market is recovering at its own rate. The stronger, more stable real estate markets are in localities where unemployment rates are decrea... 07/29/2012

This real estate slump is a real drag, especially if you’re trying to sell your home. So, stage your pad to beat out the competition and draw in more prospective buyers. Most buyers have a hard time looking past pink walls and green shag carpet, so do the legwork for them and present their “new home” on a silver platter. If done smartly, the money spent staging will be made up tenfold in the house sale — and you keep all the hot accessories for yourself afterward (or unload them on Craigslist). Here are some tips I used when staging my Chicago home. Oh and by the way the exact same home down the street took 3 months longer to sell (No staging) Clear it all out I mean it, girlfriend, move every single thing out of your place. That goes for your beloved troll doll collection, leopard skin... 07/28/2012

Your Maronda Home Will Reflect Your Unique Style    There are three really excellent reasons for buying a brand new Maronda home. You probably have a few more of your own, but let’s start with the first one… 1. Brand New! Everything in your home is new! You are the first person to use each item — when your baby or grandchild is crawling across the carpeted floor, you feel good about the fact that yours is the first family to use this home. 2. It’s Your Unique Style. Your new home will reflect your personal taste and design styling from top to bottom. It provides you with the opportunity to make things the way you’ve always dreamed they would be; with your favorite colors, finishes, kitchen and bath details, and much more!   ... Read the rest of the article on our Maronda Homes Blog ... 07/26/2012

            Eagles Watch is a community of New Homes in Milford, OH. This gorgeous community has wooded lots available and gives you a feeling of being in the country, but you are truly only minutes from whatever you need, shopping, schools, and the expressway. Be sure to check us out at Maronda.com. Be sure to ‘Like” us on Facebook, and Follow us on Twitter.   ... Check out more interesting articles on our Maronda Homes Blog ... 07/23/2012

Call it whatever you like, staging, primping or glossifying- most of today’s homeowners in greater Cincinnati need to do “something” before opening their doors to potential buyers.  How much or how little prep work done really depends on the condition of your home and how much money and/or time sellers are willing to donate. My advice to the average owner (average equals =taken good care of the property and no massive repairs needed) is: Fix/replace broken stuff. Remember I’m a huge advocate of pre-listing whole house inspections so if you’re not sure what’s broken or leaking- the inspection is the best way to find out. De-clutter and clean. Keep it simple-if you think you have too much furniture …so will buyers.  Store, sell or donate excess furniture, items stored in garages, basement... 07/22/2012

Maronda Homes can help you get back on track. and get you in your New Home sooner than you thought possible! There are so many companies out their today that talk about credit repair, and how they can help get your credit back on track, and they can, but it is usually at a pretty hefty cost. Maronda Homes has a program that we offer FREE of charge to any of our customers that qualify, that’s right I said it….FREE! So you can not only build your dream home a lot soon then you thought, but fixing your credit won’t cost you a dime. I would have to say that is a WIN! WIN! In conjunction with our mortgage company FBC Mortgage and a certified credit counselor who will guide you through the process of repairing your credit, while we are building your new home.Maronda Homes offers so many great... 07/11/2012

Tuesday I drove down to Cincinnati and had lunch with Bill Spear before going to Ellen and Mike's place.  Always a pleasure to see Bill, but a little disappointed I didn't get to see Liz also, but she had other things going on that afternoon. I just wanted to share with you where I had coffee every morning and the view I had also. This is the Taft Museum of Art which is right next to the building that Mike and Ellen live in............it's a beautiful building, but I have yet to tour the museum. This is a photo of Lytle Park. It is directly across the street from the Taft Museum of Art.  It's a lovely little park with flower gardens, an herb garden and a bocce court for the residents of 400 Pike Street.  Excellent place to relax with my coffee each morning before starting my day. These... 06/14/2012

Grand Opening of Smale Riverfront Park - May 18                  ​Come celebrate the grand opening of Phase 1 of the Smale Riverfront Park. This phase of the project offers a dynamic recreational, entertainment and leisure resource for the citizens of Greater Cincinnati and visitors to this region. Schmidlapp Stage provides a center for celebrations and musical events.  There is a Bike Center where bikes can be stored and repaired.  This is hoped to function as a location for alternative transportation to work for many commuters.  The Visitors Center will also be housed there.  One of the most visible features will be the Walnut Street Fountain and grand steps.   Water cascades down over waterfalls and water curtains and at night it is illuminated with thousands of lights and colors.  T... 06/05/2012

Contemporary Art Museum Named One of 50 Coolest Museums          ​While the world is full of awesome museums, Complex Magazine has compiled a list of some of the "cool" museums in their list of  50 Coolest Museums.  They were looking for museums with awesome collections or unparalleled experiences.  These grand museums are truly worth a visit. Complex Magazine has got you covered  if you want to get up with the latest trends in fashion, sneakers, music, sports and everything in between.  If it’s got a price tag and matters to guys, Complex claims you’ll find it in their pages.  ​Why did they include the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati?  First of all they were amazed at the building designed by Zaha Hadid.  Then they lauded the upper floor housing the UnMuseum.  This is an innovat... 06/05/2012

University of Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium Named to 50 Best to Visit      Bleacher Report has named the University of Cincinnati campus and Nippert Stadium to its list of 50 College Football Stadiums, Campuses and Shrines to See Before You Die.  It was lauded for the eclectic combination of old and contemporary buildings.  With the University's commitment to post modern architecture and outstanding architecture work, some of the most prominent architects in the world have done work there.   In startling contrast to the modern buildings, Nippert stadium, is located in a central spot within the campus.  The stadium, which was completed in 1924, is the fifth oldest stadium in the nation.Bleacher Report Honors Nippert Stadium 06/05/2012

Cincinnati Honored as One of 10 Best Cities for Raising a Family by Forbes Forbes took a look at the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the United States.  They then ranked each of them in seven categories: median income, overall cost of living, housing affordability (what percentage of the market is affordable to a family at the median income), commuting delays, percentage of families owning homes, crime rate and education quality (mainly test scores). Cincinnati came in at Number 9.   Cincinnati came in 44th in median income, 24th in cost of living, 13th in housing affordability, 36th in commuting time, 68th in percent owning homes, 30th in crime statistics and 8th in Education.  Forbes proclaimed that there were no weak spots. Falling in the upper half of the country in ev... 06/05/2012

Walking Tours of Cincinnati's Brewery History                           From May through September, walking tours of the Over the Rhine brewery history will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm.  The Over the Rhine neighborhood is home of one of the largest collections of pre-Prohibition Brewery architecture.  The tour will give you access to the cellars and tunnels of the breweries and increase your knowledge of the time period.  The 1 1/2 hour tour starts at Findlay Market in the Over the Rhine Biergarten and ends just past Phillipus Church at the site of the old Bellevue incline.  Participants will tour the historic Christian Moerlein brewery, and see the high-bay brewing spaces inside Clyffside Brewery and view the massive lagering cellars under Clifton hillside. Go to http://... 06/05/2012

Last Chance For 2012 Summerfair! If you haven't made it down to Coney for the 2012 Summerfair yet, what are you waiting for?  Today from 10-5 is your LAST chance in 2012 to visit this phenomenal collection of over 300 artists and craftspeople! In essences you've got 300+ small business all in one place displaying and selling items you'll never find in some big box store!  And while some of the artists are local, most are not.  We were fortunate enough to get a break in our real estate schedule and made it down to Summerfair Saturday.  We made purchases from Cherie Haney of Ann Arbor, Michigan &  Herb Thomas of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania.  Locally we made a purchase from Todd Feazell of Touch of Earth Pottery in Cincinnati.  No specific pictures we can show you of these items becaus... 06/02/2012

Cincinnati's Fountain Square Sunday Night Movies 2012 Another sign that it's ALMOST summer, time for Sunday night movies on Cincinnati's Fountain Square!   If you've been downtown, you know they've got one REALLY BIG screen on Fountain Square.  Held 7 to 9 pm each Sunday night starting June 3rd through August 26th with no Sundays off this year. And with Fountain Square just a short drive from Warren County, it's easy to go enjoy a movie and do something different for a nice change of pace!  Fountain Square is at the intersection of Fifth and Vine Streets downtown.  Parking available under Fountain Square or in area garages or on street. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, pillows, etc. (because the concrete is HARD if you're going to be on it for a couple of hours!).  The concession stand will... 05/30/2012