If you think of all the tools a real estate agent might use to sell a home, a chainsaw might not be high up on the list of things that would come to mind, but over the years I've done a number of things that many would consider out of scope for a typical real estate agent.An old counter top left in the basement by our sellers that was a concern at the final walkthrough?  Nothing me and a sawz-all couldn't take care of.Water turned off and the plumbing traps dry..and staaaaaanky?  I can haul in gallons of water to refill.The photographer notices and end cap off of the blinds that cover the patio door?  I can fix that before the first showing.So yesterday evening a storm rolls through Cincinnati while I'm out showing condos to a buyer couple and I get a call between stops from the neighbo... 08/02/2020

Some segments of our local market are REALLY short of homes to buy.In particular, Mason school district condos.And even more in particular, Mason school district condos asking under $200,000.That is a popular segment of the real estate market due to affordability relative to buying a Mason single family home which is hard to find without spending MUCH more money.So as of tonight, there are FOUR Mason condos for sale priced under $200,000.Two are located in Mason's The Sanctuary at Waters Edge.  Both are 3rd floor units with water views, and at just under 1600 square feet of living space we don't expect either to last long.Another is located in Marival at Weatherstone, another popular location and availability is rather rare.And lastly, a condo in Thorngate at Windemere, and this one com... 07/06/2020

Every feel like the news wants you to feel bad?  HOME SALES NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY CORONAVIRUS!!!!But headlines don't reality make.  A national writer doesn't know jack about our local market, and even within our local markets there can be wide variation of good and bad trends.And one of the areas that are REALLY good right now?  Mason Ohio patio homes for sale.Thursday was the start of the marketing period for a Reserve of Heritage Pointe community patio home.Offered at $385,000, this full brick patio home with 3 bedrooms AND an office, a finished lower level, back deck AND patio and a nice floor plan had showings scheduled with a couple of hours of going live in MLS.  While we didn't get the home under contract the first day, by the end of the weekend we had an acceptable offer for ou... 06/15/2020

Bottom line, coronavirus has delayed the real estate market by approximately 1 month, but there is plenty of evidence that Mason Ohio is rapidly returning to peak activity as it usually does this time of year.  The best homes are under contract in under a week.     Stay with us for more details for Mason homes! Is the activity affecting your Mason Ohio home's worth?  Stay with us for all the details and even Search Mason Ohio Homes For Sale links at the end! We'll cover Mason condos in our Mason Ohio 45040 Condo Market Report May 2020. All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system and involves only Mason homes sold with  REALTOR® involvement and entered in MLS. All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits.                    Long Cov... 06/08/2020

The bottom line, the scarcity of Mason condos for sale got even worse this month.  As of today, a total of FIVE condos are not under contract in Mason City School District.  Supply has been tight for years, but this is the lowest we've seen yet.  Condos are going under contract VERY quickly.  If you've got a specific community, style, feature, etc. in mind as a buyer, you need to be patient, and then act VERY quickly.  Skip to the stats review for more details.     Stay with us for the whats, whys and hows of the Mason condo market!  And a bonus at the end, easy to use Search For Mason Ohio Condos For Sale links!  And if you want to know How Much Is My Mason Condo Worth?, just click the link, fill out the form and we'll be in touch soon!If you're interested in the Mason Ohio Single Fami... 06/07/2020

 A slight slowdown versus normal for the time of year, but not a huge dropoff in activity.  Prices are still good and time to sell is still only a little over a week on median.  Coronavirus will have less impact on the market in high demand areas such as Mason.        Stay with us for more details for Mason homes! Is the activity affecting your Mason Ohio home's worth?  Stay with us for all the details and even Search Mason Ohio Homes For Sale links at the end! We'll cover Mason condos in our Mason Ohio 45040 Condo Market Report April 2020. All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system and involves only Mason homes sold with  REALTOR® involvement and entered in MLS. All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits.                    Lon... 05/18/2020

April is a "status quo" month for Mason Ohio condos and the reason continues to be the same:  JUST NOT ENOUGH CONDOS FOR SALE.  Two months in a row, SEVEN active condos for sale as we write the report.  And of that 7, 3 are priced $300,000 or more, which is beyond the high demand condo range of $100-200,000.  Not enough supply of affordable condos means quick sales, but not ENOUGH sales to truly meet buyer demand.  If you've got a specific community, style, feature, etc. in mind as a buyer, you need to be patient, and then act VERY quickly.  Skip to the stats review for more details.     Stay with us for the whats, whys and hows of the Mason condo market!  And a bonus at the end, easy to use Search For Mason Ohio Condos For Sale links!  And if you want to know How Much Is My Mason Condo... 05/17/2020

In Ohio closings are typically a gather 'round the table type event.  Title company, buyers, sellers, their agents and sometimes even the loan officer.  Now the first three parties are the truly essential.  If they don't sign the appropriate documents and transfer the necessary funds, the home isn't changing hands.It's rare for me to not be physically present at closing with my clients.  It's typically a feel-good moment and just in case my client has any questions I'm there to help.But we're not living in typical times are we?While in both states I'm licensed (Ohio & Kentucky) currently consider real estate essential, they're also looking for us to minimize personal contact as much as possible.That translates to the majority of title companies altering policies and directing agents to ... 04/17/2020

You'd expect with corona the real estate market for Mason Ohio would be heading DOWN in a major way, but that assumption would be disputed by the numbers.  And given the choice, I'll take the cold hard facts over emotional gut feels when it comes to real estate trends.  More homes than typical were sold in March and that shouldn't be a total surprise.  Mason is a high demand Cincinnati suburb and the relative shortage of homes for sale means outside influences will continue to have less impact than those same circumstances might have in another market area.     Stay with us for more details for Mason homes! Is the activity affecting your Mason Ohio home's worth?  Stay with us for all the details and even Search Mason Ohio Homes For Sale links at the end! We'll cover Mason condos in our ... 04/12/2020

The corona virus and shelter in place does NOT seem to be impacting the Mason Ohio condo market.  Sales are still good, the number for sale has stayed very low, and time to sell is very quick.  We've got high demand, low inventory, it's the makings to buck negative news.  Skip to the stats review for more details.     Stay with us for the whats, whys and hows of the Mason condo market!  And a bonus at the end, easy to use Search For Mason Ohio Condos For Sale links!  And if you want to know How Much Is My Mason Condo Worth?, just click the link, fill out the form and we'll be in touch soon!If you're interested in the Mason Ohio Single Family Home Update for March 2020  just click the link for the details. All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system.  If any Mason condos traded ha... 04/11/2020

We're in uncertain times thanks to corona.  This report covers a time frame prior to much of the news concerning the virus, schools closing, businesses closing, etc.  Mason Ohio would normally be considered a safer place than usual for buying a home that will hold value, so that's part of the good news.The stats for February show 2020 beating 2019.  Now with social distancing in full play, showings and real estate activity is currently depressed.  Time will tell exactly how much impact will occur to values and home sales.        Stay with us for more details for Mason homes! Is the activity affecting your Mason Ohio home's worth?  Stay with us for all the details and even Search Mason Ohio Homes For Sale links at the end! We'll cover Mason condos in our Mason Ohio 45040 Condo Market Rep... 03/19/2020

We live in interesting times thanks to corona.  We're working on information that predates the concerns and the store shelves barren of TP.  If I had to pick one category that may have more immunity to market influences than others, it would be Mason Ohio condos.  There's a demand for affordable homes in Mason, and condos fit the need.Buckle your seatbelts, we may be in for a ride wilder than Orion's planned April release at Kings Island.  Skip to the stats review for more details.     Stay with us for the whats, whys and hows of the Mason condo market!  And a bonus at the end, easy to use Search For Mason Ohio Condos For Sale links!  And if you want to know How Much Is My Mason Condo Worth?, just click the link, fill out the form and we'll be in touch soon!If you're interested in the M... 03/18/2020

Sometimes as a buyer you get the perfect storm of opportunity for buying a home.A home that's been on the market long enough for the sellers to be FULLY ready to do whatever it takes to get it done.A home that's almost new, but not quite, going up against new construction.A home that is missing ONE key feature, but a feature that can be added to make the home equivalent to the others in the community.And these circumstances converged for our patio home buyers!Today they completed their purchase of 5919 Falling Brook Drive at a price WELL below what the sellers paid for the home and $20,000 off the $479,900 asking price.  It's NOT because housing prices in Falling Brook have crashed, but because there was a perfect storm of opportunity.As an experienced agent with a specific knowledge of... 02/28/2020

Mason Ohio home sales have kicked off 2020 with a lower than typical total, but better than typical prices.  Mason remains one of the top communities to choose in the Greater Cincinnati area.        Stay with us for more details for Mason homes! Is the activity affecting your Mason Ohio home's worth?  Stay with us for all the details and even Search Mason Ohio Homes For Sale links at the end! We'll cover Mason condos in our Mason Ohio 45040 Condo Market Report January 2020. All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system and involves only Mason homes sold with  REALTOR® involvement and entered in MLS. All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits.                    Long Cove, home to many of Mason's luxury homes So, on to the data!   F... 02/10/2020

2020 has started and Mason Ohio condos starts the year with the same issue as 2019:  a severe shortage of condos for sale.  Since so few are on the market, they sell quickly and for good prices. Ignore the time of year, you'd better move fast when a condo is fresh on the market. Skip to the stats review for more details.     Stay with us for the whats, whys and hows of the Mason condo market!  And a bonus at the end, easy to use Search For Mason Ohio Condos For Sale links!  And if you want to know How Much Is My Mason Condo Worth?, just click the link, fill out the form and we'll be in touch soon!If you're interested in the Mason Ohio Single Family Home Update for January 2020  just click the link for the details. All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system.  If any Mason condos ... 02/09/2020

HAL Homes has been building upscale ranch condos in Mason's Falling Brook community for some time, and in 2013 they added patio homes to their offering.  Falling Brook is immediately next door to Jack Nicklaus designed The Golf Center of Kings Island and the Lindner Family Tennis Center, home to one of the country's biggest annual tennis tournaments.So when we first talked to our buyers, they already had done their research and had a pretty good idea where they wanted to live.  Falling Brook was an ideal match for them:  upscale finishes, close to work, and lots of other factors were positive matches for their needs.   We did show them two patio homes in the nearby Heritage At Miami Bluffs 55+ community to give them an idea of what similar dollars would give them in that community, but ... 01/23/2020

Mason Ohio home sales are finished for 2019, and finished strong.  For the time of year, homes sold and time to sell are doing well, as are prices.  Mason remains one of the top communities to choose in the Greater Cincinnati area.        Stay with us for more details for Mason homes! Is the activity affecting your Mason Ohio home's worth?  Stay with us for all the details and even Search Mason Ohio Homes For Sale links at the end! We'll cover Mason condos in our Mason Ohio 45040 Condo Market Report December 2019. All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system and involves only Mason homes sold with  REALTOR® involvement and entered in MLS. All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits.                    Long Cove, home to many of Mas... 01/12/2020

2019 closed out with solid numbers for the Mason Ohio condo real estate market.  Good sales totals, more contracts, prices solid and time to contract is VERY short.  Skip to the stats review for more details.     Stay with us for the whats, whys and hows of the Mason condo market!  And a bonus at the end, easy to use Search For Mason Ohio Condos For Sale links!  And if you want to know How Much Is My Mason Condo Worth?, just click the link, fill out the form and we'll be in touch soon!If you're interested in the Mason Ohio Single Family Home Update for December 2019  just click the link for the details. All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system.  If any Mason condos traded hands without a REALTOR® involved, then it won't be reflected in this report.  All data is for the Mason S... 01/11/2020

There are subdivisions in Mason more famous than others.Home-a-rama communities that have the highest end homes sold in Mason.If you have unlimited funds, one of those communities MIGHT be the best place in Mason for you to live.But most buyers don't have unlimited funds, so the best place to live needs to be personalized.Obviously your budget will be one of the primary criteria for adding or eliminating communities.But after that, there are other criteria that will help decide what is "best" for your needs.School district?New construction or resale?If resale, age of home?Size of home?Size of yard?Basement or no basement?Two story or one or "other"?Garage size?Community amenities?North, south, east, west or central Mason.Close to Kings Island or far away?Other factors not yet listed can... 12/23/2019

.  Some closings are pretty quick, and that was the case this morning as we helped our buyer complete his purchase of a Beacon Hill townhome in one of Mason's best low maintenance communities!The seller had completed her paperwork yesterday afternoon, the buyer had already wired his money, so it was just a matter of avoiding writer's cramp while signing the stack of paperwork necessary to complete the sale!His keys are in hand, utilites in his name and he can take his time moving from a nearby apartment to this 3 story townhome with 3 bedrooms and 3 full baths.  The finishes are upscale, and one perk the buyer liked about this version is the two car garage is attached in the basement rather than detached like many of the Beacon Hill townhomes.  While the courtyard for the detached garag... 12/20/2019