2670 Merrimac Blvd. Toledo, Ohio 43606

Nice light & bright 3 bedroom Garrison Colonial in the Old Orchard Elementary school area.  The house feature 1544 sf of living space with a full bath upstairs and a half bath on the main floor, 1st floor family room, dining room , large eat-in kitchen, Rec room in the basement, and a deck outside the family room.  The new windows have a fully transferable lifetime warranty.  All kitchen and laundry appliances  & 2 window A/C units are included.  This home is conveniently located in an established neighborhood close to Ottawa Park, UT, the Toledo Hospital, Westgate shopping,  and just 10 minutes to downtown Toledo. 

Click here for more information and interior pictures.

Time is running out for Lucas and Wood County, Ohio residents to take advantage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's $8,000 First -Time Home Buyer Credit.  To recap how this  works, the credit is equal to 10 percent of the purchase price of the home up to $8,000. The homebuyer must not have owned a home during the prior three years. The credit is refundable, which means the government gives the balance to buyers who meet the qualifications, even if their federal income tax liability is less.  But to receive this credit, homes must be closed on by November 31, 2009.  It generally takes 45-60 days to close on a home so now is the time to get busy and house hunt if you or someone you know might be eligible for this tax credit.

Will it be continued?  Probably not. There has been criticism in the media that this has been an unfair benefit to new buyers while sellers continue to see their home values eroded.  The intention has been to kick-start home sales again and it has helped to push us toward stabilizing the market.  The National Association of Realtors recently reported that home sales have increased in most of the nation in the 2nd quarter of 2009.  We're definitely seeing an uptick in sales in the area.

Pass this information on to anyone it may help.  I continue to be surprised at how many new buyers are not aware of this credit.

Toledo and Lucas County, OH have finally received $12,270,706 from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) to purchase and rehab foreclosed homes.  The City of Toledo's Department of Neighborhoods will be working with local developers to bring the damaged homes up to code, make them free of any lead hazard and  install energy efficient appliances, insulation and windows.  And then sell them at market value which may be considerably less than the cost of the homes and the improvements.  A number of neighborhoods are targeted for this stabilization effort including East Toledo, Holland Heights, the Sleepy Hollow area and the Library Village neighborhood.  These should be very nice homes for people to buy and they aren't aren't restricted to first time buyers although income restrictions will apply.  People interested in these homes will have to have homeownership training and counseling with a qualified HUD approved housing counseling agency which is a very good thing since that a little budget counseling may make them less likely to get into financial trouble and default on their loan. 

Contact me for the growing list of these rehabbed homes.

The Cobblestones subdivision of over 200 homes located just west of Centennial Road off of Sylvania-Metamora in the north-west corner of Lucas County, Ohio is highly sought out for its custom homes on large lots along tree-lined streets. The street trees are already starting to canopy over the streets which makes the neighborhood particularly beautiful.  Butch and Tim Brown of Cumberland Construction originally started developing Cobblestones in the late 1990's although a number of other builders constructed homes in the neighborhood as well.  The location is ideal being within walking distance to Pacesetter Park, Centennial Terrace and Quarry, the Fossil Park, the new Sylvan Prairie bike trail, and the Mayberry planned development with shopping and restaurants yet still has a semi-rural feel.

Four homes sold in Cobblestones in the past year ranging in sale price from $211,000 to $315,000 and currently three are for sale ranging in asking price from $274,900 to $339,000.  Expect to find upscale finishings like granite countertops in kitchens, tile or hardwood flooring, handsomely finished basements, 3 car garages, and media rooms.  Allmost all of the homes have side-loading garages and all have natural materials on the front elevations.

Cobblestones has a very active home owners association working hard to create and maintain the community as a special place to live in Sylvania Township.  Visit the HOA website for more information.