Spring is a season of renewal. Birds are singing and the flowers are beginning to burst into bloom. The days are getting longer and people are getting outdoors again. So not surprisingly, real estate activity begins to swing into high gear. The weather is more cooperative and families are looking to move during the summer break. If you are considering putting your home on the market, now's a good time to do some spring maintenance to make sure your home is in tip-top shape. Even if you aren't planning to sell your home, you should still add these chores to your list to help preserve your home's value and help avoid major repairs later on...

"What is Appraised Value?"

People come to Lakewood for its walkability, its proximity to the lake and its easy commute to downtown. But most of all, people come to Lakewood for the charm and character of our antique houses. In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the fashionable updates were to paint that dark old woodwork, carpet those bare floors and replace light fixtures with trendy items of the day. Today, natural woodwork, leaded glass windows & doors, and gleaming hardwood floors are as highly prized by homebuyers as they were by the original owners...

Thomas Hird, an uneducated young man who came to the United States from England in 1818, was hired to manage 320 acres of the Richard Lord estate near W. 117th Street. Thomas fell in love with the wealthy landowner’s niece, Hope Randal Lord, but the family disapproved of the courtship because of Thomas’s lower-class upbringing and lack of education...

"What is radiant heating & cooling?"..

The process of buying a home may seem like a daunting task, especially if you’ve never done it before. The route to getting into your new home seems much more manageable by looking at the basic stages...

"Why is it recommended that I put away family photos when selling my home?"

Theodor Kundtz, one of Cleveland’s most successful industrialists, owned a lumberyard west of Giel Avenue between Clifton Blvd. and Detroit Ave. During the early years of the 20th century, the Kundtz enterprise was the largest user of hardwood in the state, making sewing machine cabinets, church furnishings and thousands of school desks each month...

"Is it true that when temperatures drop, home fires increase?"

The ad reads "Come Quickly, Won’t Last, FREE this, ALLOWANCE for that, BONUS back!" You’ve spruced and painted, refreshed and remodeled, trimmed the shrubs or shoveled the driveway. The porch light is on and there’s a candle burning in the kitchen. The "FOR RENT" sign is up in the front yard...

I am frequently asked questions about the many foreclosures in Northeast Ohio. In this issue I’ve asked Khash Saghafi, president of Cardinal Banc & Mortgage Corporation, and regular instructor of free seminars on Real Estate loan topics to answer two common questions...

2007 brought with it a year filled with articles and updates about the prevalence of foreclosures in the Greater Cleveland area. In this very negative atmosphere, it’s worth taking a look at the positive side of this situation...

Andrews, French, and Virginia Avenues are connected - not only by Andrews Lane - but by the relationships between the French and Andrews families. Collins French, the son of one of Lakewood’s earliest settlers, married Rosetta Saxton in 1832...

Dec. 27, 2007 – First Federal of Lakewood and the City of Lakewood officially unveiled the newly completed, converted home at 2227 Bunts Rd., at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 11...

Now is the time to buy a house in Lakewood!...

Clients frequently ask, "What's next?" after finding a home that they love. Although each transaction is very different, there is a general sequence that is consistent in most cases. So, in this issue I'll be sharing the timeline of a transaction...

As the winter months approach, many people naturally "nest" and enjoy the warmth of their homes. A fireplace is a wonderful way to add more warmth – figuratively and literally...

Some home sellers are hesitant to list – or keep – their homes on the market during the holidays. For every perceived reason not to put a house on the market, however, there is a corresponding reason why it is advantageous to do so...

Adam Wagar, son of Mars Wagar, once owned a large piece of land near the Hilliard and Madison intersection in Lakewood.

Bank-owned properties have certainly become a big part of the real estate market in Cuyahoga County.

Q: Pat Writes: I am constantly seeing ads on TV saying that old wood windows are not energy efficient and should be replaced with new vinyl ones. They claim to save customers thousands of dollars on their gas bills over the years. I have original wood windows on my house, and even though I love the way they look, I am thinking of replacing them before winter comes to keep heating costs down. Is there another alternative you can suggest?