Cleveland Real Estate News » Ohio City

Mary Kay Helps Brighten My Work ‘Hood’ on a Cloudy Day

Carole Cohen — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:11:41 +0000

It’s true, the last few days have been glorious, but we had a few last week that were gloomy. I snapped this photo on one of those days when a pink car provided some welcome color relief on the street. It’s ben years since I’ve seen a Mary Kay car! Peace Out – 3C

Six Month Sales in Zip Code 44113 – Town Homes Were a Big Hit

Carole Cohen — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:35:50 +0000

Similar to my results during other time frames, town homes seem to be the home of choice for many buyers moving into Cleveland’s Ohio City and Tremont areas. There were detached single family homes sold, but not many, so this includes condo/town home sales as well. You know the drill! These homes were sold/listed through area brokerages, therefore I have access to the stats.

There are currently 152 single family homes and town homes listed for sale in zip code 44113. The average listing price of these homes is $227,034 and $148 a sq. ft. of living space

There are 18 homes under contract. The average listing price of these recently ‘almost sold’ homes is $214,239 or $159 a sq. ft. Difference in the two above figures, but in this case, unlike other areas I have examined over the last two weeks, sq. footage space prices went up. Keep in mind, many of the town home sales could be first time sales on newer construction, so upgrades may have increased prices.

There have been 27 homes sold since October (last six months). The average sale price for the past six months is $167,548 or $113 a sq. ft. This is lower. What does it mean? Could mean broader inventory sold. Could mean higher sale prices are happening more recently.

The lowest priced home sold was a 1890 built victorian colonial on W. 44th street for $8000. The highest sale was for a brick town home in Tremont on W. 6th with ‘green construction upgrades’ and lots of square footage. It sold for $379,600.

Peace Out – 3C

Three Ways To Support NE Ohio This Thursday

Carole Cohen — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:48:50 +0000

We are into supporting local yes? Here is your chance to do it three ways: get the latest book by a wonderful local author at her book signing; support a fabulous Ohio City Gallery at which the book signing will be held; support those among us who are surely suffering this frigid winter if they don’t have the necessary mittens or scarves. How can you do this? See below:

Peace Out – 3C

Nothing warms up a cold winter night like a good ghost story. On Thursday, January 22nd from 5:00-8:00 PM, Something Different Gallery will have the perfect remedy for the winter chills when Cleveland mystery author, Casey Daniels visits to discuss and sign her newest book, “Night of the Loving Dead”, featuring that talks-to-ghosts, amateur detective, Pepper Martin.

And to warm others on those cold nights, visitors are asked to bring winter clothing items (i.e. hats, carves, gloves), which will be donated to the West Side Catholic Center.

As an added bonus, Casey will have her three previous books from the Pepper Martin series on hand to discuss and sign – “Don of the Dead”, “The Chick and the Dead”, and “Tombs of Endearment.”

Come in out of the cold, do a good deed, visit a beautiful, unusual Gallery and talk to a wonderful author – what could be better! See you on Thursday, January 22nd from 5:00-8:00 PM at Something Different Gallery.

Something Different Gallery
1899 W. 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
216-696-5226

Our West Side Market Gets Some Well Deserved Kudos

Carole Cohen — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:10:56 +0000

Just got a google alert and was so pleased to see this! The American Planning Association did their own h/t to great public places in America and The West Side Market was one of those places! We Clevelanders know just how fabulous it is and it’s nice to see this kind of National recognition. We aren’t that far away from the 100 year celebration, looking forward to that in a few years as well. Here is the article from The American Planning Association’s Great Spaces site.

The American Planning Association (APA) has named West Side Market as one of the 2008 Great Public Spaces in America for its functionality as a neighborhood gathering place and fresh food market; its engaging atmosphere; and its role as an anchor in the community, stimulating nearby commercial and residential activity.

It’s such a vibrant place and I pinch myself at least once a week because I work a few doors down from it. It’s also fluid, with new ideas and vendors every year. One of my current new vendors is the juice bar. And Maria the vegetable lady, who was introduced to me by friends, has become a weekly staple. And Judy’s Oasis. Awesome hummus. I could go on, but most of you know how cool and yummy it is.

If you are reading this post and don’t live here, The West Side Market is going to be one of the ‘must go to’ spots when you visit. And I hope you do! Peace Out – 3C

If You Bought A Home Today Would You Go For An Historical Cleveland Home or Newer Construction?

Carole Cohen — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:29:44 +0000

Someone asked me if there was still a price bump for a seller if they are selling a completely restored 1850 era home or are buyers preferring newer construction now? Of course there are variables, some people would kill for an old home with thick mahogany woodwork and brass appointments or a farm house with gorgeous plank flooring. And some people want brand new with the idea that there will be less work involved of them, at least for a while. But what I am looking for is your rationale. After all, this is a blog and stats are stats but your opinion adds value.

If someone knocked at your door & said here is $250,000, no strings attached, the only caveat is you have to use it to purchase a home, which of the two kinds of homes would you choose, and why?

From Bob Villa’s website we get this plus a 2000 study on South Carolina homes (and yes that was 8 years ago):

Return on the Investment
“A National Register citation confirms a home’s historic significance, but the real worth may be realized in the stability and strength of the property’s value. A 2000 study of South Carolina home salesshows that homes in Columbia’s historic districts sold 26 percent faster than the overall market; while historic Beauport owners saw a whopping 21 percent greater sale price. In Rome, Georgia, properties in designated historic neighborhoods increased in value 10 percent more than similar properties without historic designation between 1980 and 1996. Studies in Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania corroborate the positive effect an historic district designation has on property values, with overall increases between 5 percent and 20 percent. The stability of property value appears to extend to owner tenure as well: There is a reportedly lower owner turnover within historic districts than in neighborhoods lacking that distinction….”

Bob Villa is talking about homes that have received an official historic designation (or neighborhood’s that have the designation). Since Ohio City has that designation, I decided to do some research on what has happened over the past year regarding historic home sales in Ohio City and Tremont.

First I asked the wizard in the computer to tell me about four bedroom homes with at least 1800 sq. feet. (I picked that as opposed to OC’s famous cottage parameters because it was closer to the stats the owner with the restored farmhouse disclosed to me). I got one sale since April 1, 2008. It was for a 1910 home on W. 41st Street, south of Lorain. 3,180 sq. feet of living space and five bedrooms. It was listed at $164,900 and wound up selling for $155,000. I even went back to January of 2008 to see if it changed the numbers but this is the only home sale that showed up.

I changed the parameters to 3BRs to see if I could pull up more sales. Four more homes:

1. 2,148 SF brick colonial on Bridge (across from Heck’s, beautifully, professionally redone). It was built in 1900. Listed at $285,000, it sold for $270,000.

2. A 2007 built home on Brayton (near Starkweather and W. 10th in Tremont). I’ll call it a bungalow because it has a first floor master bedroom. 1,892 sq feet of living space, tax abatements, vaulted ceilings, stainless appliances, granite counters. You know the drill, the amenities which are pretty common now for newer construction. This was listed at $289,900 and sold for $307,167. (probably due to upgrades the buyers chose to include while it was being built.)

3. 2007 built Clinton Courts town house with 2,144 sq. ft, 3 Brs, 2Baths. The Ask Price was $299,000 and the sale price was $363,168. It has a wrap around porch, so it might have satisfied someone’s desire to have an older home while still having new construction plus the no maintenance exterior ‘stuff’ of a town house.

4. 603 University, built in 2003, one of the row houses that overlooks the industrial valley in Tremont (near Bergen Village and W. 7th). This was a corner unit with a good view, and the ‘come to be expected’ third floor den/media room/ with a door leading to the deck for those great views. The asking price was $360,000 and the sale price was $350,000.

Remember, I used very specific parameters for the above stats. So what was the total sale info for homes in zip code 44113 between April 1st and September 1st 2008?

54 homes sold in total (single family).The sale prices were between $2,000 for a HUD owned 900 sq. ft. ranch on W. 20th built in 1900 and a resale Fries & Schuele town house for $360,000.

There are 193 single family homes for sale in zip code 44113right now. Ohio City and Tremont have gone through the last few years without a ton of homes on the market, so the historic designation of a neighborhood probably filters into this fact. Now it’s also true that along with the historical aspect of these communities they are home buying designations in their own right, due to what’s available to do there and the vital community associations that have become an expected part of the thread of the neighborhoods.

There are six contingent sales homes under contract but awaiting inspections or mortgage finalization. There are 16 pending sales in this zip code, waiting for the title to transfer.

The average sale price for all 54 homes sold since April 1st was $164,849.

There is more to the story regarding historical homes and their value. I’ll do another post about that soon.

I really do want your opinions on what kind of house you would buy?

Would you pay more for a historically designated home than you would a newer home? Thanks – Peace Out – 3C

PS: If you go to this page on Trulia Voices, you can see how other agents responded to the question does having your home designated as historic impact the value of it?

Something Different Gallery Really IS Ohio City

Carole Cohen — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:05:06 +0000

Life is so much better when you can approach each day with passion and joy. I can’t claim to do this every single day, but I try. Ever meet someone who inspires you, who models this passion and joy on a daily basis? Well I’m going to introduce you to two people who do just that. They are Koula and George Lazar, the talented and passionate owners of Something Different Gallery in Ohio City. In a world where people just seem to buzz through more often than not, Koula and George have their feet on the ground as they take in everything that goes on in Ohio City. They also welcome everyone into their shop with a genuineness that is hard to find these days.

It’s no wonder then, that Something Different Gallery is an experience, not just a shop. On any given month you might find a gorgeous bronze coffee table, exquisite floor lamps with hand blown glass shades, jewelery, art and everything in between. They are located at 1899 W. 25th Street, one shop south of Gould Court (you know, the alley that takes you to the vast parking lot behind the West Side Market). This past month they featured Hudson Beach Glass, full of light and wonderful colors. The Gallery’s vendors are all unique and talented and cover all price ranges.

The first time I visited Something Different Gallery, I was greeted warmly by Koula who offered me a glass of wine. It was as if I was already an old friend. This is no lie, there are times when I stop in to see Koula on my way to the Hanna office just because I know she can put a smile in my heart that will last for the rest of the day. While Koula may be the most vivacious, George is just as likely to be seen outside cleaning out potted plants, sweeping up debris, making sure the neighborhood (not just in front of their store) is gorgeous and clean.

They are ardent supporters of the Cleveland art scene. Every Thursday they meet (by appointment) with potential new clients (do you have a talent not yet featured locally? You just might want to contact them).

They have special events each month and they include things like featuring artists with new book releases, featuring glass and jewelry artisans.

I am hoping, in a few months when it’s allowed, that Something Different will become a part of Localism, a social community being established in a broader way this year, by the folks at Active Rain. I know they would be an incredible asset to the Ohio City community we are building on Localism.

Since I’ve always wondered how this terrific shop got started, I decided to ask and then share the story with you.

Koula was a bartender at a place called Theo’s on Pearl in Old Brooklyn. I can only imagine that everyone who frequented Theo’s became her friend. That’ s how she is. One year she had a visitor from Greece and to make a few dollars (or pay for drinks!) he started making belts. After a while, Koula was selling the belts. One thing led to another and she decided to open a shop. Koula was still bar tending full time and operating her shop full time. So for a few years, she was working 24/7. All those Theo’s customers however, provided people who would come in and tell her about themselves and what kind of art or creation they had to offer. Her list of vendors increased. The original bldg was (from the sound of it) a three level town house style bldg. She showed me a photo and it was very cool.

The CVS store on Pearl in Old Brooklyn? Well, Something Different Gallery operated at that location for years until CVS displaced them about 12 years ago. Thus the move to Ohio City and the rest is history.

I buy earrings there of course; and cards; many of the artists they feature do Cleveland themed cards. I’m currently obsessed with one artist who does black and whites of our steel mills and iron bridges. They have fabrics and purses and silver pieces and did I mention the art? Fabulous art. I could go on and on.

They are getting ready to celebrate their 25th Anniversary in November!

Something Different is really something wonderful, just like Koula and George. Stop in if you haven’t had the experience. You can have a warm welcome, a glass of wine, and if you buy a gift, the most exquisite gift wrapping you have ever seen.

They don’t have an active website or blog (!!!) but you can reach them by phone at 216-696-5226 or via email at georgekoula@aol.com. Sooo many people already know about this wonderful shop, but just in case you do not, do yourself a favor and go visit!

Peace Out – 3C

How Homes Sold in Cleveland in April: Part Three

Carole Cohen — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:02:21 +0000

I have two zip codes to report on today (had to do comp work for a client so I decided to continue it on by posting the results here). The drill for these homes and the activity on them for April 2008: They are all listed with area brokers therefore show up on our MLS (NORMLS) computer service.

44102

There are 330 active listings for sale as of today

There are 3 homes contingent or waiting for loans or inspections to go through. (Actually two single family homes & a cool loft condo on W. 75th)

There are 49 homes pending or waiting to close. They range from a 784 sq. ft. house that was listed for $1,500 (!) to a $1,250,000.00 home on the Lake (quite a spread eh?)

There were 24 homes sold in April. They ranged from a 1,798 sq ft house which sold for $4k and a 4 bedroom home on Franklin that sold for $245k. They also include a few of the Battery Park condos.

The average sale price for April was $46,344 and the number of days (on average) these homes were on the market was 36. (not bad!)

44113

There are 205 homes for sale as of today, in this zip code.

There is one contingentt sale listing, a Bergen Village (Tremont) town home.

There are 26 homes waiting to close or pending. They range from a $14,900 home to a $359,000 town home. Among these pending sales are condos & town homes in Bergen Village, Fries & Schuele and Stonebridge.

There were 6 homes sold this month. They were on the market an average of 110 days only (not bad). They range from a 1700 sq ft home on W. 32nd that sold for $6,000 to a $179,000 condo sold in Stonebridge.

There were 3 single family homes sold (all under $50k) and three condos/town homes sold. The average sale price was $93,532.

Peace Out – 3C (Twinsburg & Solon coming later today, by request)

The John V. Oblak Power Transfer Station is For Sale

Carole — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:00:00 +0000

I do not plan on putting up my listings here on my blog; but this is such a unique property, I wanted to feature it. In 1924 the trolley cars were running strong in Cleveland, and this building was one of the power transfer stations scattered around the City, helping to keep the trolleys running.

I love the fact that the re use of this building has been for a bronze sculptor and his crew. Ron Dewey is a sought after bronze artist who has life-size and larger than life sized pieces around the country. Here in Cleveland, he is the creator of the bronze ball player at Jacobs Field, and was commissioned to do bronze statues of Ben Sefanski and his wife (on the corporate headquarters property for Third Federal Savings and Loan). It’s a bustling workplace, also used as a living space by one of Ron’s workers. I guess the time has come for him to consolidate two work studios into one….and this is the smaller of the two. So it’s for sale! There is even a 15 ton crane inside the building that adds spectacular architectural detail you don’t always find. Anyway, I am enclosing a link here so you can view more information about this brick beauty of a building. Peace Out – 3C

Dogs Welcome At Work

Carole — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:26:00 +0000

We are just not a stuffy real estate office. I am not sure I could work somewhere stuffy. One of the nicest things people do is bring their dogs for a visit. This is Manager Mark with his dog Pepper, who is a sweetheart. And very well behaved I might add. And dog visits are not just limited to colleagues. We have a few business owner neighbors and past clients who know we want them to stop in, when they are on the street with their pups. They say pets add years to your life. Since I don’t have a pet at the moment, I consider dog friends like Pepper my ‘rent a dogs.’ So if you are in the neighborhood of the West Side Market with your pup, stop in, we will enjoy the visit — and your pup might enjoy the dog treats. Peace Out – 3C

How are Cuyahoga County Condo Sales? Part One: Tremont, Ohio City and Cleveland’s Near West Side

Carole — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 04:50:00 +0000

I was cruising around on my favorite Ohio Forum, and I saw a thread talking about condos and the housing market. Someone asked how condos and homes were appreciating in price. I realized I wanted to focus on condos and find out for myself. So this is the first leg of my search, comparing condominium sales in 2005 to 2006 for the Near West Side, which includes Tremont and Ohio City. There are quite a few condo complexes to choose from in this part of Cleveland. So let’s get started.

2005 : 95 Condos Sold. Sale prices were all over the map: $14,000 to $499,900. How long did it take for these condos to sell? An average of 212 days. The Average Ask Price was $242,338 and the Average Sale Price was $238,836. On average, the condos that sold in 2005 had 1444 Sq. Ft., 2 BRs, 2 baths and a one car garage. Next?

2006: 52 Condos Sold. Again, sales prices were all over the map: $25,325 to $459,740. How long did it take for these condos to sell? An average of 151 days (fewer sold, but the ones that did were on the market for a shorter time). The Average Ask Price was $213,663. The Average Sale Price was $213,515. Your eyes are not deceiving you, that is just barely $100 difference between the average price the sellers wanted and the price the buyers paid. On average, the condos that sold had 1374 Sq. Ft., 2BRs, 2 baths and a two car garage.

***The average price per square foot in 2005 was $178/Sq. Ft. And in 2006, $156/Sq. Ft.

Want to buy a condo in this area? There are 120 for sale right now. Peace Out – 3C

(photo courtesy of OhioCity.com website)

Here’s Luther Vandross Serenading A House Is Not A Home