No, we're not part of any large relo company.  We are currently assisting in the relocation of two families, one from Pittsburgh and the other is from Chicago to the Cleveland area.   We've had the best experience, having been personally been moved by a large corporation 3 times.  We understand....the employer's needs and the employee's needs for a smooth transition.   Check us out on our website for further information:   http://www.yourclevelandrealtors.com 06/09/2009

Though real estate values have plummeted, there is in innovative way to invest and profit in today's market   Cleveland, OH - Anyone who has been following the stock market and mutual funds, may think they need to steer clear.  Stocks have plummeted and many companies have gone bankrupt.  That is the reason it is necessary to diversify one's portfolio and invest in real estate.   Earl E. Bird, III, spokes person for the REITbuyer.com recently spoke up at an investor's meeting.   Earl said, "Historically, real estate is a pretty safe investment field; sure there are fluctuations, but over the long term, real estate is a wise investment.  When other markets fall apart, real estate tends to be the constant that holds strong."   When someone commented on all the foreclosures in the area and... 06/08/2009

There is always next year… That is how we, in Cleveland, feel just about every year when it comes to our sports teams. Now we can tack on the Eastern Division Championship we lost this week-end. Well, I can only hope that our sports teams and the real estate market can find a way back next year! Although there seems to be a slight increase in activity as the summer months are here, the market, as a whole, is still weak and fledgling. The good news is that our sports teams can always change their staffing by bringing on new players and increase their chances of winning the big one -- sellers can also change their homes through staging, redesign, and renovation and increase their chances of getting a quicker sale at a decent price. The bad news is there are no guarantees, as witnessed in ... 05/31/2009

Okay, here is my bias.  I am not a big fan of huge corporate chains, that add unnecessary cost and complexity to the consumer, and take local dollars out of the community when they could easily stay local, thereby strengthening local communities, reducing our collective carbon footprint, and connecting the producer with the consumer.  I love going to the local farmer's market where I can speak directly to the grower/producer.  Where I can get some kind of sense who is providing the food that is going to be nourishing my family and me.  I think local business are such an integral part of what makes a community special, it's really neat when you uncover something (or in the case of this post, someone) unique, talented and a rare find.  Granted, drilling for oil off the continental shelf o... 05/17/2009

Although the effectiveness of open houses has long been debated, buyers still attend them. As a buyer, you may want to consider some of the following.*Before you step into your first open house, you should still be pre-approved. Too often, I think, buyers feel that they only need to be pre-approved when they start "seriously" looking for a home. Not true. The great majority of buyers that I meet at an open house have not spoken to a lender. If you have not spoken to a lender, you don't know what you can afford, and then you are simply wasting your time at an open house.*Research the house. I know that may sound odd, but with all the internet tools available it's easy to do just that. You can find a satellite view of the house to see if there is something you like or don't like about the... 05/13/2009

  OK, it is a bit early to compare these 2 great players…especially if you ask my son who was born in Chicago in the mid-70’s and still idolizes Michael Jordan.  But let’s give Clevelanders a break and let us dream for a while.  LeBron James can bring the NBA championship to Cleveland at the age of 24. How old was Jordan when he won his first ring? Starting the playoffs with two sweeps and double digit victories in 8 straight games is a record that will stand for a long, long time.    Thanks, Lebron.        GO CAVS !!!   Click here to visit our website:           http://www.yourclevelandrealtors.com/contact-us/ 05/12/2009

Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame + Museum is quite an international treasure that attracts visitors, from all over the world, from all walks of music life, and it resides right down on the beautiful shores of Lake Erie. I'm sitting here listening to The Boss's "57 Channels (and nothin' on)" track as I write this.  My wife and I took our two kids to visit this past week over spring break and what a blast we had.  From seeing Bruce Springsteen's corvette that he purchased after success with Born to Run, to Elvis' monogramed lincoln, to history lessons, artifacts, movies, and you name it, one could easily spend an entire day and not soak everything in. From a history lesson with audio tracks on the early blues pioneers, from decade after decade, every influence and major contributors a... 04/19/2009

The Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland is celebrating it's 30th year from April 23 - May 3, 2009. Performers such as Buddy Guy, George Benson, Cecilia Smith, Dave Brubeck and Dave Koz, to name but a few.  Local favorites such as Ernie Krivda and Eddie Baccus, Sr. You can visit the website for details. You can also call 216.241.6000 or 866.546.1353 for tickets. The line-up is impressive and this event is a huge, Cleveland tradition and event. Cleveland Rocks!!! 04/19/2009

Eastern Orthodox Christians in Cleveland along with Russia and all Eastern Orthodox world celebrate today the Easter Day. Eastern Orthodox churches observe ancient Julian calendar, so this year Eastern Easter is a week later than Westaern Easter. In 2010 Western and Eastern Christians will celebrate Easter on the same day, April 4th. In Russia they have similar but different Easter traditions than in America. There is no Easter bunny but there are beautifully colored Easter eggs, baked Kulich and sweet Pascha. Prior to Easter, or Pascha as Russians call the holiday there are 40 days of fast when no meat, dairy or  food made of animal by-products are allowed. On Easter Sunday Christ' resurrection is celebrated and 40-days fast ends. Cleveland is famous by its rich multicultural flavor. M... 04/19/2009

That was a great victory of Cleveland Cavaliers against Boston Celtics at Q arena in Cleveland. Impressive score 107-76, great performance, relaxed and convincing game style, amazing team work, incredible LeBron James.   For fans of Cleveland Cavs - this video  

What an optimisitc end of the week. Very good to be in Cleveland today. Need a good home in Cleveland? Want to buy with confidence? Please call Svetlana 216-548-4663 or e-mail to: Realty@Local-n-Global.com. Subscribe to Greater Cleveland Real Estate Blog 04/12/2009

Luxury.  This word conjures up many thoughts in the minds of consumers, both good and bad.  When one combines the word luxury with real estate, it makes one think of a large, quality built home with exceptional, quality amenities.  The best of everything eh?  Sub-Zero appliances, imported marble from Italy, the finest craftsmanship and millwork.  Closets the size of rooms.  Steam showers, saunas, library, home office, multiple recreation room areas, home theater with high-end electronics and leather seating, and the list goes on. Cleveland Luxury Homes -- Marketing Blunders As an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) and a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), there is an industry slogan in the home staging industry:  "You never get a second chance to make a first impressi... 04/12/2009

WOW, what a phone call! Staging homes as a profession is such a great and fullfilling life. Mike from Ohio just called me, "I'm so excited I had to call......we just sold the house....I know you told me to be prepared for a quick sale but WOW". You see this really isn't magic. It is "Planning the work AND working the plan". Be the Top of Mind House(TOMA in marketing, TMH in Real Estate) Best looking house, PRODUCT, in your location and price range Have them at "HELLO" Neutral in color and Style CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN Space, Space, Space  Before After The Staging industry is a viable business because IT WORKS! The seller had taken the closet doors off and replaced them with matching curtains. I had the doors put back on and used the curtains as a Headboard.Staging your home in this economy ... 03/30/2009

Sometimes one has to search or wonder where to find data, information and what is happening in a current metropolitan area. There is a wealth of information (not just about housing values) at Cleveland.com's Data Central portal. While housing is a hot topic these days, and rightfully so, there is a variety of census and demographic information available for the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area. Regarding foreclosures, there is an interactive map where you can see the foreclosures by county or community within Cuyahoga County right down to the street level. The index page provides a great overview of all the data that is available.  The housing section can be located here. On a lighter note, we Clevelanders (okay...some of us) are anxiously following the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team a... 03/29/2009

  Everyone today asks me if I am busy with refinances.  The truth of the matter is pretty much, no (lol).  The media is creating a frenzy much in the same way that they helped with the frenzy of homebuying 3-4-5 years ago.   If you are considering refinancing, there are 3 very important aspects to the process which must be taken into consideration:   1)  Will the house appraise properly in order to make the transaction work?  Of course, this question can only be answered by paying an appraiser to come out and do an appraisal.  Does the appraisal cost money and can you, in the end, pay for something that does not end up working out?  Of course; however, relative to what you are looking to save, it is a very small cost to pay in order to get a solid answer.   2)  How much money are you sa... 03/29/2009

A few weeks ago I got a call from a friend and past client.  He had a close friend of his that lived in the Cleveland area that needed to sell her house and asked me if I had any contacts there, preferably a RE/Max agent.  I thought for a second...  Cleveland...  hm...  Drew Carey... Brady Quinn...  maybe Lebron...  Oh wait!  Barb Szabo!!!!! I have read her blog posts about Email Forwarding and how she won't answer some of the questions buyer's ask, and have appreciated how her blog talks about many things, not just real estate market reports. I emailed Barb and asked her if she would be interested in helping out.  It took no time for her to respond with a big HECK YEAH!  We signed our referral agreement and I sent her my contacts information.  Barb contacted her immediately, set up an ... 03/23/2009

  This is something that I am asked constantly -- is a Pre-Approval any good?  Let's first start with me stating this -- you, as a buyer, want to make sure that you are as solid as possible without going through the whole process only to be declined later.  As a realtor, you want to make sure that you are not driving someone all over the place only to find out that they are not qualified to rent!  SO, a Pre-Approval or Pre-Qualification is going to give you the best 'idea' whether or not the borrower is qualified.  Now let me state a couple of simple FACTS:   1)  There is no difference between a Pre-Approval or Pre-Qualification.  Maybe in 1975 there was, but there is not today.  The word "Pre" is latin for "before".  Knowing this, Pre-Approval or Pre-Qualification means "before" approv... 03/20/2009

  This is a pre announcement about a program that OHFA will have available effective March 30, 2009.   The short and sweet is that OHFA will be lend Qualified Buyers up to 3% of the Sales price in anticipation of the buyer recieving the Federal Tax Credit Stimulus as part of the Recovery Program.  This could create a Zero interest loan if the loan is paid in Full by July 1, 2010.   If the program is like the Prior Secondary loan that OHFA has offerred in the past, the buyer must use the Rate Based OHFA Program and would not be allowed to that the 2.50% DPA program that was associated with it.  Added March 19, 2009 10:45AM So far this morning OHFA has been swamped with phone calls about this program.   They are asking that Lenders, Realtors and Consumers be patient and wait at least a we... 03/18/2009

Ever thought that using a 100% locally owned brokerage could help reduce your carbon footprint?  Well...it can...think about it for a minute... Note & Disclaimer: This post is not meant to bash regional, national or international real estate brokerages.  I have worked for all them in the past before I started my own, independent, 100% locally owned real estate brokerage serving the Greater Cleveland, Ohio real estate market. Let's compare some differences between using a real estate company that conducts business either internationally, nationally or regionally.  Here are a few examples of how your hard-earned equity in your home, when you, as the seller, pay commission to both the listing broker and the buyer broker, your dollars will flow out of your local community (thereby increasin... 03/15/2009

The Cuyahoga Community College (also known as Tri-C here locally) which serves the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area, is celebrating it's 30th year for the Tri-C Jazz Fest! Please visit the official website for details. My father was a huge jazz fan, and we saw Dizzy Gillespie at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. back in the 1980s, and saw Stan Getz over in Copenhagen, Denmark, among others.  I developed an interest in Jazz based on his intense love for all things Jazz. Read about the 22 events and more. Greater Cleveland, Ohio has an absolutely amazing performing arts scene!   Content copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape. Olsen Ziegler Realty -- A Smarter Way to buy and sell your Greater Cleveland, Ohio Home 02/28/2009

We enrolled our son in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art a few years ago.  Here you are, entering one of the most prestigious art museums in the country, with your 5-year old son in tow, for an art class--how cool is that?  The classrooms are big and bright and there are a multitude of art supplies all over.  The instructors were just great and they taught a variety of art media -- there was always something different coming home.  What a wonderful opportunity to meet kids from all over the area and work on art projects together.  The classes were held on Saturdays and lasted 2 full hours.  Let me tell you, they are busy for those 2 hours!  Unfortunately, during the time that he was taking the classes, the museum was (and still is) undergoing massive renovation, so we were not ... 02/28/2009