Date Archives: June 2022

Summer in Cleveland is off to a great start! What better way to enjoy the city than to get out and check out all that it has to offer. Here is a list of our top 5 ways to enjoy Cleveland this summer. Let us know what you try out!

1. Check out the local beaches! Spend the day at Euclid beach or Edgewater beach. Take a picnic, ride your bike, or soak up the sun. Both locations also have fantastic views of the amazing Cleveland sunsets. Check out our blog post on the Top 10 Places to Watch a Sunset in Cleveland.
2. Take a hike on Cleveland's towpath trail or a ride on one of the many connecting bike routes. Click here for more details on what the Cleveland Metroparks has to offer.
3. Enjoy dinner on a patio overlooking the Cuyahoga river in the Cleveland flats. Check out our blog post on Cleveland's Flats East Bank complete with an updated list of restaurants.
4. Check out a local farmers market:
   • North Union Farmers Market Click Here for More Details
     • Cleveland Clinic Main Campus Wednesdays 10:30a to 1:30p
     • University Hospitals Thursdays 10:30a to 1:30p
     • Shaker Square Market Saturdays 8a to 12p
   • Tremont Farmers Market Click Here for More Details
     • Tuesdays 4p to 7p
   • West Side Market, Ohio City Click here for more details
     • Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 8a to 5p
     • Saturdays from 7a to 5p
     • Sundays from 10a to 4p
   • Old Brooklyn Farmers Market Click here for more details
     • Saturdays from 9a to 1p
   • Kamm's Corners Farmers Market Click here for more details
     • Sundays from 10a to 1p
   • Good Earth Urban Farm Stand Click here for more details
     • Thursdays from 3p to 7p
     • Mondays from 3p to 7p
     • Saturdays from 12p to 4p
   • Coit Road Farmers Market Click here for more details
     • Wednesdays from 8a to 1p
     • Saturdays from 8a to 1p
   • Gateway 105 Farmers Market Click here for more details
     • Fridays from 3p to 7p
     • Saturdays from 1p to 5p
       
5. Go to a Guardians game! Enjoy a great view of the city while supporting a great team. And while you are there, check out some of the great food Cleveland has to offer by visiting one of the many wonderful food stands!

Arguably one of the most important parts of purchasing a home, inspections are a critical step to ensure buyers are informed about the home they intend to purchase. According to the American Society of Home Inspectors, a home inspection is an objective visual examination of the physical structure and systems of a house, from the roof to the foundation.

Due to the current sellers' market, inspections have become a common step that some buyers have chosen to skip in an effort to navigate a competitive market. However, regardless of the age of the home or the competitiveness of the market, inspections are important for most, if not all, home buyers. Inspections can uncover hidden issues that may not be immediately visible, find updates that may be needed, and they provide an overall assessment of the home. Additionally, the information gathered from an inspection can provide buyers with the ability to ask the seller to repair any health and safety issues that may be present.  In worst case scenarios the buyer has the ability to walk away from a home purchase if extensive problems are found.  Lastly, one of the less obvious benefits of an inspection is that it gives the buyer the ability to spend time in the home, getting to know it better.   So where does a buyer start?

1. Decide on a property to be purchased! With the help of your Realtor, come up with a fair offer, submit and have the offer accepted.
2. Once the offer has been accepted, it is now time to schedule the inspection. Don't have a preferred home inspection professional? Ask your Realtor! Most Realtors have relationships with various industry professionals and should be able to provide you with a trusted name.
3. Complete the inspection! Pay close attention to the professional during inspection; they will oftentimes briefly alert buyers to various points of interest. This is also an opportunity for buyers to speak with an expert and ask questions. 
4. Take a look at your report. Determine if the work needed to be completed is within the scope anticipated by the buyer. Home inspectors will look for any and all flaws, no matter how small. When you receive your report, understand that not all items are a cause for concern. Your agent and inspector will be able to assist you in determining what are red flags.
5. Consult with your real estate agent!  Within your inspection period you need to respond to the seller either accepting the home as-is or asking them to complete some repairs.  Your Realtor will draw up a Removal of Contingency Addendum.  This form releases the inspection contingency in the contract and allows for repairs mutually agreed upon by the buyer and seller.  In some circumstances the repairs may be such that the buyer decides to walk away from the purchase seeking a release of the contract or at times the seller may decide to offer a lower price for the buyer to continue with the transaction.    

Now that the inspection has been completed, you are ready to move on to the next step! Still in need of a real estate agent? Click here to read about Why You Should Hire a PURE Realtor?

Moving is a consistently stressful task that can seem to be never-ending and discouraging. To make the moving process easier, we put together a list of moving tasks and a few pro-tips to make the process much simpler. Have any tips that we missed? Let us know!

1. Schedule a moving day! Make sure this day works with your schedule and try to avoid holidays or weekends. Those times tend to be busier for rental or moving companies.
2. Schedule your moving crew ahead of time. As soon as you have your moving date set and you plan on hiring a crew, be sure to schedule as soon as possible. The Housing Market - rental and ownership - is highly competitive and that extends to associated services such as moving crews or even rental trucks. Plan ahead!
3. Declutter all of your spaces, sell any furniture you do not intend to take with you, and donate any remaining items. The less stuff you will need to sort through at your new place, the less potential for headache. 
4. Collect boxes! Whether you have a friend who frequently receives shipments, know a local small business looking to get rid of some empty boxes, or order a lot through Amazon, start gathering boxes and get to packing. Unless you need a specific size there is no reason to spend extra money on buying new boxes. 
5. Label your boxes! One of the most helpful things you can do is label boxes with what room the items belong to and even include a small list of items that may be of importance. 
6. Pro-tip: Consider packing a weekend bag with essentials to make your first few days of unpacking easier. With so many boxes to go through and unpack, having a bag with a few days worth of clothes, your bathroom essentials, a phone charger, wallets, keys, etc. can provide an easier transition for a new home.
7. Pro-tip: Put together an "necessities pack" with any household items you will likely need in the first few days. These items can include various tools such as a hammer, screw driver (both flathead and phillips), batteries, flashlight, cleaning supplies, broom and dust pan, soap and hand towels, toilet paper, extra light bulbs, and any other items you may want on hand for before all boxes have been packed.
8. Set up mail forwarding! Visit usps.com to update your address and have any future mail be sent to your new home. There is even an option to have your voter registration address updated!
9. Transfer all utility accounts. This is a tedious but necessary process and should be done right before moving. 
10. Treat yourself to takeout from your favorite local restaurant! Long day(s) of moving is a great excuse to support your local neighborhood spots.