2012 Showcase of Homes

8/2/2019 2012 Showcase of Homes

1/12

MAGAZINE

A S u p p l e m e n t T o T h e D e l p h o s H e r a l d A p r i l 2 0 1 2


2/12

2 S h o w c a s e o f H o m e s T h e D e l p h o s H e r a l d A p r i l 2 0 1 2

www.DickClarkRealEstate.com

312 N. Main St.

Delphos, OH

419-695-1006

675 N. Market St., Suite 120

Lima, OH

419-879-1006

DONT MAKE A MOVE WITHOUT US

To view all area listings go to www.DickClarkRealEstate.com

Residential Commercial Farms Property Management

7892 German Rd.

Delphos $648,000Dick Clark 419-230-5553

1451 Carolyn Dr.Delphos $279,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

6601 Defiance Tr.Delphos $239,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

1003 W. Market St.

Lima $220,000Rick Gable 419-230-1504

441 E. Cleveland St.


318 N. Bredeick St.Delphos $108,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

933 N. Main St.Delphos $89,900

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

125 LoganVan Wert $75,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

834 N. Main St.Delphos $73,900

Rick Gable 419-230-1504

433 S. Pierce St.Delphos $69,900

Rick Gable 419-230-1504

412 S. Jefferson St.Delphos $65,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

227 Clime St.Delphos $64,900

Jack Adams 419-302-2171

605 N. MainDelphos $62,000

Rick Gable 419-230-1504

4 Oakwood Pl.Lima $44,500

Chuck Peters 419-204-7238

708 Bank St.Delphos $84,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

907 E. Third St.Delphos $83,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

414 N. Bredeick St.Delphos $79,900

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

504 E. Fifth St.Delphos $79,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

609 N. WashingtonDelphos $79,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

339 W. Seventh St.Delphos $105,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

808 Second St.Delphos $99,900

Rick Gable 419-230-1504

483 S. Franklin St.Delphos $99,900

Jack Adams 419-302-2171

709 N. Washington St.Delphos $94,500

Rick Gable 419-230-1504

136 Walnut DriveKalida $105,000

Melanie Thorbahn 419-234-5493

425 N. Clay St.Delphos $139,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

603 W. Second St.Delphos $139,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

285 RailroadFt. Jennings $128,500

Elaine Wehri 419-234-2254

7060 Elida Rd.Delphos $119,500

Rick Gable 419-230-1504

514 Dewey St.Delphos $114,900

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

3663 McBrideDelphos $119,900

Brian Overholt 419-231-5385

8725 Lincoln Hwy.Ft. Jennings $119,500

Elida School DistrictBrian Overholt 419-231-5385

8540 Ridge Rd.


5102 Hummingbird St.

Elida $147,700Dick Clark 419-230-5553

402 Central St.

Delphos $144,500Jack Adams 419-302-2171

430 E. Fifth St.

Delphos $142,900Jack Adams 419-302-2171

725 FairlaneDelphos $227,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

1330 Joshua St.Delphos $229,500

Chuck Peters 419-204-7238

809 S. Washington St.Van Wert $310,000

Dick Clark 419-230-5553

DICK CLARK [email protected] GABLE [email protected]

JAMIE ELWER [email protected] ADAMS 419-302-2171

[email protected]

MELANIE THORBAHN [email protected] PETERS [email protected]

BOB JETTINGHOFF [email protected] OVERHOLT [email protected]

ELAINE WEHRI [email protected] SWICK [email protected]


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S h o w c a s e o f H o m e s T h e D e l p h o s H e r a l d A p r i l 2 0 1 2 3

122 N. Washington St., Van Wert, OH

(419) 605-8300 Office: (419) 238-5555www.BeeGeeRealty.com

www.BeeGeeRealty.com

15442 St. Rt. 116, Van Wert:2 Miles east of Van Wert in Lincolnview School Dis-trict. Lots of remodeling done, updated roof, updat-ed furnace and central air, kitchen and bathroomlinoleum. Needs vinyl siding but that can be guredinto your loan. Very affordable payments. Priced tosell, now is your opportunity!!!

12238 Greenville Rd., Van Wert:Sharp and impressive contemporary home locatedon the golf course with terric views. With a com-bination of cathedral, vaulted and tray ceilings youwill be impressed with all the amenities and up-grades. Building a new home is always an optionfor you - so why not view this home rst and seehow much money you can save?

22651 Lincoln Highway, Van Wert:Looking for a nice country property?? Here It is!!This 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath has all the space youwill need. Eat-in kitchen, dining area, living roomwith replace, family room with wood burningstove, sunroom with hot tub, in ground pool, nice46 x 30 workshop, plus a 2 car attached garage allthis on 1.45 acres close to Delphos.

10999 Rogers Rd., Van Wert:Well 2007 - New Roof - 2009, newer kitchen &windows, 4 bedrooms, nice huge pole buildingwith cement oor and heaters. Very close to town.Note: Buyer to pay for propane in tank at closing.

13821 Jennings Rd., Van Wert:Outstanding custom built home at the east edge ofVan Wert. 3.3 Acre lot with a beautiful pond andgorgeous landscaping. This ranch has approx.1,800 sq. ft. on main level & 1,700 sq. ft. mostlynished basement, 3 replaces, spectacular viewof the pond from the great room, 3 bedrooms, 2.5baths, beautiful oak kitchen, cathedral ceilings,family room & bar/game room in basement, 3 carattached garage. Very nice 28 x 48 building withporch. 1 owner, immaculate, looks new. Call DaleButler 419-203-5717.Reservation: Pond fountain is negotiable.

14110 St. Rt. 116, Van Wert:Many improvements have been made including re-placement windows, newer roof, front porch, vinylsiding and the well being replaced. Very attractiveinside and out. With 3/4 bedrooms, one full bathand two half baths you will love the oor plan. Theseller will allow $2,900 per contractors estimateto replace basement windows and seal outsideaccess. 4 Window air conditioners and dehumidi-er stay with home. Note: The house is located inthe Overholt Subdivision which is an EPA TargetedZone.Reservations: Mirror window in Family Room, Peo-ny Tree and Clematis

18285 US Rt. 224, Middle Point:If you are looking for a small home in the countrylook no more. This desirable 2 bedroom ranch hasa 2 car attached garage, a one acre lot and is lo-

cated on Rt. 224 just east of ST. Rt. 637

11264 Greenvile Rd. Van Wert:Great location 1 mile south of Van Wert, this homehas lots of upgrades, approx 2,080 sq. ft., full base-ment, central air, nice open porch, newer roof and

new 5 car garage.

9278 Hoaglin Center Rd., Van Wert:Fantastic country property located between VanWert and Delphos. The house has been updated,the outbuildings are in great shape and the ruralsetting is unbeatable. For horse lovers, woodwork-ers or other hobbyists, this property is one that youwill fall in love with. The deck is large and uniquelydesigned for entertaining, i.e., eating area on theleft side and seating area on the right. The newer,long asphalt driveway from street to barn is very at-

tractive and great for other activities other than justtransport..like roller skating, biking, basketball.


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Completed transactions of existinghome purchases fell for the third time inthe last four months in March but stillremained above last years levels whilehome prices continued to show improve-ment according to the National Associa-tion of Realtors (NAR).

Monthly existing home sales, whichinclude single-family homes, townhomes,condos, and co-ops, fell to a seasonallyadjusted rate of 4.48 million in March,down from a revised 4.60 million in Feb-ruary, a decline of 2.6 percent. Sales werestill 5.2 percent higher than the seasonallyadjusted 4.26 million completed transac-tions in March 2011. It was the ninth con-secutive month that year-over-year homesales have increased.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist ofNAR, stated, The recovery is happen-ing though not at a breakout pace, butwe have seen nine consecutive months of

year-over-year sales increases. Existing-home sales are moving up and down in afairly narrow range that is well above thelevel of activity during the first half of lastyear. With job growth, low interest rates,bargain home prices and an improvingeconomy, the pent-up demand is coming

to market and we expect housing to be no-tably better this year.

Regional Home Sales:Monthly existing home sales in the

Northeast declined 1.7 percent to an an-nual rate of 580,000 sales but were still5.5 percent higher than in March of last

year, while in the Midwest, sales were un-changed from the previous month, sellingat a rate of 1.02 million annual sales, andwere 15.9 percent higher than last yearssales pace.

In the South, monthly existing homesales fell 1.1 percent in March at an an-nual pace of 1.75 million transactions andwere 3.6 percent above March 2011s lev-els, and in the West, transactions for themonth fell 7.4 percent to an annual rateof 1.13 million sales and were 0.9 percentlower than last years sales pace.

Home Prices:Home prices increased 2.5 percent as

the national median existing home priceincreased from $156,600 in February to$163,800 in March. The median homeprice in March of last year was $159,600.

The median price in the Northeast was$228,300, which was 1.9 percent lowerthan a year ago, while the median price in

the Midwest was $132,800, up 5.2 percentfrom March 2011.

In the South, the median price was$146,500, a gain of 6.2 percent from ayear ago and in the West the median pricewas $198,300, up 1.6 percent from Marchof 2011.

Cash and Distressed Property Sales:Distressed property sales accountedfor 29 percent of all existing home salesin March, down from 34 percent in Febru-ary and down from 40 percent in Marchof 2011. Foreclosure sales made up 18percent of all existing home sales whileshort sales accounted for 11 percent of allexisting sales.

Cash sales accounted for 32 percentof all sales in March, down from 33 per-cent in February, while investors jumpedin and purchased 21 percent of the homessold in March, down from 23 percent inFebruary.

Housing Inventory:The number of homes available forsale in March fell 1.3 percent to 2.37 mil-lion homes which represents a 6.3 monthsupply, down from a 6.4 months supply inFebruary.

Source: NAR

Home purchases fall in March, prices improve

Boost your homes curb appeal(StatePoint) You cant judge a

book by its cover, but you can judge ahome by its exterior. And with warmerweather comes thoughts of outdoorhome improvement projects.

If youre looking to boost yourhouses curb appeal this season, thinkabout adding color from top to bot-tom.

Homeowners shouldnt be afraidof color. Contrasting colors, comple-mentary colors and color accents ona home, when done right, can all addtremendously to the curb appeal of ahouse, says national color expert KateSmith, CMG and owner of SensationalColor.

This season Smith is offering sometop-to-bottom tips to homeowners ready

for bold change:The RoofIf your roof appears old and dingy, is

leaking or wearing thin, its time to re-search replacement options. Considerdurable synthetic slate or shake tiles ina variety of hues. For example, DaVinciRoofscapes offers 49 roof colors alongwith 28 standard color blends.

Selecting roofing colors that comple-ment the rest of the home helps your eye

move from the top down, says Smith. Ifyoure overwhelmed by the choices, a freeFRESH Exteriors Color guide is avail-able for download at www.sensational-color.com .

The WindowsWhether youre looking for low-main-

tenance vinyl replacement or new con-struction windows, add a splash of colorto complement your homes exterior andinterior as well. A bold color contrast, likered window frames against crisp whitetrim pieces is a classic eye-catching look.

A window is like a two-sided canvas,says Smith. The colors on the frame ex-teriors enhance the homes overall appear-ance from the street. And, when you getinside and select stylish woodgrain frame

interiors, youre adding beauty to theroom settings. Thats a win-win expe-rience for any homeowner.

The Decorum collection by SimontonWindows for example, provides a vari-ety of custom color options like brick,chocolate, bronze and pine green.

The DoorThe door to your house should make

a statement. A door with a smoothpaintable surface, made with low-maintenance fiberglass, allows you tomake a new statement as often as youdlike. For example, Therma-Trus Clas-

sic Craft Canvas Collection has these fea-tures, as well as wide center panels andrich embossment details that rival high-end custom wood doors.

To further enhance the entryway toyour home, consider installing decorative

glass inserts in the door. Then, flank thedoor with a set of easy-to-install Fyponurethane pilasters, a stylish crosshead andpediment. Resistant to moisture, insects,rot and humidity, both the urethane trimand fiberglass entry door are great low-maintenance solutions to adding curb ap-peal for the home.

From top to bottom, color and detailcan give your home a bold, stylish make-over.


5/12


SIEFKERReal Estate

& Auction Co.Ottawa, OH

Complete Real Estate & Auction ServiceAARON SIEFKER, Real Estate Broker/Auctioneer Ottawa

(419) 538-6184 Office (419) 235-0789 MobileAGENTS:

MARLENE BECKETT DAN LIMBER KIM LIMBERJOAN ZIMMERLY DARREL YODER DAN BAKER

Find us on the web @ www.siefkerauctions.com

HOMES FOR SALE SEE PICTURES & MORE DETAILS ONTHE WEB OR CALL FOR BROCHURES

NEW LISTINGLARGE STURDY FAMILY HOME w/

OLD TIME UNIQUE QUALITIES

321 E. MAIN ST., LEIPSIC, OHBig Sturdy 2 Story w/ 2184 Sq Ft Living Area, ManyUnique Features including Window Seats, Box Windows,Crown Molding, Beveled Glass French Doors, OpenWood Staircase, Pocket Doors and Built Ins, NewlyUpdated Kitchen and Bath in 2010, 4 Large Bedrooms,Living Room, Family Room/ Formal Dining Room, Util-ity, Partial Basement, Enclosed Porch and Large Wrap

Around Porch, Attached Garage Insulated w/Wood Burn-er, Storage, and Work Bench, Deep 50x200 Corner Lot w/Garden, Leipsic Schools

GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD *SPACIOUS LIVING!

215 MOHAWK DRIVE, OTTAWA, OHBrick-Vinyl Ranch w/ 1276 Sq Ft Living Area,Large family room open to the dining area withwindows across back to enjoy the view of largebackyard. Kitchen w/ white cabinets includes ap-pliances, 3 bedrooms-one being a master suite,

Attached garage w/ Storage, O-G Schools

1 STORY GREAT OTTAWA STARTER

476 S. OAK ST., OTTAWA, OHCLOSE TO WILLIAMSTOWN RD* Updated with all thenewer colors and is very clean and ready to mo ve in! LargeFamily Room, Laminate Wood Floors in the Dining Roomopen to the Updated Eat-In Kitchen, Full Updated Bath, 3Bedrooms -all with Walk-In Closets!! 1 Down & 2 Upstairs.Laundry off kitchen w/ Back Door to Deck, Large Pantry/Closet, Plenty of storage!! Tastefully Decorated, Enjoythe Outside w/ Front Porch, Back Deck, and Large Yard,Room to Play and Grow. O-G Schools

1.5 STORY OTTAWA HOME on 1+ACRE CORNERLOT w/ 4 BEDROOMS

1248 N. DEFIANCE ST., OTTAWA, OHLOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Near OttawaSchools, Library, & YMCA!! Front Porch Enters into FamilyRoom Open to Dinette and Kitchen w/ All Newer Appli-ances; Back Entrance w/ Large Closet; Den Provides Ex-

tra Living Area; 4 Bedrooms, 2 Down and 2 Up w/ Built-InDesks; Finished Basement w/ Utility, Full Bath, Office, andWorkshop; Detached Garage w/ Storage Area; All HouseEmergency Generator!

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

4.63 ACRES * IN GLANDORF CORPO-RATION * GREAT LOCATION!!

Frontage on US 224 * Many GreatPossibilities

WE HAVE SEVERAL POTENTIALBUILDING LOTS FOR SALE Call for more info!!!!

VINYL & BRICK PANDORA RANCH

308 E. DILLER STREET * PANDORA,OH 3 Bedroom Ranch Home w/ 1,524 Sq. Ft.Living Area, Kitchen, Dining Area/ Family Room,Living Room, Utility, 2 Baths, 3 Bedrooms, Fin-ished 2 Car Garage, Blacktop Driveway, RearCement Patio, P-G Schools

OTTAWA COUNTRY NO NEED TO GO

TO THE LAKE * VACATION AT HOME

14100 St. Rt. 15 OTTAWA, OHBeautiful Home Styled as a Country Farm House on 3.7

Acres, Raised Gardens with a White Picket Fence, Pon d,Sand Volley Ball Court, and Storage Shed-Mans Cave fin-ishes this Country Setting for a Large Family that Enjoysthe Outdoors. This 2 Story, Vinyl Home has 2,426 Sq. Ft.Living Space with a Full Basement Mostly Finished-Perfectfor Lots of Activities, 4 or 5 Bedrooms - Master Suite withLg Walk-In Closet, Additional 2/3 Bedrooms in Basement,4 Unique Full Baths Keeps Everyone on Time!

PRIVATE PEACEFUL COUNTRYSETTING * MC/NC SCHOOLS

11946 St Rt 613 * OTTAWA, OHIO1 Story, 3 Bedroom, Vinyl & Brick Sided Home w/ 2,120Sq. Ft., Plus 650 Sq. Ft. Partially Finished Basement,Nice Kitchen w/ Corian Countertops, Family Room w/Fireplace, Living Room w/ Crown Molding, 1 Baths,Large Utility w/ Built In Cabinets, Beautiful Large RecRoom w/ Cathedral Ceiling, Ceramic Tile & 5 PersonHot Tub, Large Attached Garage, Extra 30 x 30 Stor-age Building, Rear Deck, Rear Patio w/ Brick Path tothe Acre Pond, MC - NC Schools

I.O.O.F. BUILDING-DOWNTOWNOTTAWA-NEXT TO COURTHOUSE

** ENERGY STAR PEFORMANCEBUILDING!! **

They are investing in several otherprojects to reach even a better

energy rating!Call our office for more details!!!227 E MAIN ST. * OTTAWA, OH

Three Story Office Building * First Floor Street Grade,Presently Used for Fraternity Lodge / Commercial OfficeBuilding, Accessible from Main St., Court St., and Rear

Alley, Elevator 1-3 Floors, Village Water & Sewer, Gas &Electric Utilities, Most Units on Ground Floor Have OwnEntrance, Restrooms on All Floors, 8095.5 Sq. Ft. PerFloor, Standing Seam Roof,

3 BEDROOM RANCH HOMEon 1.91 ACRES

10417 RD 24 CLOVERDALE, OH3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, Ranch Home w/ 1726 Sq Ft Living

Area, Living Room, Open Family Room to Dining Roomand Kitchen, Utility Room, Partially Finished Basement,24x24 Attached Garage, Rear Patio, 30x40 Shed Built2000, Ottoville Schools

MOVE IN TO YOUR DREAM HOME *BEAUTIFUL DETAILS THRU OUT

10235 RD. I-9, OTTAWA, OH3 Bedroom Brick and Vinyl 1 Story Home Built in 1998w/ 2,997 Sq. Ft. Living Area , Plus Full Basement w/ GasFireplace, Large Kitchen w/ Island Bar and Extra PrepSink, Formal Dining Area w/ Tray Ceiling, Breakfast Nook,3 Baths, Large Utility w/ Freezer Space, Living Room w/Cathedral Ceiling and Gas Fireplace, Main Floor MasterBedroom has Large Walk-In Closet and Cathedral Ceil-ings (Bathroom Adjoined), Upstairs Master Suite has 2Large Double Closets (Bathroom Adjoined) Attached 3Bay Garage, Wrap Around Porch, Rear Patio, Large Com-mercial Building including Office, Bathroom, Kitchenettew/ Dishwasher, Janitors Room, and Large Covered Patio,Nice Landscaping, Ottawa-Glandorf Schools

GREAT BUY FOR NEW HOMEOWNER!!

152 N. MAPLE ST., OTTAWA, OHIO

Remodeled 1 Story, Open floor plan to FamilyRoom, Dining Area & Kitchen, Hardwood floorsthroughout, Tile in baths, Entire wall stonefireplace w/ insert, Kitchen has custom madeOak Cabinets, Utility Room w/ Plentiful Storage& Bath off the Dining Area, 3 Bedrooms w/th Large Closets, Totally remodeled Full Bath,

Attached Garage, 16x20 Patio,Open Front Porch, Full Concrete Driveway, NewLandscaping, Corner Lot, O-G Schools.

UPDATED KALIDACOUNTRY RANCH

15680 SR 115,COLUMBUS GROVE, OHIO

Updated Ranch Home, Built 1971 w/ 1848 Sq. Ft., 3 NiceSize Bedrooms- 1 Master Suite, 2 Full Baths, Kitchen w/Dinette-Nicely Updated, Living Room, Utility Room, At-tached 2 Car Finished Garage, Great Patio for Entertain-

ing, Vinyl Siding, Replacement Windows/ Doors, GoodRoof, Kalida Schools

NEW LISTING!!WALK TO CHURCH & SCHOOL

205 N. BROAD ST., KALIDA, OH1 Story w/ many updates over the last sever-al years. 3 Bedroom, Full Bath, Eat-in Kitchen,Family Room, Living room, Enclosed Porch,Open Front Porch, 66x132 Lot, Kalida Schools


6/12


We believe . . .in delivering on promises

and keeping everything you value

Safe. Sound. Secure.

Learn how you can save by insuring

your life, home and auto with

Auto-Owners Insurance.

Call or visit us today!

PB

PURMORT BROTHERS

INSURANCE AGENCY

101 W. Crawford St., Van Wert, Ohio

419-238-6214 Fax 419-238-3311

www.purmortbros.com

FLANAGAN HOMES

1305 Elida Ave., Delphos, OHCall for information or appt.: 419-692-3706

Take advantage of low interest rates

Affordable homes for every budget

Family owned business since 1949

Flanaganhomes.net or email [email protected]


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1 0 S h o w c a s e o f H o m e s T h e D e l p h o s H e r a l d A p r i l 2 0 1 2

(MCC) Nowadays, homeowners lookingto sell their homes know its not as easy todo so as it might have been a few years ago.A struggling economy has made it difficultfor many homeowners to sell their homesfor a price theyre comfortable with.

But the sagging economy is not the only

thing can make it difficult to sell a home. Infact, a host of other things, some obviousbut some not so obvious, can hurt a homesvalue as well.

* Location: A homes location is argu-ably its best or worst selling point. A homein a great location wont be as difficult tosell as a home in a bad neighborhood. Butlocation goes beyond a neighborhoodsreputation, especially in recent years. Ho-meowners who live in a neighborhood ordevelopment with many foreclosures mightfind those foreclosed properties are hurtingtheir own homes value. Lots of foreclo-sures could negatively affect a neighbor-hoods reputation, which might make ahome within that neighborhood less attrac-tive to prospective buyers.

* Appearance: A homes appearance isanother obvious variable that might affectits resale value. Homeowners might wanttheir home to reflect their own individual-ity, but thats not going to help when thetime comes to sell the home. If the exteriorpaint is out of the ordinary, then it might

be wise to choose a more traditional orconservative color before erecting the ForSale sign out front. The same goes for ahomes interior. If the interior design is es-pecially unique, a more traditional interiordecor might help the home sell faster.

* Size and style: Another thing to con-sider when selling a home is its size andstyle. A home that stands out on the block

might be an attention-grabber, but thatsnot always attractive to prospective buy-ers. For instance, a colonial sitting in themiddle of a street filled with contemporaryhomes will stand out, but likely for all thewrong reasons. It will likely appear datedand out of place, which is something buy-ers might not want. In addition, if the homeis considerably larger or smaller than thesurrounding homes, then this could hurt its

value.* Non-conformity: In many ways, con-

formity is not considered an admirabletrait. But when selling a home, conformitycould make the difference between a homeselling quickly or remaining on the marketfor months if not years. When shopping

for a home, buyers often shop in certainneighborhoods and towns and might seemany different homes within a given ZIPcode. Homeowners with homes that dontconform to others in the area might find itdifficult to sell their homes. For instance,homeowners trying to sell a two bedroomhome in a neighborhood filled with threebedroom homes might notice their homesvalue is not as high as that of surroundinghomes, regardless of the neighborhood orhow similar the homes exterior is to sur-rounding homes.

* Age: Older homes might have charac-ter and a sense of nostalgia, but appraiserstake age into consideration when determin-ing a homes value. And buyers tend to leantoward newer homes for a number of rea-sons, not the least of which is the feelingthat newer homes have far more modernamenities than older homes.

When it comes to a homes value, thereare a host of things that could ultimatelyincrease or decrease that value in the eyesof prospective buyers.

Factors that might hurt a homes value

Buying a home? Avoid these mistakes(MCC) The dream of home ownership

is one that lives on in spite of the global

economic struggles. The process of buyinga home can be an emotional roller coasterride, with feelings of excitement mixed inwith exhaustion, fear and uncertainty.

Over the last several years, the real es-tate market has been turned upside down,and many prospective buyers have begun toquestion some of the conventional wisdomassociated with buying a home. While suchskepticism might be a healthy attitude in thecurrent market, prospective buyers -- par-ticularly those who have never purchaseda home before -- should avoid the follow-ing mistakes that buyers make regardless ofwhether the market is up or down.

* Failure to get qualified beforehand.

Mortgage qualification is essential whenbuying a home, as it gives buyers preap-proval for a loan before they make any of-fers. Making an offer on a home before youknow what the bank is willing to lend youis a waste of time for everyone involved,including you, the seller and the real es-tate agents involved. Some agents will notshow a home if you dont have a preap-proval. Once preapproved for a loan, donttake any steps that might put that approvalin jeopardy. This includes anything that

might drastically alter your credit score.* Being blindsided by additional costs.

First-time homebuyers, once they havemoved into their home, often experiencesome sticker shock when the additionalexpenses associated with home ownershiparise. These additional expenses includeproperty tax and insurance costs and canbe substantial. Even those buying a con-dominium or co-op should expect monthlymaintenance fees even if their new place isbrand new and needs no maintenance.

* Shooting for the moon. The ongoingrecession is in part the result of preda-tory lending that saw banks grant exces-sive loans to applicants who, in hindsight,could not actually afford all that they wereapproved to borrow. The result was many

people buying homes they could not afford,and then suffering some steep consequenc-es, including foreclosure, when the firstmortgage payment came due or the interestrate rose. First-time and even veteran buy-ers must avoid shooting for the moon whenit comes to buying a home, and insteadonly buy one they know they can afford.What the banks says you can afford isntalways the same as what you know you canafford. Only buy a home you know you canafford, regardless of whether the bank has

approved you for a larger loan.* Pigeonholing yourself into an inad-

equate living situation. Just like buyersshouldnt go overboard, they also mustavoid compromising on the things thatare most important to them. For example,many of todays buyers, fully aware of therash of foreclosures and all the housinghorror stories of the last several years, arereticent to commit to a home, and mightcompromise with a condo or co-op. But if ahome is what you really want, and anotherliving situation that mirrors apartment lifeis going to make you miserable, dont settlefor that situation for the sake of security.Doing so could cost you financially, espe-cially when you realize the situation isntwhat youd hoped for and look to sell ear-

lier than is ideal.* Skimping on the cost of an inspector.

An inspector is your last chance to find outif a home is your dream home or a moneypit. Even if a house appears to be every-thing you want, dont close on the sale untilthe house has been thoroughly inspected.The old adage that advises against judginga book by its cover certainly applies to buy-ing a home, and prospective buyers shouldenlist the services of a qualified inspectorbefore closing on the sale of a home.


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S h o w c a s e o f H o m e s T h e D e l p h o s H e r a l d A p r i l 2 0 1 2 1 1

MAIN OFFICE

161 W. Third St.Ottoville, Ohio 45876

419-453-3313

LENDING CENTER

940 E. Fifth St.Delphos, OH 45833

419-695-3313

Large enough to serve you, small enough to know you.

The Ottoville Bank Co.

www.ottovillebank.com

SOLDREALTY &

AUCTIONEERS, INC.419 W. ERVIN VAN WERT, OHIO

419-238-9733www.StraleyRealty.com

Bringing buyers and sellers together

for more than 40 years

RESULTS

Everything we touchturns to sold


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1 2 S h o w c a s e o f H o m e s T h e D e l p h o s H e r a l d A p r i l 2 0 1 2

Low closing costs

Local service ensures ast

approvals and closings

Specialties in frst-time homebuyer

and construction loans

Numerous mortgage products

to help put you in the house oyour dreams

Lima Delphos Wapakoneta Ottawa St. Marys

SuperiorFCU.com

John Fisher419-879-3489NMLS #747433

Michelle Snyder419-879-3491NMLS #221256

Joe Laudick419-879-4840NMLS #747437

Philip L. Schumann419-879-4839NMLS #218066

Timothy A. Sprague419-879-3497NMLS #747451

Mark Stechschulte419-879-3493NMLS #747452

Documents

2012 Showcase of Homes