Helping you choose a Cincinnati School

Amy July 1st, 2009

Which school would be right for your child? Cincinnati has a wide variety of education choices, and there are many resources available to help you decide.

Cincinnati Public schools has neighborhood schools and magnet schools. The private Studentsoptions include religious and secular institutions. This is true for children of all ages and skills.

Cincinnati Public offers magnet schools like School for the Creative and Performing Arts, whose alums include Sarah Jessica Parker and Nick Lachey.

Summit Country Day school, a private Catholic institution, graduated such notables as Kathleen Sebelius, US Health and Human Services Secretary.
Here are some stats (thanks to SchoolsK-12.com):

“Cincinnati schools boast a total student population of 153,900 attending 245 schools in 56 public school districts and 162 private schools. Public school revenue and expenditures vary by school district but Cincinnati public schools spend an average of $7,794 per student each year.

Student teacher ratio is an important statistic cluing parents into the probable attention their child might receive individually in a classroom setting. Cincinnati public schools average a student teacher ratio of 18:1. Cincinnati private schools average 13:1. Also, high schools in Cincinnati average a student body population of 733, while Cincinnati middle schools and elementary schools average student body populations of 457 and 412 respectively.”

The best thing you can do is read the information yourself, and decide which schooling options best fit your children. If you study hard, you’ll end up with an A+!

Links to ratings of Cincinnati public, private and suburban schools (including Northern Kentucky)

CityRating.com has a long list of area school info:
Elementary
Middle
High

Greatschools.net provides their on set of rankings and includes comments left by parents

Public
Private

Newsweek rates the nation’s top 1,300 high schools (this rating is largely based on test scores and types of testing offered.)

Cincinnati Public Schools official site lists info about its neighborhood, magnet and Montessori schools

A listing of Cincinnati Private schools

Bestplaces.net’s Cincinnati school listings

General information (including schools) from Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live”

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Hotdogs give a Helping Hand

admin June 24th, 2009

Amy GrillingLocal educational outreach finds home at Oakley festival

Cincinnati, June 19, 2009 – AmyBSells Giving Back charity and Hyde Park Biggs are co-sponsoring a hotdog stand during Oakley After Hours summer festival, raising money to buy school supplies for 200 students at St. Cecilia’s School, located just down the street from the festival.

“Oakley is coming together and showcasing what the neighborhood has to offer, and that’s a great venue for our school supply drive efforts,” said Realtor Amy Broghamer, founder of AmyBSells Giving Back. “Knowing your neighbors and being an authentic participant in the community are important parts of meaningful giving back, and that’s what we’re here to do.”

Oakley After Hours occurs every final Friday from April to September, and will feature local musicians, live entertainment and a street-wide open house. The hotdog stand will run from May to July to raise money for the annual St. Cecilia school supply drive sponsored by AmyBSells Giving Back.

“Amy’s organization focuses on the education of the children in our community, and we believe in contributing to the development of our future community members and leaders,” said Kelly Bretcher, Human Resource Specialist and Community Relations Coordinator for Bigg’s of Hyde Park. “The Oakley After Hours provides a wonderful venue to raise money to support St. Cecilia’s, which will foster learning and student development.”

The May festival raised more than $200 through donations for free hotdogs and drinks. For the 2009-2010 school year, the fundraising needs are $6,000 for St. Cecilia’s School, where 52 percent of the student body comes from disadvantaged homes.

“Now, low-income families are struggling more than ever to put food on the table and to give their kids a decent education,” Broghamer said. “Children are the voiceless victims of this economic crisis. They deserve better.”

Oakley After Hours, a joint effort between the Oakley Community Council and local businesses, is intended to showcase the neighborhood, build a sense of collaboration and provide community members an opportunity to volunteer and give back, according to Event Coordinator Stephanie Andrews.  ”Oakley After Hours involves both youth and adult in taking pride in their community, which ultimately contributes to a healthy, low-crime neighborhood,” she said.

Other events will include free salsa lessons from the Cincinnati Ballroom Company, a kids concert from Children Inc./Growing Sound, as well as special sales from participating organizations all along the streets. The festival will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the corners of Madison and Brazee streets in Oakley, and the AmyBSells Giving Back hotdog stand will be located on the Geier Esplanade at the intersection of Madison Road and Markbreit Avenue on June 26 and July 31. The charity will be accepting donations until September and contributions can be made online at www.amybsells.com/GivingBack, where past press releases, pictures and testimonials are also available.

The AmyBSells Giving Back charity began in 2008 as a community outreach effort by Cincinnati Realtor Amy Broghamer, who wanted to do more to foster positive social and economic growth in her neighborhood. The charity conducted a successful 2008 school supply drive for St. Cecilia’s in Oakley, and will continue to partner with the school in 2009, as well as seek greater involvement with other local non-profit efforts and charity organizations in the future.

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New Rumors about the Home Buyer Tax Credit

Amy June 23rd, 2009

There’s new talk about what is currently known about the $8,000 new home-buyer tax credit. Some lawmakers and industries want to extend the credit into next year and modify its terms. New ideas include extending the credit to all homebuyers and increasing it to $15,000.

What’s important to remember is that these are just initial plans. The same terms were originally included the first time the housing bill went through congress and were stricken.iStock_000002619695XSmall

Here’s USA Today’s list of new proposals currently being discussed:

• A Senate bill to expand the tax credit to $15,000 for any home buyer regardless of income was introduced this month by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. It is co-sponsored by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn.

• A House bill to keep the $8,000 credit in place until June 2010 and expand it to all home buyers was introduced last month by Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Texas. It also would provide a $3,000 credit to homeowners who refinance.

• Another bill in the House, introduced by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, would extend the credit to all home buyers through 2010.

The current tax credit does not apply to singles earning more than $95,000 a year and couples who earn more than $170,000. Some business leaders want the income caps eliminated. Buyers do not have to repay the tax credit if they occupy the home for three years or more.

Lawrence Yun of the National Association of Realtors says “It would go a long way toward inducing trade-up buyers into the market,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the NAR.”

We’ll be watching this to see what happens.

Read about it in USA today.

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New Transaction Coordinator

Amy June 18th, 2009

I want to introduce a new member of my team, my  Transaction Coordinator, Cortny Helmick.  Cortny is a past client of mine, comes from a family of huge AmyBSells supporters, and is currently assisting me with the transactions by helping my clients get from pending to closed.

Cortny_headshot

After I sold Cortny’s condo in Finneytown a little more than a year ago, she and her husband Mike moved to Seattle for his career in computer science. A true Tri-Stater, Cortny grew up in Batesville, Indiana and lived in Cincinnati for six years where she worked at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She loves living in a digital world where she can work in one great city and live in another.

Cortny earned a journalism degree from Indiana University, and has experience in graphic design, writing, marketing, public relations and the arts. In addition to working for the Amy B Sells team in a variety of capacaties, she is a part-time freelance graphic designer and locally represents the Ideal Bite, a green living e-newsletter. She is looking forward to obtaining her Real Estate Professional Assistant (REPA) certification.

Cortny is a news junkie and avid HGTV viewer. She enjoys reading, seeing great movies, spending time with her two Airedale terriers, and going to yoga classes and delicious local restaurants with her husband. However, she misses Dewey’s pizza and Skyline three-ways — please have some for her!

Financial Reforms — Will They Work?

Amy June 18th, 2009

Earlier this week, the President outlined new plans for reforms of the financial system. It’s been called the biggest set of reforms since the Great Depression. What remains to be seen is how these reforms will actually work.

The National Association of Realtors is pleased with the outline. NAR President Charles McMullen provided a statement on June 17.

“NAR and our 1.2 million members commend President Obama for developing a comprehensive financial regulatory reform framework. As we have repeatedly noted, it is important to have strong supervision and regulation of the nation’s financial system to ensure we never again find ourselves in this current financial and housing turmoil. …

“Rebuilding consumer trust in the various markets is important to an economic recovery, and Obama’s proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency offers the potential to regulate and protect consumers from fraud, predatory lending and other deceptive practices. We look forward to working with Congress and the administration to shape such an organization.”

The 88-page plan essentially makes an already complicated system just a little bit more complicated. One of the major components increases the role of the Federal Reserve when responding to a failed financial institution. The plan also extends the involvement of the FDIC, or the system that insures the money that you have invested in banks.

Nothing in the plan is law, it’s a proposal that will have to go through Congress. Some critics say the plan is too big, others say it’s not big enough. If you want to learn about more of the details of the plan, check out the following video or links.

Read the text of the plan.

Forbes.com: Financial Regulations.

Read the NAR statement.

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New Appraisal and Lending Regulations

Amy June 15th, 2009

Some new regulations have and will go into effect that can affect your closing if you are buying or selling a home. The regulations are as follows:istock_000004623053xsmall

Home Valuation Code of Conduct rules (HVCC): As of May 1, lenders and third parties are prohibited from influencing an appraisal report — this means that there can be no attempt by lenders to speed-up (and thus influence) an appraisal. Borrowers are also required to have access to a copy of the appraisal within three days prior to the closing of their loan (although borrower may waive this right.) So, these rules are already in affect.

Housing and Economic Reform Act (HERA) updates: As of July 30, changes will be made to the timing of when fees can be charged to the borrower and when disclosures are sent, re-issued and received by borrowers.

All lenders must follow these regulations.

What does this mean

Set realistic expectations, be prepared and understand that things are tightening every day. We have known that changes would trickle down over time as the powers that be work to improve the state of the housing market.

Basically, this just means that things will take longer and be more complicated, although consumers need to understand these rules are being put in place to protect them. With the HVCC, essentially a ‘firewall’ is being put in place. Lenders can’t do anything to rush an appraisal, or even ask any direct questions, no matter how simple. This means the process will take longer due to this ‘firewall.’ The requirement of the appraisal copies are new, although the Amy B Sells Team has always provided these copies in advance of closings.

Due to the changes under HERA, it just means you need to be attentive and helpful to your lender. If they ask for something, take care of it. Lenders require more documents and information than ever. It is not unsual for a closing to be delayed due to a borrower not providing documents quickly enough! Don’t let this happen to you.

Homebuyers must understand that the interest rate impacts their APR, and you must lock your rate. The rate lock happens at the borrower’s discretion. The longer you wait to lock in your rate, the more you are gambling. If you wait too long to lock in the rate, the disclosures may need to be resent. This is going to slow up your process and jeopardize your closing and maybe even your financing. My lender, Wells Fargo, is requiring the rate to be locked within in 10 days of closing.

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A Cincinnati Bucket List

Amy June 8th, 2009

Fifty things you must do in Cincinnati? The Regional Chamber released a bucket list in their 2009 City Guide. Take a look at their list and see how many things you’ve crossed off! (Items are listed at random.) I’ve highlighted my accomplishments in red.

 

istock_000008844825xsmall1.) Hear a whisper in Union Terminal.

2.) Ice Skate on Fountain Square.

3.) Attend opening day.

4.) Do the chicken dance at Oktoberfest.

5.) Enjoy late-night noodles (or any fare at a late-night place downtown).

6.) Eat a sack lunch at the Mercantile Library while catching up on your reading.

7.) Ride The Beast at night.

8.) See the Cincinnati Ballet perform The Nutcracker.

9.) Run the Flying Pig.

10.) Ponder the cosmos at the Cincinnati Observatory Center (Hyde Park) or Wolff Planetarium (Burnett Woods).

11.) Stroll Findlay Market.

12.) Hear the worlds best choral performances at May Festival.

13.) Navigate the river in a boat.

14.) Tailgate at Lot D before a Bengals Game. 

15.) Try Goetta. (It’s a regular at Sunday breakfast at my parents’ house!)

16.) Go to the flower feeding frenzy that is The Cincinnati Flower Show.

17.) Stuff yourself on local fare at Taste of Cincinnati. 

18.) Explore the Ohio Book Store.

19.) Walk all of Cincinnati’s hillside stairs.

20.) Celebrate Riverfest in person.

21.) Be a butterfly landing pad at the Krohn butterfly show.

22.) Visit St. Mary’s Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption.

23.) Watch the horses run at River Downs or Turfway Park. 

24.) By a hat at Batsakes.

25.) Attend high school football at The Pit (at Elder).

26.) View the city from the observation deck atop Carew Tower.

27.) Attend the Crosstown Shootout.

28.) Take a Spring Grove Cemetery Ghost Tour.istock_000000315844xsmall

29.) Ride the Anderson Ferry.

30.) Sing karaoke and ride the bull at Bobby Mackey’s. 

31.) Tour the abandoned subway.

32.) Attend opening night at the Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

33.) See Jimmy Buffet at Riverbend.

34.) Bike, hike or rollerblade the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail.

35.) Relish in our roadside oddities (including 62-foot-tall Jesus statue on I-75 and the Florence Y’all water tower).

36.) Enjoy our art (by visiting the CAM, the Taft and the CAC.)

37.) Take a picnic dinner to a Cincinnati Pops concert at Riverbend and sit on the lawn.

38.) Explore Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park in Hamilton.

39.) Walk the local bridges. 

40.) Celebrate Mardi Gras at Covington’s MainStrasse.

41.) See the cute, cuddly Zoo Babies at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

42.) Attend a fish fry or church festival.

43.) Take the family to Zip’s in Mt. Lookout.

44.) Swim in one of the nation’s largest pools at Coney Island.

45.) Attend a DAAP fashion show.

46.) See a band at the Northside Tavern.

47.) See a race at Kentucky Speedway.

48.) Attend the Panegyri Greek Festival at Holy Trinity–St. Greek Orthodox Church.

49.) Take in the view of downtown from Mt. Echo Park.

50.) Visit Jungle Jim’s.

Pending U.S. Home Sales Rise in April

Amy June 5th, 2009

The number of U.S. home buyers who agreed to purchase a previously occupied home in April posted the largest monthly jump in more than seven years.

April pending home sales increased to 90.3, which is a 6.7 percent jump. This is the third straight month of increases, although it’s based on contracts signed, not closings. That makes these numbers a little more volatile because mortgages are taking longer because of increased restrictions, and more of them fall through than in the past. istock_000003439918xsmall

The National Association of Realtors says this jump exceeds expectations, and is the biggest monthly jump since October 2001.

“This is yet another positive indication that the bottoming process is forming,” said Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Capital Markets. “Now, if only prices would stabilize.”

A 9.8 percentage jump in pending Midwest home sales helped lead to the surge, as well as huge 33 percent increase in the Northeast. This boost in pending home sales is very likely reflective of the new tax credit for first-time buyers.

Read the whole story or watch the video.

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$8000 Tax Credit as Down Payment

Amy June 3rd, 2009

As it stands now, the $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers CAN be used for a down payment, with some stipulations.

The IRS will allow a credit advance (basically, a short-term loan) in order for the money to be used as part of a downpayment. However, there are some things to know. First of all, this only applies to FHA mortgages. Secondly, and this is important, you still must have a 3.5% down-payment as required by FHA. This portion cannot come from the credit advance/loan.

istock_000003888607xsmallThis money can be used to pay for closing costs and remaining down payment. This 3.5% is simply to reduce the likelihood of default, by requiring new buyers to have some of the money for the payment. The goal is to help reduce inventory and get the market rolling again, but not to continue allowing people who can’t afford to buy homes buying them.

A news release from HUD includes the following points:

  • The tax credit advance, when combined with the FHA-insured first mortgage may not result in cash back to the borrower.
  • The second lien may not exceed the total amount needed for the down payment, closing costs, and prepaid expenses.
  • Secondary financing may be “soft” (silent) or require a monthly repayment.
  • If payments are required, they must be included within the qualifying ratios and, when combined with the first mortgage, cannot exceed the borrower’s reasonable ability to pay.
  • Payments must be deferred for at least 36 months to not be included in the qualifying ratios.
  • If the tax credit advance loan has a short term for repayment, it must also provide that if the borrower fails to repay by the designated deadline, principal and interest payments begin automatically or the loan converts to a “soft” second.
  • The secondary financing may not require a balloon payment before ten years.

Get more info:

HUD.gov

U.S. News & World Report

CNN Money

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Go Green for Backyard Birds

Amy June 1st, 2009

We borrowed this interesting info from the zoo. Check out their original, printable sheetbirdsat http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/documents/MigratoryBirdsTopTenPDF.pdf. Here’s a few of their tips for a bird-friendly backyard.

  • Bird Friendly Backyard: Plant native trees and bushes, and set up bird feeders, houses and baths in your yard.
  • Prevent Collisions: Hang decals on windows to keep birds from flying into the glass.
  • Keep Cats Inside: Keep house cats indoors to protect birds from these non-native predators.
  • No Poisons, Please: Grow your garden the organic way, without pesticides that put the health of migratory birds at risk.
  • Take Up Birding: Bust out your binoculars and help scientists track bird populations by participating in a bird count. Go to www.birdday.org/count for details.
  • Stamp It Up: Buy a duck stamp. The funds help conserve habitat through the National Wildlife Refuge System.
  • Drink to the Birds: Buy shade-grown coffee, which grows under the cover of larger trees that provide habitat for birds.

Check out the info sheet for a couple more tips!

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