What gives me the most bang for my buck? An update to our information about the Energy Tax Credit and how you can put it to work for you. I asked my CPA, Mark Conrad of Knoll and Associates what you need to file the Energy Tax Credit. He shared this list of tips: There is a credit available of 30% of the cost of qualified purchases up to $1,500 for the years 2009 and 2010. $1,500 is the maximum amount that can be claimed for all products place in service in 2009 and 2010. To claim the credit, FORM 5695 is filed with your tax return. The manufacturer supplies the purchaser with a SIGNED CERTIFICATION... [more...]

Today the Home Builders Association released the list of winners of this year’s Homearama. Drees took home the most honors, with 11 awards. These awards are voted on by an independent panel of judges from around the region. Visit our Homearama page for details about the show. There’s still time to check out the show! Event ends Sunday. Favorite Home 1st Place: Drees Homes 2nd Place: High Pointe Custom Homes/Summit Custom Homebuilders Favorite Landscaping 1st Place: Grand Estates by Fischer Homes Gayle A. Frazer and Associates & Bob Meyer Landscape Service 2nd Place: Drees Homes Landscaping... [more...]

Whether you have your home on the market, or just want to keep it looking great all through the fall, you may need some expert advice. REALTOR Magazine recently interviewed lawn expert Trey Rogers, and here are six tips for lawn upkeep. For northern states (like Ohio), fall is the best time to fertilize a lawn. (Late fall fertilization should occur for our area in October or November.) Rogers recommends a complete nitrogen and potassium combination fertilizer, but you can ask your fertilizer vendor what they recommend for your type of lawn. Fall is also the best time to reseed grass. If you have... [more...]

Watch the Virtual Tour This home is built by both High Pointe Custom Homes and Summit Custom Homebuilders. It’s hard to hold back on my description of this home because, incase you can’t tell from my review, it’s my favorite! #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } I... [more...]

Watch the Virtual Tour Built by John Henry Homes, Inc., this home is the most contemporary inside and out. Clean lines and sharp detail make this home stand out from the others. The contemporary flair is noticeable as soon as you walk through the front door, and the clean, contemporary style is continued throughout. This is one of the few homes with site-finished hardwood flooring, which makes a big impact on the overall feel of the home. The kitchen is a great workspace, spacious, with a huge island in the center and plenty of natural light. This house has the most fun kids rooms of the tour,... [more...]

Watch the Virtual Tour The Broadmore, built by Drees Homes, is designed to bring back that English Tudor feel with its exterior: stone work, lattice windows, stucco and trim. It’s a lot to take in! The mums outside are spectacular, with their vibrant colors. This home has a wonderful office/guest bedroom on the first floor that includes it’s own “almost” kitchen/mini bar. This home is the only one to feature a fully equipped laundry room on the second floor, conveniently located near bedrooms. It also features fancy faucets in the bathrooms as another detail. The... [more...]

Watch the Virtual Tour The Susanna features the most open floor plan of all the homes, by far. Very grand room sizes and open hallways allow for a family to live and grow in this home. I give the builder a lot of credit for going the extra mile to encorporate “hybrid” environmental efficiency and green features into this home. It has a solar water heater and a hybrid heating/cooling system. This is the only home in this year’s tour that does not have a finished basement, but it definitely makes up for it in the main living areas! It’s informal, and feels easy to live... [more...]

Watch the Virtual Tour The first home on this year’s Homearama tour is the Nottoway, by Fischer Homes. This home displays great curb appeal, and features a Tuscan-style exterior. The warmth of copper is featured in the bay window roof accent, which gives great dimension. Just like all of the other homes in this year’s show, the Nottoway features a beautiful stone exterior. The turret you see is actually a library on the inside, and an exterior balcony on the second floor is also a great bonus. Once inside, you are met with neutral, tall ceilings and thick crown moldings. The library... [more...]

On a beautiful Cincinnati weekend, I toured all five of the 2009 Homearama homes. In the coming days, I’m going to be posting my review of each home here on my website. In case you don’t already know me, I’m a local Realtor with the AmyBSells Team and Keller Williams Advisors, with several national certifications. (Read more about me here.) For the last several years I have been saying it’s time for a scaled-back, more realistic and attainable version of the Homearama show. This year, I think it’s exactly right. While it’s always a nice fantasy to tour a home in the one to three million... [more...]

If you’re planning on updating one of the major components in your house that affect energy efficiency, consider purchasing something that meets high enough requirements to earn you a tax credit. It’s becoming common sense that if you are choosing a new appliance or even lightbulbs, that you’ll want to pick those labeled Energy Star for the most efficiency. Well, there’s also components like windows, heat pumps, furnaces, insulation and others that can have the energy star rating (of different degrees). And if you’re willing to figure out the details when choosing... [more...]

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