When you’ve done everything to get your home ready to sell and it just isn’t moving, it’s time to think about your next move.  It’s important to know when to adjust the price, especially in declining markets and buyers’ markets.

In his Real Estate Blog, LeRoy Houser provides some clues that it’s time to drop your listing price.

Related...

• June 10, 2010 -- Existing Home Sales Rise in April
• March 30, 2010 -- Sellers: Avoid These Pricing Mistakes
• August 25, 2009 -- The Market: on a Road to Normalization?
• December 19, 2008 -- Not Happy With Your Hamilton County 2008 Market Value?

CNN/Money Magazine has named their 100 top towns in their annual “Best Places to Live.” Mason ranks 24 this year, with five Ohio cities placing in the top 50.

Mason’s great schools, proximity to Cincinnati, good public parks and low crime help place this city in the top 25.

Mason ranks 17 in affordable housing.

See Mason’s stats here.

Other regional cities in the top 100 include these places in the Cleveland, Dayton and Indianapolis areas.

3.) Solon, Ohio

30.) Highland Heights, Ohio

32.) Twinsburg, Ohio

42.) Springboro, Ohio

48.) Westfield, Indiana

50.) Noblesville, Indiana

55.) Brownsburg, Indiana

62.) Plainfield, Indiana

The number one city this year was Louisville, Colorado, in the Denver area.

See the full list.

Related...

• October 14, 2010 -- Great Wolf Lodge Mason Featured on CBS
• February 17, 2010 -- How to Get Money in an Emergency
• July 21, 2009 -- Cincinnati Homearama 2009 Carmelle – Update

Median Price for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45226 as of February 25, 2011 is $249,000

Inventory for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45226 as of February 25, 2011 is 59

Average Days on Market for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45226 as of February 25, 2011 is 209

Other Posts

• October 23, 2008 -- Four Staging Challenges
• July 16, 2010 -- Sugar Cupcakery Featured on Food Network
• May 14, 2009 -- $8000 Tax Credit: Available for Down Payment?
• September 2, 2011 -- 6405 Roe St., Cincinnati, OH 45227

Median Price for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45208 as of February 18, 2011 is $311,950

Inventory for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45208 as of February 18, 2011 is 158

Average Days on Market for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45208 as of February 18, 2011 is 192

Other Posts

• November 3, 2009 -- A Big Part of the Small House Movement
• April 22, 2009 -- 5807 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212
• May 13, 2010 -- Facts about Cocoa Mulch and Pet Dangers
• December 2, 2010 -- Roebling Suspension Bridge Reopens

The National Association of Realtors profiles buyers and sellers each year. Here are some of the findings:

Buyers:

• Median age for first-time buyers: 30
• Median income for first-time buyers: $59,900
• First-time homebuyers made up 50 percent of the market
• 36 percent of buyers start their home search online. For repeat buyers only, that number is 41 percent
• Only 4 percent of buyers purchase a foreclosure, but half consider it and 39 percent don’t consider it
• More than 8 in 10 buyers purchase with an agent
• Sources of down payments for repeat buyers: savings, 57 percent; proceeds from sale of primary residence, 43 percent; gift, 8 percent
• Sources of down payments for first-time buyers: savings, 74 percent; proceeds from sale of primary residence, 2 percent; gift, 27 percent
• Median down payment for first time buyers: 4 percent
• Median down payment for repeat buyers: 14 percent
• 43 percent of buyers used FHA financing, and that number jumped to 56 percent for first-timers
• 93 percent of first-time buyers took advantage of the tax credit

Sellers

• Median age for sellers: 49
• Median income for sellers: $90,000
• First-time sellers made up 39 percent of market
• Median number of years sellers lived in the home they sold: 8 years
• 88% of sellers worked with an agent
• 9 percent of homes sold were FSBO; Half of those sales were to known buyers (i.e. friends, family), half were not
• 51 percent of sellers traded up, 21 percent traded down
• 57 percent bought newer home, 20 percent an older home
• 55 percent bought more expensive home, 25 percent a less expensive home
• 80 percent of sellers wanted agent to handle most aspects of the sale

Read More:

The Wall Street Journal

MortgageLoans.com

The Dallas Morning News

Other Posts

• October 6, 2009 -- Filing for the Energy Tax Credit
• February 2, 2009 -- Do I need a Realtor if I build New Construction?
• December 21, 2009 -- If You Don’t Buy a House Now…
• January 23, 2009 -- Amy SOLD all the houses in Ohio…

The jobless numbers have dropped across many counties in the Cincinnati area during April and May, as reported in the Cincinnati Business Courier.

Here’s a rundown of numbers from March to April of this year:

• Butler County: 10.5% (March) → 10.2% (April)
• Clermont County: 11.3% → 10.4%
• Hamilton County: 10.2% → 9.9%
• Warren County: 10.1% → 9.6%
• City of Hamilton: 12.1% → 11.8%
• City of Cincinnati: 10.6% → 10.3%

Overall in the State of Ohio, the March to April unemployment rate fell from 11.5% to 10.7%. Clinton and Highland Counties have had it the toughest, due to the closing of a DHL facility, but their unemployment rates also fell from March to April.

In May, despite hearing “dismal job reports” in the national media, unemployment nationally and in the area is still creeping down. In May, a huge chunk of jobs were attributed to temporary Census workers, not permanent jobs. But the upside is that those workers can contribute to the economy while employed. Nationally, private sector employment added 41,000 jobs. Manufacturing (+29,000), temporary help services (+31,000), and mining (+10,000) added jobs, while construction employment (-35,000) declined.

The Business Courier reports construction employment down, with most construction work attributed to Federal Stimulus projects that have already started and not as much private sector construction.

These numbers could indicate that we will see overall employment rise in Cincinnati this summer.

Read more from the Business Courier:

National jobless rate drops to 9.7% in May.

Jobless rate drops below 10% in Hamilton, Warren Counties.

Forecast: Cincinnati-area employment to rise this summer.

Unemployment falls in Cincinnati, Ohio Metros.

Construction jobs fall in Ohio, Cincinnati.

Related...

• December 8, 2011 -- Get Your Relocation Pre-Buyout Bonus with AmyBSells!
• December 1, 2011 -- You Can Choose Your Own Realtor for Your Corporate Relocation!
• November 29, 2011 -- Chiquita Moves Headquarters from Cincinnati to Charlotte
• November 9, 2011 -- Get Stroller Strong in Cincinnati!

Median Price for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45244 as of May 21, 2010 is $299,900

Inventory for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45244 as of May 21, 2010 is 285

Average Days on Market for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45244 as of May 21, 2010 is 173

Median MAI for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45244 as of May 21, 2010 is 11.93

Other Posts

• April 18, 2008 -- 132 Cryer Ave., Hyde Park, Cincinnati, OH 45208
• May 1, 2011 -- Amy’s Tips for a Wet Basement
• December 8, 2011 -- Get Your Relocation Pre-Buyout Bonus with AmyBSells!
• May 5, 2011 -- 3046 Parkdale Ct., Edgewood, KY 41017

Median Price for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45227 as of May 21, 2010 is $114,950

Inventory for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45227 as of May 21, 2010 is 178

Average Days on Market for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45227 as of May 21, 2010 is 136

Median MAI for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45227 as of May 21, 2010 is 20.72

Read more about Mariemont Market Statistics or sign up to get reports about all the Cincinnati areas.

Statistics Powered by Altos Research

Other Posts

• June 15, 2009 -- New Appraisal and Lending Regulations
• February 15, 2011 -- 3625 Edwards Rd., Hyde Park, Cincinnati, OH 45208
• August 28, 2007 -- The Home Buying Process, Step by Step
• May 12, 2009 -- Video: $8,000 Tax Credit Explained

Median Price for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45242 as of May 21, 2010 is $299,900

Inventory for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45242 as of May 21, 2010 is 213

Average Days on Market for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45242 as of May 21, 2010 is 169

Median MAI for homes in CINCINNATI, OH 45242 as of May 21, 2010 is 12.67

Read more about Montgomery Market Statistics or sign up to get reports about all the Cincinnati areas.

Statistics Powered by Altos Research

Other Posts

• May 19, 2009 -- Cincinnati Among America's Best Bargain Cities
• May 11, 2011 -- What is our Natural Disaster Risk?
• January 28, 2009 -- Real Estate Shows are NOT Reality
• December 1, 2008 -- neigh

Read more about Oakley Market Statistics or sign up to get reports about all the Cincinnati areas.

Statistics Powered by Altos Research

Other Posts

• May 5, 2010 -- Mt. Lookout, OH Real Estate Market Conditions (April 30, 2010)
• February 6, 2008 -- The Market is Ripe, Rates are Amazing!
• May 26, 2009 -- Hotdogs for Pencils – Oakley Afterhours Charity
• March 18, 2010 -- Cincinnati First-Time Homebuyer Seminar