This Sunday, May 6, will be the 14^th annual Flying Pig Marathon. Considered young compared to Cincinnati’s sixth oldest race in America, the Pig had the third largest first-time marathon in the country in 1999.  With more than 30,000 participants in last year’s [5K, 10K, half and full marathon] races, this particular event is sure to bring plenty of out of town visitors as well as Greater Cincinnati residents to downtown Cincinnati.

The Flying Pig half and full marathons host thousands of runners and volunteers; the latter being dispersed along the course for the duration of the race. These volunteers will be especially helpful this year, as the anticipated heat will likely prove to be quite a difficult element to endure for 26.2 miles.

The course for the half and full marathons enjoys vistas of the rolling Cincinnati hills as well as the Ohio River, as it meanders its way through Northern Kentucky, downtown Cincinnati, and the eastern suburbs.

If you know a runner participating in this year’s Flying Pig, click here to receive updates and track his or her progress. Spectators can find a place to watch and encourage runners anywhere along the course, which can be viewed here.

Good luck to this year’s runners!

Related...

• April 24, 2012 -- Have Your Voice Heard – Brent Spence Bridge
• April 13, 2012 -- Hyde Park Schools Boundary Lines
• April 11, 2012 -- Shred Day 2012
• March 29, 2012 -- Buyer Beware: Short Sale Homes

This is not listed in the MLS yet.

Have your voice heard at the public hearing regarding the Brent Spence Bridge. Mark your calendar for a very important meeting for Wednesday, April 25 from 5–8pm at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. At this meeting there will be discussions of replacing the bridge as well as various design options, which will differ in appearance and overall cost to construct.

Replacing the Brent Spence Bridge will greatly impact the economy of Northern Kentucky, including but not limited to its property values and industry.

There has been much controversy surrounding this “functionally obsolete” and unsafe bridge and, as one of the most important thoroughfares in the greater Cincinnati area, its rehabilitation is imperative. The Brent Spence Bridge is vital to numerous travelers and, originally designed to carry 85,000 vehicles per day, today this bridge carries more than double that amount.

If you cannot attend the meeting but would still like to provide feedback, click here.

Photo via bridgestunnels.com

Related...

• May 3, 2012 -- Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
• February 9, 2012 -- How to Buy a House
• May 13, 2009 -- The 3/50 Project
• December 18, 2007 -- Cincinnati Riverfront Homes

Hyde Park School will be re-opening for the 2012–2013 school year and, according to Cincinnati Public Schools, the recent interest in HPS has been considerable. To reduce any confusion that you may have regarding its boundary lines, see the below map to gain a better understanding of the boundary lines that have been updated and released by CPS.

To learn more about these new boundaries (as well as HPS), don’t miss Hyde Park School’s open house, which takes place tomorrow, April 14, from 10am until 2pm. There you will be able to attend information sessions, tour the facility, learn about future renovations, and ask any questions you would like answered about the school and its faculty.

Related...

• May 3, 2012 -- Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
• April 24, 2012 -- Have Your Voice Heard – Brent Spence Bridge
• March 29, 2012 -- Buyer Beware: Short Sale Homes
• March 9, 2012 -- Will my house be redistricted to Eastside School from Kilgour Elementary?

With tax season drawing to a close, it’s time to consider expunging all of your tax records, old bills, and sensitive documents. Amy B Sells and its trusted sponsors have organized Shred Day 2012, a day in which you can shred all of these documents for free while enjoying a cup of coffee and donuts.

Join Amy B Sells for Shred Day 2012!

Join us this Saturday, April 14, from 9–11am, and feel free to bring your friends, family, and neighbors!

Click here for ideas about which documents to shred.

Related...

• May 3, 2012 -- Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

During a short sale, homeowners sell their house for less than the amount they owe on their mortgage loan and avoid the more damaging effects of foreclosure. Purchasing a short sale home can come with risks but can have a financial payoff if everything works in the buyer’s favor. We’d like to take you through some general information about short sale homes and why it’s often a less than ideal choice for most interested buyers.

With a home purchase you most likely have a lender and a realtor. However, by attempting to purchase a foreclosure or short sale, you are completely eliminating any work a realty team can do on your behalf. There is no negotiating with the bank, and no real communication is possible. Additionally, banks who own foreclosures or sell short sale homes are notoriously unresponsive. You may put in an offer on a property, only to have the bank wait 45 days to review all the offers. The bank then works with the one offer and MAY inform you on day 50 that your offer was not accepted. During this time, you cannot put an offer in on another property and you may even have to wait for response lag time to pull your offer if you want to make an offer on another home. Otherwise you could end up under contract for two houses. Meanwhile, you’ve lost invaluable time. You may have missed out on other properties you would have liked to buy, other opportunities, the start of a school year, job relocation, lease ending, sale of another home, etc.

If you are looking to move into a new home soon and are hoping to get a good deal on a short sale home, you may have to find temporary housing while you look. Consider that it may take 3-6 months (sometimes more, sometimes less) to close on a short sale home (versus approximately 30 days with the AmyBSells Team). And, a lot of things can happen to a neglected home while it sits for months. Which brings us to the overall condition of the home. Although the price of the home may be a great deal, be sure to factor in the potential work that needs to be done to make the house safe and livable. You may need to purchase new appliances, lighting fixtures, carpet, furnace, AC, cabinets, vanities, etc. in addition to fixing structural issues (think roof, termite damage, water damage, mold, etc.). And, there is no negotiating on the price to offset these potential expenses. You have to enter into the bidding with your highest and best price and hope that you beat out the other buyers and investors that likely have put in better offers. You only get one chance with the bank.

There may be additional fees that you wouldn’t have with a regular home purchase. The bank owning this property won’t pay any of your closing costs. They’re selling this to you at a discount, so that’s the only benefit you are getting. In contrast, my clients purchasing homes from traditional sellers are getting between $3,000 to $6,000 of seller paid closing costs! Think of the steps involved in any purchase, and imagine those steps complicated by bank ownership and lengthy home vacancy. You’ll have to do an inspection after your offer is accepted and before you move into the house. You’ll definitely have to pay for this inspection yourself, usually around $400. If the house is vacant — and they usually are — the utilities will be off. In order for the inspection to be done, you’ll have to pay the typical $60 fee to have the utilities turned back on (so the inspector can test them). If the previous owner was in debt on their utilities, you will have to pay the debt in order for the utilities to be turned back on for this address. This could be between $300 – $1500, depending on the situation.

If all of this sounds like it would be okay, then a short sale might be the right avenue to pursue. Many investors who are looking to flip houses find this the cheapest way to acquire something they can rebuild. But, if this doesn’t sound like it would work for you and your family, then a traditional sale might be the way for you to go. We recently took you through the steps of buying a home with the Amy B Sells Team. Click HERE to see the story and to read about our expertise and process and to learn what to expect with us. The Amy B Sells team is dedicated to making sure your entire buying experience is thorough, from A to Z. Even after you buy, we make sure that everything about your home and its investment is taken care of.

The Amy B Sells Team focuses on communication and service. To talk to someone on the team about buying a new home, contact Molly at 513-544-2231 or Molly@AmyBSells.com or by visiting the AmyBSells webpage HERE.

Related...

• February 9, 2012 -- How to Buy a House
• March 24, 2009 -- Cincinnati Fourth in Business Expansion
• May 3, 2012 -- Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
• April 24, 2012 -- Have Your Voice Heard – Brent Spence Bridge