Jim Mc Carthy Realtor

05/26/2023

I hope everyone has a safe & nice Memorial Day Weekend! Please remember the Men & Woman that have lost their lives so we can live in this Great Country!

12/31/2021

I hope everyone has a safe & good New Year...if you need any help with your Real Estate needs please let me know!

12/26/2021

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays & are staying healthy!

12/26/2021

Another great article from Liz Weston on Probate Problems.

A will allows you to distribute your worldly goods, select a guardian for minor children and name an executor to carry out your wishes.

09/20/2021

Some good Buyers advise:

Home Trends
Homebuyers Guide: What Buyers Want
These home features are the top asks from today's homebuyers.
Open floor plans have topped homebuyers’ must-have list for so long that the request is hardly a trend — it’s an in-demand layout based on a lifestyle shift during the past decade, reflecting how we entertain and spend time at home. Also, buyers across the board are going for the cool-neutral color palette that includes shades of gray and clean white cabinets. Beyond these features, Bobby Heller and Jennifer Waters, agents with the Young Team at Keller Williams Greater Metropolitan in Pepper Pike, share what today’s buyers really want.

Multifunctional Mudrooms
The most appealing mudrooms include more than a drop spot for shoes and book bags. Buyers are going for mudrooms that include open lockers or compartments, one for each family member, and an adjoining half-bath and laundry room, Waters says. “Lockers in mudrooms have been a trend for a while, and now we are seeing even more of the half-baths off the mudroom, so people can come into the house, wash their hands, hang up their coats,” she says. “And, of course, having a first-floor laundry is desirable.”

A Dedicated Home Office
Heller expects more buyers to ask for a home office following the coronavirus stay-at-home orders. “That can mean having a home that has an office space or flex space that allows you to close the doors for privacy or open them up and connect to the home,” he says. Aesthetically, there is a move toward office spaces that blend with the rest of the home’s interior, possibly including sliding glass doors.

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
Rather than carpeting finished basements, Heller sees more homeowners using luxury vinyl plank flooring that looks like hardwood, but is water- and scratch-resistant. Overall, buyers are showing a preference toward homes with hard flooring and area rugs versus wall-to-wall carpeting. “They might keep carpeting to the bedrooms, but use vinyl plank in the hallways because it holds up better and is more durable,” he says. Waters adds, “The technology they use to make the vinyl plank has advanced and it looks like real wood, not fake plastic stuff. I think we will see more of that than hardwood because of its functionality.”
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07/21/2021

This is very good article shown in several outlets by experts in this field.

Minimize risk by getting help from experts and taking things one step at a time.

07/20/2021

Very good article, that might help buyers in Ohio.

Real estate agents will soon lose a tool many used to drum up anticipation for homes being sold but is also seen by some as helping create an unfair playing field, especially during the recent, pandemic-fueled housing market.

07/11/2021

Another good article about Sellers Market in the USA.

US Housing Market Forecast 2021-2022: Will It Crash or Boom?
JULY 7, 2021 BY MARCO SANTARELLI

Will the housing market crash? Let's look at the most recent housing market trends and predictions for 2021 and 2022. We will discuss current overall real estate trends, price and rent increases, housing sales and supply, mortgage rates and delinquencies, and other key industry takeaways and insights into the US housing market. This year has seen an exceptionally strong real estate market, with strong housing demand in virtually every region of the country.

What a difference a pandemic like Covid makes on the housing market, which advances in the opposite direction of what one would expect in a recession! More existing homes were sold last year than in any year since 2006. An improving economy and millennials approaching their peak homebuying years are fueling a residential housing boom. Low mortgage rates, combined with an increase in working from home as a result of the pandemic, have spurred a surge in housing demand, particularly in lower-density suburbs.

In the 2021's housing market, buyers are driving up home prices and leading homes to sell quickly. Some of the hyperactive buyers are making offers without seeing the property and foregoing contingencies to win bidding wars in the highly competitive housing market. The record-low mortgage rates have really sparked the increase in demand, especially among millennials. However, they are encountering a shrinking supply of available homes.

The housing market is still far from normal, with inventories down over 38% year over year and at historic lows. The current supply of homes on the market is at an all-time low, dating back to the turn of the century. Due to a lack of supply and decreasing interest rates or borrowing costs, home prices have continued to rise in double digits. With the recovering economy, more buyers are entering the market. And, because there is still a limited supply of housing inventory, home prices continue to rise even in a low-interest-rate scenario.

However, the latest market trends (seen in May/June) point to a shift in real estate activity, implying that we may have passed the peak of this hot housing market, which is good news for home buyers. The market is still heavily skewed toward sellers, but we may be seeing the first signs of a return to a more balanced real estate market following the most active sales period in years. Because housing inventory is limited, there may be some competition, so it pays to be prepared when you start looking for a home.

According to Realtor.com, the decline in time-on-market has slowed for the first time in nearly four months, indicating that some properties are sitting on listing portals for a little longer. These market trends point to a positive development for buyers as we enter the crucial home buying season of 2021. Additionally, compared to last year, the number of newly listed properties is also increasing, and the sharp inventory losses of recent months have moderated. The net result has been a deceleration in the growth of listing prices. While home prices are still rising at a double-digit rate, they have passed their peak growth rates.

07/08/2021

Good article about home inspections during this Seller's Market.

In today’s red-hot housing market, some buyers are offering to skip the home inspection to make their offer more attractive.

06/30/2021

Great article in the Plain Dealer on June 20th.

If you're feeling overwhelmed in this hot market or just wondering how anyone manages to pull off homeownership, you're not alone.

04/03/2021

Great article about the Townhouse code in Cleveland!

A 2018 rewrite of Cleveland's townhouse zoning code has raised fears it's allowing developers to pack too much onto small urban 'infill' sites and prompted a drive to repeal and replace the law.

03/01/2021

Here is a good article about the Federal Reserve & interest rates.

When interest rates increase, it affects the ways that consumers and businesses can access credit and plan their finances.